NYC Comedy Picks for Week of April 7, 2014

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 4/7/14

The writer/artist of the delightful Masterpiece Comics series, plus Chris Gethard and more, at Nat Townsen's Downtown Variety Hour

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] 5:30 pm: Comics (not announced) performing funny characters audition at The PIT to appear in the most prestigious comedy festival in Canada: Just for Laughs Character Auditions

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade Show; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, 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 guest storytellers Danny Artese, GInny Leise, and Kirsty Bennett: Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of young improvisors performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Free Improv Monday

[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 ($5): Killer eclectic lineup of Chris Gethard (comedy genius; Broad City, Conan O'Brien, The Office, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; bad baby; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Robert Sikoryak (writer/artist of the superb Masterpiece Comics), Camille Harris (irresistible rising star singer/sketch comic/cutie; featured player on The Moon Show, new music album Silly Jazz), Jimmy Falla (former cab driver, author of Follow That Car), and more performing at UCB East hosted by Nat Townsen (co-host of The Moon Show): Nat Townsen's Downtown Variety Hour

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): John Lutz (cast member of 30 Rock; six years as staff writer for Saturday Night Live; John and Scott) and Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials, stellar one-man show Recipe for Success) perform two-man improv as acclaimed duo 2 Square

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Jason Saenz (Comedy Central, sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Doogie Horner (America's Got Talent), Lisa Delarios (Comedy Central), and Miguel Dalmau performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim) & Jean Grae: Night Train

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Michelle Buteau (FOX's Enlisted, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show), Phoebe Robinson (MTV’s Girl Code, Glamour Magazine), Sharon Spell (host of The Big Shrink), Gabe Pacheco, and Ray Marshall performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by Andy Beckerman: Coyote Average

[FREE] 8:00 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

8:30 pm ($5): Magnet improv groups The Theme From Jurassic Park and Cool Blanche

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch groups try out new material: Beige (which includes Dan Hodapp and Kelly Hudson) and (212) (which includes Tim Martin, Natasha Rothwell, Veronica Osorio, Eddie Dunn, Ari Scott, Erik Tanouye, and Achilles Stamatelaky): Maude Night: Beige and (212)

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Chris Grace, Ashley Ward, and Scott Eckert, plus guest comic Tanisha Long (MTV'S Girl Code), judge products for children. Tonight's subject for analysis is Prostars, the 1990s cartoon starring Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and Wayne Gretzky, at The PIT upstairs theatre for this live podcast taping: Poison for Kids

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Scott Schendlinger, Jessica Watkins, Jay Welch, Deepu Gill, and Jennie Sutton performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue) hosted by Pat O'Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Nikki Glaser (former co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Sanding, Comedy Central Half Hour; podcast You Had to Be There), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Greg Warren (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane), and Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, 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): Paul Mecurio, Nikki Glaser, Kurt Metzger, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Jason Saenz (Comedy Central, sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), Sabrina Jalees (delightful dynamo stand-up; Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV’s Failosophy), Liam McEneaney, Hadiyah Robinson, Yamaneika Saunders, Matteo Lane, and Kyle Ploof performing for this free weekly stand-up show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Bill Dawes: Frantic Mondays: Sheng Wang, Jason Saenz, Sabrina Jalees, and More

10:00 pm ($5): Duo improv from groups Megalou, Becca Squared, GCPD, Calico, and Eye of Tigh at The Magnet theatre: The Duo Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

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

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Monday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Tim Duffy: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 5 minutes for each comic who reserves a spot in advance (by emailing Dan Fox at danmaxfox@gmail.com) and 3 minutes for each comic who signs up on the spot (sign-up starts at 6:45 and ends at 8:30) at Brooklyn's Muchmore's (2 Havemeyer Street) hosted by Dan Fox: Muchmore's Stand-Up Open Mic

[FREE] 7:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at Brooklyn's Colony (274 4th Avenue) hosted by Emily Winter: Sparky the Dog Open Mic

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

[FREE] 10:30 pm: 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

11:00 pm ($3): Open mic stand-up at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Kat Toledo and/or Alan Shain: Magic Mic Mondays

[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

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 4/8/14

Inside Amy Schumer airs a new episode at 10:30 pm and 2:30 am
on Comedy Central; for highlights of Season 2 to date, please click here

