Best New York Comedy

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

Star Michael Showalter performs stand-up at Matt McCarthy's "Marking Out"...

...while world-class troupe Baby Wants Candy makes up a musical on the spot in a rare performance at UCBT

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] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of The Adam Wade Show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), along with guest storyteller Andy Ross, with improv illustrator Sharon Spell drawing scenes as they’re described and the rockin’ BTK Band following up at 9:00 pm, all at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Stellar stand-ups 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, VH1, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend) and Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Deathand Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction) telling jokes, and then having improvisors make up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Death

7:00 pm ($5): “From the invocation of a name pulled from the obituary pages, the recently deceased gets a final chance to have his or her story told on stage through a series of improvised scenes.” Come celebrate the life and death of a complete stranger—good taste optional—at Dearly Beloved Presents The Wake

7:00 pm & 9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:30 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison’s Motel Luca

[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Micah Sherman & Nick Vatterott, Sarah Tollemache, Richard Mercier, Jason Kanter, Dan Carroll, and Jono Zalay performing at a free weekly show in theManchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching this special near-free edition (vs. the usual $20 ticket price) of Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, VH1, Adult Swim; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Sara Benincasa (Sex and Other Human Activities podcast, host of Family Hour), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), and JC Coccoli (MTV, VH1, G4) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Michael Showalter (MTV’s The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central’s Michael & MIchael Have Issues; author of bestselling new book Mr. Funny Pants), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; host of Joe Mande Presents at Carolines, co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show), and musical guests Toys & Tiny Instruments performing at The Ace Hotel’s Liberty Hall (20 West 29th Street) hosted by Matt McCarthy (TV, movies, commercials, you name it): Marking Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of UCBT’s very finest house sketch comedy troupesDweeb,spearheaded by brilliant writer/actress Amy Heidt (new UCBT sketch show The Last Resortwith Jeff Hiller) and writer/actor Steve Soroka (sketch troupe BoF with Mamrie Hart); plus in the other half of this double-bill house troupe Thunder Gulch, which has devolved to a pale shadow of its former self in terms of material, but includes such talents as Leslie Meisel and Amber Nelson—all trying out new bits at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Comedy genius Chris Gethard—who’s one of the rare masters of both improv and stand-up—plus Micah Sherman, Jesse Popp, Maddog Mattern, and Yannis Pappis, in a show “where improv and stand-up bleeds in and out of each other. One comedian starts with stand-up. Soon he or she is joined by a second comedian—and the two improvise scenes inspired by the first comic’s stand-up. Eventually the first comic leaves and the second comedian performs stand-up. When that set is over, her or she’s joined by the first comedian and a third comedian. The three improvise scenes inspired by the second comedian’s set. Then comedians one and two exit, and the third comedian performs his/her set until being joined by comedians one, two and a new fourth comedian…and so on. The process continues till we run out of comedians stashed backstage.” It’s all the brainchild of Nick Vatterott, who hosts this bold & messy new format at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City: Klusterphuck

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Four sharp comedic talents each performing a monologue, with Matt Higgins (Centralia), Katie Northlich (four-time National Monologue Champion), Shawn Williams (National Monologue Champion), and Walter Murphy: The PIT-ologues

9:30 pm ($5): “A drama written by teen Jerome McDonough that teaches teens about the evils of alcohol abuse. A talented and twistedly funny group of adults (the Marumsco Valley Players) will present the hard-hitting play, stage directions and all—while under the influence!:” Alky

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live;Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Eric Andre (hilarious wild man; HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, TBS’ Lopez Report, Comedy Central), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show), and Jesse Popp (co-host of NYC’s Beauty Bar Comedy for over seven years, and now moving to LA to write forConan O’Brien)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien,Comedy Central) at Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

 For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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