NYC Comedy Picks for Week of April 22, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 4/22/13

Cartoonist Michael Kupperman & MTV star Nikki Glaser perform at UCB East's new variety show Special Presentation

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics, no cover for audience with code HyReviews, plus 1-drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O'Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room"), hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Douglas Widick (North Coast, Punchbowl) performs a one-person improvised musical—a highly challenging form very few comics beyond Blaine Swen and Rebecca Vigil can pull off—and integrates freestyle rapping to boot at The PIT upstairs theatre: Douglas Widick's One-Man Musical-HipHopera

7:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors—including Keisha Zollar and Rob Stern—will be touring as representatives of The PIT, and practicing tonight at The PIT downstairs lounge: The PIT TourCo

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar's Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Stand-up from Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), a cartoonist presentation from Michael Kupperman (The New Yorker, The New York Times, author of the popular Tales Designed To Thrizzle comics series), and music from the Mayor of Bad News (album Turn on the Charm) performing at this monthly variety show at UCB East hosted by Nick Maritato, Zach Broussard, Randy Foreman, and Nate Fernald: Special Presentation

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; star of Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, great new DVD/CD Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff), Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Amy Schumer, Colin Quinn, Tom Papa, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15, no min.): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry, and More

8:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy from a new upbeat troupe at The PIT upstairs theatre: Totally, Yes

8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Owen Smith (Everybody Hates Chris), Laura Prangley (Comedy Central), Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central), and Kiran Deol performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

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

...and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, a meta-musical spoofing Broadway musicals of the future that's hit-or-miss, but fun overall:The 2017 Tony Awardz: A Parody of Musical Proportions

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Calise Hawkins (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Guy Branum, and Ken Shultz performing stand-up at 25 Avenue A (Avenue A & 2nd Street): The Meaning of Life Comedy Show

8:30 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Jolene Turner based on her actual adventures "working as a server at one of the most regimented restaurants in the country, The American Girl Doll Café, and dealing with the inner chaos of middle age, mixed with booze and bad decisions, which boils to a head within this super sugary-sweet doll world." Check out this video promo and then come to The Magnet theatre for Doll Talk: A Story of Girlhood

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; co-star with Kurt Braunohler of Night of the Living; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Jessimae Peluso (MTV's Girl Code, Failosophy; Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, Tyra Banks, TruTV), Luke Cunningham (Jimmy Fallon writer), Nat Towsen (co-host of The Moon Show), Brendon Fitzgibbons, and Naomi Karavani performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Anton Shuford, Matteo Lane, and Mike Brown performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Public Assembly (70th North 6th Street, by the L subway's Bedford Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che: Broken Comedy

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

9:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Phillip Jackson, and/or Steve Theiss hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

9:30 pm ($8): All-gal improv troupe Deer Babies and all-guy improv troupe Shadows performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Womanhattan vs. Manhattan

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: On the Road

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet Artistic Director Megan Gray & Louis Kornfeld perform as MEGALOU and also host other Improv duos, who tonight are Upstate (Dustin Drury & Andrew Yurman-Glaser), LD50 (Lauren Ashley Smith & Don Romaniello), and Big Fat Liars (Christian Paluck & Jana Schmieding) at The Magnet theatre: The Duo Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Great lineup of Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Owen Smith (HBO, Comedy Central, writer & performer on Everybody Hates Chris), Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central), and Turae (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Dave Attell, Nick Griffin, Mark Normand, and More

10:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience...and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone wonderful: Whiplash

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 4/23/13

Selena Coppock celebrates the release of her book The New Rules for Blondes—not to mention her upcoming
birthday on Thursday—with a reading, free booze, and free blondies at Brooklyn's Littlefield

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:15 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys Open MIc

