NYC Comedy Picks for Week of April 6, 2009

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 4/6/09

Andy Kindler (Tell Your Friends & Whiplash), Tom Shillue (Supernormal), and Eric Drysdale (celebrating his birthday at Tell Your Friends)

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:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set

and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents) performing what's likely to be a mesmerizing comedic one-man show: Supernormal (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] brilliantly funny comedy stars Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Punch Up Your Life), Andy Kindler (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Root of All Evil), Eric Drysdale (former writer for The Daily Show and The Colbert Report), Scott Jacobson (former Emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show), and more at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include Andy Kindler (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Root of All Evil), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), and Laurie Kilmartin (VH1, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

Ochi's Motel

Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,

with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.

(In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)

A breathtaking 25 comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer

John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."

If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend

your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.

And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.

Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,

 you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.

There are two shows, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm (with entirely different sets of comics).

Ochi's Motel is hosted at 6:30 by Sean Donnelly and Blaine Perry:

...and at 9:00 pm by Aalap Patel and Matteson Perry:

To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,

please send email to ochismotel@gmail.com.

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Tom Shillue

Tom Shillue: Supernormal

Star comedic storyteller Tom Shillue had done a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; does storytelling podcasts; hosts acclaimed monthly NYC live comedy show Moonwork; and has a comedy CD, Overconfident!. For stand-up samples, please click here and here.

Tonight Tom performs a theatrical one-man show. It's likely to be mesmerizing; and, sight unseen, is recommended.

7:30 pm at The Green Room, 45 Bleecker Street (off Lafayette); tickets are $12

Nearest subway stop is Bleecker Street on the #6 (which brings you virtually to the door of the theatre)

 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.

Jessi Klein, Liam McEneaney, and Andy Kindler

Tell Your Friends: Eric Drysdale's Birthday

This free weekly comedy show is produced by Liam McEneaney

(VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,

former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo).

Tonight's host is Eric Drysdale (writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 2000-2005; writer for The Colbert Report 2005-2008; contributor to blockbuster bestsellers America the Book and I Am America (And So Can You!); winner of five Emmy Awards)...and it's his birthday!

Helping to celebrate are

Jessi Klein (deliciously honest, brilliant, hilarious stand-up star; Rolling Stones' comedy

"Hot List;" Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn;

VH1's Best Week Ever; NBC's The Today Show; CNN; The Showbiz Show with David Spade;

voice of Lucy on Adult Swim's Lucy the Daughter of the Devil;

co-host of smash hit new weekly NYC live comedy show Punch Up Your Life;

for a video stand-up sample about which celebrity would save

 the most Jews, and on email etiquette, please click here and here),

Andy Kindler (frequent guest on and correspondent for The Late Show with David Letterman; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Dr. Katz Professional Therapist, The Larry Sanders Show, life-affirming "Andy" on Everybody Loves Raymond; author of Hack's Handbook published by National Lampoon; co-stars on Comedy Central's The Root of All Evil),

Scott Jacobson (former Emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show),

and musical guest Franklin Bruno.

Please note: This show, which has been free for years, now has to meet expenses by charging $5. But for the quality of talent performing, that's near-free...

8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); tickets are $5

Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z

Leo Allen and Andy Kindler...

...and Wyatt Cenac and Laurie Kilmartin

Whiplash with Leo Allen: The Finest in Stand-Up Comedy, Free

Leo Allen is one of the most sharp, honest, and likeable stand-ups working in NYC. Leo was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 2002 through 2005. He's also performed two Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour specials (one by himself and one with his writing partner Eric Slovin); done stand-up on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.; and acted on Ed and Sex and the City. Leo has now taken over the Monday-at-11:00 pm UCBT spot made super-special by Aziz Ansari's Crash Test and Jeremy Levenbach's Cavalcade! (in fact, Whiplash is produced by Jeremy).

Tonight's superb guests include

Andy Kindler (frequent guest on and correspondent for The Late Show with David Letterman; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Dr. Katz Professional Therapist, The Larry Sanders Show,life-affirming "Andy" on Everybody Loves Raymond; author of Hack's Handbook published by National Lampoon; co-stars on Comedy Central's The Root of All Evil),

Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; cast member on upcoming HBO Kanye West show; star of indie feature film Medicine for Melancholy; former staff writer/editor for three years on King of the Hill; for a blacks vs. gays competition, please click here), and

Laurie Kilmartin (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,

Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS' The Late Late Show,

FOX, 236.com, for stand-up video about hookers and dating, please click here).

If you love comedy, make a habit of attending this stellar free weekly extravaganza.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 4/7/09

Kumail Nanjiani (Punch Up Your Life) and Wyatt Cenac (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:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set

and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Broadway Motel (6:00 pm),

comedians getting rid of their stuff by telling tales about the items and then selling to the highest bidder at the way fun Auction! (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] witty writers offering delightfully silly lectures about color in the Brooklyn comedic show Adult Education (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] Jesse Blaze Snider (DC's Dead Romeo) and Cliff Chiang (DC's Green Arrow & Black Canary) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes

DeCoster, Ragnaröck, The Scam, The Law Firm, and The F*cking Kennedys,

plus a great troupe reshuffling at 11:00 pm called The Blender—at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Kumail Nanjiani (Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report) and other sharp comics performing at this free show hosted by brilliant stand-ups Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) and Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker): Punch Up Your Life (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and Andy Blitz (comedy genius; writer & performer for Conan O'Brien since 1999), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; Penelope, Princess of Pets; 2008 ECNY Award for Best Director), AD Miles (head writer for Jimmy Fallon), and more at the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).

