NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 4/8/13

April 9, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Catch a new The Jeselnik Offensive 10:30 pm on Comedy Central.

It's a Disaster

Catch an advance screening of a new dark comedy film starring Julia Stiles and David Cross for only $5 at UCB East: “It’s a Disaster”

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open-mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT “sketch-perts:” Pens & Pencils

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): The screening of comedy film It’s a Disaster starring David Cross, Julia Stiles, and America Ferrera a week before it’s official release—and for only $5—at UCB East, which was previously an indie movie theatre: It’s a Disaster

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet’s singing & dancing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Fisticuffs and BEEES! (at 7:00), Aquarius and Legend (at 8:00); and Mint Condition (at 9:00); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with veteran musical improvisors to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Frank Barbiere (writer of Image Comics’ Five Ghosts and Dark Horse Comics’ Blackout) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[FREE] 7:00 pm: This weekly 2-hour open-mic storytelling show allows each performer a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge, tonight featuring guest co-host Lucas Hazlett (Homeless Guy) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:00 pm ($5): A variety show mixing sketch, stand-up, music, and improv (sadly, guests not announced) at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by all-gal improv troupe Gypsy: The Mélange

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Rocks, A Sparrow, and The Regulars at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): The debut of a sketch comedy troupe that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, host of The Soul Glo Jam, Andy Kaufman Award finalist) at The PIT upstairs theatre: Slap Fight

[$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know’s Best, IFC’s Z Rock, host of WB’s Life & Style), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View): Nick DiPaolo, Gregg Rogell, Lynne Koplitz, and More

8:00 pm ($5): Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX’s In Living Color, Comedy Central), Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes), RG Daniels (MTV, host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), and Alex Koll (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for this show hosted by Calvin Cole & Sharron Paul that calls attention to its inexpensive price: Cheap Date

8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), Greg Johnson (Sirius Radio host), Aaron Glaser (Jimmy Fallon, Funny or Die), Robert Dean, and George Gordon performing stand-up, with this week’s theme Weekend at Bernie’s, at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon, and hosted tonight by Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX’s Totally Biased; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here) and Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: Weekend at Bernie’s

8:00 pm ($5): Christine Holt & Mary Guiteras tend bar for a living, then let off steam by performing improv at The PIT downstairs lounge where they unleash the secrets they’ve heard: Bartenders

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles’ Show

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), and Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central) performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced, but for an update please click here) performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Dean, and/or Steve O’Brien: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Sherlock & Cookies, GoodGirl, and Bucky—plus 16 advanced improv students perform in the round and focus on making great use of the theatre space in Intimacy Issues: The Roundhouse—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) plays a different character each week, working from a loose premise and improvising as he goes along. Tonight “Tony is sick, so he’s phoning the show in—literally, he’s phoning in from home; but through the miracle of live video Tony will be your virtual host keeping the stage germ free,”plus stand-up guests Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream) and Brian Frange performing stand-up, and producer Andy Rocco, all at the UCB East theatre: The Tony Show: Tony’s Dying

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): “Improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights and genres, spontaneously generating an original and hilarious work of instantly important theater right before your eyes” at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Play

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; star of Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, great new DVD/CD Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff), Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime’s Dave’s Old Porn and Comedy Central’s Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View): Amy Schumer, Dave Attell, Nick Griffin, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 12/24/12

December 24, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

David Cross and Todd Barry

David Cross performs at Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train; Todd Barry does stand-up at Comedy Cellar

This Christmas Eve’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics, no cover for audience with code HyReviews, plus 1-drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison’s Village Motel

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O’Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[$] 7:30 pm ($25 at the door or $21.59 online): Jess Wood (Def Comedy), Hilary Schwartz (winner of March Madness Comedy Competition), Rena Zager (Comedy Central), Amy Beckerman, and more perform stand-up with band Izaak +3 at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art (138 Sullivan Street): Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): TV & movie stars David Cross and Janeane Garofalo, plus Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central) and Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with dance party DJing by Ted Leo & Danny Glover, and hosting by Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show): Night Train with Wyatt Cenac

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Todd Barry, Nick Griffin, Kurt Metzger, Michael Che, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Luis Gomez, and Scotland Green performing stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner: Christmas Scroogetacular Hosted by St. Nick Turner

