NYC Comedy Picks for Week of January 12, 2009

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/12/09

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

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

and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, tonight including Helen Hong, Jen Kwok, Emily Epstein,

Becky Ciletti, Karen Batista, RG Daniels, Sean Donnelly, Blaine Perry, Matteson Perry,

Aalap Patel, and John Morrison—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

three hours of fresh new sketch comedy by talented young UCBT writer/performers at Maude Night (8:00 pm & 9:30 pm),

stand-ups Keith Alberstadt (contributing writer for SNL's Weekend Update), Magnus Betnér (star Swedish comedian), Adam Newman (VH1, CMT, Street Meat), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central, VH1, MTV), Kendra Cunningham, and more at a free weekly comedy show in Brooklyn hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including Eugene Mirman (Conan O'Brien, HBO, Adult Swim), Baron Vaughn (MTV, VH1, Shoot the Messenger), Joe DeRosa (NBC, Comedy Central), and Jacqueline Novak (Comedy Central, President Johnson)—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).

Tonight's 6:30 lineup includes fine stand-ups Helen Hong, Jen Kwok, Emily Epstein, Becky Ciletti, Sue Funke, Lisa Kaplan, Chelsea White, RG Daniels, Matt Ruby, Gilad Foss, Sean Donnelly, Blaine Perry, and John Morrison.

And the 9:00 pm show includes talents Karen Batista, Vicky Kuperman, Phoebe Robinson, Francoise Gordon, Alice Wetterlund, Paola Dattner, Dave Celestian, Matteson Perry, Aalap Patel, and John Morrison.

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)

Maude Night

UCBT's four house sketch comedy groups try out their latest material at this monthly extravaganza. Tonight features these two double-bill slots:

at the 8:00-9:15 pm show, The Skuntz and 27 Kidneys;

and at the 9:30-10:45 pm show, Stone Cold Fox and mixtape '98.

Not every routine will hit the mark; but these are talented young comics and, if you're patient, worth catching for the bits that score, and for their charismatic comedy performances.

8:00 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5 per show

Adam Newman, Magnus Betnér, and Jena Friedman

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 superb guests are

Keith Alberstadt (contributing writer for SNL's Weekend Update and National Lampoon; CMT, XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio; for a stand-up video about tiny shriveled balls, please click here),

Magnus Betnér (winner of 2005 "Swedish Comedian" Award; noted for his dark comedy),

Adam Newman (CMT's Prankville'd, VH1's Best Week Ever blog, co-host of

monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat; host of weekly NYC live open mic comedy show

Blowtorch Slaughter; half of musical comedy duo Uber Luber Death Metal),

Kendra Cunningham (Gotham's Funniest Females),

Yannis Pappas (Chappelle's Show, VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV, BET),

and a "surprise musical guest."

8:30 pm at Sound Fix Records, 110 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn; free

Take the L subway to Bedford Avenue and walk four blocks to N 11th Street

Leo Allen and Baron Vaughn...

...and Eugene Mirman and Jacqueline Novak

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 wonderful guests include

Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1, and Adult Swim;

two comedy albums, The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman

and En Garde, Society!, and currently at work on his third; award-winning

co-host of hit weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),

Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and

Best Week Ever, co-star of weekly NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger;

recently taped concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy; for a radio interview, please click here),

Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, Insomniac Tour with Dave Attell, Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival; for stand-up video about why Joe hates weddings, please click here), and

Jacqueline Novak (Comedy Central Live Tour, XM Radio, CollegeHumor.com; co-host of NYC weekly live comedy show President Johnson; for "response to heckler" video, 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 1/13/09

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

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

and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, who tonight include Dan St. Germain, Vicky Kuperman,

Alice Wetterlund, Ashley Adler, Doug Adler, and Cory Jarvis—at John Morrison's Broadway Motel (6:00 pm),

a genuine book club discussion of Twilight—mixed with improvised scenes and audience participation!

—at a new show that sounds way fun: The Bibliophiles Appreciation Consortium (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] David Gallaher & Steve Ellis of the Web-based High Moon (a comic about cowboys vs. werewolves)

joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

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

Ragnaröck, The Scam, The Law Firm, Bastian, and DeCoster—at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

sharp NYC comics Pat Dixon (Comedy Central), Helen Hong (TLC), Dan St. Germain (MTV), Mike Drucker (SNL,

The Onion), RG Daniels (Sunday Night Stand-Up), and Mick Diflo at John Morrison's Morrison Motel (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and maybe comedy superstar Jim Gaffigan, plus stand-ups Jackie Kashian (Last Comic Standing,

Comedy Central), Eric Drysdale (emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show & The Colbert Report), Baron

Vaughn (MTV, VH1), and Nick Stevens (VH1) 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.