Tami Sagher (superb writer of Broad City), Jena Friedman, and Megan Neuringer tell comedic tales at HelloGiggles;
David Carl, Meredith Hackman, and more perform a sketch show on the 20th Anniversary of Kurt Cobain's passing: American High

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: Comics (not announced) each perform funny solo characters at UCB East in this audition for the most prestigious comedy festival in Canada: Just for Laughs Character Auditions

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet's singing improv groups make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion, 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: Comics creators join 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 (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

7:00 pm ($10): A comedy group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger) performs sketches written by PIT sketch students at The PIT upstairs theatre: Slap Fight

7:00 pm ($8): "Clyde Woodham and friends love each other. They love each other so much they want to be each other—and that's exactly what they're going to do" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Role Reversal

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Sketch group Paid Vacation, which includes superb comics David Carl and Meredith Hackman, performs a show revolving around the 20th Anniversary of the April 5, 1994 passing of Kurt Cobain at The PIT upstairs theatre: American High: The Day Kurt Cobain Died

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($5 online using discount code NORTHERN; no min.): 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), Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Chris Distefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Ray DeVito, and Josh Carter performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Christian Finnegan, Stuckey & Murray, Sherrod Small, and More

8:00 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled" at Channel 101

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award) and friends perform a mix of stand-up and sketch at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Last Week Was Packed

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Emmy Blotnick (blogger for Jimmy Fallon, MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Jarret Berenstein (one-man show Current Events), Liam McEneaney (Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, Showtime), Sam Grittner, Krystyna Hutchinson, and Sid Singh performing stand-up for this free weekly show at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Tim Ellis & Mo Fathelbab: Manifesto

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10, which includes a free drink): Superb storytellers Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, host of Sideshow Goshko), Jeff Simmermon (NPR's The American Life, Moth StorySlam Champion, host of And I Am Not Lying), Jason Saenz (Comedy Central, sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), and Rich Guralnik tell true tales about this month's theme In the Middle at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Andrew Linderman: Local Stories: In the Middle

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) produced every Tuesday by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura and hosted tonight by Matt Ruby: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Hannibal Buress (co-star of Comedy Central's Broad City and Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show; former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, one-hour Comedy Central specials Animal Furnace and Live From Chicago, host of Comedy Night), Joe Mande (writer for Parks & Recreation, Kroll Show,; Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Pete Holmes, Comedy Central Half Hour; author of book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Maeve Higgins (UK comedy star visiting NYC), Jeff Hudak (singer/songwriter, star of Bravo's Platinum Hit), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon long-time staff comic, Comedy Central, VH1, co-host of Nat Geo's Duck Quakes Don't Echo): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Dean, and/or Steve O'Brien: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jason Burke, Brad Austin, Drew Michael, Marcia Belsky, Chrissie Mayr, and Christi Chiello performing at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Christy Coffey & Ashley Bez: Large Naturals

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups The Regulars, Greg, and Namaste at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Storyteller/comics Tami Sagher (staff writer for Broad City, How I Met Your Mother; half of improv duo Sagher & Gethard), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Megan Neuringer (HBO's Flight Of The Conchords, Comedy Central's Kroll Show, @midnight, FOX's Fringe, VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV; freelance writer for Jimmy Fallon), and Corrine Caputo share true tales for this confessional storytelling show at UCB East hosted by the extraordinary Ruby Karp: HelloGiggles

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors play outside their comfort zones at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Dan Pozmanter: Fear Corner

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Great lineup of 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), 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jim Florentine (Comedy Central, MTV), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here) 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): Todd Barry, Dave Attell, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5; no min.): A super-affordable stand-up club show featuring Mark Normand (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Nikki Glaser (former co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Sanding, Comedy Central Half Hour; podcast You Had to Be There), Jim Florentine (Comedy Central, MTV), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Danny Palmer, and Crystian Ramirez performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): $5 Funnies: Mark Normand, Nikki Glaser, 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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) each tell precisely three jokes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Seth Cockfield: Three Joke Mafia

Tuesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[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 Green Room, 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 downstairs lounge hosted by Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys Open MIc

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Weekly stand-up open mic (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Dustin Drury: This Is Happening Open MIc

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Tuesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Jake Hart and guest co-host TBA: The Dump

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:15: Sign up at 9:30 pm for the opportunity to make up a musical on the spot with The Magnet improv group New Team Hall: Magnet Musical Improv Mixer

