NYC Comedy Picks for Week of April 2, 2012

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 4/2/12

Todd Bieber screens terrible TV ads to create one of the best solo comedy shows in NYC: Commercial Interruption...

...comedy star & NYC treasure Janeane Garofalo performs at Hot Tub Variety;
and true tales of young romance doomed to failure, accompanied by singing & piano playing
from the irresistible Camille Harris (who, btw, needs your money) at My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with each of the four audience members chosen from the bucket of names getting to tell tales for 7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Carol Hartsell's & John Morrison's Motel Luca

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of The Adam Wade Show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) hosts a show at The Magnet that's "like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption," with tonight's guests Michelle Markowitz (host of Failing Our Twenties), Bruce Cherry, Deborah Gross, Chano Garcia, and Dan Berman: Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Todd Bieber, the razor-sharp Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com, has had his video/film work viewed over 25 million times via such sites as YouTube.com, NewYorkTimes.com, and EntertainmentWeekly.com. But before his success, Todd spent a couple of years churning out, as he bluntly puts it, "shitty local commercials in rural Pennsylvania." If you're a filmmaker, a fan of ridiculously awful late-night TV ads, or someone who likes to laugh, come enjoy this fascinating and hilarious insider look at microbudget commercials and the creative process (for a trailer, please click here). Directed by UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, this is one of the very best solo shows in NYC: Commercial Interruption...

...and in the second half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, a meta-comedy about a real estate agent who tries to convince a couple that the actual theatre you're in would be a great home for them. He does this by putting on a series of sketches that are presented as a random sampling of what UCBT has to offer but that, directly or indirectly, each promote the stage as a wonderful residence. It's a way fun idea—for a 5-minute sketch. However, this entire show is handled like a single multi-jointed sketch, and 30 minutes is an awfully long time to essentially tell one joke. If the script was further developed to use the internal sketches as stepping stones to achieve a larger and emotionally compelling story, this could become something quite special. Even as is, though, it's great fun at the start; and if you find it wearing out its welcome after that, you'll still enjoy sporadic laughs from individual bits and performers—especially standouts Brandon Gulya and Brandon Scott Jones—in the a-bit-too-clever-for-its-own-good This is Not a Sketch Show—A Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Inspired by the popular blog My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, this superb show at UCB East "celebrates our most tragic, hilarious, and heinous teenage memories, full of chaste hugs, Grease sing-alongs, and trips to the stage door to accost the cast of Rent," with true stories tonight from Jeremy Jordan King (author of upcoming novel In Stone), Shawn Hollenbach (Logo TV), and Michelle Wolf (Cats in Pants) hosted by Damian Bellino, and the super-delightful Camille Harris whose piano playing and singing will make you grin and dance in your seat—and who currently needs your money for her first CD, so please visit her Indiegogo campaign by clicking here to watch her super-delightful video: My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Movie & TV star Janeane Garofalo, Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), and Nimesh Patel performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, MTV's Ridiculousness, VH1) performs her college stand-up show, which covers "drunk dialing her parents, hitting on married men, and losing her keys and pride" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Jamie Lee: Can You Call My Mom?

[DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($11.34 [vs. $21.69] online using discount code LLED10): NYC stand-ups specializing in political humor make fun of our current election cycle at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street); take advantage of discount code LLED10 to see this off-Broadway show for under $12: Laughing Liberally: Electile Dysfunction

8:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet double-bill, a one-man show by Robert Weinstein about Smooching & Slashing: Anatomy of a First Kiss

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Gramp's (the finest of UCBT's Maude sketch troupes, thanks to such talents as Laura Grey, Abbi Crutchfield, Don Fanelli, Rachael Mason, and a strong writing team) and Onassis (which has seldom been strong on the writing side but includes superb actress Lauren Conlin Adams): Maude Night: Gramp's and Onassis

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Debates by NYC comics at UCB East, with tonight's participants Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), Jeff Wesselschmidt, Dan Licata Jake Young, Kenny & Keith Lucas, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short, hosted by Michael Shawki: The Great Debate

