NYC Comedy Picks for Week of April 4, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 4/4/11

Kristen Schaal, Anthony Jeselnik, and Jen Kirkman will kill tonight at Whiplash

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: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story...and if it's a good one, possibly be included in Kevin's popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Comedy veterans Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Ari Voukydis perform an improvised play in What a Year!

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious; Last Comic Standing, co-host of We're All Friends Here), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Chris DiStefano, Jim Tews, and George Gordon performing stand-up at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Julie Klausner (I Don't Care About Your Band), and Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) 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): Laura Grey & Jordan Klepper "explore the inevitably rich moments leading up to the act of coupling, and the fallout that follows" in their improv show Key Party; and in the other half of this double-bill, LA-based improv trio Alex Berg, Todd Fasen, and Alex Fernie perform as award-winning troupe Convoy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): "It's gay. It's camp. It's Gay Camp! Every summer, confused, young campers are sent away to Camp Acceptance to 'cure' their homosexuality. Start with a deliciously evil headmaster and a closeted lesbian guidance counselor, throw in a few electrified fences, disco balls, white girls rapping, boy-boy love, girl-girl love, gay Twister, Sarah Palin, slow-motion fantasies, whips, handcuffs, flannel, and more innuendos than you can shake a dildo at, and you've got..." Gay Camp

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5—possibly includes FREE PIZZA): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), Adrienne Iapualucci (Last Comic Standing), Kevin Barnett, and storyteller Ed Gavagan (The Moth) performing at the Magnet Theatre for Adam Lerman's and Willy Appleman's Deep Traffic

9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's fine house sketch comedy troupes, Dweeb and Thunder Gulch, trying out new bits at Maude Night

9:30 pm ($5): This showcase for the wonderful Jen Nails' Do It Yourself class tonight features stand-up star Marina Franklin working out the early stages of her one-woman show Life Imitating Art, and Jan Warner performing the one-person show Pull Me Back

[FREE] 10:00 pm ($5): An opportunity for you to try out your comedic monologue or sketch piece: Casual Sketch

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in the world—who tonight include TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Anthony Jeselnik (one of my all-time favorite stand-ups; writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents; debut comedy CD Shakespeare), and Jen Kirkman (HBO, VH1, Chelsea Lately, Craig Ferguson, staff writer for NBC sitcom Perfect Couples)—hosted by the wonderful Chris Gethard (star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, The Chris Gethard Show, author of book Weird New York) 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 hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 4/5/11

Comedic lectures in Brooklyn about Cuisines of the World at this month's edition of Adult Education

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm ($5): Six improvisors play themselves on stage (similar to Naked in a Fishbowl) in Self Image; and in the second half of this double-bill, Jenny Dunne and Rick Andrews improvise a single moment in two characters' lives again and again, exploring three parallel realities, and the difference that a look or tone can make, in The Cascade

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month's topic "Cuisines of the World"—e.g., Defining the Sandwich: A Survey in Truth and Eating the United Nations A-Z Without Leaving NYC—at Brooklyn's Union Hall for Charles Star's comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($49.50): One of the finest comics in the country, Mike Birbiglia's credits include the hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live; the book Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories; and his hit off-Broadway show Sleepwalk with Me. Mike's now returned to the stage, once again creating his unique blend of stand-up and storytelling, for an all-new one-man show at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop) slated to run through May 15th: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Grandma's Ashes, Very Good Kiss, Sandino, Ragnaröck, and CAPTCHA; and at 11:00 pm a spectacular double-bill that merits a separate listing (see below) but is included in this $5 admission—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Alex Koll, Emily Heller, video hounds Everything is Terrible, and musician John Foti performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

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: Tambourine and The Sound & The Fury

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A blowout all-gal lineup: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here), Joselyn Hughes (beloved former NYCer who now lives in LA as staff writer for Tosh 2.0 ), and Sam Okello (visiting Ugandan comic) performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two of the finest improv shows NYC has to offer: Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, make up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and improv geniuses Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of Reuben Williams, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm deliver nonstop laughs as Outlook of the Poet

[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 4/6/11

It's a good night to be at UCBT, with ECNY winner Andrea Rosen performing her stellar one-woman show Ding Dong Meow
followed by Scott Adsit (above left) and John Lutz as super-powered improv duo John & Scott

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] 2:00 pm: "Something worth watching. Could be a movie, or a TV show. Might be populist and unapologetically entertaining, or hard to find and harder to understand. But you will always leave saying, 'I am glad that I saw that.'" Hosted by The PIT's Artistic Director Jeff Lepine: Afternoon Playhouse

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Andrea Rosen is already famed as a comic—in fact, she recently won the prestigious 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up—but what's not as well-known is that Andrea's among the finest comedic storytellers in the country. This new one-woman show should fix that. It offers smart, fearless, hilarious material ranging from fast food you should avoid to the medicinal power of a boyfriend's penis. It also provides one of the sharpest comedic performances that will grace NYC this year (for which kudos are also deserved by the show's superb director, John Flynn). Plus if you sit in the first few rows, expect free home-baked cookies. Don't miss Andrea's unique blend of dark comedy and silliness: Ding Dong Meow...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, Jordan Klepper and Laura Grey perform an acclaimed sketch show in which "they're bringing their baggage to the stage and dumping it all on you" in Baggage

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $6.84 online with discount code Supermango): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Sean Crespo, and "a special guest' performing at the Bowery Poetry Club with host Dan Allen: ¡Sacapuntas!