Broadway Motel

Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,

with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.

(In addition, Broadway's one-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)

A breathtaking 25 comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer

John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."

If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend

your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.

And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.

Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,

 you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.

Broadway Motel is hosted by Cory Jarvis and Doug Adler.

To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,

please send email to motelme@gmail.com.

6:00 pm at Broadway Comedy Club, 318 West 53rd Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$5 cover plus one-item food or drink minimum

Auction!

This fun show hosted by Chris Sifflet and Kevin Tor "acts as an alternative to the impersonality of eBay and the seriousness of The Antiques Road Show. At Auction!, comedians bring hilarious stories along with their objects, and you bring riot gear and a few bucks for the bid wars that follow."

Expect to be given 25 cents for your kick-off bid. Most items sell for under $5; and they can range from hockey posters to drug paraphernalia.

7:30 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Comic Book Club

Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,

who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.

Tonight's guests are Jesse Blaze Snider (DC's Dead Romeo) and Cliff Chiang (DC's Green Arrow & Black Canary).

To get a feel for the smart, playful vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—

that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.

(And for my two current faves, a delightful visit from Kevin "Batman" Conroy and a hilarious evening with Daily Show writer Eliot Kalan, please click here and here.) Please also check out the YouTube version of the show by clicking here.

Also be sure to watch a Penguin vs. Batman debate that uncannily predicted John McCain's campaign strategy by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

Adult Education: Explaining Stuff

This monthly comedy show hosted by Charles Star tackles a subject with humorous "lectures." Tonight's topic is Color Schemes.

The lectures are

Crayon Boxes Through the Ages: Hang on tight! Megan Montague Cash takes you on a wild ride while exploring the history of crayon packaging.

Mutant Bastard Yucky Colors of the Apocalypse: Lavender is the yellow of Japan. Hot pink is the navy blue of India. So how did dusty rose, teal, suntan, and what the author Douglas Coupland calls "veal" become America's first palette? Laurie Rosenwald investigates.

The Making of Brown: Jennifer L. Knox explains the historical evolution of the primary colors, their permutations, and why sleeping in a red t-shirt three nights in a row can give you a sinus infection.

Decoding Color: From blue collars to white telephones, Jude Stewart explores colors and their meanings.

This promises to be smart, witty, and lots of fun.

Doors at 7:30, show at 8:00 pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue

in Park Slope, Brooklyn; tickets are $5

Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take

the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;

or take the  2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

DeCoster, Ragnaröck, The Scam, Law Firm, and The F*cking Kennedys—

each give it a go for 30 minutes, with

short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.

And at 11:00 pm, members of these troupes are randomly mixed
together with each other and UCBT improv stars for a show titled The Blender.
For details on the latter, please click here.

Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show

is designed more for students of improv than the general public.

But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you

a full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.

8:00-midnight pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Rising star Kumail Nanjiani...

...and brilliantly funny hosts Pete Holmes and Jessi Klein

Punch Up Your Life

This new, free weekly stand-up show is a spectacular addition to NYC Tuesday night comedy. Its hosts are two of the finest comics in the country:

Jessi Klein (deliciously honest, brilliant, hilarious stand-up star—and now proving to also be one of the finest comedy hosts in NYC; Rolling Stones' comedy "Hot List;" Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; VH1's Best Week Ever; NBC's The Today Show; CNN; The Showbiz Show with David Spade; voice of Lucy on Adult Swim's Lucy the Daughter of the Devil; for a video stand-up sample about which celebrity would save

 the most Jews, and on email etiquette, please click here and here) and

Pete Holmes (one of the quickest & sharpest minds in comedy; VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload; writer for CollegeHumor.com;

cartoonist for mags ranging from The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl;

host of UCBT's monthly open mic stand-up show Gutbucket;

for a hilarious range of videos, please click here).

Tonight's superb guests include

Kumail Nanjiani (red-hot rising stand-up star; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for both Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show; Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, The Hot List , and Open Mic Fight; terrific one-man show Unpronounceable about experiences with Islam—for my review, please click here; co-host of monthly NYC live comedy show Game Bros. Live!; to get a feel for Kumail's style, please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories, and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here).

8:30 pm at Housing Works’ Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby Street (bet. Prince & Houston); free

Nearest subway stops are Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the B/D/F/V

Wyatt Cenac and Kurt Braunohler...

...and AD Miles and Andy Blitz

Sweet

Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).

Seth is one of the finest hosts around—and this is one of the best comedy shows in NYC.

