Best New York Comedy

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A beloved singer/sketch comic gets on stage to improvise before getting married at “Kimmy Gatewood’s Race to the Altar”…

…and brilliant UK comedy star Simon Amstell headlines at Sweet

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $13 marked with $) include:

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game showBunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner) and Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls, Evelyn Evelyn) 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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-9:00 pm ($5): Three of NYC’s finest improv troupes—Death by Roo Roo, The Curfew, and The Law Firm—performing at UCB Chelsea at this first half (see 9:00 pm for more) ofHarold Night

7:00 pm ($5): Improv from Matt B. Weir & Matt J. Weir, two friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name: We’re Matt Weir; and visiting improvisors from the South make stuff up as The New Movement

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The lovely and talented gals of HelloGiggles.com share tales about summer at UCB East, with storytellers including Joselyn Hughes (staff writer for Tosh 2.0), Abbi Jacobson (co-star of Broad City), Bethany Hall (producer of The Chris Gethard Show), and “hopefully some special surprises:” HelloGiggles: The Summer Lovin’ Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film at the The Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street) as The Two-Man Movie

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): “Kimmy Gatewood (The Apple Sisters) and Matt Johnson (The Royal We) are about to get married, and they need to do one last improv show as single people! Cast includes Maid of Honor Rebekka Johnson (The Apple Sisters), Groomsman BJ Gallagher (Big Black Car), and other amazing wedding guests. It’s a once in a lifetime event you can’t miss; party in the bar to follow!” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Kimmy Gatewood’s Five Day Race to the Altar

8:00 pm ($5): Cathleen Carr (Two Girls for Five Bucks, Birds, The Scene) and Bob Kulhan (Second City, The Scene) host a show featuring established two-person improv teams challenged with separation anxiety—the audience is asked to scramble them and create one-night-only pairings—at The PIT downstairs Lounge: Carr Kulhan: Dos Experimento

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly show features “a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced, but to check for an update please click here) performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this free weekly stand-up show hosted by Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks) & Sergio Chicon: Comedy Punch

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Mint Condition and Rosencranz

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Simon Amstell (razor-sharp and irresistible UK comedy star; host of BBC radio show Never Mind the Buzzcocks), Ronald Reagan (duo from Boston who do covers of 80’s songs on saxophones while wearing denim and puffy socks), John F. O’Donnell, and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Three more of NYC’s finest improv troupes—The Stepfathers , Grandma’s Ashes, and Airwolf—performing at UCB Chelsea, plus four separate three-person groups of advanced students each perform one long scene in a form called The Three-Hander—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[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) to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): “Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is on the ground in New York City, and he’s assembled a team of investigative experts to uncover the biggest conspiracy yet. The New World Order might keep Conspiracy Theory off the air, but we take the action outside the ring and straight to the people…because they can cancel a TV show, but they can’t cancel the truth,” with James Adomian as Jesse Ventura, Anthony Atamanuik as David Icke, and more doing crazy shit at UCB East: Conspiracy Theory Live with Jesse Ventura

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Bert Kreischer (David Letterman, Good Morning America, Comedy Central 1-hour special Comfortably Dumb, Bert The Conqueror on Travel TV), Eliot Chang (Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, Spike TV), Matt Fulchiron (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing), and more performing stand-up at the GothamComedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central):ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[FREE] 11:00 pm: 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

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