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: One of the finest Christmas movies ever made will somehow be made fun of by NYC comics at Queens LIC’s The Creek with host Robbie Collier: Hey We Live There!: A Christmas Story

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Owen Smith (HBO, Comedy Central, writer & performer on Everybody Hates Chris), Ray Ellin (HBO), and Sam Morril performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Jena Friedman, Godfrey, Owen Smith, and More

[$] Midnight ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Owen Smith (HBO, Comedy Central, writer & performer on Everybody Hates Chris), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Kurt Metzger, Michael Che, Owen Smith, and More

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 6/25/12

June 25, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For excerpts from Dave Hill’s new bestselling book, please click here.

David Cross

David Cross is among the stars at Gravid Water…

Baby Wants Candy

…and a musical will be created on the spot five times this week by Baby Wants Candy

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with each of the four audience members chosen from the bucket of names getting to tell tales for 7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar’s Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word’s Open Mic Joint

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars mixing it up with such genius improvisors as TV & movie star David Cross (Arrested Development, Mr. Show), John Lutz & Scott Adsit (30 Rock, John & Scott), Rachel Dratch (SNL), and more as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at The Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street) for actor/director Stephen Ruddy’s Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, one of the very best sketch shows of 2012. It’s a noir mini-play written & directed with immense wit by Michael Trapp (Stone Cold Fox), who with this script demonstrates he’s a rising star with a surefire career in the biz. And beyond the pages, Michael’s put together an all-star cast, including John Murray (simultaneously gripping and hilarious as a hardboiled detective with an absurdly short attention span), Brandon Scott Jones (who delivers an unforgettable scene with John that’s worth the trip all by itself), and D’Arcy Carden (who abandons her usual laid-back persona here to be smoking hot). These are all total pros who are virtually assured careers in TV and film. Catch them while they’re honing their craft and waiting to be noticed in one of the most consistently fun shows in NYC: Death Wears Stilettos…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, a show for which I had high hopes since some of my fondest childhood memories are of Krypto and his Space Canine Patrol Agents (S.C.P.A.). But this ain’t that. Instead, it’s a deliberately dumb version of Saturday morning cartoon shows that demonstrates little respect, affection, or wit towards its source material. The most notable elements are Neil Casey, who is hilarious as an evil alien insect-man; Rob Lathan as Neil’s lackey; and Sue Galloway as the gal even dog creatures want to make out with. This could have been so much more, especially with the brilliant Craig Rowin as co-writer; but instead it’s Dog Fleet 

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Simon Amstell (razor-sharp and irresistible UK star), Glenn Wool (highly likeable and semi-political UK star), Lady Carol (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Josh Gondelman (SF Sketchfest) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 ($5): James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City) debating various topics, mixed with sketch and who knows what else, at UCB East hosted by Michael Shawki, Jeff Wesselschimdt, and Dan Licata: The Great Debate

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE’s A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Damien Lemon (Comedy Central’s Russell Simmons Presents the Ruckus, MTV2’s Guy Code), and Frank Liotti performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway’s Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che:Broken Comedy

8:00 pm ($10): Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Vidur Kapur (upcoming Showtime special Pauly-tics), and Matt Ruby (co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit) performing stand-up at this monthly show at The PIT, hosted by twins Todd & Adam Stone: Stone and Stone Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($12.90): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the The Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street) tonight to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Charlemagne (which includes such talents as Leslie Meisel) and Beige: Maude Night: Beige & Charlemagne

[TOP PICK] 9:30 ($5): Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host ofComedyJuice) and Michael Che perform comedy club-length sets at UCB East hosted by Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses): Big Long Sets

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: On the Road

10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors “for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens” at The Magnet hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it’s virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jared Reed: Fresh

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 5/28/12

May 28, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

David Cross

TV & movie stars David Cross and…

Rachel Dratch

…Rachel Dratch are among the spectacular talents at Gravid Water

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

 [FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with each of the four audience members chosen from the bucket of names getting to tell tales for 7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:00 pm ($8): Young improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they’ve never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar’s Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word’s Open Mic Joint