Tonight's lineup includes talents Dan St. Germain, Vicky Kuperman, Alice Wetterlund, Laura Nikifortchuk, Dan Upham, Alice Wetterlund, Ashley Adler, Doug Adler, and Cory Jarvis.

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

The Bibliophiles Appreciation Consortium

This new show sounds like loads of fun. The official description:

"The Bibliophiles Appreciation Consortium is not your typical book club. Meghan Brown, Amy Dixon, Kate Grace, Marc Maietta, Megan McCoy, Taylor Chap'lin Orci, and special improv guests will all arrive having read a pre-selected bestselling book. The Bibiliophiles will conduct a traditional book club discussion—only it'll periodically inspire a montage of improvised scenes. Then the discussion will open up to the audience for an all-out meeting of bookish minds in appreciation (or disdain) for the featured selection. This month's book: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer."

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $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 writer David Gallaher & artist Steve Ellis, the creators

of  Zuda Comics High Moon, a comic book that's published on the Web.

(To read the comic, please simply click here.)

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.)

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

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

Ragnaröck, The Scam, The Law Firm, Bastian, and DeCoster—

each give it a go for 30 minutes, with

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

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.

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

Pat Dixon, John Morrison, and Helen Hong

Morrison Motel

John Morrison, a wise & razor-sharp comic who produces the NYC weekly

open mic show Ochi's Motel, welcomes a mix of veteran & rising stand-up talents in this monthly showcase.

Tonight's terrific guests are

Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents ½-hour special, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, E!, FOX, syndicated movie reviews on radio),

Helen Hong (TLC's What Not to Wear; E!'s Exposed: 25 Most Notorious Fashion Week Moments; Helen says " I love it when people ask me 'Where are you from?' and I say 'New York' and they say 'No, where are you really from???' I know they want me to name some Asian country like Japan or Korea. Instead I just stab them in the eye with a chopstick and scream 'I'm from the Land of Deadly Chopsticks, you evil Round Eye!' And then I shuffle away like a dainty geisha...;"

for Helen's hilarious stand-up video about false assumptions

and verbal misunderstandings, please click here), and

Dan St. Germain (MTV; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here),

Mike Drucker (SNL, The Onion, Comedy Central's The Watchlist, 23/6.com contributor; winner of Disney's 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition; for Drucker's explanation of how life is like video games and comic books, please click here; and to learn

why his girlfriend wouldn't give him a gold star, please click here),

RG Daniels (quirky experimental comic; host of NYC weekly live comedy show Sunday Night Stand-Up; influences include Woody Allen and french fries),

and Mick Diflo ("We had this guy in our neighborhood who could get any girl he wanted. Any girl he wanted. He was—whaddya call it—rapist."; for stand-up video, please click here).

Please Note: Tickets are normally $5, but are free if you mention HyReviews.com at the door. There's a $7 food or drink minimum. It's highly recommended that you reserve tickets by calling the Cafe at (212) 989-9319; this show will very likely sell out.

8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);

no cover if you mention HyReviews.com (otherwise $5), plus $7 food or drink minimum

Seth Herzog, Jim Gaffigan, and Baron Vaughn

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 terrific guests include

Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; for Last Comic Standing

stand-up video about Jackie's salesman dad, please click here),

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),

Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and

Best Week Ever, co-star of weekly NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger;

recently taped concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy; for a radio interview, please click here),

Nick Stevens (VH1's All Access; Boston fan Fitzy on ESPN; hosted 2001-2007 NYC live comedy production The Shark Show),

and maybe Jim Gaffigan (comedy superstar who delights in observational humor about food (his Hot Pockets routine is a classic) and mundane things we take for granted ("I like escalators because they can never break, only become stairs"). As accessible as any mainstream performer alive, while simultaneously a sharp deconstructionist who can work any alternative comedy room with ease, his appeal is deep and universal; Jim's appeared over a dozen times on Late Show With David Letterman, over two dozen times on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (for which he created the animated series Pale Force), performed his own Comedy Central Presents special, and created a Beyond the Pale comedy album that's been certified Platinum (the CD and DVD versions have each sold over 150,000 copies)).