Tonight's superb guests include

Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being a writer and performer for

Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1999; also a thoroughly unique stand-up

whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable;

to read about Andy's memorable hosting of Crash Test at UCBT, please click here),

Kurt Braunohler (frequent comedy partner of Kristen Schaal, performing  sketches that are hilariously indescribable; Comedy Central; co-star of Web series Penelope, Princess of Pets, for which Kurt won the 2008 ECNY Award as Best Director, and which is being turned into a UK TV series),

Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; cast member on upcoming HBO Kanye West show; star of indie feature film Medicine for Melancholy; former staff writer/editor for three years on King of the Hill; for a blacks vs. gays competition, please click here),

AD Miles (head writer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man, Reno 911, TV Funhouse, Human Giant, Tim & Eric, Law & Order; feature films Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer, The Ten, The Baxter, The Believer),

and more.

9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street  (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 4/8/09

Brooke Van Poppelen (Now We're Talking), Scott Adsit (Adsit & Gausas), and Adam Wade (Real Tales of College)

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] six free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday (6:00 pm-midnight),

[TOP PICK] stellar storyteller Adam Wade and comic Jake Goldman hosting a show in which

top writers and comedians—who tonight are Jim O'Grady (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Ed Gavagan, and Bricken Sparacino—share their favorite campus anecdotes; plus a cake will be given to an audience member!; all at Real Tales of College (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] rising star Kumail Nanjiani (Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report), Brooke Van Poppelen (sketch duo Macho!), Sean Donnelly (co-host of Ochi's Motel, host of Little Seany Boy), and more at a new free weekly comedy show hosted by Matt Maragno & the luminous Margie Kment: Now We're Talking (8:00 pm),

[FREE] typically stellar NYC stand-ups at a free weekly Brooklyn extravaganza hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:00ish pm),

[FREE] NYC stand-ups Jamie Lee, Nick Turner, Vicki Ferentinos, and Calvin Cato; plus sketch troupe consisting of Kevin Tor , Evan Morgenstern, and Jen Kwok; plus improv group Aww Shucks, at a free show hosted by Sharon "Mama" Spell: Shrink (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] an hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free, laid-back, and occasionally magical variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

Kurt Braunohler and Pat Shay

The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

For five hours every Wednesday, The PIT provides free shows featuring its improv house troupes. Party Lights and Ali Farahnakian kick things off at 6:00 pm; The Wilhelm and Tomahawk perform at 7:00 pm; Big Black Car and Mrs. Esterhouse go on at 8:00 pm; The Baldwins and Punch show their stuff at 9:00; and Halfbear and The Faculty (consisting of The PIT's superb improv instructors, including such talents as Ali Farahnakian, Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Pat Shay, Kevin Scott, Chris Grace, and Rebekka Johnson) round out the evening at 10:00.

If you then feel sufficiently inspired, you can participate in the free show Improdome at 11:00 pm, which allows audience members to get on stage and improvise with each other in trios for 5-7 minute sets.

6:00 pm-midnight at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

Adam Wade and friend

Adam Wade: Real Tales of College

This new show invites comics to tell their true tales of college.

It's hosted by comic Jake Goldman, and world-class storyteller Adam Wade (Moth 2006 GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 8-time StorySlam Champion; fiction story in The New York Times Magazine; columnist for ReallySmallTalk.com; for his Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here).

Tonight's guests are Jim O'Grady (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Ed Gavagan, and Bricken Sparacino.

Plus a cake will be given away to an audience member—for real!

7:30 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Margie Kment, Kumail Nanjiani, and Brooke Van Poppelen...

...and Dan Goodman, Matt Maragno, and Sean Donnelly

Now We're Talking

This fun new weekly stand-up comedy show is hosted by luminous, enormously likeable, and razor-sharp Margie Kment, and character-based comic Matt Maragno.

Tonight's superb guests are

Kumail Nanjiani (red-hot rising stand-up star; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for both Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show; Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, The Hot List , and Open Mic Fight; terrific one-man show Unpronounceable about experiences with Islam—for my review, please click here; co-host of monthly NYC live comedy show Game Bros. Live!; to get a feel for Kumail's style, please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories, and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here),

Brooke Van Poppelen (Carolines, Laugh Factory; co-star of sketch show Macho!; co-host of New Jacks Showcase and Slumber Party at Comix; for a video sample, please click here),

Sean Donnelly (co-host of weekly NYC open mic live comedy show Ochi's Motel and host of weekly NYC live comedy show Little Seany Boy; member of sketch comedy & funny short film troupe Don't Touch Me There; for a stand-up video, please click here),

Dan Goodman (for stand-up video on making sports more lively, please click here), and

Danny Solomon (for stand-up video about the price of NYC drinks, please click here).

8:00 pm at Rodeo Bar, 375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street); free

Co-hosts Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate

Big Terrific, hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri

Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate (adorable and foul-mouthed comedy duo Gabe & Jenny; for hilarious Jenny video, please click here) and Max Silvestri (VH1's Best Week Ever, weekly podcast Best Night Ever, videos for 236.com) host this free weekly Brooklyn show.

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're typically top NYC comics.