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Improv spinning off a stand-up set by Josh Gondelman, with the improvisors typically including such talents as Micah Sherman, Cathleen Carr, Nick Vatterott, and Sarah Nowak performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Micah Sherman: Fun

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Becky Yamamoto, Seaton Smith, Jon Savoy, Kyle Bostic, Angela Cobb, and Jason Kanter performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O'Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling show at The Magnet hosted by Kelly Buttermore: Storytelling Mixer

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who haven't yet been announced, but you can check for an update here—performing at UCB Chelsea and hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should 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 stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Erin Lennox & Michelle Wolf: Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 4/3/12

Lectures on The Werewolf's Guide To Life, obessions with AA meetings, and more are covered at Adult Education;
burlesque star Dangrrr Doll is among the performers at Brooklyn storytelling show And I Am Not Lying...

...Mary Mack performs at Sweet, and Arden Myrin performs at ComedyJuice

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] 7:00 pm: Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month's topic "Transformation," which range from The Werewolf's Guide To Life to How to Be a Recovering Alcoholic When You're Not an Alcoholic But Enjoy AA Meetings, at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for Charles Star's comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): "Jews in comedy have been ignored for too long. To combat this trend, The Magnet's Jewish house team members have formed a Jewish super-group that will be performing around Jewish high holidays. Their Jewish shows will be based on Jewish monologues from a Jewish Rabbi about the upcoming Jewish holiday. For Purim we have monologist Rabbi Elli." Among this small army of Jews is typically improv master Ed Herbstman—which is reason enough to come and enjoy The Chosen Ones

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean's List

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), John Harris (Senior Editor of The Onion), and more performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Devin Clark (creator of Comedy Central's Ugly Americans) and Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's Ugly Americans) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture The debut of this wonderful show about comic books at its brand new location Pianos (158 Ludlow Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A musical show at UCB East describing itself as "Female-fronted folky-pop band. Hyper-articulate, nerdy, post-modern sort of musical comedy. Folk singalongs and catchy pop jams are merely the metaphorical table holding up the buffet of wordplay, sarcastic wit, and rapid-fire pop culture references:" Summer & Eve: Folky-Pop Musical Comedy

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Bucky, Johnny Romance, Orb Genders, Sandino, and Creature—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students make up two complete documentary films—all at Harold Night

8:00 pm ($5): This one-woman show at The PIT upstairs theatre "follows Leanne’s journey from Waukegan, Illinois to Vegas, baby! Doesn’t every woman want to move to Vegas, sell guns, and get married a few times? It would be completely made up if it weren't totally true:" Lady Luck is a Whore

8:00 pm ($5): Cathleen Carr (Two Girls for Five Bucks, Birds, The Scene) and Bob Kulhan (Second City, The Scene) host a show featuring two-person improv teams challenged with separation anxiety—the audience is asked to scramble them and create one-night-only pairings.The established duos participating tonight are Nate Starkey & Chris Grace, Nate Williams & Rich Hollman, and Cathleen Carr & Bob Kulhan at The PIT downstairs Lounge: Carr Kulhan: Dos Experimento

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly show features "a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10 at the door, $12.75 online): A monthly storytelling show from Jeff Simmermon (NPR's This American Life), Cyndi Freeman (The Moth, burlesque star) and Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam champion) at Brooklyn's Union Hall, with tonight's guests stand-up Andy Ross, belly dancer Madame X, and burlesque star Dangrrr Doll: And I Am Not Lying

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES! and Mint Condition

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Julia Wiedeman (glorious nudist one-woman show Naked People; SNL, Gossip Girl, Law & Order), Mary Mack (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, visiting from Minnesota), Josh Zepps (star Australian comic, host of Australian Idol), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) at UCB East. Tonight's guests are the lovely Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party), the lovely Becky Yamamoto (God I'm Funny, Stickerbook), and the reasonably pretty Aaron Glaser (The Raspberry Brothers, College Humor): The Tony and Johnny Show

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Damien Lemon, Leah Bonnema, and Gonzalo Cordova performing at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:30 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, Chelsea Lately, host of The Party Machine; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Steve Rannazzisi (FX's The League), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's Ugly Americans), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[FREE] 11:00 pm: 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 4/4/12

