NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 3/28/13

March 28, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Demetri Martin has a new book. Please check it out here.

Blogologues

Hilarious comedic performers turn verbatim Web text into laugh-packed scenes in Blogologues: #SexyTime…

Sara Schaefer and Jena Friedman

…and stellar stand-ups Sara Schaefer & Jena Friedman tell stories for a change—accompanied by accordion music—at the wonderful Leslie Goshko’s Sideshow Goshko

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] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Michael Hartney (Characters Welcome, The 2017 Tony Awardz) is tonight’s guest at this weekly open-mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, hosted by the wonderful John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: PIT musical improv troupe Adorable makes up scenes and songs at the downstairs lounge: Adorable

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving two minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12): Two top stand-ups tell stories tonight: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There) and Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), plus storytelling duo Eliot Glazer & Jackie Mancini, at this unique storytelling show at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) that features such charms as accordion playing by Dr. Michelle-Leona Godin and a trivia contest with alcoholic prizes: Sideshow Goshko

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punchbowl and THEM

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Junior Varsity to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), and more form an improv troupe at UCB East that won this year’s prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($19.62 in advance online, $18 at the door): A top-notch theatrical troupe that’s equally fine at compelling acting and split-second comedy uses actual material on the Web, performed verbatim, to craft laugh-out-loud scenes. Tonight is the debut of the 12th edition of the series (begun in 2011), and—appropriately for Spring—focuses on all things sexy. While everyone in the cast is exceptional, standouts such as Wendy Joy, and the show’s producers Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula, are worth the trip all by themselves. For a video sample (a pale shadow of the live show), please click here. Another reviewer called this “like Forbidden Broadway for the Internet,” and that’s pretty close to the mark. This is running March 28-30 and April 4-6 at 8:00 pm. Grab tickets in advance before it sells out, and then enjoy this production at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place): Blogologues: #SexyTime

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Celebrating the 30th birthday of twins Todd Stone & Adam Stone (by an amazing coincidence, they both have it on the same day this year) are Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper, author of Tasteful Nudes), Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CDs Dirty Folk Rock and I Wanna Be Famous; created the wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous), Doug Smith, Tyler Gildin, J.F. Harris, Brent Katz, and Matt Maragno at The PIT upstairs theatre: Stone and Stone Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.17 online or $10 at the door): Stand-up comics and sideshow attractions at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City for this unusual carny experience hosted by Matteo Lane (and normally also Abigoliah Schamaun, but tonight she’s in Australia at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival): Abigoliah’s Bizzarre Bazaar

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August’s FringeNYC it’s been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman’s New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

8:00 pm ($5): UCBT star & Chris Gethard Show icon Riley Soloner is a sweet and silly comic almost impossible to not like. His character Vacation Jason is over-the-top ridiculous, which means Riley has to walk a tightrope between getting laughs and creating a reality believable enough to make us care about what’s going on. This first attempt at a sketch show falters on the latter; and I’d encourage Riley to be bolder about doing sharp, smart comedy, even with dumb characters, as he moves forward with his young and promising career. But script aside, there are worse ways to spend 30 minutes then watch Riley on stage while you’re wearing a show-supplied Hawaiian lei of flowers around your neck: Vacation Jason’s Island Flavors…

…and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, “all of the badass-ness of a baddass action film brought to you live on stage” by some of UCB Chelsea’s finest talent: Brandon Gulya (writer/co-star), Brandon Scott Jones, Leslie Meisel, Kristen Acimovic, Eddie Dunn, Tim Martin, and Evan Greenspoon (co-writer) in a sketch comedy that proclaims “First they broke his town. Then they broke his heart. But there’s one thing they’ll never break—his gun!:” The Unbreakable Gun

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes, Hemlock (which includes stellar singer Megan Maes) and Dagger (which includes notable talents Ryan Dunkin and Jon Bander), make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hemlock and Dagger

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Bloomer, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Hello Laser performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by The Kubler (long form improv that takes you through the five stages of grief, directed by Russ Armstrong), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet’s Night Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: A jaw-dropping dark comedy group, which includes members of ace sketch troupe Murderfist, will terrify Manhattan for an hour at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street): The Cowmen

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm ($5): Hari Kondabolu (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX’s Totally Biased), Alex Koll (Conan O’Brien), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Hadiyah Robinson, and Allen Strickland Williams performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Superb storytellers Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’s NewNowNext, Ed Gavagan (The Moth, TED Talks), and Kerri Doherty (Huffington Post, Adult Swim blogger) sharing true tales at The PIT upstairs theatre on tonight’s theme Losing It at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!: Losing It

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

9:30 pm ($5): At this UCB Chelsea double-bill, first sketch troupe Boat performs 30 minutes of bits at Boat: Comedic Sketches, and then a one-act play about the Biblical end of the world written by & co-starring Kevin Hines and directed by Brandon Gulya: Apocalypse in Connecticut

[FREE] 10:00 pm: “Comedy, music, and lots of love” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Patrick J. Reilly: I Love You Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight’s victim the 1973 science fiction soft porn flick Invasion of the Bee Girls, in which women kill men by sexually overexerting them (for the trailer—which reportedly doesn’t do justice to the movie’s copious nudity—please click here) at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): All-star improv troupe The Stepfathers continues to orphan all challengers, crushing Bucky last week 81-33. Tonight the 3-0 champion competes with team Tickles for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

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 Wednesday 3/27/13

March 27, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Demetri Martin has a new book. Please check it out here.

