Best New York Comedy

For the best of John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Brilliant comics Dave Hill and Jessica Delfino perform with burlesque stars tonight at the raunchy Skits 'n' Tits

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] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): World-class storyteller & luminous talent Kambri Crews, Andy Hendrickson, and Peter Aguero join star storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here) in Ochi’s Lounge to share their favorite real-life campus anecdotes at True Tales of College

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($18): One of the highlights of FringeNYC 2008 was Hot Cripple, a superb and heartfelt one-woman show by Hogan Gorman about her experiences with the US health care system, legal system, and government programs for the down-but-not-out. (The performance I attended was especially memorable because a small fire broke out on the second floor of the venue. Hogan had to stop two-thirds into her monologue so the building could be evacuated; and she did so with a wry smile, telling a comforting audience member “Oh, I’ve been though a whole lot worse than this.” Three fire trucks and 30 minutes later, the fire was out…and Hogan made a quick joke about the Hot in her show’s title and then resumed performing as if nothing had happened…) Running through February, come see it uninterrupted: Hot Cripple

8:00 pm ($5): The delightful Andrée Vermeulen performing a one-woman show in which she applies for “The Greatest French Person in the World Award” only to discover a terrible family secret involving waffles—and while performance trumps material here, Andrée is a fresh young talent worth discovering (for a memorable show highlight, shot with Andrée’s real-life boyfriend Thomas Middleditch, please click here); plus Nick Ross performing a show about his combating cancer, with a deliciously vibrant and adorable performance by actress Leslie Meisel as a variety of secondary characters (including the cancer itself…), in the double-bill French Toast and Highly Evolved Human

[FREE] 8:00: Superb comedic storyteller John Flynn, and NYC stand-ups Nick Zimmerman, Sean Crespo, Brian Longwell, Greg Leitman, and Colin Dempsey, all performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Theatrical scenes made up on the spot with breathtaking skill by brilliant and passionate improvisors who are becoming one of the best comedy duos in the biz—Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report), a.ka. Adsit & Gausas

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($8, or $6.50 online): From Examiner.com:” I can sell this show in 10 words or less…pasties, beautiful ladies, hysterical comedy, a house band, and beer…done. The electric trio made up of Jessica Delfino, Diane O’Debra, and Steph Sbelli (who both sing raunchy songs and perform sketch comedy) put on their smashing monthly variety show Skits n Tits that can only be described as hilarious, bad ass, and sexy. Catch some of the hottest up and coming acts in burlesque and comedy.” Tonight’s guests include comedians Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, star of The King of Miami, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Salon, The Dave Hill Explosion), Costaki Economopoulos, and Mike Amato, plus burlesque stars The Chi-Ciones and Jo Boobs, all performing in The Bowery Poetry Club at the monthly extravaganza known at Skits ‘n’ Tits

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing 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; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

Please Note: Big Terrific has been canceled tonight because of the expected snowpocalypse. As far as I know, however, all the shows listed above will go on as scheduled.

For the best of John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.