Former SNL member Rachel Dratch reads from her new book Girl Walks Into a Bar; and real-life bartender,
the unsinkable Mamrie Hart, debuts her new sketch show with Stephen Soroka: BoF: Friends Without Benefits

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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation The PIT upstairs theatre for Super Free Wednesday

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with "15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: A former Saturday Night Live cast member reads from her new book Girl Walks Into a Bar at the Union Square Barnes & Noble (33 East 17th Street): Rachel Dratch

7:00 pm ($5): A new tradition begins with the performances of longform improv house troupes Spooky Ghost and Hoops. UCB Chelsea has Tuesday's Maude Night, and now UCB East is host on Wednesdays to Lloyd Night

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes The Party Lions, The Surge, Leviathan, Horses, Chet Watkins, Brick, The Wrath, and Featherweight performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with The Surge at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Mamrie Hart is a rising star who somehow manages to be razor-sharp and immensely warm & accessible at the same time—and is always worth catching. Mamrie and her superb comedy partner Stephen Soroka tonight debut all-new material as sketch duo BoF: Friends Without Benefits...

...and in the other half of this double-bill at UCB Chelsea, a sketch play about the opening of a trendy restaurant that serves nothing but pig (including "bacon-infused martinis"), written with wit and bite by Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox), directed with style by Caitlin Bitzegaio (MTV, PBS, ESPN), and performed superbly by comedic actress Lauren Conlin Adams (keep an eye out for her Aurora, a hot and hilariously bubble-headed waitress): Pig: A Restaurant

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB East, Sasheer Zamata, Nicole Byer, and Keisha Zollar are the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger

8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $6.84 online with discount code Supermango): John Fugelsang (Politically Incorrect), Greg Warren (Comedy Central Presents), Anthony Devito (VH1's Best Week Ever), and Danny Cohen (Fast Films) performing at the Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery, off Bleecker Street) with hosts Dan Allen & Ray Devito: Sacapuntas!

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jessica Gross, Colleen Watson, Beth McGregor, Chris Distefano, Amy Albert Cobb, Greg Edwards, and Koretta Gray performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar with hosts Negin Farsad, Amy Albert, and/or Beth McGregor for their free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically terrific NYC comics (not announced) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) typically hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): At UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie

9:00 pm ($5): Young solo sketch comics Zoe Costello, Matthew Robert Gehring, Sam Martin, and Tim Martin each perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Branson Reese: Comedy Expo

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sketch troupes Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, Boat, and Chess Club each performing one of their most popular sketches and one of their personal favorites in what's likely to be a fun revue at UCB Chelsea hosted by Aaron Kheifets: A-Side/B-Side

[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] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) 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 lineup includes Joe Stanton and Scott Dooley; 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

11:00 pm ($5): Stand-up, sketch, improv, and chats about books at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Brennan Lee Mulligan & Jessica Rionero: Book Club

[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

[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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 4/5/12

Visiting stand-ups Mary Mack (above) and Janine Brito join Janeane Garofalo at Totally J/K;
Michelle Markowitz and friends tell tales of apology & forgiveness at Failing Our Twenties ...

...plays written by children are performed hilariously risque at 92Y Tribeca by The Story Pirates After Dark;
and Chelsea Peretti too-briefly returns home to join her pals Andrea Rosen & Shonali Bhowmik at Variety SHAC

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: Andy Christie (host of The Liar Show; The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion) is tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows I know nothing about, Kiwi & Jojo Are Unemployed and Everyone You Love Will Someday Betray You or Die at Sea, audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($13): The Story Pirates take stories written by New York City elementary schoolchildren, "enhance" them with adult language and themes, and them perform the heck out of them using music, puppets, and "a David Bowie-style tribute to a good Hebrew School education." With tales ranging from the shame of chronic bedwetting, to the tender love between the Devil and some guy she met at Starbucks, the Story Pirates have blown the minds of over 100,000 second graders (sans the narrative enhancements), and lots of adults in their "After Dark" version—which is what they'll be performing tonight at 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street): Story Pirates After Dark