[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

[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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An improv jam for students at all levels to work on their skills at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Elke Reid and David Frasure: Study Hall

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 4/9/14

Al Madrigal performs at The Stand; Camille Harris performs at Amanda Duarte's Dead Darlings

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] 5:30 pm: Sketch comics perform character bits in this audition for the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival at The Magnet theatre: Character Auditions for Just For Laughs

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic storytelling and/or humor readings from Sara Barron (author of People Are Unappealing and The Harm in Asking), Teddy Wayne (The New Yorker; author of The Love Song of Jonny Valentine), Julia Wiedeman (host of UCB East's Happy Hour Story Hour), and Aaron Wolfe (screenwriter of Record/Play) performing at McNally Jackson Books (52 Prince Street) hosted by Andy Ross: Real Characters

7:00 pm ($5): NYC comics are panelists for this game show in which "four smart, funny people are quizzed on odd and obscure bits of trivia that just might save your life (probably not, though)" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by MIchael FIsher: Pop Quiz Hotshot

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

7:00 pm to 12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Five and a half hours of improv from eight groups, plus a free improv jam at 11:30, at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features house groups Musk and Detroit: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A hodgepodge of comedy hosted by the wonderful and quick-witted Amanda Duarte (young), with Camille Harris (irresistible rising star singer/sketch comic/cutie; featured player on The Moon Show, new music album Silly Jazz), Eliot Glazer (It Gets Betterish, author of My Parents Were Awesome), Hamm Samwich (Drag queen/DJ, Showgasm, Fuck/Marry/Kill), Angel Yau, and celebrity bartender Raquel Cion performing at Judson Memorial Church (239 Thompson Street): Dead Darlings

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Al Madrigal (correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno), Michelle Buteau (FOX's Enlisted, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show), 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), Monroe Martin, and Dustin Ybarra performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Al Madrigal, Michelle Buteau, Christian Finnegan, and More

[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 the 2012 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): At UCB Chelsea, sketch from gal duo Samantha Schecter & Becky Chicoine, with some help from Kelly Harper and director Matt Dennie: Womantown...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, Michael Antonucci & Yoni Lotan Sharp perform a sketch-based one-act about buddies being on the road: License to Chill

[FREE; plus FREE BACON] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing Josh Rabinowitz (Comedy Central), Josh Homer (Comedy Central), Sue Smith (VH1's Best Week Ever), Mike Cannon (MTV), Giulio Gallarotti (MTV), Vicky Kuperman, and Crystian Ramirez at this show that provides you with both free comedy and free bacon at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Kevin Berrey and/or Farah Brook: Free Bacon

[TOP PICK] 9:00 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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Marc Theobald (Chappelle’s Show), Joe Larson, Jess Salomon, Eman El-Husseini, J.F. Harris, and Chris Calogero performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Lucky Jack's Pub (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

9:15 pm ($8): Character comedy from Jenn Dodd, stand-up from Calvin S. Cato, sketch comedy from groups FUCT, Unisex, and The Pulp Variety Stream, and more at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) produced by KL Thomas and hosted by Mike Feeney: April Sketch Block

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a one-woman show by Langan Dice Kingsley provides "a sweeping exploration of the challenges of parenthood, the subtleties of literature, the nature of love, the allure of alcohol, the cult of celebrity, the beauty of the store Anthropologie, and the power of dance:" The Dicewoman Cometh...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a musical "based on the true history of the founding of America, in which Jesus Christ embarks on a journey to help build a country that's courageous, pious, and gun-crazy enough for his precious Constitution...as long as the evil King Barrack Hussein George III doesn't get in the way," written by Eric Gersen and directed by John Flynn: Seventeen Seventy-Something

9:30 pm ($8): Feline-based improv from duo David Frasure & Jenn Welch at The PIT upstairs theatre: CATS! CATS! CATS! CATS! CATS!