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 1/14/09

Jackie Kashian (Headlining at Gotham Comedy), and SNL's Seth Myers & Bill Hader (THE LINE Live!)

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

five free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday (7:00 pm-midnight),

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

top writers and comedians—who tonight are Mark Katz (former White House humor writer for

President Bill Clinton), James Braly (NPR, The Moth), and Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1)

—share their favorite campus anecdotes in Real Tales of College (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] LA comedy star Jackie Kashian (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents)

performing a long set in a rare NYC appearance: Jackie Kashian Headlining at Gotham Comedy (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] brilliant stand-up John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, VH1),

plus sharp comics Adam Newman (VH1, Street Meat), Jiwon Lee (Comedy Central, AMC), Aalap Patel,

and Chelsea White performing at Matteson Perry's New Young Comedians (8:00 pm),

fine NYC stand-up comics Ophira Eisenberg, Becky Ciletti, Bruce Cherry, Rob Gorden,

DJ Hazard, and Pat O’Shea trying out new material at the free Shrink (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] Saturday Night Live stars Bill Hader and Seth Meyers, and SNL staff writer Simon Rich,

presenting their new short comedy film series followed by a fun Q&A session at THE LINE Live! (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 four hours every Wednesday, The PIT provides free shows featuring its improv house troupes. Vacation Island and The Wilhelm perform at 7:00 pm; Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon go on at 8:00 pm; and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous show their stuff at 9:30. Rounding out the evening are The Faculty, consisting of The PIT's superb improv instructors, including such talents as Ali Farahnakian, Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Kevin Scott, and Rebekka Johnson.

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.

7:00 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 scheduled guests are

James Braly (NPR; only two-time winner of The Moth Storytelling GrandSLAM; called "a master storyteller" by author Jonathan Ames; The New York Times' Critic's Pick for his one-man show Life in a Marital Institution),

Mark Katz (from 1993 to 2000, White House humor writer for President Bill Clinton; The New Yorker, The New York Times; called "The reigning king of humor speechwriters" by The New York Times), and

Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, VH1's Best Week Ever, Showtime's Queer as Folk; The Guardian).

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)

Jackie Kashian Headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club

Superb stand-up comic Jackie Kashian is headlining tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club. Since Jackie's based in LA, this is a rare opportunity to catch her perform a long set on an NYC stage...and the cover is only $15.

Jackie's down-to-earth Milwaukee-bred style charmed national audiences when she became a hit on NBC's Last Comic Standing. More recently, Jackie taped a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, for which you should keep an eye out. Jackie's also performed on NBC, VH1, and A&E; and she has two comedy CDs, Cake Is Not My Downfall and Circus People.

To get a feel for this sharp, skilled rising star, please check out two versions of Jackie's LCS stand-up about her salesman dad by clicking here and here, and a clip from Jackie's upcoming CCP special about her love of video games by clicking here.

8:00 pm at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues);

$15 cover, plus 2-drink minimum (figure another $13+)

Adam Newman and John Mulaney...

...and Jiwon Lee and Matteson Perry

New Young Comedians

Despite the title, this new show hosted by Matteson Perry consists of razor-sharp NYC comics who've been on stage for years and really know how to make you laugh.

Tonight's superb comedy guests are

John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-up comics in the country; since August 2008 has been staff writer for Saturday Night Live; frequently appears on VH1's Best Week Ever; performed stand-up twice on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up Comedian; selected by Variety as among the 10 Comics to Watch for 2008; to check out videos of John's two Conan sets, please click here and here),

Adam Newman (CMT's Prankville'd, VH1's Best Week Ever blog, co-host of

monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat; host of weekly NYC live open mic comedy show

Blowtorch Slaughter; half of musical comedy duo Uber Luber Death Metal),

Jiwon Lee (Comedy Central's Root of All Evil, AMC, co-host of 50 First Jokes),

Aalap Patel (co-host with Matteson of NYC weekly open mic comedy show Ochi's Motel), and

Chelsea White (for video in which Chelsea tells Mike Meyers to "get in my belly," please click here).