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Jordan D. White (editor of Deadpool, ukelele player) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): "Ever wonder why a super-intelligent ape like Gorilla Grodd would want to do battle with the fastest man alive in The Flash?" Comics Stephie Acevedo, Langston Belton, Tom Brennan, Emerald Catron, Destiny Rivera, and Peter Velezwill will talk comic books with tonight's guest Fred Van Lente (writer of Amazing Spider-Man, Cowboys & Aliens, Action Philosophers) and then perform comic book improv! This new show at The PIT upstairs theatre sounds great...except for its rather ugly timing, as it's been placed opposite the only other show in New York with this theme, Comic Book Club (see directly above). PIT guys, unless you're mad at the wonderful Comic Book Club folks, please rethink the time slot—and also this show's semi-offensive stigmatizing title about one of our finest forms of pop culture (and that with movie franchises ranging from Dark Knight to The Avengers to X-Men has at this point become way mainstream): Nerd Is the Word

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: This weekly 2-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge, tonight featuring guest co-host Gavin Starr Kendall (co-creator of the Bad Film Festival) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE, plus FREE BOOZE & BLONDIES] 8:00 pm: Selena Coppock's first book, The New Rules for Blondes, was released today. To celebrate this event—not to mention Selena's birthday on Thursday—Selena will be performing a reading of choice excerpts of her wonderful comedic opus, while providing you with hundreds of dollars worth of free booze and free blondies at this free show/party at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street). While her notice doesn't mention it, hopefully Selena will also be selling personally signed copies of her book; but in case you can't attend, please celebrate both the launch and Selena's birthday by buying her book today online (I just did precisely that...): Selena Coppock's Free Booze & Blondies Book Release Party for The New Rules for Blondes

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Cammi Climaco & David Crabb host this monthly storytelling show, with tonight's stellar guests Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, new book Screw Everyone), Blaise Allysen Kearsley (host of How I Learned), Micaela Blei, and more at the Axis Theatre (1 Sheridan Square, near West 4th Street and Seventh Avenue): Ask Me Stories

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Great lineup of Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; star of Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, great new DVD/CD Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff), Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and Turae (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO'S Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Amy Schumer, Colin Quinn, Tom Papa, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15, no min.): Great lineup of TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), and Carole Montgomery (Showtime, Oprah) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Janeane Garofalo, Nick DiPaolo, Nick Griffin, Dan St. Germain, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): "Musical sketch comedy that skewers and dissects pop culture one roll of the dice at a time" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pop Roulette

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Music from Shonali Bhowmik (Tigers & Monkeys, Variety SHAC), storytelling by Ed Gavagan (TED Talks, The Moth), stand-up from Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), and character sketch from Johnathan Fernandez (VH1, Stone Cold Fox) at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring Jill the Shrink Dancer: The Big Shrink

8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Jamie Lee (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, MTV's Ridiculousness, VH1), Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX's Totally Biased), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Anthony DeVito (Conan O'Brien, VH1, FX), Dwayne Kennedy (Totally Biased), and Kiran Deol performing stand-up on tonight's theme American Pie at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon, and hosted tonight by Josh Gondelman & George Gordon: The Afterlife: The Day the Music Died

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Great variety tonight, with oddball solo sketch from Saturday Night Live star Vanessa Bayer, auto-tuned music from The Gregory Brothers, stand-up from Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes A Sparrow, Salmon Diane, and Bucky—plus advanced improv students make up scenes chock-full of genre conventions, tropes, and archetypes for improv form The Genre—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative improvisor Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) plays his future self, "old and dying, after his illustrious and fame-filled career has wanted, interviewed by an ageless Andy Rocco;" plus stand-ups Josh Rabinowitz, Anthony P. Devito, and Luke Thayer, all performing at the UCB East theatre: The Tony Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): "Improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights and genres, spontaneously generating an original and hilarious work of instantly important theater right before your eyes" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Play

[$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), William Stephenson (FX's Louie, The Chris Rock Show), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO'S Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Nick Griffin, Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 4/24/13

An acclaimed Chicago-based sketch group performs at UCB Chelsea for one night only: Oh Theodora

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories) hosts this weekly hour-long open mic storytelling show, with typically six audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 6-7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge (please note this Monday show has, as of tonight, permanently moved to Wednesdays): Cammi Climaco's Storytelling Open Mic: Six by Six