Ellena Chmielewski

Ellena Chmielewski co-writes & directs a fresh, witty mini-play about relationships: Standards & Practices…

Georgie Aldaco

…and on the same UCB Chelsea double-bill, Georgie Aldaco co-stars in fiercely surreal sketch show Former Business Partners

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: Six 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 Nintendo, Horses, Dr. Champagne, Brick, Featherweight, The Wrath, Flower Girl, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Chet Watkins at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

7:00 pm: Liz Miele (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Dave Lester, Mike Feeney, and Lance Weiss performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Wow; two of the best sketch shows currently at UCB Chelsea for five bucks. First up is four-gal comedy group Georgie Aldaco, Danielle Gibson, Viviana Olen, and Katie Simon performing a series of surreal sketches that are both unsettling and charged with comedic energy. A long bit about a mother threatening to do something surprising to her husband and son is an instant classic (when you see it, you’ll have no doubt what sketch I’m talking about…). The show could be greatly improved with periodic nuanced emotion to create a roller coaster effect—right now the audience is hit with surface shock after shock, which after a while desensitizes and loses impact—but if you’re open to the purity of conceptual comedy that challenges your sanity, you’ll enjoy Former Business Partners: Everything Must Go…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, brilliant improvisor Ellena Chmielewski proves herself to also be a brilliant comedic writer, and a young, fresh voice about relationships, in this mini-play about modern romance at UCB Chelsea she co-wrote with John Zachary Townsend, and that holds the seeds for a longer commercial stage production and/or a series on a network like MTV. Come enjoy watching the foundation of a promising career at one of the best-scripted shows to grace UCBT in a while (and if you know Ellena, urge her to star or co-star in her next production, because she’s a gifted performer too): Standards & Practices

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Storytellers Tracy Rowland (TV Editor, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Taylor Negron (HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm), Eliot Glazer & Jackie Anacin (It Gets Betterish , Guyspeed), Jessica Grose (author of Sad Salad Days), and Brady Dale tell true tales about Letting Go for this monthly show at Happy Ending (302 Broome Street) hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned…to Let Go

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sasheer Zamata (highly charming, innovative rising star; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, FX’s Totally Biased; host of UCBT’s School Night, member of red-hot improv troupe Doppelganger, sketch troupe The Prom, and Harold Night troupe Bucky), Catie Lazarus (host of show and podcast Employee of the Month), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Dawn Fraser, Brendan Eyre, and Rojo Perez performing performing at McSwiggan’s (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) with hosts Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and/or Emily Epstein: Connotation

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), 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 Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam) : Ted Alexandro and More

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), John Moses (Carolines), Damien Lemon (MTV2’s Guy Code, Comedy Central), Sergio Chicon (Comedy Central), Luke Thayer (host of The Living Room), and Peet Guercio 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?

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik, Adam Wade, Michelle Markowitz, Mike Guild, and wonderful host Dave Martin, tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight’s topic Adventurous and Daring, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines perform color commentary on an improv set by other top improvisors at UCB East for this monthly event: The Brothers Hines: Play by Play

[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—Mark Normand, Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Dan. St. Germain, Michael Che, Emily Heller, Jeffrey Joseph, Dan Soder, Barry Rothbart, Calise Hawkins, Joe List, Pat Dixon, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, FX’s Totally Biased; comedy troupes Doppelganger, The Prom, 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; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight’s scheduled guests include the always memorable Joe Pera and the delightful Phoebe Robinson; for the complete list, 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from 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), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), and Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): The Nasty Show: Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Nikki Glaser, 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 Tuesday 3/26/13

March 26, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Anthony Atamanuik

Fearless storyteller Anthony Atamanuik tells of his days as an addict in one-man show Pissing Your Pants On Vine…

Justin Long

…and TV & movie star Justin Long (Mac commercials, Live Free or Die Hard) DJs at Sweet

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-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, four of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Aquarius and Fisticuffs (at 7:00), Legend and Mint Condition (at 8:30), and BEEES! (at 9:00 pm), followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv troupe to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he’s developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comic book creators 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 Neil Constantine (Cluster Fuck Radio) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Amazing improv beatbox from Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), cartoon talk from New Yorker cartoonist Erik Bergstrom (also cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales and blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), stand-up from Janine Brito (staff writer/performer for FX’s Totally Biased), a story from Dawn Fraser (Barbershop Stories, The Moth), plus Michael Fisher (Movies I Slept Through), Austin Rodrigues (Comedy Central), and Rob Gorden (Onion News Network), all performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring Jill the Shrink Dancer and DJ Pandamonium: The Big Shrink

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC’s My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Josh Gondelman, Allen Strickland Williams, and Sean Wilkinson performing stand-up on tonight’s theme What Are the Odds? at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon, and hosted tonight by Erin Judge (Comedy Central; for hilarious bit, please click here) and George Gordon: The Afterlife: What Are the Odds?