8:00 pm at Karma Lounge, 51 1st Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets); free

Ophira Eisenberg and Becky Ciletti

Shrink

This free weekly show tonight features terrific comics Ophira Eisenberg, Becky Ciletti, Bruce Cherry, Rob Gorden, DJ Hazard, and Pat O’Shea.

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

Seth Myers and Bill Hader of Saturday Night Live

THE LINE Live!

Saturday Night Live stars Bill Hader and Seth Myers, and SNL writer Simon Rich, present their new series of short films, followed by "a super pretentious Q&A with the creators and stars."

This event—which costs a mere five bucks—has sold out of seats. If you're okay with standing, though, you can still attend and enjoy it.

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, music,

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 typically wonderful free show makes possible.

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/15/09

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] superb comedic actress Amanda Duarte performing a one-woman show about working in  the entertainment biz: Lucky Pink Wonderland (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] an acclaimed Chicago sketch comedy show with theatrical weight from Jordan Klepper and Steve Waltien making its NYC debut: Steve and Jordan, Respectively (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] brilliant stand-ups Eugene Mirman (HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim),

John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, VH1), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central), Rob Lathan

(Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, MTV), and Sean O'Connor at a free weekly Brooklyn show

hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:00ish pm),

talented stand-ups Amy Beckerman, Mara Herron, Mike Lawrence, Dan Fontaine, Dave Greek, and Angry Bob at a new free show that mixes comedy with Moroccan dancing (and, for those struggling with the recession, free resumes) at Calvin S. Cato's Nouveau Poor (8:00 pm),

TV writers Laura Krafft (The Colbert Report) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report), and Starlee Kine

(This American Life), performing improvised monologues at Three-Piece! (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and one of the finest troupes in improv history competing against its mirror universe twins

for audience laughs & votes—with our very existence in the balance—at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

A few of the faces of stellar actress/writer Amanda Duarte

Lucky Pink Wonderland

I first met Amanda Duarte when she was kind enough to visit my screenwriters workshop for an evening of cold readings. She was an exceptionally skilled and quick-thinking actress while performing the movie pages; but what was even more notable were her off-hand comments during our critiquing afterwards. At one point Amanda said a scene was "funny as balls." I remarked that I'd never realized balls were comedic. Amanda instantly replied, "Take my word, Hy. I've seen a lot more of them than you have." It was then I realized that in addition to being a stellar actress, Amanda is a razor-sharp wit.

Both qualities are in ample evidence in Amanda's one-woman show, which explores the crazy behavior of celebrities, and the highly unglamorous life of performers seeking to attain their own fame. Some sample moments:

Hollywood star teaching her 4-year-old adopted trophy-daughter the right values by ordering a Diet Coke: "Emma, what does Mommy say? It's not a diet, it's a live-it. Now drink it up and be pretty."

A fading star in a restaurant: "I'm just trying to have lunch with my friend here today, so no autographs, okay? Oh. Sorry. I'll have the garden salad."

Failed actress turned waitress trying to force alcohol at noon on a fellow waitress in AA who just landed a TV role: "Let's celebrate with a drink! Really, one little glass isn't gonna hurt, is it? Look, you're being rude. Well, glad I don't have to live like that. Thank God I don't have a drinking problem, 'cause I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't have a drink."

Like Amanda, the show is smart, funny, raunchy, memorable...and recommended.

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

Jordan Klepper and Steve Waltien

Steve and Jordan, Respectively

A critically acclaimed two-man sketch show from veteran Chicago-based comics

Jordan Klepper and Steve Waltien enjoys its debut tonight on an NYC stage.

During its initial run, Time Out Chicago wrote this about the show: "Steve and Jordan, Respectively is a crafty, theatrical hybrid of neurotic first-person confessions and top-shelf sketch that borders on performance art...It feels just as dramatically sound, culturally relevant, and honest in performance as any contemporary theater piece."

And Jordan & Steve describe their show as "An introspective, empathetic look into what it means to be on the verge of something, looking back on past mistakes, and wondering what’s next—through sketch comedy. Funny and honest, biography blends with fiction as Steve and Jordan attempt to address the issues that they encounter looking down the barrel of 30. These issues come to life in scenes, monologues and inner monologues with characters ranging from a pair of astronauts to a bestiality-inclined Sudanese farmer, to two struggling actors."

This superb show, which will be in NYC only briefly as part of a national tour, can be seen tonight for a mere five bucks. Don't miss it.