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Guilty Bystanders and Get Rich Quick: Overnight: Now!. If you're incredibly patient, you may find that all these shows have interesting elements; and for the ones that don't get green-lit, this is the only chance to ever experience them. Plus whether great or awful, at $2.50 per show you can't go far wrong. That's part of the fun of Spank

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Visiting Chicago-based sketch group Oh Theodora "perform silly, story-driven sketches that take what you know about comedy and twist it." TimeOut Chicago described it as “Exuberant silliness and densely layered sketches... Endlessly winning." Come enjoy this one-night-only chance at UCB Chelsea to experience Oh Theodora

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Storytellers Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, new book Screw Everyone), Rose Surnow, James Braly, Christine Gentry, and Alex Gallafent tell true tales about how I Might Be Obsessed for this monthly show at Happy Ending (302 Broome Street) hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned...I Might Be Obsessed

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A mix of sketch, cartoons, and stand-up from Murderfist (NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), David Rees (witty cartoonist of such strips as How to Sharpen Pencils and Get Your War On; for a sample of the latter please click here, and for a video interview video with Rees please click here), and Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central) at 2A (25 Avenue A & 2nd Street) hosted by Beth Hoyt & Trish Nelson: Big Effing Deal

8:00 pm ($5): UCBT Maude Night group Bucky—which most notably includes red-hot rising star Sasheer Zamata—performs one long scene in the same location (a winning form that's helped such teams as Death by Roo Roo win a whole lot of Cage Match victories) at the UCB East theatre: Bucky, Here and Now

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): A mix of stand-upa and storytelling from Katie Hartman, Lane Moore, Jenny Rubin, George Gordon, Glen Rosenberg, and TJ Young performing at McSwiggan's (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) with hosts Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and/or Emily Epstein: Connotation

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

8:00 pm ($5): The debut of a 13-member sketch group at The PIT downstairs lounge: Nerds on Fire

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Seating at 8:30, show at 9:00 pm (RSVP to confirm your spot at FreeComedyWednesdays@gmail.com): Terrific lineup of Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), John Roy (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central), Joe Pera (hilarious deadpan Andy Kaufman-like stand-up; one time I saw Joe sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; more recently he ended his set by slicing milk; for Joe's latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupe The Prom, co-host of The Dream Show), Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), and Garret Richardson performing stand-up at Ella (9 Avenue A) produced by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura and hosted tonight by Matt Ruby: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged), David Foster (MTV’s Boiling Points), and Nate Fernald (Team Submarine) performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Adam Wade, Melanie Hamlett, Peter Aguero, Michelle Onufrak, and wonderful host Dave Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's topic Biggest Betrayal, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Mark Normand, Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Dan. St. Germain, Michael Che, Emily Heller, Jeffrey Joseph, Dan Soder, Barry Rothbart, Calise Hawkins, Joe List, Pat Dixon, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, FX's Totally Biased; comedy troupes Doppelganger, The Prom, Bucky) hosts as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight's scheduled guests include acclaimed Chicago sketch group Oh Theodora (see 8:00 pm above), Keisha Zollar, Becky Yamamoto, and Claudia Cogan; for the complete list, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), and Jesse Joyce (host of AMC's Date Night, writer for Comedy Centraol Roasts, Last Comic Standing) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): The Nasty Show: Dave Attell, Mark Normand, Big Jay Oakerson, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 4/25/13

1974 gore-fest Ilsa, She Wolf of the S.S. is dissected at Devil Science Theater 3000;
Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame (The Reformed Whores) tell stories about their moms at Risk!: My Old Lady

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Juliet Hope Wayne (Moth GrandSlam winner; animator) is tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, hosted by the wonderful John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: All-gal open mic at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Anna Drezen & Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic

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

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows about which I know nothing audition for ongoing inclusion on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Alan Starzinski: Guys You Love to Hate and Road To Roswell. If you're incredibly patient, you may find that virtually all these try-out shows have interesting elements; and for the ones that don't get green-lit, this is the only chance to ever experience them. Plus whether great or awful, at $2.50 per show you can't go far wrong. That's part of the fun of Spank