[TOP PICK] [$] 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Nick DiPaolo, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

[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

8:00 pm ($8): Improv troupe Adorable makes up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre: Adorable Musical Improv

[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): Justin Long (NBC’s Ed, Galaxy Quest, Going the Distance, Live Free or Die Hard, the Mac in Apple Computer commercials), Colin Jost (Co-Head Writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Baratunde Thurston (author of How to Be Black, CNN pundit), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Salmon Diane, A Sparrow, and GoodGirl—plus an all-gal group of 16 advanced improv students challenge the male-dominated improv world to Suck My Dick—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Back from his recent trip to LA, brilliant and fearless storyteller Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) recounts for one night only his harrowing adventures as an addict—a one-man show that previously enjoyed a long run—at the UCB East theatre: Anthony Atamanuik: Pissing Your Pants on Vine

[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.): 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), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), 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), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), and Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Dave Attell, Mark Normand, 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 3/25/13

March 25, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Enormous congratulations and love to John Mulaney.

Cammi Climaco

Badass storytellers: Cammi Climaco at “Six by Six” and “This Song is About You”…

Dave Hill

…and Dave Hill at “Local Stories: Promises”

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: Cammi Climaco’s Storytelling Open Mic: Six by Six

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

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in 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] 6:00 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: After Cammi Climaco’s show ends (see 6:00 pm above), race on down to this other open-mic storytelling show, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he’s developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[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): Star improvisors and stars of Broadway crash improv into classic theatre scenes at UCB Chelsea for actor/director Stephen Ruddy’s Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Great lineup of 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), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that’s pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle’s Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Todd Barry, Marina Franklin, Nick Griffin, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; writer for Kroll Show, former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), John F. O’Donnell, and Rojo Perez performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Storytellers Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper, author of Tasteful Nudes), Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSlam finalist), Slash Coleman (National Storytelling Festival), Malaika Gordon (The Moth), and Daisy Rosario (The Moth) share true tales about this month’s theme Promises: Pacts, Oaths, and Unusual Agreements at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Andrew Linderman: Local Stories: Promises

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Four superb storytellers—Adam Wade, Sasheer Zamata, Cammi Climaco, and Julia Wiedeman—tells tales, and then hosts Anna Roisman & Katie Haller sing songs they’ve written pre-show about those stories, at The PIT upstairs theatre: You Probably Think This Song is About You

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A comedy quiz show full of heavily researched quirky facts in which sharp contestants receive points if their answers are correct but get more points if their answers are “quite interesting” at UCB East created & hosted by Katey Healy-Wurzburg: The Fascinator

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): To celebrate the start of the Season 3 of the greatest series on television (hey, I dearly love many shows, but we all have a favorite child…), performers at The Magnet bring passion and magic on stage with the promise “Improv is Coming:” Game of Thrones Improv

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV’s Pranked), Megan Neuringer (HBO’s Flight Of The Conchords, Comedy Central’s Strangers With Candy, FOX’s Fringe, VH1’s Best Week Ever, MTV; freelance writer for Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, MTV, Spike), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), and Sharon Spell (host of Big Shrink) performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Phil Hanley (Jay Leno), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2’s Guy Code), and Mike Cannon performing stand-up 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new material: The Prom (which includes such stellar talents as Sasheer Zamata, Amber Nelson, Stephen Soroka, and Siobhan Thompson), and Dinner (which includes Eddie Dunn, Natasha Rothwell, and Bree Sharp): Maude Night: The Prom and Dinner

[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

9:30 pm ($8): Sketch comics Matthew Robert Gehring (FX’s Louie), Jana Schmieding (Magnet sketch troupe Risky Bottom), Will Hines (UCBT’s The Stepfathers), and Ryann Weir (Golden Baby) each show off their solo character work for this unique format at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sam Martin &Branson Reese: Comedy Expo

9:30 pm ($5): The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues, Sharon Spell, Anna Callegari, and Sue Smith: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

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 & Langston Belton: 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 someone wonderful: Whiplash

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

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 Saturday 3/23/13

March 23, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Demetri Martin has a new book. Please check it out here.