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

Eugene Mirman and John Mulaney...

...and Matt McCarthy, and hosts Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate

Big Terrific, hosted by Gabe Liedman & 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 wonderful guests are

Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1, and Adult Swim;

two comedy albums, The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman

and En Garde, Society!, and currently at work on his third; award-winning

co-host of hit weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya;

to save $10 on Eugene's headlining performance tomorrow and Saturday

at the elegant Comix Comedy Club, please click here),

John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-up comics in the country; since August 2008 has been staff writer for Saturday Night Live; frequently appears on VH1's Best Week Ever; performed stand-up twice on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up Comedian; selected by Variety as among the 10 Comics to Watch for 2008; to check out videos of John's two Conan sets, please click here and here),

Matt McCarthy (razor-sharp comic; Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; co-host of biweekly LIC live comedy extravaganza The Matt and Katina Show; national TV ads for Verizon Fios, Guinness, etc.; for stand-up videos about unsolicited advice and measuring love, please click here and here),

Rob Lathan (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1; plays comedic characters such as Lanny Lathan and "Quick Lips" Lathan; performs in the UCBT shows Get Psyched! and High School Talent Show; for Rob's reel, please click here), and

Sean O'Connor (VH1, NPR's This American Life; for fun stand-up videos, please click here and here).

8:00ish pm at Sound Fix Records, 110 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn; free

Take the L subway to Bedford Avenue and walk four blocks to N 11th Street

Mara Herron and Calvin S. Cato

Nouveau Poor

In this new free monthly show near the theatre district, Calvin S. Cato (Game Show Network, Stand-Up New York, Naked Comedy Show) hosts "a blend of comedy and music in a cool Moroccan venue. We have comedians who've been featured on MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and top comedy clubs, in the city as well as musicians who've played at the top indie venues in New York City. Plus there's belly dancing and hookah afterward! And did we mention that everyone who comes to the show gets a free resume? Check out the only show that's like Casablanca in Technicolor."

Tonight's comedy guests are Amy Beckerman, Mara Herron, Mike Lawrence, Dan Fontaine, Dave Greek, and Angry Bob.

8:00 pm at Tagine Dining Gallery, 537 9th Avenue (just south of West 40th Street); free

Peter Grosz, Laura Krafft, and Starlee Kine

Three-Piece!

An evening of improvised monologues (springboarding off

audience suggestions), performed in three parts.

This show is hosted and stars the multi-talented Laura Krafft, who's a

former staff writer for Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and Crossballs,

and has acted on such series as on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

And performing with Laura tonight are superb guests

Peter Grosz (still a staff writer for The Colbert Report; star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials; member of Chicago's Second City acclaimed improv troupe 4 Square, and half of the current UCBT improv show 2 Square), and

Starlee Kine (This American Life).

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

vs.

Cage Match: Death by Roo Roo vs. Opposite Day 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 very special event features the improv group that won the most matches this season and is one of my all-time favorites: Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Liz Cackowski, Neil Casey, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller. In 2008 DBRR trounced 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 doesn't merely walk over opponents, it pounds them into the ground: DBRR won a total of 1,760 audience votes vs. a mere 675 for all its opponents combined.

When a comedy group is this formidable, who can be found to compete against it?

I have zero details, but based on the title of tonight's bout, the answer apparently is...a parallel universe version of the troupe named Opposite Day Death by Roo Roo.

Will Opposite Day be scripted rather than improvised? Serious instead of hilarious? Toss out its own suggestions and then force the audience to make up scenes based on them?

Or will Opposite Day behave exactly like Death by Roo Roo, only be composed of anti-matter which makes any contact between it and our own reality's version of the troupe trigger a space-time explosion that instantly blows our universe to smithereens?

There's really no telling what'll happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza. And why you should be very afraid.