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm and 11:30 pm ($10-$14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Gary Gulman, Nick Griffin, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, Dov Davidoff, and Mike Yard at the 9:45 show; and Dave Attell, Paul Mecurio, Kurt Metzger, Big Jay Oakerson, and Mike Yard at the 11:30 show, with both shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

[FREE] 10:00 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Charla Lauriston (MTV; host of Free Cable) 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. Tonight's lineup includes this show's former host and now SNL star Sasheer Zamata, plus Hari Kondabolu, Matt Wayne, Kevin McCaffrey, and more; 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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): Stand-ups tell stories about their sexual recklessness, and improvisors act out the scenes, at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Liz Lele: One Night Stand-Up

Wednesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[FREE] 5:30 pm: A character-based open-mic happening weekly at UCB East hosted by Sean Hart: Don't Be Yourself: Character Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Kaity Neagle & Irene Hartmann: Ragtag Team Open Mic Stand-Up

[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

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

6:30 pm (no cover, 1-drink min. for comics): Walk-in open mic providing 7 minutes per stand-up at the Phoenix Bar (447 East 13th Street) hosted by Lisa Harmon: Lisa's Clubhouse

10:00 pm ($5): Randomly selected UCBT students perform with UCBT improv veterans at the UCB East theatre: The Lottery

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Wednesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Lizzie Martinez: Comics Phoning It In

[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 group Bucky and DJ Cipha Sounds: The Improv Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your chance to perform on stage with experienced improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Bernard Maynore & Patrick Cucuta: Improdome

[FREE] 11:30: Sign up at 11:00 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with veteran improvisors: Magnet Improv Mixer

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 4/10/14

Iconic actors Wally Shawn and Rosie Perez are among the stars interviewed by Catie Lazarus at Employee of the Month

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] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 at the door or $24.50 in advance online, plus 2-item food/drink min.): This show that interviews luminaries about what it's like to have a dreamy job tonight features Rosie Perez, Wally Shawn, Taylor Mac, and more at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street & Astor Place) hosted by Catie Lazarus, plus music from Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan: Employee of the Month

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): "Musical sketch comedy that skewers and dissects pop culture one roll of the dice at a time" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pop Roulette

7:00 pm ($5): The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; album Ladies Don't Spit; CBS’ The Doctors), plus stand-up from Kenji America (The Onion), Amanda Baramki, and John Moses, performing at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and/or Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

[$] 7:45 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, Marina Franklin, Lenny Marcus, and Big Jay Oakerson at the 8:00 show; Gary Gulman, Nick Griffin, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, and Lenny Marcus at the 9:30 show; and Dave Attell, Kurt Metzger, Big Jay Oakerson, Godfrey, and Mike Yard at the 11:30 show, with three of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sharp comic Alan Starzinski (Sandino, Fat Penguin) performs a clever one-man sketch show in which he plays characters ranging from Aquaman to Gary Busey to the rescue pilot at the end of Jurassic Park at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Guys You Love to Hate...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, "Six months ago, Karin and Glenn started emailing each other every time they cried. Then they wrote a comedy show about feelings. To test the theory of 'Tragedy Plus Time Equals Comedy,' Karin and Glenn will perform some sketches, dance a little bit, and then tell you some very personal stories that they shouldn't be talking about in front of this many people:" This Is Going to Hurt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Nat Geo's Duck Quakes Don't Echo; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1; host of Sweet), Leslie Meisel (30 Rock, HBO, sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox), and Roger Hailes (Jimmy Fallon, Chappelle's Show, MTV; writer for VH1's Best Week Ever and FUSE's A Different Spins; Web series Mansome) telling stories about movies at Videology (308 Bedford Avenue) hosted by John Murray & Matt Fisher: Low Standards with John & Matt

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Great lineup of Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), 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), Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Jena Kingsley performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Wyatt Cenac, Sean Patton, Mike Lawrence, Christian Finnegan, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups Junior Varsity and Hello Laser performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by Welded (musical improv that takes two seemingly separate scenes and fuses them together), at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from storyteller Peter Aguero at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Mike Dobbins (unique stream-of-consciousness stand-up), and Maeve Higgins (UK star visiting NYC) performing at this show for stand-up plus sketch at Brooklyn's Splitty (415 Myrtle Avenue) hosted by Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor for FOX's Bob's Burgers, Comedy Central's Ugly Americans, Adult Swim's Assy McGee and Home Movies, and numerous other shows) and/or Greg Johnson (Sirius XM): Myrtle Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: The wonderful Camille Harris ((irresistible rising star singer/sketch comic/cutie; featured player on The Moon Show, music album Silly Jazz) hosts this variety/talk show, with tonight's guests Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupes Murderfist and The Prom, co-host of The Dream Show), Miguel Dalmau, Katie Compa, Austin Rodrigues, Sara Dobrinich, and Kenny Effin Pickett and his band performing at the Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston, between Avenues B and C): The Camille Harris Show