Wrestling

A breathtaking collection of hilarious film clips, plus live guests, from superfan Kevin Maher…

Wrestling 2

….at 92 Y Tribeca when “Kevin Geeks Out About Wrestling”

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] 1:00 pm-1:00 am ($10 per show, all-you-can-see with $40 festival pass): This final day of The PIT’s annual NYC Improv Festival kicks off at 1:00 pm with a free panel discussion about the state of improv comedy that includes PIT founder Ali Farahnakian. Improv shows then commence at 7:00 pm at the upstairs theatre and 7:30 pm at the downstairs lounge, running through 1:00 am. Among the notable offerings tonight are improv based on the works of Quentin Tarantino and Ingmar Bergman: NYC Improv Festival 2013

[FREE] 4:00 pm: A dozen stand-ups—including dark comedy treasure Amber Nelson—perform on this month’s theme “Meta-Comedy: Comedy About Comedy” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Andy Rocco: Rocco’s Playground: Meta-Comedy Edition

6:00 pm ($5): Three Magnet improv groups—RuBin, Just Ben, and Aquarius—audition for the Chicago Improv Festival Showcase

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Violet Krumbein (30 Rock, Delocated), Dan Black (Death By Roo Roo, Fambly), Tim Dunn (Animal Planet, Maude Night), Eliot Glazer (Shit New Yorkers Say), Joanna Bradley (Bellevue), and Matt Starr (The Prom) performing character bits at UCB East hosted by Justin Tyler and Michael Hartney: Characters Welcome

7:30 pm ($7): Sharp Magnet improvisors “perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:” The Weave

7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then “turn that town’s tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:” The Curfew: Not From Around Here

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A glorious collection of hilarious film clips and live guests from super-fan Kevin Maher and friends at 92 Y Tribeca, with tonight theme summed up by this video promo: Kevin Geeks Out About Wrestling

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00ish pm: Wonderful comics Amber Nelson & Ashley Brooke Roberts host this free biweekly variety show featuring stand-up, character acts, and who knows what else, with tonight’s guests Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show), Nate Fernald, and Matteo Lane performing at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street). Amber says “Tuck that Benjamin back in your Wall-Mart panties, ‘cuz this show is free:” The Dream Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at this monthly gay-themed show at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Tom Steffen: Rapier Wit

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), Scott Moran (producer of weekly documentary Web series Modern Comedian), and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea’s genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($11.34 online or $10 at the door): Stand-up and burlesque are weirdly blended together based on the reasoning “The nude female form is truly a work of art. That’s why people the world over like to jerk off to it. Who are we to disagree with the world?”at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’  Long Island City hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): Pat Dixon’s (Nearly) Naked Lady Hour: Now with Bacon Bar

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:” Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and has so far crushed 10 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Tony Woods (David Letterman), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Andy Hendrickson (David Letterman), and Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Nikki Glaser, and More

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] Midnight ($12.50 online using code CRINGE; no min.): Ben Bailey (Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab; Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Pete Davidson, and Derek Gains performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Cringe Humor Show with Ben Bailey, Nikki Glaser, Adrienne Iapalucci, and More

Midnight ($5): Megan Neuringer (HBO’s Flight Of The Conchords, Comedy Central’s Strangers With Candy, FOX’s Fringe, VH1’s Best Week Ever, MTV; freelance writer for Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, MTV, Spike), Rose Surnow (writer for New York Magazine and Vice), Josh Rabinowitz, and Matteo Lane share true-life longish funny tales at this UCB East mashup of stand-up and storytelling hosted by Alison Leiby: It’s a Long Story

Midnight ($5): “Jason Saenz and Riley Soloner have invited the worst people in NYC to come and talk about their sh*tty situations in front of a studio audience in hopes that they can better themselves and turn their lives around. HAHAHA! Just kidding! We’re exploiting these people for ratings!” Typically including a small mob of comics (not announced) performing at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Late Night Trash

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:15 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Andy Hendrickson (David Letterman), and Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Nikki Glaser, 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 Thursday 3/21/13

March 21, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Demetri Martin has a new book. Please check it out here.

Eugene Mirman

Everyone’s friend Eugene Mirman performs at Tom Shillue’s Funny Story…

Creepers

…and a really bad Jennifer Connelly movie —about bugs and death—is screened with snarky commentary at Devil Science Theater 3000

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] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Craig Rowin (Comedy Central, ESPN, The Onion, The Law Firm, perpetrator of fabulous hoax Please Give Me One Million Dollars) is tonight’s guest at this weekly open-mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, hosted by the wonderful John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

6:00 pm-1:00 am: The PIT hosts its annual NYC Improv Festival, running for over 12 hours today in both its upstairs theatre and downstairs lounge. In addition, there are workshops and a free symposium at this special event happening through Saturday: NYC Improv Festival 2013

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving two minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

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

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: “Someone’s trying to kill Joanne… but who?” co-starring Amber Nelson as Deputy RunningBear: Coyote Howls: A Sheriff Joanne Mystery; and in the other half of this double-bill, Coker and Stratton: Brand Whores. At $2.50 per show, it’s hard to go wrong with Spank

[FREE] 7:00 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] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Fran Gillespie, Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Tim Martin, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and/or Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot: KOSMOS Musical Improv

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $11.54 in advance online; includes a free beer): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) gathers comics to tell funny stories at the Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th Street), with tonight’s guests Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, FOX’s Bob’s Burgers, Adult Swim’s Delocated, VH1; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Abby Sher (award-winning author of Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn’t Stop Praying and Kissing Snowflakes), and Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Tom Shillue’s Funny Story