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/16/09

Eugene Mirman (Headlining at Comix), Chris Gethard (Magic Box of Stories), and Matt Tucker (Code Duello)

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] two of the country's finest improvisors, Boston-based Neil Reynolds and Matt Tucker, performing an exceptionally imaginative, silly, and entertaining show based around the historic duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in a rare NYC presentation of Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of the most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country performing this extraordinary one-man show that should not be missed: Chris Gethard's Magic Box of Stories (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a shrewd and silly comedy giant with a unique voice—and who's been a pioneer of NYC alternative comedy—performing a deliciously long set headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Eugene Mirman (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

an improv troupe with a theatrical approach: Stray (8:30 pm),

stand-ups Claudia Cogan, Adam Lehman, Mike Singer, and Cara Kilduff 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),

a groundbreaking and surreal improv troupe tackling our new hard times

in Centralia: The Really Great Depression (9:30 pm),

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

[TOP PICK] TV & movie star Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, comedy group Stella, Wet Hot

American Summer), Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central), and Becky Ciletti joining ace sketch troupe

and host Olde English performing all-new material for a show that's Very Fresh (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and 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).

Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr

Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr is an extraordinary quick-witted improv duo portraying "two of America's angriest founders: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr" and the events leading up to their historic duel.

Wearing wigs and waistcoats, Neil Reynolds and Matt Tucker evoke colonial times while crafting deliciously silly scenes. For example, when the duo performed during the magical Del Close Improv Marathon in 2007, Burr proposed a law declaring US land as "international waters" so he'd have more freedom to sleep with married women. When Hamilton thwarted him, the villain seceded and declared his body his own country, "the United State of Burr."

These guys are among the sharpest improvisors in the country, and it's thrilling that these Boston-based performers are gracing NYC tonight with their unique themed improv. Try to catch this; and expect something quite special.

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

Brilliant comedic storyteller Chris Gethard will shower us tonight with his magically hilarious tales

Chris Gethard's Magic Box of Stories

Chris Gethard is one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers and improvisors in New York. Chris can be seen every Friday night as a member of ace improv group The Stepfathers, and every month as a member of the razor-sharp storytelling show the The Nights of Our Lives. Chris is also the author of the book Weird New York.

And tonight Chris lets his storytelling prowess fully shine as he asks audience members to pick story titles out of a box filled with his wondrous, unforgettable, and jaw-droppingly funny tales. Since Chris has many more tales in the box than can be told during this 90-minute slot, every performance is fresh and unique.

Please note that having done four previous shows without repeating a single story, tonight Chris will begin recycling his very best tales. If you haven't experienced Magic Box before, this would be a great night to start.

Come catch this rising star demonstrate why he should be famous in a show that gets my highest recommendation.

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

Eugene Mirman

Eugene Mirman is an exceptionally smart, playful, unique stand-up

who's performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and on

his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special.

Eugene has also appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts,

HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1, and Adult Swim.

Plus he's created two comedy albums, The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman

and En Garde, Society!, and is currently at work on his third.

But Eugene's biggest impact may be on the NYC comedy scene, where he's

the award-winning co-host of the hit weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya,

and in 2008 started the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival.

Eugene is a very special voice in comedy, and well worth experiencing. This show is highly recommended.

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $27 cover tonight or $22 cover before day of show on Saturday (i.e., pay $22 or $17 per ticket) by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

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

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

Tonight & Saturday at 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between

8th & 9th Avenues); $22 per ticket tonight or $17 for Saturday

if you order online today using discount code HyReviews

Stray

Improv troupe Stray "plays in a theatrical, narrative style that was developed in Seattle, honed in Europe, and blended in New York. Stray's unique approach creates spontaneous theatre that is comedic, dramatic, or abstract, sometimes all at once." The group consists of Jill Farris, Wendy Herlich, Kristy Kershaw, and Stefan Schick.

8:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Jenny Rubin, Dave Rubin, Shawn Hollenbach, and Claudia Cogan

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 stand-ups include

Claudia Cogan (ECNY Award nominee for Best Female Stand-Up;

Logo Network, Sirius OutQ; for stand-up video about Claudia's aspirations to be

a stripper, please click here; for video about her being unemployed, please click here),

and Adam Lehman, Mike Singer, and Cara Kilduff,

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: Will Hines, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, and Bobby Moynihan

Front: Chris Gethard, Shannon O'Neill, and Silvija Ozols

The Stepfathers

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

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

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

With art and grace, these star talents will make you laugh—a lot.

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

Centralia: The Really Great Depression

Acclaimed improv troupe Centralia consists of Kevin Scott, Jay Rhoderick, and Matt Higgins (Comedy Central, PSNBC; former improv instructor at Yale School of Drama; also founding member of improv troupe Burn Manhattan; three-time finalist for the Andy Kaufman award; for a stand-up sample, please click here).