8:00ish pm at Cameo, 93 North 6th Street (behind Lovin' Cup) in Williamsburg Brooklyn; free

Take the L subway to Bedford Avenue and walk two blocks; between Berry & Wythe

Shrink

This free weekly show tonight features NYC stand-ups Jamie Lee, Nick Turner, Vicki Ferentinos, and Calvin Cato; plus sketch troupe consisting of Kevin Tor , Evan Morgenstern, and Jen Kwok; plus improv group Aww Shucks. Hosted by Sharon "Mama" Spell.

8:00 pm at Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 East 14th Street (between Avenues A and B); free

Christina Gausas and Scott Adsit

Adsit & Gausas: Improvised One-Hour Play

A dynamo improv duo creates a one-act play on the spot "that can be hilarious and physical and heart-breaking and still—come and see for yourself."

The superb performers are

Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) and

Christina Gausas (sharp, passionate, standout improvisor/actress; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, The Al Franken Show, Let's Have a Ball, Dorff & Gausas).

Where else are you going to see a razor-sharp play for just five bucks?

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Justin Purnell

School Night

Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform 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.

Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,

that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible.

Please note that while it costs nothing to get in, if you have a good time (which is likely), you should drop a dollar or two into the contribution bucket on your way out. It's the only way this beloved show—which has been running for five years—can stay alive as a vibrant showcase.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 4/9/09

Debuting on TV tonight, Comedy Central's Krod Mandoon and NBC's Parks and Recreation...

...and in NYC at the Comix Comedy Club, a one-night-only blowout from hilarious musical comedy group The Apple Sisters

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:

a razor-sharp member of star improv/sketch/film troupe Derrick premiering a stand-up comedy show: Donald Glover: Weirdo (8:00 pm),

[FREE] Shayna Ferm (brilliant, hilarious singer/songwriter), Team Submarine (comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien), Ross Hyzer (host of NYC comedy show County Fair), and Micah Sherman (co-host of NYC comedy show Micah Myq Club) at a free weekly variety show in the East Village hosted by sharp dark comedy stand-up Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] star stand-ups Rich Vos (NBC's Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents special, Tough Crowd, Opie & Anthony), Bonnie McFarlane (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents special, HBO special), and Nate Bargatze (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), plus other sharp comics performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Rich Voss and More at Eastville (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] superb comedic storyteller Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show), hilarious comedic rapper MC Chris, standup Jessica Kirson (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, Bravo), and music group The Psychedelic Knights of Zohar joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety SHAC (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] three hilarious gals who won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act, and are one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC—and now also one of the finest troupes in LA, where they've lately been seeking well-deserved fame and fortune—performing their special magic tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: The Apple Sisters (10:00 pm),

[$] a provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, tonight headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (10:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and two of the finest troupes in improv history, The Stepfathers and Death by Roo Roo, competing for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

Donald Glover: Weirdo

Donald Glover has written for NBC's 30 Rock; has appeared multiple times on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; and is a member of three-man improv/sketch comedy troupe Derrick, which is a star both on stage at UCBT and on the Web via their wildly popular YouTube videos—

for samples, please click here and here and here and here.

Other notable Derrick accomplishments include wining the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Troupe; and writing, composing, and starring in an indie feature comedy film...that recently premiered at Sundance! (To view the trailer of Mystery Team, please click here.)

Tonight Donald premieres a stand-up comedy show in which he "pontificates on everything from Saturday mornings with his family to tiny Klansmen...you'll see why he's a true weirdo."

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Team Submarine, Shayna Ferm, and Ross Hyzer

Entertaining the Bartender with Jena Friedman

Razor-sharp and delightfully dark stand-up comic Jena Friedman (playwright of 2008 FringeNYC show Refugee Girls; for a stand-up video about sexual predators, eggs, and Tai food, please click here) hosts this entirely free weekly comedy show in Brooklyn. This is actually a version of an acclaimed show Jena used to do in a Chicago bar run by a gal named Tammy. When the bar started out it was often near-empty, so Jena began the show to entertain her friend and develop steady traffic. On both counts, it was a wild success...

Tonight's terrific guests are

Shayna Ferm (brilliant, hilarious singer/songwriter; member of world-class sketch group Fearsome; comedic music album Blonde; for samples of Shay's songs, please click here),

Team Submarine (comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien who were one of the highlights of last year's SketchFest NYC 08; perform very smartly written dialogues, delivered with a crisp timing and comfortable camaraderie) and

Ross Hyzer (23/6.com, host of NYC live extravaganza County Fair Comedy Show;

for stand-up videos, please click here and here), and

Micah Sherman (co-host of NYC live comedy show Micah Myq Club; Boston Comedy Festival).

Please note this show has moved from its Brooklyn venue to the East Village.

8:00 pm at The Pyramid Club, 101 Avenue A (between 6th & 7th Streets); free

Take the F subway to 2nd Avenue & Houston stop or the L subway to 1st Avenue & 14th Street stop

Rich Vos and More at Eastville

Rich Vos starred on two seasons of Last Comic Standing; has performed a very popular Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; was a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; was the first white comic on Def Jam; wrote for Chris Rock; played Lenny Bruce on NBC's American Dreams; was an unlikely guest on The View; and is a regular on the Opie and Anthony radio show.