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on the UCB Chelsea stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Storytelling and/or stand-up from Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy), Molly Knefel (30 Rock, Naked in a Fishbowl, Radio Dispatch, John & Molly Get Along), Angry Bob, Reverend Jen, and Meghan Turbitt performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Katharine Heller & Dean Haspiel: Night Job

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on the UCB Chelsea stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15, no drink minimum): 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), Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Justin Silver (star of CBS’ Dogs in the City), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Todd Barry, Christian Finnegan, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August’s FringeNYC it’s been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman’s New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Bloomer, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Hello Laser performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by The Kubler (long form improv that takes you through the five stages of grief, directed by Russ Armstrong), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), tonight featuring last week’s winner The Wrath vs. all-gal improv troupe Human Pyramid: The Magnet’s Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Five improv house teams from Chicago’s acclaimed Upstairs Gallery theatre take this NYC stage for one night only. “Expect fast, slow, patient, rushed, loose, tight, fun improv” from Chicago-trained teams Dead $$$, The Era, Hunkz ‘R Us, Pizza Party, and The Dirty Shame, all performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Upstairs Gallery Chicago Improv

9:30 pm ($5): If you’re a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it plus like-minded comics on the UCB Chelsea stage—tonight including Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV’s Pranked), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Hallie Cantor, and more: CollegeHumor Live

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($15, no drink minimum): Awesome all-gal lineup of Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), and Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks): Sara Schaefer, Nikki Glaser, and Brooke Van Poppelen

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight’s victim Jennifer Connelly’s 1983 mistake in which she makes friends with millions of insects, Creepers (for the very bad trailer, please click here) at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv legend The Stepfathers squeaked out a victory in a surprisingly close match with City Mouse at 63-55. The comedy giant tonight faces what on its face appears to be another uneven battle, this time against Maude team Bucky—but especially with improv genius Sasheer Zamata as a member of Cap’s sidekick, you can never tell what will happen at UCB Chelsea when improvisors compete for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

11:00 ($5): NYC comics Lance Weiss (NBC, MTV, Bravo), Aaron Kaminos-Smith (MTV, AMC), Gabe Pacheco, and Nathan Anderson performing stand-up at UCB East as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Adam Lash (HBO, Showtime, The Daily Show): /r/standup

[TOP PICK] [$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of uncensored stand-up from 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), 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), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), and Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View): The Nasty Show: Dave Attell, Jena Friedman, Mark Norman, Big Jay Oakerson, and Kurt Metzger

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 Wednesday 3/20/13

March 20, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Whitney Cummilngs

NBC star Whitney Cummings performs at Comedy Cellar…

Wyatt Cenac

…and Wyatt Cenac performs at Hot Soup

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: 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

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

[FREE] 7:00 pm to 12:30 am: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre (running 7:00 pm-midnight), plus another five free hours of improv at the downstairs lounge (running 7:30 pm-12:30 am): Super Free Wednesday

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Whitney Cummings (star of NBC’s Whitney; HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Modi (HBO’s The Sopranos, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Whitney Cummings, Judah Friedlander, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6): Stand-up from 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) and Matt Koff (Onion News Network),, improv from world-class group Death by Roo Roo, sketch from troupe Boat, and more at Brooklyn’s Union Hall produced by Cipha Sounds and Lukas Kaiser: March Radness

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Brilliant improvisor Ellena Chmielewski proves herself to also be a brilliant comedic writer, and a young, fresh voice about relationships, in this mini-play about modern romance at UCB Chelsea she co-wrote with John Zachary Townsend, and that holds the seeds for a longer commercial stage production and/or a series on a network like MTV. Come enjoy watching the foundation of a promising career at one of the best-scripted shows to grace UCBT in a while (and if you know Ellena, urge her to star or co-star in her next production, because she’s a gifted performer too): Standards & Practices…

…and in the second half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, young talents—gay and otherwise—put on a meta-musical spoofing Broadway musicals of the future that’s hit-or-miss, but fun overall:The 2017 Tony Awardz: A Parody of Musical Proportions

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Seating at 8:30, show at 9:00 pm (RSVP to confirm your spot at FreeComedyWednesdays@gmail.com): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and more performing stand-up at Ella (9 Avenue A) produced by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), JR Havlan (7-time Emmy winning writer for The Daily Show; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher), Greg Warren (Comedy Central Presents), Kevin Barnett (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Robert Dean, and Gabe Pacheco 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?