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12): Storytellers Blaise Allysen Kearsley (host of How I Learned), Robin Gelfenbien (host of Yum's The Word), and Aaron Wolfe (The Moth) performing at this unique storytelling show at the KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue) hosted by the lovely Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post) that features such charms as accordion playing by Dr. Michelle-Leona Godin and a trivia contest with alcoholic prizes: Sideshow Goshko

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($22, plus 2-drink min.) The host of FX's Totally Biased headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: W. Kamau Bell

7:30 pm ($5): Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Jason Saenz (sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), and Tony Zaret (Channel 101) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): This UCB Chelsea double-bill kicks off with a one-act play about the Biblical end of the world written by & co-starring Kevin Hines and directed by Brandon Gulya: Apocalypse in Connecticut...

...and then a one-man show by Arthur Meyer (writer for Jimmy Fallon and The Onion; sketch troupes Pangea 3000, Fambly, and Two Fun Men): Arthur Meyer: Rock and Roll

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A jaw-dropping dark comedy group, which includes members of ace sketch troupe Murderfist, will terrify Manhattan for an hour at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street): The Cowmen

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($12 at the door or $14.80 online): Carla Facciolo (VH1's Mob Wives), Onion News Empire (writers Will Graham & Dan Mirk and director Todd Strauss-Schulson), Jake & Amir (College Humor), Sam Lipsyte (The Ask, The Fun Parts), and Jeff & Eric Rosenthal (Urbane Outfitters) performing and/or being interviewed at Brooklyn's Galapagos Art Space (16 Main Street) hosted by Scott R.: Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($11.34 online or $10 at the door): Stand-up comics and sideshow attractions at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this unusual carny experience hosted by Matteo Lane and Abigoliah Schamaun: Abigoliah's Bizarre Bazaar

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

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

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Featherweight, and Hello Laser performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by The Sleepover (long form improv with elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet's Night Out

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

9:00 pm ($5): Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim), Alison Leiby, Ben Kissel, Kiran Deol, and David Dineen-Porter performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[FREE] 9:00 pm: "For years audiences have wondered what group of people make the best comedians. For his birthday, one man has decided to settle this centuries-long debate. Join AJ Thompson as he throws several funny contenders in the comedy ring from different races, genders, cultures and whatever else you can think of and see who survives" at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: AJ's Ethnic Cleansing

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame (Reformed Whores), AJ Jacobs (author of Drop Dead Healthy, My Life as an Experiment: One Man's Humble Quest to Improve Himself), Roger Hailes (Jimmy Fallon, Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spins; Web series Mansome), and Tommy O'Malley (YearAboveTheInfluence.com) sharing true tales at The PIT upstairs theatre on tonight's theme My Old Lady at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!: My Old Lady

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

...and in the second half of this double-bill, sketch troupe Boat performs 30 minutes of bits at Boat: Comedic Sketches

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight's victim the 1974 World War II gore epic Ilsa, She Wolf of the S.S. (for the disturbing trailer, please click here) at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): In last week's spectacular battle, improv group GoodGirl performed one long scene set in a funeral home, and then all-star group The Law Firm jumped from one scene to another with a crazy logic that was joyful. Both teams were great; and the audience vote was as close as it gets, with GoodGirl just barely edging out a victory at 64-63. Tonight the new champion competes with team Scrambled Legs for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] [$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Ardie Fuqua (HBO'S Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central), and Turae (Comedy Central) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), : The Nasty Show: Jena Friedman, Paul Mecurio, Big Jay Oakerson, Kurt Metzger, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 4/26/13

W. Kamau Bell headlines at Carolines; Ophira Eisenberg headlines at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:00 pm ($10): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast clobbered some of the best groups in NYC last year at UCBT's Cage Match. Tonight it takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT upstairs theatre: North Coast

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Nate Dern, Sarah Tollemache, and Paul Oddo. The comics getting the most laughs at this open mic will be booked to perform at tomorrow's 11:30 pm Beastmasters show, which is run by the same hosts: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Cipha Sounds (Hot 97, Chappelle's Show) thought it would be cool if a hip-hop star told tales and then improvisors made up scenes based on them. This new monthly show is the result, with a "secret" music celebrity "mesmerizing the crowd with amazing stories and linguistic darts to spark the creativity of some of the best improvisers in NYC," the latter being Chris Gethard, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Brandon Gardner, and Abra Tabak at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Leslie Meisel (30 Rock, HBO, sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox), Stephen Guarino (Happy Endings, Big Gay Sketch Show), Tim Martin (Tosh.0, College Humor), and more performing character bits at UCB East hosted by Justin Tyler and Michael Hartney: Characters Welcome