You can enjoy Rich tonight at the intimate Eastville, the only comedy club in NYC's East Village.

Other star comics on tonight's lineup are

Bonnie McFarlane (Late Night with David Letterman, Late Show with Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, HBO's One Night Stand; for an interview, please click here), and

Nate Bargatze (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; for video of Nate's Conan stand-up set, please click here).

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $10 cover by mentioning discount code HyReviews at the door.

Please also note there's a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

9:00 pm at Eastville Comedy Club, 85 East 4th Street (slightly west of 2nd Avenue);

tickets are $5 if you mention discount code HyReviews at the door, plus two-drink minimum

MC Chris and Tom Shillue...

...and SHAC hosts/stars Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, Andrea Rosen, & Shonali Bhowmik

Variety SHAC

The hard-to-resist members of this hilarious group are musical host Shonali Bhowmik,

and superbly quirky comics Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, and Andrea Rosen.

The show typically features songs, brilliant stand-up comedy, and funny short films

made by the foursome; for samples of the latter, please click here and here.

Tonight's stellar guests include

Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; does storytelling podcasts; hosts acclaimed monthly NYC live comedy show Moonwork; comedy CD Overconfident!; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),

MC Chris (a.k.a. Christopher Ward; combines his love of pop culture and hip hop as popular nerdcore rapper; animator, voice artist, writer, and/or producer of such Adult Swim shows as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, and the upcoming Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge),

Jessica Kirson (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), VH1, Bravo), and

The Psychedelic Knights of Zohar.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe

Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Apple Sisters at Comix!

The delicious Apple Sisters—Kimmy Gatewood, Rebekka Johnson, and Sarah Lowe, with Tom Thomsen on keyboard—have sung, danced, and naughtily joked their ways into New York City's heart. This homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters is one of the great successes in NYC alternative comedy, performing on Comedy Central and the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, and winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.

Tonight the gals make the big time, performing their special brand of musical comedy on the elegant and prestigious Comix Comedy Club main stage. With any luck, the result will be magic.

From the official description: "The Apple Sisters are Candy, Cora, and Seedy. Their mother, Ms. Reddy Apple, was a vaudeville star and she passed down the legacy to her three girls! The trio present their live show, broadcast on WXYZ AM Radio, straight to the troops in Germany, and present the show on stage at the Peoples Improv Theater in their first and favorite home, the Big Apple! Be a chum and always use Doramad Toothpaste, now with Thorium!"

To get a feel for the production, please click here & here & here & here.

This comedy club show has a $20 cover plus two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).

To learn more and/or to order, please click here.

10:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$20 ticket plus two-item food or drink minimum

Paul Mooney: Headlining at Carolines

Fire-tongued comedy star Paul Mooney's numerous credits include writing for Richard Pryor, Saturday Night Live, and In Living Color, and performing on Late Show with David Letterman and Chappelle's Show. For video samples, please click here and here.

This New York comedy club show has a $31 cover plus two-drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).

To order tickets, please click here and then click the Buy Now button for the evening you want. (Mooney is headlining at Carolines tonight through Sunday.)

10:00 pm at Carolines, 1626  Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);

$31 ticket plus two-drink minimum

vs.

Cage Match: The Stepfathers vs. Death by Roo Roo

This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the

atmosphere of a professional wrestling arena—and providing such side-shows

as a bout to the death between guys costumed as an alcoholic wolf and TV's Alf.

(For a spirited weekly report on the wrestling aspect of Cage Match, please click here.)

Tonight's defending champion is The Stepfathers, consisting of some of the sharpest & funniest improv comics in the country: Michael Delaney, Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, Andy Secunda, and Zach Woods.

Just to give you a feel for the talent involved, Delaney and Secunda are members of legendary improv troupe The Swarm; Gethard is a storytelling genius; and Moynihan (who might not be participating tonight) since 2008 is a stellar cast member of Saturday Night Live.

Tonight's challenger is arguably the gutsiest improv team in NYC: Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Liz Cackowski, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller. DBRR was by far the winning-est last season, trouncing 17 troupes in a row—handily breaking the previous Cage Match winning streak record of 14 set by Optimist International in 2002! And this juggernaut went on to win last season's Cage Match Championship, doing so with breathtaking skill and comedic grace.

There's no telling what'll happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.