[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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Longtime UCBT stars Neil Casey (writer for Saturday Night Live; Death by Roo Roo) and Will Hines (The Stepfathers) in a two-man sketch show at UCB Chelsea directed by Michael Delaney: Small Men

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($8 at the door or $10.70 in advance online): Stand-up from TV & movie star 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), Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), and Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), and sketch from Barry Rothbart (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV’s Punk’d, IFC’s Do Whatever) and Henry Zebrowski (HBO’s Girls, Comedy Central’s Michael and Michael Have Issues, award-winning sketch troupe Murderfist), all at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Nick Turner & Acquaintances

[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—Mark Normand, Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Dan. St. Germain, Michael Che, Emily Heller, Jeffrey Joseph, Dan Soder, Barry Rothbart, Calise Hawkins, Joe List, Pat Dixon, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, FX’s Totally Biased; comedy troupes Doppelganger, The Prom, 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; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight’s stellar scheduled guests include Johnny (a.k.a. Jawnee) Conroy & Neil Casey, Don Fanelli, and Megan Maes; for the complete list, 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2’s Guy Code) 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, Joe LIst, Kurt Metzger, 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 Tuesday 3/19/13

March 19, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Catch a new episode of The Jeselnik Offensive at 10:30 on Comedy Central.

The Gregory Brothers

The Gregory Brothers are Auto-Tuning The Moon Show…

Kevin Meaney

…and Kevin Meaney performs at Sweet

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-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Parliament and Funkadelic (at 7:00), Vulcan and Aquarius (at 8:30), and BEEES! (at 9:00, followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv troupe to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comics creator Nick Giovanetti (Aliens Vs. Parker) 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, plus music from band The Baby Grand: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] [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 Andrew Linderman (host of innovative monthly wandering show Local Stories) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:00 pm ($5): Stand-up, sketch, storytelling, maybe juggling—it’s an “anything can happen” variety show at The PIT downstairs lounge, with regulars Amber Nelson, Molly Austin, Mike Brown, Shamikah Martinez, and Shak Standley, plus tonight’s guests Billy Prinsell and sketch troupe Grits: The Big Pony Show

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The Gregory Brothers (Auto-Tune the News), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central’s Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX’s Totally Biased), John Flynn (rising star storyteller/actor; Saturday Night Live, The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling show Oh, Hey Guys!), and Camille Harris (ace singer/piano player) performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, and Tim Skinner, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, great new DVD/CD Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) 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, Judah Friedlander, Nick DiPaolo, and More

8:00 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East’s previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are “canceled” at Channel 101

8:00ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes), Jim Tews, Chris Lamberth, and Andrew Mayer performing on this week’s topic Last Meal at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by the wonderful Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX’s Totally Biased) and Erin Judge (Comedy Central; ; for hilarious short bit, please click here): The Afterlife: Last Meal

[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

8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: National Scandal

[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): Kevin Meaney (tons of shows on HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and more), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX’s In Living Color, Comedy Central), Hari Kondabolu (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Totally Biased), and more performing stand-up at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Killer lineup of Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), 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), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up—with composer Matt Garrisona’s four-piece jazz band playing in the background!—at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Mike Finoia: Code Name: Comedy and Jazz

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Guthrie, Rocks, and The Regulars—plus an all-gal group of 16 advanced improv students challenge the male-dominated improv world to Suck My Dick—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 ($5): Comedy club headliner depth for just $5: Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s) and “a special guest” each perform 30-minute sets at UCB East hosted by Adam Newman (Comedy Central, College Humor): Big Long Sets

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), 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 Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View): Dave Attell, Gary Gulman, 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

[$] 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), Jeffrey Baldinger (Playboy Comedy Tour), Maddog Mattern (Sirius Radio, Howard Stern TV; to see Maddog handle a heckler, please click here), Alli Breen, Alex Koll, and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS): ComedyJuice

[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 3/18/13

March 18, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Louis C.K. has made a promo. Watch it here.

Jena Friedman and Giulia Rozzi

Jena Friedman and Giulia Rozzi share daring tales at NYC’s best new storytelling show, Adventures with Melanie Hamlett…

Ophira Eisenberg's "Screw Everyone"

…and stellar comics Ophira Eisenberg, Myq Kaplan, Janine Brito, and more perform stand-up at Morrison Motel

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: Cammi Climaco’s Storytelling Open Mic: Six by Six

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

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in 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] 6:00 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: After Cammi Climaco’s show ends (see 6:00 pm above), race on down to this other open-mic storytelling show, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8.71 online, or $7 at the door if it doesn’t sell out in advance…but it very well might): Melanie Hamlett is a Moth Grandslam Champion, co-author of the book Leave the Lipstick, Take the Iguana, and a contributor to Marie Claire Magazine and Nerve.com. She’s also a roving adventurer who tours the globe to find memorable tales. Tonight Melanie hosts her extraordinary monthly storytelling show at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) with fellow brave souls 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), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Jeffrey Marx (ABC’s The Glass House, Web series Five Awesome Guys, Occupy Wall Street). I’ll be attending this; come join me for travel slides, a campfire vibe, and amazing stories: Adventures with Melanie Hamlett

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he’s developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

7:00 pm ($8): “A trio of very needy comedians—Lucas Klauss, Matt Moskovciak, and Ben Stadler (This Is Not A Sketch Show: A Sketch Show)—host a show featuring funny sketches, great guests, and, depending on the audience’s reaction, up to three suicides. Please come and laugh real loud so they don’t die,” directed by Brandon Gulya, at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Bilderbergers Suicidal Comedy Hour