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 online or at the door using code MOON): Star comedic storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) performing a smart, engaging, and often hilarious one-man show at PS 122 (150 First Avenue off 9th Street ) running through April 9th: Tom Shillue is Supernormal

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free drink!): Donald Glover (Community, 30 Rock, Mystery Team), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Pluto Nash, End of Days), Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central's Colbert Report and Live at Gotham), and Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Nick Turner: Monsters

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Superb storytellers John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives), Rob Gorden (True Stories, The Moth), and Brian Samonek; sketch comic Andrea Alton (Molly Equality Dykeman); and stand-ups Paul Case (Here! TV, I Love And Hate You All) and Chris Doucette (LOGO TV) performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Bar (119 St. Marks Place) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious new improv duo who should not be missed: John & Scott

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Rachel Butera (The Howard Stern Show), Reese Waters (Comedy Central), and Brad Loekle (truTV's World's Dumbest, host of Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour) performing at the Bar-Tini Ultra Lounge (542 Tenth Avenue, between 45th & 46th Streets) for a gay-themed show hosted by Adam Sank: That Sank Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing 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. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 4/7/11

Alicia Levy debuts her one-woman rock concert tonight at The PIT: Chickapalooza

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] 8:00 pm ($10): Alicia Levy performs a one-woman rock concert—complete with band—in this show that recently sold out at Ars Nova and is now debuting at The PIT (and with any luck, I'll be there to see it): Chickapalooza

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Seth Kirschner (30 Rock, Lipstick Jungle) plays every character in a half-hour one-man TV episode parodying 90s sitcoms titled Sertainly Seth; and in the other half of this double-bill, Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) do a show about history's most infamous rivalries that includes putting God on stage and hitting on Her for a date: They Hated Each Other

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): An hour of improv directed by Magnet Theatre co-owner Armando Diaz: Evente

[$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up "shock" comic who's developing a following headlining tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club: Colin Kane

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and guest-host Ben Kissel (while Sean Patton shares his gifts with other cities): Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Movie & TV star Janeane Garofalo, and stand-ups Matt Giggins and Kara Klenk, joining delightful hosts Andrea Rosen and Shonali Bhowmik for Variety SHAC

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): A unique sports-themed stand-up, sketch comedy, and interview show hosted by Scott Rogowsky and Neil Janowitz that features both professional sports stars and comics doing sports-themed comedy—with tonight's guests professional bowler Kelly Kulick (first woman to win a PBA tour title) and former New York Giant Amani Toomer: 12 Angry Mascots

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes The Law Firm and Ragnarock compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 4/8/11

Learn which is spookier, Twilight or real life, in Shannon O'Neill's one-night-only interactive bio-play Kristen Stewart

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:30 pm ($10): Sketch shows from Two Fun Men and from Bleak, in the double-bill Two Men Having Fun and Stomachtown

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Groundbreaking and highly acclaimed improvisors Matt Higgins, Jay Rhoderick, and Kevin Scott performing with a three-piece rock ensemble: Centralia

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "A special guest," plus NYC stand-ups Raquel D'Apice, Jordan Carlos, Dan Goodman, and Nikki Glaser, performing at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue) hosted by Mark Normand: Hot Soup

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Improv duo Nathan Phillips & Joe Schiappa, plus guests, make stuff up using unusual improv structures for this free event at The PIT's downstairs lounge: The Nathan & Joe Show

8:00 pm ($7): "In March of 2009 a gaggle of performers were born. Some died, some wandered off into the woods, others went to work in the private sector. Those that remained grew strong by feeding on the nectar of specific choices and the gruel of strong character work. The 2-year-old terror that exists today is akin to watching a Tsunami of hair and teeth attack a baby Blue Whale and destroy it with the will of a thousand hungry Burnese Mountain Dogs. What does it all mean? We don't know." In other words, improv from Chet Watkins

[FREE—plus FREE WINGS] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Kevin McCaffrey (writer for David Letterman, TruTV), Hilary Schwartz (Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad), David Lee Nelson, Max Cohen, Laura Prangley, and Jay Welch performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) with hosts Calvin S. Cato, Justin Murray, and Chad Plaines: The Pregame Comedy Show

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Dwayne Perkins

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Ace improvisors who are married—some to each other—including such world-class talents as Ed Herbstman and Doug Mo: The Mamas and the Papas

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches: The Harvard Sailing Team

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 online or at the door using code MOON): Star comedic storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) performing a smart, engaging, and often hilarious one-man show at PS 122 (150 First Avenue off 9th Street ) running through April 9th: Tom Shillue is Supernormal