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($22, plus 2-drink min.) The host of FX's Totally Biased headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: W. Kamau Bell

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) A brilliant storyteller with notable bangs who's also performed stand-up on Comedy Central, VH1, and Showtime, hosts NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, and recently released her book Screw Everyone which has become an instant bestseller, headlines for one night only at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Ophira Eisenberg

8:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre from troupe Dinner for One

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O'Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A gathering of comedic musicians, who tonight are The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don't Spit), Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 9 million people on YouTube, please click here), Joe Jung, and MVPleez performing at UCB East hosted by superb musical group Summer & Eve (for samples, please click here): Earworm Funny Music Party Show

9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

9:30 pm ($8): The wonderful Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman) is the only professional performer at this show featuring sketch comedy writers who normally remain off-stage but tonight try out their own material (sketch, stand-up, and/or stories) at The PIT downstairs lounge; so if you love awkwardness, you may well enjoy Sketchy Stand-Up

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Veteran improvisors reunite, new improvisors perform, and then old and new merge to create a one-nigh-only team at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Nick Arret: Old New Borrowed and Blue

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O'Malley—who recently defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($10): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Riley Soloner (MTV, The Chris Gethard Show), Cody Lindquist (Improv Everywhere), and Brendan Fitzgibbons (The Onion) performing stand-up or sketch or improv at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): Sketches from young and forlorn comics at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Meredith Hackman: The Saddest Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

Midnight ($5): A variety of oddball comedy acts from Josh Patten (SNL), Tim Martin (Tosh.0, CollegeHumor), Diana Kolsky (Nickelodeon), and more at UCB East hosted by sketch duo Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp: Cool Shit / Weird Shit

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it's hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

[$] 12:15 am ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), and Turae (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Nikki Glaser, Mark Normand, Greer Barnes, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 4/27/13

W. Kamau Bell continues his run at Carolines; Jen Kirkman performs stand-up & promotes her new book at The Bell House

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12.50 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 4:00 pm: NYC stand-ups perform short, tight sets at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Andy Rocco: Rocco's Playground

[$] 6:00 pm ($15, no min.): Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Kendra Cunningham (Jimmy Fallon, The Tyra Banks Show, Law & Order), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Jeff Lawrence (MTV): Laughing Buddha Comedy

6:00 pm ($5): Improv groups including The Vacation performing at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Gary Gulman (maybe—Gary's also scheduled to perform multiple shows cross-town at Comedy Cellar; David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[FREE] 7:00 pm: A unique musical improv open mic show that lets both beginners and veterans get on stage and belt one out accompanied by improv pianist Jody Shelton at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street) hosted by Douglas Widick: Spot Song

7:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($15): Jen Kirkman (HBO, VH1, Chelsea Lately, After Lately, Craig Ferguson, staff writer for NBC's Perfect Couples) performs stand-up and does a signing afterwards for her new book I Can Barely Take Care of Myself at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street, between Second and Third Avenues) with host Patrick Borelli and opener Alison Castillo: Jen Kirkman

7:30 pm ($10): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, and more at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here

7:30 pm ($10): Sharp Magnet improvisors "perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:" The Weave

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($22, plus 2-drink min.) The host of FX's Totally Biased headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: W. Kamau Bell

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

8:00 pm ($11.34 online or $15 at the door): Two of the most respected PIT improv groups performing on this weekly double-bill at the upstairs theatre: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and last year crushed 15 improv groups in Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

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

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

[$] 9:30 pm ($11.34 online or $15 at the door): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

9:30 pm ($10): "A monthly show featuring long form improv of three diverse schools of thought and culminating in a cross-team closing...that last year broke an all-time attendance record" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sharif Ali and Kelly Ann Rockwell: World's Fair