7:00 pm ($7): Sketch troupe Shelby Company performs oddball bits for this Magnet sketch show show that in the past has included two-timing monsters & presidential ninjas: Ephemerama

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm show ($10—which includes free slices of homemade ice cream cakes!): Superb storytellers Kimberlee Auerbach Berlin (The New York Times, 3-time Moth StorySlam winner, author of memoir The Devil, the Lovers, and Me), Amy Klein (NPR, The New York Times), Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life, The Moth podcast), and R. Eric Thomas (TEDx Philly, Risk!) telling tales about this month’s theme Social Media at the Le Poisson Rouge’s The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Robin Gelfenbien (storyteller and singer/songwriter; VH1, AMC, Sirius Radio, acclaimed one-woman show at FringeNYC) and that includes free ice cream cakes made by Robin herself: Yum’s the Word

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30ish pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co -host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Anna Drezen (talented character comic blending words and movement; one-woman show Spooky Jerks), Anthony DeVito (Conan O’Brien, VH1, FX), and Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Spike Hill (184 & 186 Bedford Avenue, off N 7th Street) hosted by Will WInners & Kyle Ayers: Game Night: Mark Normand, Michael Che, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30ish pm ($5): Terrific all-gal lineup of Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy) Ilana Glazer (Broad City), and Carolyn Taylor (TV writer/actress; Second City), plus token male Sean Donnelly (MTV, FOX News; host of many shows), performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Pete’s Candy Store (709 Lorimer Street) hosted by Sabrina Jalees (Last Comic Standing, MTV): Jennifer Laugh Hewitt

[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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of this show’s best lineups ever: Murderfist (NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (daring dark comedy gal duo Leah Rudick & Katie Hartman; Edinburgh Fringe Festival, FringeNYC) , and Arthur Meyer (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon) each performing one of their most popular sketches and one of their personal favorites in what’s likely to be a way fun revue at UCB Chelsea hosted by Aaron Kheifets: A-Side/B-Side

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes), J. LaLonde (blog Word Thug), and Liam McEneaney (Comedy Central, VH1’s Best Week Ever, host of Tell Your Friends) sharing their tales of passion that, this month, revolve around the theme of eye-popping surprise at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jefferson: Bare: True Stories of Sex, Desire, and Romance…and Surprise!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, FX’s Louie, E!’s Chelsea Lately, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV’s Pranked), Allison Castillo (HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, FOX), and Michael Hogan (The Daily Show) performing stand-up, plus an interview with QuestLove of The Roots, at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman, VH1, contributor to SNL’s Weekend Update), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), and Modi (HBO’s The Sopranos, Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Judah Friedlander, Nick DiPaolo, Gary Gulman, and More

8:00 pm ($5): Johnathan Fernandez (Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, MTV, sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox) performs his favorite characters and sketches, aided by the wonderful Leslie Meisel (30 Rock, HBO, sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox), Davram Stiefler, and Cody Lindquist performing at the UCB East theatre: Johnathan Fernandez Characters & Sketch

[FREE] 8:00ish pm: NYC stand-ups Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Emmy Blotnick (staff blogger for Jimmy Fallon), Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), Sarah Tollemache (host of Last Night,; immortal story That’s Not My Shit), Jacqueline Novak, Zach Broussard, Andy Sanford, Zach Sims, and Steve O’Brien performing at Brooklyn’s Grand Victory Bar (245 Grand Street) for this twice-a-month extravaganza hosted by Nick Maritato and the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox: DTF

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($15 if you mention HyReviews.com [otherwise $20], which includes one drink; calling 212.989.9319 to reserve seats is recommended): 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), Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR’s trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, new book Screw Everyone), Janine Brito (staff writer/performer for FX’s Totally Biased), Lee Camp (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Showtime, The Onion), Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio), and Mick Diflo performing stand-up at the Cornelia Street Cafe for John Morrison’s Morrison Motel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Great lineup of Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, FX’s Louie, E!’s Chelsea Lately, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Joyelle Nicole Johnson performing stand-up 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: Joe DeRosa, Gary Vider, Nick Vatterott, Joe List, and More

[FREE] 9:00 pm: 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), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Justin Silver (star of CBS’ Dogs in the City), Brendan Fitzgibbons, and Alex Koll performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Legion Bar hosted by Louis Katz & Grant Gordon: Sack Magic

9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new material: Supereasy (which includes comedy chameleon Livia Scott) and Onassis (which includes such talents as Lauren Adams and Frank Hejl): Maude Night: Supereasy and Onassis

[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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Ken Schultz, Kendra Cunningham, Gabe Pacheco, Rachel Parenta, Bryan Walsh, and Jeff Cerulli performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O’Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

9:30 pm ($5): The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues, Sharon Spell, Anna Callegari, and Sue Smith: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

10:00 pm ($8): A group of actors and improvisors attempt to duplicate the success of UCBT’s Gravid Water by putting improvisors in the middle of classic theatre scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre. UCBT uses top Broadway and improv talent for its show, making it extraordinary. The participants of this show are unannounced; but the format is so strong that this might work anyway, despite the awful title: The Actor’s Worst Nightmare

10:00 pm ($5): A variety show in which comics perform characters, stand-up, and other bits at The Magnet hosted by Jon Bander: What’s to Get?