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Thomas Middleditch and Nate Lang (back after pilot season in LA), plus Craig Rowen, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:00 pm ($5): PIT students mix it up with PIT improv veterans at The Draft

11:30 pm ($5): Before the show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinons which the improvisors will use onstage: The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): From the fearless and always innovative Shannon O'Neill, who recently won the 2011 ECNY Award for Best One-Person Show: "I seem to have made a big ole mistake. I wrote a script, I purchased the props, but I forgot to rehearse it. And on top of that I HAVE NO CAST!!!! So... I am going to cast YOU, moments before the show starts. I will hand you a script, give you some props and instruct you to just listen and get ready to perform. Oh man this is going to be a fucking mess of BEAUTY!! If you want a chance to be cast, make reservations and get in line by 11:15pm. I, Shannon O'Neill will personally come out and hand pick the best damn group of Thespians this play has ever seen and will ever see because this play will only be performed ONCE, never to be seen again! What do I look for in a cast? I love fatties, I love skinnies, I love sober people, I love drunk people. I love you all. Every shape, size, and ethnicity. Let's hold hands and spin the world! What is this play about? Something real fucking weird and TBA. Thanks for helping me fix my mistake. I'll see you soon friends!:" The Unrehearsed, Historically Inaccurate Story of...Twilight's Kristen Stewart

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 4/9/11

Chris Gethard throws a surprise birthday party openly advertised on the Web (The Chris Gethard Show),
and Judah Friedlander is among the star comics partying tonight at the Eastville Comedy Club (The A-List)

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] [$] 4:00 pm ($49.50): One of the finest comics in the country, Mike Birbiglia's credits include the hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live; the book Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories; and his hit off-Broadway show Sleepwalk with Me. Mike's now returned to the stage, once again creating his unique blend of stand-up and storytelling, for an all-new one-man show at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop) slated to run through May 15th: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): A sketch troupe that creates superb comedy videos (for a sample, please click here) performing their stuff live on stage: Serious Lunch

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, and more—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors who've included writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

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

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Dwayne Perkins

[FREE—plus FREE BEER!] 8:30 pm: A variety show of stand-up, storytelling, and sketch that's not only free, but promises to give each of the first 25 audience members who arrive a free beer! Unfortunately, the lineup hasn't been announced; but if you'd care to take a chance, join hosts Ray Combs Jr., Evan Jacobs, and Aalap Patel as they provide you a drink On the House

[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—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] 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): TV & stand-up stars Judah Friedlander (30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly), Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club's A-List

9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight's edition of Baby Wants Candy

[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): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King interviews an audience member about where he or she grew up and then creates an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($8): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn't always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won last year's ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group, tonight joined by guest sketch duo Rue Brutalia: Murderfist: Late and Dirty

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): One of the most fascinating performers in comedy (star of Comedy Central's Big Lake, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our LIves, Weird New York) hosting his own extravaganza—which goes beyond a stage show to have the makings of a hit MTV series—with guests including Shannon O'Neill, Will Hines, Bethany Hall, Don Fanelli, and Fran Gillespie...and tonight, who but Chris would throw a surprise birthday party that's being openly advertised on the Web?: The Chris Gethard Show

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine, 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 4/10/11

Stars Amy Schumer, Wyatt Cenac, and more will make you laugh at Comedy Night

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] [$] 4:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($49.50): One of the finest comics in the country, Mike Birbiglia's credits include the hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live; the book Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories; and his hit off-Broadway show Sleepwalk with Me. Mike's now returned to the stage, once again creating his unique blend of stand-up and storytelling, for an all-new one-man show at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop) slated to run through May 15th: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 5:00 pm ($18.50 online using discount code ADVANCE ): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. This marvelous event recently received a 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy and a nomination for the 2011 MAC Award for Special Production. Please read my review by clicking here, watch Faye make a pecan pie by clicking here, and then take advantage of this revival running Sundays through April 17th to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Genius improvisor/actor Ed Herbstman is interviewed, and stand-up Nick Vatterott performs, for the audition of new show Late Night Show with Josh Friedman; and on the other half of this double-bill, a stand-up comic will deliver eight minutes of his or her best material, and then a team of improvisers "will delve deep into the nuances of that act in a series of improvised scenes," in the intriguing new show Improvised Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT'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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), Barry Rothbart, Raquel D'Apice, and "a super secret guest on a really funny network TV show" performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[$] 8:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Dwayne Perkins

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac, TV & movie rising star Amy Schumer, the hilarious and too-rarely-seen Heather Lawless, and more performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by Joe Mande: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Becky Yamamoto, Jordan Carlos, Mo Welch, Brad Austin, and Nore Davis performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

9:30 pm ($5): Two improv groups competing for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with less well-known troupes and an escalating challenge component—at Magnet Inferno

9:30 pm ($5): Nate Starkey and Chris Grace performing improv as duo Starkey & Grace

[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Bawdy gals" night with Jessimae (Tyra Banks Show), Hilary Schwartz (Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad), and Justy Dodge (Carolines) performing stand-up at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle (TruTV): Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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