This show is sold out of seats; but if you don't mind standing, come and enjoy what's sure to be a memorable event.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 4/10/09

Jim Breuer (Headlining at Comix) and Dave Attell (Stand Up NY)

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:

[$] a former cast member of Saturday Night Live who's also performed a Comedy Central hour-long special, appeared frequently on Conan O'Brien, co-starred in the film Half Baked, and is an acclaimed stand-up comic, headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Jim Breuer (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] comedy stars Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show) and Paul F. Tompkins (host of VH1's Best Week Ever, commentator on Countdown with Keith Olbermann) visit Jessica Chaffin & Jamie Denbo playing book authors offering sage advice to Jewish singles at Ronna & Beverly's All Jew Revue (8:00 pm),

comics experiencing the rush of performing with no clothes on in The Naked Comedy Showcase (8:00 pm),

stand-up comics Brad Loekle (TruTV’s The Smoking Gun Presents, host of The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour), Beth Stelling (Chicago Underground Comedy), Lisa Kaplan (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics), and more at a gay-themed comedy show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] a killer lineup of top national comedy stars at Stand Up NY's late show, including 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander, Dave Attell, Ted Alexandro, Jessica Kirson, and Vic Henley: Judah Friedlander and More (10:00 pm),

singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical (10:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a sketch show (with some improv thrown in) that just won its superb stars the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group: Derrick (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] UCBT's free monthly open mic stand-up show, where deliciously odd things

tend to happen around 1:30 am, hosted by lightning-quick & hilarious Pete Holmes

(Comedy Central, VH1; one of the finest comics in the country) at Gutbucket (12:20ish am),

[$] and a provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).

Jim Breuer

Jim Breuer was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1998, best known for his character Goat Boy and his impersonation of actor Joe Pesci. He's also performed an hour special for Comedy Central (which selected him as one of "The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time"); appeared in numerous skits on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; starred with Dave Chappelle in the film Half Baked; since 2006 has hosted VH1's viral video show Web Junk 20; and since 2004 has hosted the show Breuer Unleashed on Sirius Satellite Radio. Among Jim's popular routines are "Heavy Metal Man" and "Family Man."

This comedy club show has a $40 cover plus two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up). That's a hefty price; but if you've got the bucks, it's a nice opportunity to see a comic chosen by Comedy Central as one of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time” headlining at the elegant Comix showroom.

To learn more and/or to order, please click here.

8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$40 ticket (or $35 if you buy today for Saturday at 10:30), plus two-item food or drink minimum

Wyatt Cenac and Paul F. Tompkins...

...and Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo

Ronna & Beverly's All Jew Revue

Hosted by Jessica Chaffin & Jamie Denbo play Ronna Glickman & Beverly Kahn, the bestselling authors of You'll Do a Little Better Next Time: A Guide to Marriage and Remarriage for Jewish Singles. To get a feel for the act, please visit ronnaandbeverly.com.

Tonight's comedy star guests are

Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; cast member on upcoming HBO Kanye West show; star of upcoming indie feature film Medicine for Melancholy; former staff writer/editor for three years on King of the Hill; for a blacks vs. gays competition, please click here) and

Paul F. Tompkins (host of VH1's Best Week Ever; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; The Daily Show, The Root of All Evil; HBO's Mr. Show, Tenacious D, and Real Time with Bill Maher; commentator on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann; ABC's Pushing Daisies; feature films include Anchorman, Magnolia, and Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny; for stand-up video about dogs, please click here).

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Andy Ofiesh, creator of The Naked Comedy Showcase

The Naked Comedy Showcase

Oddly enough, this is just what it sounds like;

stand-up, sketch, and improv comics performing in the buff.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe observed, "The dynamic of nude comedian

and clothed audience added an extra dimension to self-deprecating material."

For a New York Magazine review, please click here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

Jenny Rubin, Dave Rubin, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach

The Back Room

Gay-themed comedy (with both gay & straight comics),

hosted by the charming Jenny Rubin (WE TV’s Cinematherapy and The Gutter).

Tonight's comics include

Brad Loekle (cast member of TruTV’s weekly The Smoking Gun Presents, co-host of Sirius Radio’s weekly OUT Q, columnist for monthly magazine Key West Gay Rag, host of weekly NYC live comedy show The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour),

Beth Stelling (Chicago Underground Comedy), and

Lisa Kaplan (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics, Lesbians of Laughter tour)

plus

Back Room co-producer Paul Case (MTV, D-Listed Radio, here! TV's Bent),

Back Room co-producer Shawn Hollenbach (here! TV's Busted), and

Back Room co-producer Dave Rubin (here! TV's Dave Rubin Project and Hot Gay Comics).

9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Back: Zach Woods, Bobby Moynihan, Andy Secunda, Michael Delaney, and Shannon O'Neil

Front: Chris Gethard, Silvija Ozols, and Will Hines

The Stepfathers

Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney,

Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,

Andy Secunda, and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.

Just to give you a feel for the talent involved, Delaney and Secunda are members of legendary improv troupe The Swarm; Gethard is a storytelling genius; and Moynihan (who still comes by on Fridays when he can steal the time) since 2008 is a stellar cast member of Saturday Night Live.

With art and grace, these quick-witted comedy stars will make you laugh—a lot.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

Judah Friedlander and More at Stand Up NY

Comedy club Stand Up NY's lineup tonight includes the hilarious Judah Friedlander, a very funny stand-up and occasional agent of chaos. Cast member of 30 Rock; performed on VH1’s Best Week Ever, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, MTV’s Wonder Showzen, and NBC's The Tonight Show; acted in over 20 films, including such hit comedies as Meet the Parents, Zoolander,  and Full Grown Men; nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in American Splendor.