8:00 pm ($10): A one-man show by Emmy-nominated composer Daniel Koren in which he "sits by the piano accompanied by his projected figures In this bizarre and visually mind-blowing show that reveals his stream of conscious" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Most Important Thing

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Subhah Agarwal, Kevin Avery, and Yohei Kawamata performing at Poco Restaurant & Bar (33 Avenue B at 3rd Street) hosted by Sooyah Jun and/or Jawann Carmona: FTH Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC comics (not announced) performing stand-up or songs at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jay Dean: In The Garage

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Chris Gethard (comedy genius; Broad City, Conan O'Brien, The Office, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, writer for FX's Totally Biased), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central), and Janelle James performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover (College Humor, Olde English): Fresh Out

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Nimesh Patel (co-host of Broken Comedy), Brian Parise, and Anthony Devito performing stand-up at this new free biweekly show at Tammany Hall (152 Orchard Street) hosted by Courtney Fearrington: Cheap Seats Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Comedy group Martha hosts this variety show featuring sketches from itself and groups The Talent and Fantasy Grandma, plus superb stand-up from Mark Normand (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here) and Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), all performing at the PIT upstairs theatre: All You Can Eat

9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it plus like-minded stand-ups (not announced) on the UCB Chelsea stage at CollegeHumor Live

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Mark DeMayo (retired NYC cop with great stories), Brendan Fitzgibbons, and Eli Sairs performing stand-up sets and then being interviewed about their personal lives at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand (who says "all these guys were hand-picked because they're funny and have some serious problems; when you read this lineup you're gonna be like 'oh yeah, that guy is a mess'"): We're All Friends Here

[TOP PICK]10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Chris DiStefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!), and Casey Balsham performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Wyatt Cenac, Mike Lawrence, Dan Soder, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Justin Williams & Akash Bhasin: Death Comedy Jam

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($5): Weekly stand-up show hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera (for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here), Charles Gould, and Dan Licata at the UCB East theatre, with tonight's guest comics Sean Donnelly (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, TruTV), group Space Wolves, and Mary Houlihan: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Last week improv group Fuck That Shit won its 10th victory in a row against what was assumed to be a formidable foe, weekend group What I Did For Love—which won the annual Cage Match Championship in 2013, but was easily beaten by FTS with a score of 97-24. Tonight FTS is going to Graceland, a UCB East Lloyd team, competing for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

Thursday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[FREE] 5:30 pm: All-gal open mic at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by the spectacular Anna Drezen & Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv veterans mix with musical improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving 2 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

6:00 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

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

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

9:30 pm (free for audience members, $5 or 1 drink min. for stand-ups wanting to perform): Open mic stand-up providing 7 minutes per comic (and a free recording of your set!), with order determined raffle-style. Sign up by emailing info@oldmanhustle.com or calling (212) 253-7747, or just walk in and supply your name, to perform at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Solomon Chehebar: Peep Show Comedy Open Mic

[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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open stage for indie improv groups—and if you're not in a group, that's also fine, you'll simply be added to one—at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Darcy Burke & Donna Lobello: New Team Lunacy

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 4/11/14

Enormous congratulations to one of the smartest, quickest,
most talented, and most compassionate comics in the biz,
Stephen Colbert, for a move up he thoroughly deserves;
and to David Letterman for a genius career.
(If you ever hear anyone griping about TV,
let 'em know we're living in its golden age...)

Hannibal Buress performs at every show at Comedy Cellar; SNL legend Darrell Hammond headlines at Carolines

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight kicks off with an exceptionally great lineup of Hannibal Buress, Kevin Meaney, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, and Carmen Lynch at the 7:00 show; and continues with terrific lineups including Hannibal Buress, Kevin Meaney, Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, and Lenny Marcus at the 8:00 show; Hannibal Buress, Kevin Meaney, Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, Carmen Lynch, and Lenny Marcus at the 8:45 show; Hannibal Buress, Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, James Smith, Lenny Marcus, and Dan Soder at the 10:30 show; and Dave Attell, Hannibal Buress, James Smith, Keith Alberstadt, Big Jay Oakerson, and Dan Soder at the 12:15 show; with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm doors ($5): A new show that encourages its audience to network and socialize, facilitated by selfies, $3 PBRs, and stand-up crowd work, featuring comedy from Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Paul Spratt, Mathew Newberger, and Jeremy Pinsly performing at Le Poisson Rouge's The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Dana Ross: Meet Drink Laugh

