Best New York Comedy

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by brackets) include:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, tonight including Jena Friedman, Emily Epstein, Vicky Kuperman, Margie Kment, Karen Batista, Dan Cartwright, Mark Normand, Sean Donnelly, Blaine Perry, and John Morrison—at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] an entirely improvised musical from a genius improv duo (and among Eliza Skinner’s final NYC performances before moving to LA), and an improvised soap opera, in the double-bill I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including two of the best comedy hosts in NYC, Seth Herzog (VH1, Sweet) and Greg Johnson (Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] UCBT’s playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 pm and 9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-up comics joining comedy giants Eugene Mirman & Michael Showalter winners of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Hosts—for their weekly shindig at Brooklyn’s Union Hall: Tearing the Veil of Maya (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-ups at one of the funniest productions in NYC—and winner of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Variety Show—The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show (8:00 pm),

the debut of a new, free weekly comedy show hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a blowout free show in Brooklyn with genius comics Dave Hill (HBO, VH1, MOJO) and Anthony Jeselnik (Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central), superb stand-ups Laura Krafft (The Colbert Report) and Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), and superb musicians Leah Siegel and The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, at the razor-sharp and delightful Jena Friedman’s Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

and sharp NYC comics at a free stand-up comedy show hosted by star sketch/improv troupe Derrick in Queens’ Long Island City: This Is New York (9:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show who joyously declare Let’s Have a Ball (7:30 pm),

an improv troupe with a theatrical approach: Stray (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which this season broke the Cage Match record for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and has now taken over UCBT’s prestigious prime-time Saturday night slot—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (9:00 pm),

a small mob of talented comics telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at the gorgeous Sara Benincasa’s Family Hour (9:00 pm),

organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] improvised TV shows about audience members via world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] a blowout party celebrating Gossip Girl, the TV teen drama sensation of the year, hosted by Sara Benincasa (MTV, Family Hour, star Sarah Palin impersonator), and including a small mob of NYC comics, Emmy-winning writers, and other very smart fans having enthusiastic fun at the Gossip Girl Summit (11:00),

and five superb female comics who are also a terrific experimental cover band interviewing a comedy celeb and rockin’ the house as Stickerbook (midnight).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.