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Aaron Jackson (Newsadoozies), and more form an improv troupe at UCB Chelsea that won this year's prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($12.50 online using code SPRING; no drink min.): Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe Matarese, Wil Sylvince, Sherrod Small, and More

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Master improvisor Ed Herbstman teams with Peter McNerney for one night only at The Magnet to form comedy duo Trike

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Original comedic song parodies are showcased, with tonight's performers including Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), Squirm & Germ, Stratton & Coker, Charles Gould, Michael Fisher, and J Hobart B at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Justin Perez & Shaina Stigler: Totally Requesty

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), is tonight's scheduled headliner at this UCB East show that features a top comic, plus comics that did well at the Friday night Hot Chicks Room open mic, plus two comics whose names will be drawn from a hat, hosted by Nate Dern, Sarah Tollemache, and Paul Oddo: Beastmasters: Up From the Mic

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] [FREE] Midnight (totally FREE online using code NIKKI; no drink min., but it'd be nice if you bought something from the acclaimed food/drink menu): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Jessimae Peluso (MTV's Girl Code, Failosophy; Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, Tyra Banks, TruTV), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nikki Glaser, Rachel Feinstein, Sherrod Small, and More

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

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

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

[$] 12:45 am ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Russ Meneve (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno), and Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO'S Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Nikki Glaser, Gary Gulman, Lynne Koplitz, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 4/28/13

Michelle Buteau, briefly back from LA, performs at If You Build It;
Erik Bergstrom argues for print porn vs. Internet porn at The Great Debate

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

[FREE] 5:00 pm: A musical open mic, with each performer getting up to 2 songs within 10 minutes. Signup is at 4:30; and there's a keyboard, guitar plug-ins for the sound system, and an iPod plug-in available at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Froduce

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

6:30 pm ($10): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast clobbered some of the best groups in NYC last year at UCBT's Cage Match. Tonight it takes the stage for nearly an hour at The Magnet theatre: North Coast

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes superstars in the improv world such as Chris Gethard, and occasionally network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($22, plus 2-drink min.) The host of FX's Totally Biased headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: W. Kamau Bell

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm (a mere $12.50, and no drink minimum, using discount code DEBATE online): Stand-up from Gary Gulman, Joe List, and Nick Vatterott, plus debates about silly topics—e.g., Ben Kissel & Erik Bergstrom will debate "Internet Porn vs. Print Porn," and Ron Krasnow & Gary Gulman will debate "Jewish Girls vs. Shiksas"—all hosted by Jeff Wesselschmidt & Michael Shawki at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): The Great Debate: Gary Gulman, Joe List, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS, host of ComedyJuice), Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX's Totally Biased), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead: Creaghead & Company

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show); for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Andy Hendrickson (David Letterman), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Joyelle Johnson (opens for such superstars as Maria Bamford), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): In this musical improv show at The Magnet, a narrator tells a story (fueled by audience suggestions) and then improvisors bring the tale to life with song and dance, plus improv piano playing by the invaluable Frank Spitznagel: The Narrator

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): From Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman (producers of The Scene), improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre, with tonight's groups Throners, See You Next Tuesday, Skycopter, and The Lottery: Act One

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Superb improvisors Chris Grace & Nate Starkey team up at The PIT upstairs theatre as duo Starkey & Grace

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged), Joh Laster (BET's Comic View), Andy Sanford, and more performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), John Roy (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central), Prescott Tolk, Ian Karmel, and MIchael D'Bey performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted tonight by Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour): Comedy Night

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Damien Lemon (MTV2's Guy Code, Comedy Central), Ross Hyzer, and Stephanie Hasz performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at Beauty Bar

9:30 pm ($7): Sketch comedy at The Magnet, tonight from troupes Dispacho and Cookie Mountain: Magnet Sketch Teams

[ALMOST FREE] 9:30 pm ($1): Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

[FREE] 10:00 pm: The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

[FREE] 10:45 pm: Open-mic show for sketch and character bits running 3-5 minutes at The Magnet hosted by Sebastian Conelli. Everyone who signs up—at 10:30 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

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