[$] [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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (possibly 9:00 pm only), Harris Stanton, Dave Smith, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:00 pm ($7): Long form improv that takes the suggestion of a genre and then improvises an entire show in that genre at The Magnet theatre: Genus

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Tami Sagher (TV writer for Broad City and How I Met Your Mother, half of improv duo Sagher & Gethard), Josh Sharp (co-star of Gump, co-host of Cool Shit/Weird Shit, improv group Namaste), Brandon Gulya (top sketch group Stone Cold Fox, improv group Grammer), Katie Hartman (sketch groups Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting and Gypsy Danger), Matt Starr (superb sketch group Legs for Days), and Natasha Vaynblat (sketch group Absolutely, improv group Namaste) performing character bits at UCB Chelsea hosted by Justin Tyler and/or Michael Hartney: Characters Welcome

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improv group Bucky makes up 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)—and, when SNL is on break, sometimes includes star Sasheer Zamata—at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Here and Now

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($41 plus 2-drink minimum):The longest-running cast member in Saturday Night Live's history, and whose impressions have been widely applauded for their uncanny accuracy and range; and a talented stand-up who's been a frequent guest on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Jay Leno, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Darrell Hammond

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Mike Dobbins (unique stream-of-consciousness stand-up), Lisa Delarios (Comedy Central), Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), and Christi Chiello celebrating the One Year Anniversary of this monthly stand-up show at the One and One Bar (12 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Jeff Cerulli and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, VH1, TLC, co-host of Call Us Crazy): What Else? Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($12): Peter Michael Marino performs a multimedia solo show about his flop London musical based on Desperately Seeking Susan at The PIT downstairs lounge: Desperately Screening Susan

8:00 pm ($10): An energetic 9-member sketch group that focuses on "character-driven, movement, and theatricality" at The PIT upstairs lounge: Nerds on Fire

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A stand-up show that also "parodies everything you love and hate about sports" with NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Mike Cody, Joel Walkowski, and/or Sam Evans: Bush League

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): 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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A writer and regular panelist on Chelsea Lately and After Lately, and author of New York Times Bestseller Life As I Blow It, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club (with openers Gregg Rogell and Marina Franklin): Sarah Colonna

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in the country from brilliant comics Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, Jordan Klepper, Connor Ratliff, Don Fanelli, Will Hines, and/or Michael Delaney forming a seamless and hilarious group mind at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Subhah Agarwal, Kaytlin Bailey, Matt Pavich, and Dustin Wesley performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Brooklyn's The Cobra Club (6 Wyckoff Avenue) hosted by Erik Bergstrom, Ben Kronberg, and/or John F. O'Donnell: Live From Outer Space

[TOP PICK] 9:00 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 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 Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, Abra Tabak, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

9:30 pm ($10): Two PIT upstairs theatre improv groups making up a musical on the spot, one with sharpness and the other with a friendly greeting: Dagger and Hello

9:30 pm ($10): Solo character comedy from David Carl (Point Break Live, Gary Busey's One-Man Hamlet), The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don't Spit; CBS’ The Doctors), Tanisha Long, and Cara Kilduff, plus Adam Hamway, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Bartels judging, and Jenn Dodd hosting this parody of a talent contest at The PIT downstairs lounge: Buttski & Glasscock's New Talent Blowout

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

[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 this year 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): Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), Kate Riley (MTV), Matt Singer, and Gary Richardson performing stand-up, sketch, storytelling, 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 ($10): Improvisors aim for "the comedy, drama, and vocal juiciness of a Mozart masterpiece made up on the spot; come hear beautiful arias appear out of nowhere as someone's beloved is ravaged by a cheese monster, Gary Busey, or anything else the audience suggests" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Opera

11:00 pm ($10): A sketch-based play aimed to make you howl at The PIT downstairs lounge from group Forever Dog

11:30 pm ($5): A sketch/interview show that asks you to "come watch Rebecca's 95-year-old grandma make tamales, cheer on dancing animals, and watch a live blind date take place before your very eyes" at The Magnet theatre: The Rebecca Robles Show