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Guests Matt Oberg and Dyna Moe, and host John Lou, read "the most insane things that people share on the Internet; from the stupid to the outrageous to the grotesque, you’ll be sure to walk away shaken but entertained" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Lou Reads the Internet For You

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT upstairs theatre: Hot Diner 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

7:30 pm ($5): A sketch comedy radio show/podcast live on the UCB East stage, with tonight's guests Abbi Jackson (Broad City), Jocelyn DeBoer (Harold Night, UCB's The Bachelor), Halle Kiefer, and more, plus regulars Adam Bozarth, Dan Chamberlain, Matt Little, Taylor Moore, and Anna Rubanova: Left Handed Radio

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Steven Berkowitz (Moth StorySlam Champion; for a sample tale, please click here) and more tell tales revolving around the theme Apologies & Forgiveness at The PIT downstairs lounge along with hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who are now both 30 but still maintain they're Failing Our Twenties

8:00 pm ($10): Unique and relentlessly silly performer Brandon Gulya does a one-man sketch show at UCB Chelsea that's at times hilarious (the restaurant bit, which is an instant classic) , and at other times less so, in the hope that Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon...

...plus in the other half of this double-bill, Sue Smith performs a one-woman show about her Minimum Rage

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT upstairs theatre: Frogmen and Harvey

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv troupes Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Mark Grenier directing The Bat (improvised scenes that happen entirely in the dark), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with troupe Upstate battling troupe Horses for laughs & votes: The Magnet's Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete" at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on HBO's Def Comedy Jam and Bad Boys of Comedy, Showtime at Harlem, BET's ComicView, and the feature film Next Friday headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Michael Blackson

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Mary Mack (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, visiting from Minnesota), and Janine Brito (top stand-up visiting from San Francisco) performing stand-up at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

[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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a weekly comedy show with hosts Dan Wllber & Sean Crespo and producer Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5):Chelsea Peretti (top stand-up & a founding member of this show, visiting from LA), Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show), and Hennessy Youngman (art critic and host of Art Thoughtz) performing at UCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik (leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys) and Andrea Rosen (brilliant stand-up & storyteller; HBO, Comedy Central, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up): Variety SHAC

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Bob Dorough (Miles Davis, Allen Ginsberg, Schoolhouse Rock!) will play his music to inspire improvised scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: Beauty Love Truth

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] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Bridget O’Neil (Moth StorySlam champion), Carolina Rose Barlow, and JiJi Lee telling comedic tales at UCB East hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Erin Barker: Shut Up: An All-Female Storytelling Show

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Airwolf has shot down two improv troupes in a row, and tonight sets its sights on Sandino at UCB Chelsea as the groups compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 4/6/12

Cyndi Freeman, Leslie Goshko, and Erin Barker are among the ace storytellers at Adam Wade's Super Stories...

...rising star Julie Sharbutt improvises with her friend Liz Wisan because they're Smart & Attractive;
and two of the finest stand-ups in the country, Ted Alexandro and Marina Franklin (above), headline at Eastville

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 start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): A wonderful lineup of all-gal storytellers: Erin Barker (Moth GrandSlam champion), Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), Cyndi Freeman (Moth StorySlam champion, two-time FringeNYC award winner, burlesque star, co-host of And I Am Not Lying and The Standard Issues), Tracy Rowland (NPR, The Moth), and Sara Peters (The Moth podcast) telling hilarious tales at The Magnet with host Adam Wade Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here): Super Stories: Ladies Night Edition

...and by the way, be sure to read Jason Zinoman's fine recent article on NYC storytelling—mentioning some of the folks in this show—in The New York Times

