Best New York Comedy

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
Ophira Eisenberg has a bestselling book. Please check it out here.

Grab tickets for Monday’s Adventures with Melanie Hamlett.

Peter Grosz teaches you about food and life in “Recipe For Success with Chef Michael Denardi”

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): Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories) hosts this weekly hour-long open-mic storytelling show, with typically six audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 6-7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge (please note this Monday show has, as of tonight, permanently moved to Wednesdays): Cammi Climaco’s Storytelling Open Mic: Six by Six

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

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] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Dr. Champagne, Nintendo, Chet Watkins, Brick, Horses, Featherweight, Flower Girl, and Bloomer, followed by a free audience interactive show with Bloomer at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

7:00 pm ($5): Mike Brown performs a relatively rare form of improvisation—a one-man show—at The PIT downstairs lounge (or you can see it via live streaming here): Mike Brown Solo Improv Extravaganza

[$] 7:00 pm ($20 plus two-drink min. for this charity event): Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman, VH1, contributor to SNL’s Weekend Update), Kendra Cunningham (Jimmy Fallon, The Tyra Banks Show, Law & Order), and Bob Levy (Howard Stern) performing stand-up and raising funds for animals at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Animal Rescue Fundraiser

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features troupes Bloody Mary and Graceland: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Peter Grosz (HBO’s Veep and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report and Key & Peele, numerous Sonic commercials) debuts a show at UCB Chelsea described as follows: “Do you like to cook? Do you think you’re a good home chef? Well, guess what? You’re not. Let chef Michael Denardi show you everything you didn’t know that you didn’t know about preparing food. His personality is as bold as his cooking, and his take-no-prisoners passion and high-energy food preparation is matched only by his love for all things local, organic, micro-brewed, house-cured, and dungeon-smoked. Warning: This might seem like just a 45-minute cooking demonstration; but you will also learn life lessons that will blow your mind. Please wear a helmet:” Recipe For Success with Chef Michael Denardi

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Lizz Winstead (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, Air America), Aparna Nancherla (delightfully wry stand-up; writer for FX’s Totally Biased), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Jason Saenz (sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), Jono Zolay, and Sam Grittner performing stand-up at McSwiggan’s (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) hosted by Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes): Connotation: Lizz Winstead, Aparna Nancherla, Giulia Rozzi, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here) hosts this MTV-sponsored stand-up showcase featuring Jamie Lee (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, MTV’s Ridiculousness, VH1), Andy Sandford, Joyelle Johnson, Matt Nedostup, Greg Stone, and Dave & Ethan performing at The Studio at Webster Hall (125 East 11th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues) hosted by Team Submarine: MTV Comedy Showcase

8:00 pm ($5): “Jinkies! The Groovy Gang is up to their old tricks in this long-form improvisational comedy. Join your favorite band of teen sleuths, and their talking alligator drummer Chompers, as they solve yet another spooky mystery” from improv troupe IRTE and director Pat Shay at The PIT downstairs lounge (or you can see it via live streaming here): IRTE: The Groovy Gang Adventures

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets “and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Open-mic free speech at this monthly show that dates back to 1755 London providing five minutes per person on any topic at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Nat Townsen (co-host of The Moon Show) and tonight featuring John Knefel (co-host of the Radio Dispatch podcast): Cogers: Debate Night New York

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Bridey Elliott (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Witstream, Fambly), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, ABC), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), David Agyekum, Malwina, Gazebo Flax, and Sharkee Katz performing stand-up, music, and who knows what else at Brooklyn’s The Silent Barn (603 Bushwick Avenue; take J/M subway to Myrtle Avenue…or, if you don’t mind a long walk, the L subway to Morgan Avenue): Comedy Dreamz

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully invent scenes (hopefully without any squabbling) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), Luis Gomez (Comedy Central’s Funaticos), Joe Harrington, Brian Jian, and Drew Michael performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack’s Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

9:15 pm ($8): Music from Downward Dogs, stand-up from Jon Savoy, and sketch from Dinner for One, Marina & Nico, and FUCT, all performing at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Nathan Macintosh: April Sketch Block

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): “Jonathan Blank and Samara Doucette say what everyone else thinks on dates, but never says; so join them and guest comedians as they divulge all of their wildest and most embarrassing dating stories. This monthly storytelling show contains the truth and nothing but the truth, but most of the stories are more surreal than if David Lynch directed romantic comedies. Everything from wild hookups to emotional breakups are on the table.” Tonight’s storytelling guests are David Crabb (co-host of Ask Me Stories) and Jack Perry at The PIT downstairs lounge (or you can see it via live streaming here): This is Awkward: True Stories of of Love, Lust, and Lubrication

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The comics who train, teach, and perform at UCB-NY are among the finest improvisors in the world. The UCB Touring Company consists of the cream of the crop, with the mission of showing audiences beyond those visiting UCB’s theatres in NYC and LA what improv is all about. For just this evening, however, the traveling troupe—which tonight is slated to include Brandon Scott Jones, John Murray, and Silvija Ozols—will be strutting its stuff on the UCB Chelsea stage: UCB TourCo All-Stars

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), 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) Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Amy Schumer, Hannibal Buress, Gregg Rogell, and More

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB’s classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (highly charming, innovative rising star; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, FX’s Totally Biased; member of red-hot improv troupe Doppelganger, sketch troupe The Prom, and Harold Night troupe Bucky) hosts as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that’s part of the laid-back fun; plus Sasheer is going to be a huge star, so catch her in this intimate setting while you can. Tonight’s scheduled guests include three talented and extremely likeable gal comics: JC Coccoli, Veronica Osorio, and Ashley Brooke. (For the complete lineup, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket ‘O Buckets

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma’s Ashes: The Improv Jam

[$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Turae (Comedy Central), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): The Nasty Show: Big Jay Oakerson, Wil Sylvince, Dan Soder, 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.