The official description: "On the heels of its successful runs of Uncle and Au Bon Panic, Centralia is back with an improvisational journey through the new Hard Times, weaving surreal and hilarious tales inspired by market nosedives, corporate bailouts, and bank implosions. As we teeter on the brink of new Hoovervilles, breadlines and asking a brother to spare a dime, Centralia delivers its patented brand of script-less scenes, songs and mayhem. Featuring the amazing musical talents of Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, TV On The Radio, Fela)."

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

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

Hannibal Buress and Michael Showalter...

...and Olde English

Very Fresh with Olde English

World-class sketch comedy group and prodigious generator of funny videos Olde English

(Caleb Bark, Ben Popik, David Segal, Adam Conover, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg)

host this extravaganza mixing sketch, stand-up, short films, and more—

and that asks comics to perform material that's all-new (i.e., Very Fresh).

Tonight's superb guests are

Michael Showalter (MTV's seminal sketch show The State, legendary comedy troupe Stella,

writer/director/star of feature film The Baxter, co-writer/co-star of feature film Wet Hot American Summer,

co-host of award-winning weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya), and

Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Chicago's Finest,

upcoming concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), and

Becky Ciletti (“Friends ask me if I'll ever have babies, but I don't know. Do babies eat Ramen?”).

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).

Holmes' 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/17/09

Richard Lewis, Matt Tucker & Neil Reynolds (Code Duello), and Timmy Williams & Sam Brown (Game Bros. Live!)

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] two of the country's finest improvisors, Boston-based Matt Tucker and Neil Reynolds, performing an exceptionally imaginative, silly, and entertaining show based around the historic duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in a rare NYC presentation of Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr (7:00 pm),

an exciting new NYC show developed at Chicago's legendary iO theatre in which veteran

improvisors create a play on the spot based on audience suggestions: New Play (7:30 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),

[TOP PICK] two comedy legends at a probably overpriced but potentially memorable evening at Town Hall: Richard Lewis and Richard Belzer—One Night Only (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a shrewd and silly comedy giant with a unique voice—and who's been a pioneer of NYC alternative comedy—performing a deliciously long set headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Eugene Mirman (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] brilliant & lightning-quick stand-up Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1) hosting guests including Jackie Kashian (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Sean Patton (VH1) and Diana Saez (The Sarah Palin Vlogs) at this free monthly show benefiting an animal shelter: Diamonds in the Fluff (8:00ish pm),

[TOP PICK] superb NYC comics Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1), Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central), Sam Grittner, and Dan Wilbur at a free stand-up comedy show guest-hosted tonight by the hilarious Joe Mande & Noah Garfinkel 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 Cage Match record

for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and has now taken over UCBT's prestigious prime-time

Saturday night slot—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 TV shows about audience members via 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),

[TOP PICK] and exceptionally sharp comics Kumail Nanjiani (Comedy Central) and Thomas Middleditch

(genius improv troupe Baby Wants Candy) proving themselves to also be nerds by

hosting this fun show about the video game industry, accompanied tonight by TV stars

Sam Brown and Timmy Williams (IFC's The Whitest Kids 'U Know): Game Bros. Live! (midnight).

Matt Tucker & Neil Reynolds

Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr

Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr is an extraordinary quick-witted improv duo portraying "two of America's angriest founders: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr" and the events leading up to their historic duel.

Wearing wigs and waistcoats, Matt Tucker and Neil Reynolds evoke colonial times while crafting deliciously silly scenes. For example, when the duo performed during the magical Del Close Improv Marathon in 2007, Burr proposed a law declaring US land as "international waters" so he'd have more freedom to sleep with married women. When Hamilton thwarted him, the villain seceded and declared his body his own country, "the United State of Burr."

These guys are among the sharpest improvisors in the country, and it's thrilling that these Boston-based performers are gracing NYC tonight with their unique themed improv.

Please note: This show is likely to sell out. It's highly recommended that you buy a ticket in advance online by clicking here.

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

New Play: Improvised Theatre in One or Two Acts

Chicago's legendary iO Theatre developed an improv form called Play in which comics took an audience suggestion and then created "a play of two acts or less" on the spot. Bringing this exciting comedic game to NYC are Chicago-trained improv veterans Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report, member of acclaimed Chicago improv troupe 4 Square, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials), Deb Downing, Ed Herbstman, Katie Caussin, Melanie Hoopes, Jonathan Karpinos, and Kelly Haran, with direction by Sandy Marshall.