When asked in an interview about his influences, Judah responded: "Audiences. They are often the forgotten ingredient in stand-up comedy. Stand-up is live entertainment, and a live audience is needed. Also, whatever is happening at the moment. I play off of that. The moment is a big influence. If you’re not playing the moment you’re not doing stand-up comedy–someone just reciting material but not responding with what’s going on in the room is not stand-up comedy."

Tonight's killer lineup also includes national comedy stars Dave Attell, Ted Alexandro, Jessica Kirson, and Vic Henley. In a word: wow.

This comedy club show is $15, plus a two-drink minimum (figure another $13 or up).

To learn more and/or to order tickets, please click here.

10:00 pm at Stand Up NY, 236 West 78th Street (off Broadway); $15 plus 2-drink min.

The Made-Up Musical

Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied

by a rotating cast that might include such superb talents as

Tara Copeland, Scott Glover, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld,

 Jessica Allen, Robin Rothman, and Megan Gray

—and with Frank Spitznagel on piano—

turn an interview with an audience member

into a musical they make up on the spot.

10:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $7

Derrick Comedy: Street Legal

Derrick is three sharp and enormously appealing performers,

Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, who have

proven themselves to be both stars and improvisation champions,

winning a breathtaking 11 improv matches in a row in 2007 at Cage Match...

and breaking several all-time records while at it.

The guys also make wildly popular YouTube videos—

for some samples, please click here and here and here.

And they also completed a feature comedy film, which they wrote,

composed, and star in—and which recently premiered at Sundance.

(To view the trailer of Mystery Team, please click here.)

In tonight's show, however, they perform sketch comedy live:

and have proven themselves masters at that too,

by recently winning the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group!

These wonderfully inventive writer/actors are continually creating,

so even if you've seen this show before, don't hesitate to come tonight;

the trio will be performing all-new material.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Pete Holmes

Gutbucket

UCBT's monthly open mic show for stand-up comics.

If you're simply looking to laugh, this show can be

lots of fun, or deadly, depending on who turns up.

But if you're a comic yourself, it's a fine opportunity

to perform in front of an exceptionally sharp audience.

And in my opinion, it's well worth sitting through five minutes of

a dreadful comic to get even 30 seconds of hilarious comments

about the set afterwards from brilliant host Pete Holmes (VH1's Best Week Ever,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload; writer for CollegeHumor.com;

cartoonist for mags ranging from The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl;

for a hilarious range of videos, please click here).

Pete's lightning-fast mind will generate more perfect remarks

in a few moments than most comics can manage in a week.

Watching a master like Pete Holmes is a great treat;

and this show is free.

On top of that, the fact Gutbucket runs from roughly 12:20 am to 2:00 am

adds a surreal, drunken spin to the festivities that usually results in something

weird and memorable happening with either an amateur comic or an audience member.

For all these reasons, this is my favorite open mic show; and if you're both

patient and adventurous, it's highly recommended.

12:20ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

Paul Mooney: Headlining at Carolines

Fire-tongued comedy star Paul Mooney's numerous credits include writing for Richard Pryor, Saturday Night Live, and In Living Color, and performing on Late Show with David Letterman and Chappelle's Show. For video samples, please click here and here.

This New York comedy club show has a $31 cover plus two-drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).

To order tickets, please click here and then click the Buy Now button for the evening you want. (Mooney is headlining at Carolines tonight through Sunday.)

12:30 am at Carolines, 1626  Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);

$31 ticket plus two-drink minimum

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 4/11/09

Stellar sketch comedy troupes: Elephant Larry, and Mary Theresa Archbold of Drop Six

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] a world-class sketch troupe specializing in physical comedy and music: Drop Six (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,

and The Daily Show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (7:30 pm),

[$] a former cast member of Saturday Night Live who's also performed a Comedy Central hour-long special, appeared frequently on Conan O'Brien, co-starred in the film Half Baked, and is an acclaimed stand-up comic, headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Jim Breuer (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] clever wordplay, conceptual comedy, and relentless silliness—in an all-new show based around the already-goofy film Con Air—from sketch troupe Elephant Larry (8:00 pm),

[$] comedy stars at Stand Up NY, tonight including 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander, Jessica Kirson, and Vic Henley: Judah Friedlander and More (8:00 pm & 10:00 pm),

[FREE] sharp NYC comics at a free stand-up comedy show hosted by star sketch/improv troupe Derrick in Queens' Long Island City: This Is New York (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which in 2008 broke the UCBT improv competition record for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and this year delivered a magnificent performance to capture the Cage Match Championship—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (9:00 pm),

organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] improvised furious action from world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer (10:30 pm),

a small mob of talented comedic performers, including brilliant & sexy singer/songwriter Mindy Raf, and show creators Ilana & Eliot Glazer, performing highly unusual acts at High School Talent Show (midnight),

[$] sharp stand-ups Marina Franklin (Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime), Becky Donohue (Comedy Central, TLC), Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), and more providing Late Night Laughs at Comic Strip Live (12:30 am),

[$] and a provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).