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars mixing it up with such genius improvisors as TV & movie star David Cross, John Lutz & Scott Adsit (30 Rock, John & Scott), Rachel Dratch (SNL), and more as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at UCB Chelsea for actor/director Stephen Ruddy’s Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent of The Daily Show), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Annie Lederman (Comedy Central), and Michael Kupperman (Adult Swim, TV Funhouse) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) guest-hosted tonight by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice): Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sasheer Zamata (highly charming, innovative rising star; host of School Night, member of red-hot improv troupe Doppelganger and sketch troupe The Prom), comedic musical group Summer & Eve, John Milhiser (award-winning sketch troupe Serious Lunch), and more performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring the Shrink Dancers: The Big Shrink

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Erin Lennox, Mike Recine, Robert Dean, Adam Cozens, Taylor Ketchum, Rojo Perez, and Lukas Kaiser performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway’s Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che: Broken Comedy

8:00 pm ($8): Improv performed by talented duos at The PIT upstairs theatre: Ampers&nd

9:30 pm ($8): Performers of The PIT’s Thursday musical improv shows form entirely new one-night-only groups at the downstairs lounge to make up yet more musicals: Musical Improv Mix-Em-Up

8:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet, a mini-play from Chris Nester & Ross Taylor about aspiring Country Western musicians: The Oakwood Boys

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, it’s probably your last chance to see this sketch play about the opening of a trendy restaurant that serves nothing but pig (including “bacon-infused martinis”), written with wit and bite by Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox), directed with style by Caitlin Bitzegaio (MTV, PBS, ESPN), and performed superbly by comedic actress Lauren Conlin Adams (keep an eye out for her Aurora, a hot and hilariously bubble-headed waitress): Pig: A Restaurant…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, an improv troupe that recently clobbered top rivals at Cage Match—thanks to such talents as Don Fanelli, Kate Riley, and Tim Martin—attempts to abandon rules for the sake of achieving new levels of hilarity in Fuck That Shit

9:30 ($5): Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City), Joe Machi (Jimmy Fallon), Jeff Wesselschmidt, and more debate various topics, mixed with sketch and who knows what else, at UCB East hosted by Michael Shawki, Jeff Wesselschimdt, and Dan Licata: The Great Debate

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: On the Road

10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors “for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens” at The Magnet hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who haven’t yet been announced, but you can check for an update here—performing at UCB Chelsea and probably hosted by comedy genius Chris Gethard: Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jared Reed: Fresh

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 10/6/11

October 6, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Wonder Woman and John Hodgman

Storyteller Cyndi Freeman chronicles her journey to burlesque in "Wonder Woman: A How To Guide For Little Jewish Girls," John Hodgman reads from his upcoming new book at "Lollygaggin' with David Rees"...

David Cross and Andrea Rosen

...David Cross and brand new mom Andrea Rosen are at "Variety SHAC" ...

Jessi Klein and Ali Wong

...and stand-ups Jessi Klein and Ali Wong perform at "Totally J/K "

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

6:00 pm ($5): The auditions of two comedic one-act plays hoping to get on the UCB West schedule, and about which I know nothing except they have cool titles: Kate Riley is Not a Lady andMinnesota Bitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives) and tonight’s guest-host Jon Gabrus (Conan O’Brien, Best Week Ever, The Law Firm, The Nights of Our Lives; co-creator & co-star of Spike TV’s Mocap, LLC): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics drawing names from a bucket, with each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Corby Haas

[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): John Hodgman (Daily Show commentator, bestselling author of The Areas of My Expertise and More Information Than You Require, and the underrated PC in Apple Computer ads), Todd Hanson (head writer for The Onion; Adult Swim’s Squidbilliesand Aqua Teen Hunger Force; The Aristocrats), and more performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with cartoonist host David Rees: Lollygaggin’ with David Rees

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Sharp NYC comics tell tales of “the role that got away” in these behind-the-scenes audience of broken dreams at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok: Role Call

7:00 pm ($5): “No sweeps, no tag outs, no Baldwins. Inspired by Chicago’s JTS Brown, this improv troupe formlessly flows from moment to moment. Each entrance and exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions in order to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Scoresby

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): A one-hour monthly show at UCB East featuring “a compilation of my favorite stories and home videos that I’ve been working on for the past two years” from storytelling giant Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here): Adam Wade’s Big Heart