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): This monthly stand-up, storytelling, and carny show brings the blog And I Am Not Lying to life on stage, with storytelling from host Jeff Simmermon (NPR's This American Life) and Aaron Wolfe, stand-up from Charla Lauriston (MTV, host of School Night and Free Cable) and Sam Evans, burlesque by Fern Appeal, and sword swallowing from Kryssy Kocktail, all at the UCB East theatre: And I Am Not Lying

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Pot stand-up from "highly talented comics who have been highly recommended from people who are thought highly of in the business. Oh, and they'll be high" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Clayton English & Noah Gardenswartz: High Five

Friday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

5:45 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 1 hour. 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] 6:00 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 host Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Attend to perform improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge, with a weekly rotating selection of formats and hosts: Happy Hour

[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 Sarah Tollemache and/or Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys...and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one, which is an open improv jam for any gal wanting to participate, at any experience level. This monthly UCB Chelsea event is helmed by Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night): The Lady Jam

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 4/12/14

Last chance to catch Darrell Hammond headline at Carolines; chaos unleashed from dark sketch group Murderfist

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] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Hannibal Buress at all shows, plus Kevin Meaney, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, Carmen Lynch, Jermaine Fowler, and Mike Yard at the 7:00 show; Paul Mecurio, Greer Barnes, and Marina Franklin at the 7:15 show; Kevin Meaney, Greer Barnes, and Lenny Marcus at the 8:45 show; Kevin Meaney, James Smith, and Lenny Marcus at the 9:45 show; Paul Mecurio, Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, James Smith, and Lenny Marcus at the 10:30 show; and Todd Barry, Dave Attell, Russ Meneve, James Smith, and Big Jay Oakerson at the 12:15 show, with four of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 7:15 and 9:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday

[$] [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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (possibly 9:00 pm only), Harris Stanton, Dave Smith, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($41 plus 2-drink minimum):The longest-running cast member in Saturday Night Live's history, and whose impressions have been widely applauded for their uncanny accuracy and range; and a talented stand-up who's been a frequent guest on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Jay Leno, headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Darrell Hammond

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 ($20; no min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Chris DiStefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), and Derek Gaines performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Kurt Metzger, Big Jay Oakerson, Dan Soder, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Big Black Car (which includes Chris Grace, Nate Starkey, and Ashley Ward) and The Baldwins (which includes Micah Sherman Brigid Boyle, and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: BBC and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Tom Cassidy, Tim Dillon, Dina Hashem, Craig Mahoney, Conrad Roth, and Nat Towsen, plus improv group Butts, perform at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Peggy O'Leary: Hard, Lonely, and Vicious

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A writer and regular panelist on Chelsea Lately and After Lately, and author of New York Times Bestseller Life As I Blow It, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club (with openers including Sam Morril): Sarah Colonna

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) hosted by Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here): Comedy at Irish Exit

[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 ($10): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15 at the door or $11.34 online): "Musical sketch comedy that skewers and dissects pop culture one roll of the dice at at time" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pop Roulette

[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 East 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] [FREE] 10:00 pm: "Starting in 1982, the city of Atlanta threw an annual party called Freaknik which essentially became the largest black spring break party in the country. The party became so big and wild that the city shut it down for good in 1996. But comedians Andy Sandford, Noah Gardenswartz, and Steve Forrest are bringing Freaknik back...to Long Island City. 'Comedy Freaknik' will be a lot like the original Freaknik, except it’s going to happen once a month, and it will be a comedy show hosted by three white guys. That’s basically the only difference" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Freaknik

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): 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 West Village's Soho Playhouse: The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma's Ashes: We Won't Tell

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($10): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy; in 2011 won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group; was recently written up by Jason Zinoman in The New York Times; and is spearheaded by Henry Zebrowski, who's a co-star of Wolf of Wall Street, performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Murderfist

10:30 pm ($10): Duo improv from Louis Kornfeld & Rick Andrews at The Magnet theatre: Kornfeld & Andrews

11:30 pm ($5): Superb comics Josh Sharp & Matt Dennie host & direct this show starring Anthony Apruzzese and featuring many others—tonight including Tim Platt (Story Pirates, Detroit) and group Life's Great—at this sketch/stand-up/talk show at the UCB East theatre: Showtime with Anthony Apruzzese