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot—tonight featuring ace guest improvisors Fran Gillespie (Stone Cold Fox, The Law Firm), and Tim Martin (Airwolf), plus monologues from Hallie Haglund (The Daily Show): Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10):A parody of The Bachelor written by UCB Chelsea faves Caitlin Bitzegaio (MTV, PBS, ESPN, writer or director of numerous UCBT sketch shows) and Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox, Pig: A Restaurant), and worth catching if only to experience the delicious comedic performances of standouts Morgan Grace Jarrett (Big Fish, Love Liza, Buffy fan) and Nicole Byer (Doppelganger)—who are especially fun when they turn into an unlikely a comedy duo...: The Bachelor: Romance, Roses, and Romance...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a musical about 19th century New York in which "uptown the aristocrats and robber barons think they own the city, while downtown thieves, pimps, and she-males believe they do; but the real kings of the city, the only truly free ones, are the news boys—and for some reason, they’re all British!," with book & lyrics by Brian Glidewell, Marcy Jarreau & Kevin Carter, and direction by Christopher Gladysz & Lauren Conlin Adams: Newsadoozies: A Man-Eating Musical

8:00 pm ($5): "It may be made up on the spot, but there is a method to the madness. In this show players explore the structure of improv by performing unique forms provided by the community and abroad" at The PIT downstairs lounge: True to Form

[FREE] 8:00 pm: The third annual comedy tournament featuring 40 improv groups...only one of which will triumph. Tonight four improv troupes battle for superiority, pride, and glory at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena, Round 4

[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] 8:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, top Maude sketch troupe Gramp's, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joey Kola

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Killer lineup of Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.) and Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): At UCB East, an improv troupe that recently clobbered top rivals at Cage Match—thanks to such talents as Don Fanelli, Kate Riley, and Tim Martin—attempts to abandon rules for the sake of achieving new levels of hilarity in Fuck That Shit

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Joe Zimmerman (Rooftop Comedy), Dave Stone (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies), Andy Sanford (TBS), and TJ Young "deliver an original brand of humor that's deeply rooted in stand-up and lightly blended with avant-garde elements of music, sketch and improv." This bearded quartet's credits include the album Cardio Mix from Comedy Central Records. Tonight they're joined by stand-up guests RG Daniels, Dave Waite, Emily Fleming, Clayton English, Kate Hendricks, Paul Hooper, and Reid Faylor, all performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Beards of Comedy & Friends

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): One of my favorite people, Julie Sharbutt—who's performed with some of the greatest improvisors alive at UCBT's Gravid Water—goes for improv gold herself with comedy partner Liz Wisan at The PIT downstairs lounge in a very accurately named show: Smart & Attractive

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): All-gal hosts Amey Goerlich (member of Krompf, co-host of Indie Cage Match), Abby Holland (VH1's Best Night Ever, Veal), and Natasha Rothwell (Hodapp & Rothwell) pretend to be boys at The PIT upstairs theatre with guests Ashley Ward (Diamond Lion, Hello, Taco Supreme), Sarah Nowak (The Baldwins, SidViscous), and Kevin Cragg: Oh Boy! and Friends

11:30 pm ($5): Most of the improv you'll see in NYC is longform. Tonight at The Magnet the original and still-vibrant short form version will be performed by such talents as Louis Kornfeld and Elana Fishbein: Late Night Party Prov

[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

[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. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 4/7/12

It's a night for top stand-ups, including Sara Schaefer (The Party Machine), Janeane Garofalo (Fresh Fisch)...

...Pete Holmes interviewing Jim Gaffigan at You Made It Weird...

...and Ted Alexandro and Big Jay Oakerson performing at the Eastville Comedy Club

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are Erin Barker (Moth GrandSlam champion, co-host of The Story Collider), Peter Aguero (Conan O'Brien, Moth GrandSlam champion, BTK Band), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Steven Berkowitz (Moth StorySlam winner). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam champion) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Wando, Orange Augustus, and Upstate at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): "Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe," hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), and featuring tonight's guest storytellers Shonali Bhowmik (Variety SHAC), Adam Cozens, and Daniela Schiller: Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PIT upstairs theatre that answer such questions as "Why can't you touch a black girl's hair? Why do some of us burn our cheating man's clothes in his car and can't wait to exhale? How did Foxy Brown know how to get down? Why can two play that game? Why do mad black women write so many diaries?" and more: Mrs Jones