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20): Delightful storyteller & burlesque performer Cyndi Freeman (MothSlam champion, two-time FringeNYC award winner) performs a one-woman show that “traces her journey from a little suburban Jewish girl obsessed with Wonder Woman to a fabulous burlesque queen in NYC, recounting tales of personal heroics while joyfully spewing trivia about America’s first and favorite female superhero. Join her on a crusade to right wrongs while wearing fabulous outfits, directed by Obie Award winner David Drake” at Stage Left Studios (214 West 30th Street, 6th floor): Wonder Woman: A How To Guide For Little Jewish Girls

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comedic storyteller Cameron Esposito performing her acclaimed hour-long solo show at UCB West for one night only: Side Mullet Nation

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Bridgid Ryan (Chester) and Ted McAdams (1001 Nights) tell tales revolving this month’s theme, Bad Jobs, at The PIT downstairs lounge along with young hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who say they’re Failing Our Twenties

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.): A TV & movie star who created & hosted Last Comic Standing, was a cast member of CBS’ Gary Unmarried and Ghost Whisperer, has done extensive sports broadcasting for ESPN, and has appeared in such feature films as Jerry MacGuire, Pay It Forward, and Hereafter (opposite Matt Damon) headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jay Mohr

8:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes The Boss (with special guest Armando Diaz), Hello Laser, The Boss, Dunk, and Junior Varsity performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with last week’s winner pitted against Hello Laser at 11:00 pm: The Magnet’s Night Out

8:00 pm ($5): Any show ballsy enough to begin its description with “Have you ever loved a mop? Susan-Kate Heaney has…” is worth exploring. This one-woman show is happening at The PITupstairs theatre: Confessions of a Mop-oholic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (for tonight’s lineup, please click here) performing at The Creek’supstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman: Happy Sounds Comedy

[$] 8:00 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s been called “The African King of Comedy,” and has performed on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and Bad Boys of Comedy, BET’s ComedyView, and the feature film Next Friday headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Michael Blackson

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, cast member of upcoming NBC sitcom Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea; upcoming Oliver Stone film Savages; headlining this weekend at Carolines), and Baron Vaughn (co-star of USA’sFacing Kate and Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; MTV, VH1) performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): TV & movie star David Cross (HBO’s Mr. Show, FOX’s Arrested Development, Comedy Central’s Freak Show, Adult Swim’s Tom Goes to the Mayor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show…and scores of other TV and feature film roles), star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), and Edmond Hawkins (animator for Jimmy Fallon, Wonder Showzen, Superjail!) performing at UCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik and brand new mom Andrea Rosen: Variety SHAC

9:30 pm ($8): “A 17-person middle school talent show created and performed by two people—Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron—who like themselves more now that they’re older. A comedic tribute to the best three years of our lives, and a comedic play for anyone who ever thought it couldn’t get any better than prank calls and slow-dancing” at The PIT: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), John Knefel (Huffington Post; co-host of John & Molly Get Along), Neil Charles, and John Moses performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Sean Crespo’s & Carol Hartsell’s weekly comedy show Lasers in the Jungle

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PITdownstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[$] 10:00 pm ($22 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s performed on Conan O’Brien and starred in his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Nate Bargatze

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stellar improv troupe Rogue Elephant competing with challenger Dog Court for audience laughs and votes at UCB West for the raucous Cage Match

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open-mic stand-up show at UCB East, with each comic given five minutes, hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 7/30/09

July 30, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

David Cross performs in a star-studded show tonight at Comedy Below Canal
David Cross performs in a star-studded show tonight at Comedy Below Canal

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] Dave Hill debuting what promises to be a very special show about his popularity overseas: Dave Hill: Big in Japan (6:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] two of the sharpest & most respected comics in NYC, Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, honing a show they’ll be performing at this August’s Edinburgh Festival: Hot Tub Variety (8:00 pm),

sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces” in The Deconstruction (8:00 pm),

clever wordplay, conceptual comedy, and relentless silliness—applied to a parody of the already-goofy film Con Air—from sketch troupe Elephant Larry (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] TV & movie comedy stars David Cross, Arj Barker, Wyatt Cenac, and Jon Glaser performing stand-up in a star-studded show hosted by Bobby Tisdale at the 92YTribeca comedy showcase Comedy Below Canal (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and two vibrant improv troupes, Death by Roo Roo and Produce, in a battle to win audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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