[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 someone wonderful: Whiplash

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Langston Belton: Base Jam

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 Saturday 3/16/13

March 16, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Louis C.K. has made a promo. Watch it here.

Natasha Leggero

World-class comic Natasha Leggero promises you a good time when you come see her headline at Carolines…

Erotic Fan Fiction

…Mike Drucker, Dan St. Germain, Emily Heller, Janine Brito, and more perform their Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction…

Amy Schumer

…and there are still some tickets to see one of the very finest stand-ups alive, Amy Schumer, 11:45 pm at Gotham

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] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open-mic stand-up show (“starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one”) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes including Eaglefox, Davenger, and Tooth & Nail at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he’s developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): The debut of this monthly variety show blending comedy forms, with tonight’s guests The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don’t Spit), stand-up Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStreamg), and sketch troupe Onassis (Maude Night, SF Sketchfest) performing at UCB East with hosts Zach Broussard (Fambly, SiriusXM), Nick Maritato (Meatsteak, This American Life), and Nate Fernald (Team Submarine), directed by Randy Foreman: Special Presentation

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): The return of gal sketch duo Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree, who are reuniting to celebrate their 10th Year Anniversary at The PIT upstairs theatre, and accurately point out “before Two Broke Girls and Two Girls One Cup, there was us:” Two Girls for Five Bucks

7:00 pm ($5): Layer by layer, improvisers build a town based on an audience member’s suggestion for the town’s name, while artist Asher Rogers paints a large map of the town based on the improvisers’ descriptions. This cool-sounding new show is at The PIT downstairs lounge: Our Town

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Gregg Rogell, and More

7:30 pm ($7): Sharp Magnet improvisors “perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:” The Weave

7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then “turn that town’s tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:” The Curfew: Not From Around Here

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich. Moshe Kasher is that rare thing, a Jewish comedian, and has performed on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye.” Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Ten sharp comics—including Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX’s Totally Biased), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Janine Brito (FX’s Totally Biased)—performing erotic fiction they’ve written to make you laugh at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Bryan Cook: Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nikki Glaser, Joe Matarese, Kurt Metzger, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man’s shoes and put NYC’s finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

8:30 pm ($10): The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Josh Rabinowitz (FX’s Louie, MTV’s I Just want My Pants Back), Jim Tews, Josh Gondelman, and Paul Oddo performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Mike Britt (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander, Ted Alexandro, and More

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea’s genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($8): Gal duo Tamsi & Samsi (Tamsi New & Samantha Reece Schecter) perform sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre, offering helpful advice on How to Be Nice, Pretty and Invisible

9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:15 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Nick Griffin, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which stand-ups perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can’t even imagine—with tonight’s comics Erik Bergstrom, Robbie Collier, Matt Ruby, Emily Fleming, Tim Dimond, Jake Young, and Nick Naney performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Reid Faylor, Kelly Fastuca, and/or Andrew Short: Underbelly

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($8): A small army of comics (not announced this month) performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.):Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), 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 Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe Matarese, Adrienne Iapalucci, Dan Soder, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:” Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and has so far crushed 10 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC’s The Unusuals) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Nick Griffin, Lenny Marcus, and More

11:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college and tonight performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 11:45 pm ($32.94 online & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups alive, with performances on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and upcoming Comedy Central sketch show Inside Amy Schumer. Amy’s headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are sold out for 7:30 and 10:00, but there are still some left for 11:45 pm. Don’t miss this chance to experience one of the very best: Amy Schumer

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys…and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one at UCB Chelsea, which is a monthly open improv jam for any female wanting to participate, at any experience level—and which has a very special and communal “gal energy” you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. The show’s creator, the wonderful Shannon O’Neill, is out of town this weekend, but it’s still likely to be good thanks to the participation of other top UCBT gal improv stars: The Lady Jam

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) joking about their culture—Jewish, African-American, Asian, geek, whatever—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City : The Black Bar Mitzvah

Midnight ($5): Six improvisors make up scenes about the end of the world at The Magnet theatre: A Show at the End of the World

Midnight ($5—or free if you show up in a costume): “A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv at The PIT downstairs lounge. Incorrigible performers team up to turn down the lights, slip into something a little more comfortable, and spend the good part of an hour tickling your funny boners. Beware of partial nudity, strong sexual themes, and the possibility to be dragged on stage for a not-so-wholesome game of Truth or Dare:” Yes, Yes, Yes…And

[FREE] Midnight ($5): Paul Oddo (co-host of The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic) performs an hour of stand-up at the UCB East theatre:   Paul Odo For the Hour

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:45 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Russ Meneve (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Andy Hendrickson performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera: Dave Attell, Greer Barnes, Russ Meneve, 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by hybender

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