According to the official description, "the ensemble writes a play while they are performing it, streamlining the cumbersome and often wasteful 'process' traditionally used to develop scripts. Eliminating rewrites, readings, rehearsals, and other distractions, the cast of New Play harnesses the power of live theatre with no preparation, opening (and closing) a brand new play each week.

"New Play doesn't rehash the stereotypes of well-known theatrical styles or authors for easy laughs. Instead, the cast explores original stories and characters every show, as if in the voice of some yet undiscovered playwright. The results range from poignant to hilarious, and occasionally both at the same time.

"The show may contain strobe lights, loud explosions, nudity, objectionable themes, and gunfire. Or it may not."

If you love both improv and theatre, how can you resist?

7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

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), Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and Dan Goor (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show).

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

Richard Lewis & Richard Belzer—One Night Only

Comedy legends Richard Lewis and Richard Belzer perform on the same stage for this single evening. Both New York Jews who have vocal political views leaning heavily to the left, the duo will likely have some things to say about the much-needed exit of the Bush administration.

This show is expensive—particularly when adding in the gouging online "service charges"—but if you've got the dough, this is likely to be fun and memorable.

Tickets are $45 or $55 (depending on seating location), plus outrageous "service charges" of around $10 per ticket online.

8:00 pm at Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street (bet. 6th Avenue & Broadway); $45/$55 + charges

Eugene Mirman

Eugene Mirman is an exceptionally smart, playful, unique stand-up

who's performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and on

his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special.

Eugene has also appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts,

HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1, and Adult Swim.

Plus he's created two comedy albums, The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman

and En Garde, Society!, and is currently at work on his third.

But Eugene's biggest impact may be on the NYC comedy scene, where he's

the award-winning co-host of the hit weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya,

and in 2008 started the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival.

Eugene is a very special voice in comedy, and well worth experiencing. This show is highly recommended.

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $27 cover (i.e., pay $22 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

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

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

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

$22 per ticket if you order online using discount code HyReviews, plus two-item minimum

Pete Holmes, Jackie Kashian, and Sean Patton

Diamonds in the Fluff

This monthly comedy show benefits the B.A.R.C. animal shelter. It's produced by pet lover & sharp comic Jamie Lee, and is free. (Though the more drinks you buy, the more animals you help...) Tonight's stellar host is

Pete Holmes (brilliant, lightning-fast stand-up;  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).

And the superb guests include

Jackie Kashian (LA comedy star with down-to-earth Milwaukee-bred style who charmed national audiences when she became a hit on NBC's Last Comic Standing; recently taped a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; also performed on NBC, VH1, and A&E; has two comedy CDs, Cake Is Not My Downfall and Circus People; to check out two versions of Jackie's LCS stand-up about her salesman dad, please click here and here, and for a clip from Jackie's upcoming CCP special about her love of video games, please click here),

Sean Patton (VH1, 2008 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, LES' The Tommy Danger Show, founder of the New Orleans Comedy Festival; for stand-up audio clip about vitamin-coated condoms and stand-up video about drugs & weapons, please click here and here), and

Diana Saez (The Sarah Palin Vlogs; CNN.com; XM Radio; created/produced Washington DC's first all-female comedy showcase; for stand-up videos, please click here and here).

8:00ish pm at Karma Lounge, 51 1st Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets); free

Not Derrick

This Is New York

Derrick is away at Sundance for a couple of weeks for its spectacular

feature film premiere and the attempts to sell it afterwards for a small fortune.

Substituting are the two stellar comedy hosts of Totally J/K, quick-witted best buds Noah Garfinkel and Joe Mande (2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic).

To get a feel for Noah & Joe, please check out their dueling birthday videos by clicking here and here; their recent appearance on The McLaughlin Group by clicking here;

and for other videos by clicking here and here.)

Their superb guests tonight are

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

Roger Hailes (exceptionally sharp, personable stand-up; Chappelle's Show,

VH1's All Access; writer for Comedy Central and MTV;

for sample videos, please click here and here),

Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Chicago's Finest,

upcoming concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy),

Sam Grittner (for stand-up about the gayness of Heaven, please click here), and

Dan Wilbur (writer for CollegeHumor.com; member of sketch troupe Zarko Love; for stand-up video about drugs and dating, please click here).

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. 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