Drop Six: Right Next to You

Drop Six is a superb NYC-based sketch troupe that makes great use of physical comedy and music. The group consists of Mary Theresa Archbold (for my review of this star's funny & touching 2007 FringeNYC show Jazz Hand, please click here), Tim Girrbach, Jason Salmon, Rodney Umble, and director Larry Rosen. This group's honors include Best of the Fest selection by Second City at the 2006 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. And their Drop Six: Mr. Lucky show killed at last year's FringeNYC, placing in my top 15 of the festival (out of 188 wildly diverse & competitive productions). For a brief medley of memorable Drop Six moments, please click here.

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, Christina Gausas, and Tami Sagher

Let's Have a Ball

Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.

Among the players often performing are Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (acclaimed one-woman show One Woman in Several Pieces, Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian), Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), and Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006).

7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

Jim Breuer

Jim Breuer was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1998, best known for his character Goat Boy and his impersonation of actor Joe Pesci. He's also performed an hour special for Comedy Central (which selected him as one of "The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time"); appeared in numerous skits on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; starred with Dave Chappelle in the film Half Baked; since 2006 has hosted VH1's viral video show Web Junk 20; and since 2004 has hosted the show Breuer Unleashed on Sirius Satellite Radio. Among Jim's popular routines are "Heavy Metal Man" and "Family Man."

This comedy club show has a $40 cover plus two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up). That's a hefty price; but if you've got the bucks, it's a nice opportunity to see a comic chosen by Comedy Central as one of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time” headlining at the elegant Comix showroom.

To learn more and/or to order, please click here.

8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$40 ticket, plus two-item food or drink minimum

Elephant Larry Presents Con Air

Elephant Larry (above) is a NYC-based sketch group consisting of Geoff Haggerty, Stefan Lawrence, Chris Principe, Jeff Solomon, and Alex Zalben (former artistic director of  The PIT, co-host of the fabulous Comic Book Club, and co-producer of the spectacular annual SketchFest NYC). The troupe specializes in conceptual humor, silliness, and wordplay—for example, demonstrating that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as "Me have problem with subject/verb placement..." For videos about a sci-fi version of Beckett and using Adobe Photoshop, please click here and here.

Tonight's show revolves around an already-goofy movie: "This set of all-new sketches is about the 1997 Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster Con Air, which asked the question, 'What would happen if you took the world's worst convicts and put them on one airplane? Wouldn't that be awesome?' Please contact Elephant Larry if you'd like to see the film beforehand. Seriously, they'll lend you a copy."

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

Judah Friedlander and More at Stand Up NY

Comedy club Stand Up NY's lineups tonight include the hilarious Judah Friedlander, a very funny stand-up and occasional agent of chaos. Cast member of 30 Rock; performed on VH1’s Best Week Ever, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, MTV’s Wonder Showzen, and NBC's The Tonight Show; acted in over 20 films, including such hit comedies as Meet the Parents, Zoolander,  and Full Grown Men; nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in American Splendor.

When asked in an interview about his influences, Judah responded: "Audiences. They are often the forgotten ingredient in stand-up comedy. Stand-up is live entertainment, and a live audience is needed. Also, whatever is happening at the moment. I play off of that. The moment is a big influence. If you’re not playing the moment you’re not doing stand-up comedy–someone just reciting material but not responding with what’s going on in the room is not stand-up comedy."

Tonight's lineups also include comedy stars Jessica Kirson and Vic Henley.

This comedy club show is $15, plus a two-drink minimum (figure another $13 or up).

To learn more and/or to order tickets, please click here.

8:00 pm & 10:00 pm at Stand Up NY, 236 West 78th Street (off Broadway); $15 plus 2-drink min.

Donald Glover, DC Pierson, and Dominic Dierkes of Derrick

This Is New York

Derrick is three sharp and enormously appealing performers,

Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, who are sketch comedy

stars via their wildly popular YouTube videos—

for some samples, please click here and here and here—

and won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Troupe.

The guys also completed a comedy feature film, which they

wrote, composed, and star in—and which recently premiered at Sundance!

(To view the trailer of Mystery Team, please click here.)

In this weekly free show in Queens' Long Island City, these impressively

multi-talented comics host a comedy showcase featuring NYC stand-ups

...and perform some stand-up and/or sketch themselves.

8:00 pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free

From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central); exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue

Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family

Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, and unquestionably among the finest groups in improv history, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Liz Cackowski, Neil Casey, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story via improvised scenes. These winners of the prestigious 2009 Cage Match Championship are always razor-sharp, sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.

9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

4 Track!

Springboarding from a word suggested by the audience,

George Basil, Frank Campanella, Christian Capozzoli, and Matt Evans

perform organic & energetic long-form improv for about 40 minutes.

Basil is a stand-out, but they're all sharp, committed improvisors.

There's also a warm chemistry between the men, which is especially evident

if you arrive early to watch them getting ready on stage: They toss a ball

back and forth, and then toss each other back and forth...sending

a body message of "If you throw an improv concept at me, you can trust me

to not let it drop..." One of the Magnet's most popular shows.

9:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5