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($15 at the door, $19 in advance online): An amazing comedic freestyle hip-hop group, using audience suggestions as a springboard for creating improvised music inspired by jazz, rap, and comedy, with Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan, plus Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale (the writer and director the Broadway hit In the Heights, which won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical), and more performing at the Gramercy Theatre (127 East 23rd Street, between Lexington & Park Avenue South): Freestyle Love Supreme

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (please note this is the new time slot for this show previously on at 10:30; $10): Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, D'Arcy Carden, Chelsea Clarke, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnet making up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Stand-up from TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo and The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac, sketch from Anti-Social Wife, and music from The Jesse Scheinn Band and a special guest who maybe will improv beatbox at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Tyler Fischer: Fresh Fisch

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 at the door or $7.63 online): Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Chelsea Lately, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here) and Lisa deLarios (Comedy Central) host this delightful monthly mix of stand-up and sketch, with tonight's guests Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous rising star stand-up; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel), Lane Moore, and Team Submarine performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall: The Party Machine

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

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating—at the upstairs theatre: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: From the producers of The Scene, improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up one-act plays on the spot: Act One

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on HBO's Def Comedy Jam and Bad Boys of Comedy, Showtime at Harlem, BET's ComicView, and the feature film Next Friday headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Michael Blackson

8:30 pm ($10): Matt McCarthy (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC's Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys, host of Marking Out), Nick Cobb, Scott Moran, Leah Bonnema, and Jim Tews performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joey Kola

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Killer lineup of Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Big Jay Oakerson, Maddog Mattern, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Two of the most respected improvisors in the country, Magnet co-owner Armando DIaz and UCBT star Christina Gausas, team up for one night only: Diaz & Gausas

9:30 pm ($15): "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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 at the door, $19 in advance online): Pete Holmes, one of the finest stand-ups alive, hosts this new interview show that tonight features another of the finest stand-ups alive, Jim Gaffigan, plus other top comics (possibly Michael Ian Black) at the Gramercy Theatre (127 East 23rd Street, between Lexington & Park Avenue South): You Made It Weird

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), superb dark comedy musical group The Cowmen, award-winning dark comedy sketch troupe Murderfist, The Nearly Naked Lady Band, and more celebrate the 30th birthday of Joe List at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Joe List 30th Birthday Party/Concert/Show

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): 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" at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot: Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark

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

10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East with typically terrific NYC comics (not announced this month)—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Sketch/improv from John Gemberling (genius improvisor & comedic character actor; Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo, The Tony and Johnny Show) and Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), stand-up from Jared Freid (Tru TV), music from The Campion Brothers, and more at UCB Chelsea with host Andy Rocco: Underground Americana

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) participate in the fake taping of a bad late-night TV comedy show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Brad Steuernagel: Comedians Off Of the Leash

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 4/8/12

Celebrate the holiday weekend with Joe DeRosa (Sunday Night Stand-Up), John Gemberling (Pretty Good Friends)...

...Michelle Buteau (Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour), or the ace improvisors of ASSSCAT 3000

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 upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

6:00 pm ($5): Emmy Blotnick, Boris Khaykin, and"surprise guests" participating in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[FREE] 6:00 pm: "Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges," at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Scrimmage

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

7:30 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

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): John Gemberling (genius improvisor & comedic character actor; Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo, The Tony and Johnny Show), Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), Nimesh Patel, and "a special guest" performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall with comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Charile Kasov (FOX), Kevin Barnett, and Sam Morril performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre pretend to be office workers delivering presentations—only they've never seen the PowerPoint slides before and have to make up the stories behind them on the spot: PowerPoint Improv

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on HBO's Def Comedy Jam and Bad Boys of Comedy, Showtime at Harlem, BET's ComicView, and the feature film Next Friday headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Michael Blackson

9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh and The I Like You Too Show; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), Brendan Eyre, and Jaqi Furback performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Comedy at Beauty Bar

[FREE] 9:30 pm: 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: NYC gal stand-ups Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Raquel D'Apice (The Ultimate Experts), and Hadiyah Robinson (BET, The Monique Show) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy (348 West 52nd Street) hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

10:00 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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