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($10; no min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Chris DiStefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Mike Lawrence, Adrienne Iapalucci, Big Jay Oakerson, and More

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): "For over eight years, you have been able to count on the UCBW to bring you hot comedy wrestling action each and every Thursday night at Cage Match. For an unprecedented ninth year, UCBW will present its signature show—the grandpappy of 'em all—WrestleSlamMania IX! Rivalries have been brewing, and everything will come to a full boil when the full roster of UCBW MegaStars appears in the squared circle! Hilarious real wrestling matches live! Get your tickets NOW! Only 14,000 seats available!:" WrestleSlamMania IX

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[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

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Walk-in open mic comedy show—stand-up, character, or funny story—providing 5 minutes per comic at The Fifth Estate Bar (506 5th Avenue, off 12th Street) hosted by Meghan O'Keefe: Open Mic-hael Douglas

5:30 pm ($5): Walk-in open mic, with sign-up at 5:15 pm and each stand-up performing for 5 minutes, at the Comedy Village Comedy Club (107 MacDougal Street): Comedy Village

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 4/13/14

After Game of Thrones, stay on HBO for new series Silicon Valley, which features
wonderful comics Thomas Middleditch, TJ MIller, Zach Woods, and Kumail Nanjiani

Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and Janeane Garofalo will entertain your young ones at Two Juice Minimum;
a screening of the funniest moments and/or most memorable visits from stand-up legends at The Muppet Vault: Comedy!

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] 3:00 pm ($10): A sketch and stand-up show for kids—with no irony, this is for children aged 4-10—with spectacular guests Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, hosted by Mark Malkoff at The PIT upstairs theatre: Two Juice Minimum

[FREE] 5:00 pm: A mix of longform, shortform, and musical improv from five groups, typically including Mishmosh, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Michael Venzor: The Long and Short of It

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Sharon Spell (host of The Big Shrink) performs a one-woman show about her parents passing away within three weeks of each other—which she'll somehow make funny—at The PIT upstairs theatre: You're Doing Great! A Bold-Faced Lie

[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: ASSSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($7): Groups Party. and CA$H perform sketch comedy at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Select best clips of Muppets in films & TV that are especially funny and/or include such comedy legends as Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and Phyllis Diller screened at Brooklyn's Union Hall, plus "Muppet-themed drink specials, cool giveaways, sing-along fun, and more:" The Muppet Vault: Comedy!

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's shows are all hosted by Big Jay Oakerson, with lineups including Todd Barry, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and Marina Franklin at the 8:00 show; Gary Gulman, Nick Griffin, Keith Alberstadt, Rachel Feinstein, and Joe List at the 9:45 show; and Kurt Metzger, Andy Hendrickson, and Sam Morril at the 11:30 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Sunday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Doug Smith (co-host of See You In Hell), and Danny Palmer performing stand-up that rips something or someone deserving to shreds at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Nathan Rand: Invitation to a Beheading: Judah Friedlander, Jena Friedman, Doug Smith, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Guest improvisors Micah Sherman, Pat Shay & Brett Wean, Doug Stoley, Steve Siddell, and Caspar Schjelbred, and guest improv group Free Kittens and host Skycopter (which includes the incredible David Carl), make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

8:00 pm ($5): Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged), Matt Wayne (co-host of See You in Hell), Chris Locke, and Matt Monroe performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

8:00 pm ($10): A veteran sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: City Hall

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim), Greg Stone, and Rojo Perez performing stand-up at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Typically terrific stand-ups (not announced) performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central specials Animal Furnace and Live From Chicago): Comedy Night

9:00 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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Abigoliah Schamaun, Noah Gardenswartz, Chris Waelti, and Matt Gifford performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly stand-up show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at Beauty Bar

9:30 pm ($10): Hip-hop improv spearheaded by Douglas Widick (North Coast) & Ben Burris at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Southern Heirs

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket at 3:45), providing 3 minutes or more per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open Mic

[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

[ALMOST FREE] 5:00 pm ($1): Sign up at 4:30 pm to do improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sasha Capelli, Eitan Levine, and Shaina Stigler: 10K Jam Jam

9:30 pm ($3): Open-mic comedy, with 2 minutes per walk-in performer picked at random from a bucket of names, at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jonathan Morvay and/or Evan Williams: Child Support

[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] 10:15 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 9:45 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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