NYC Comedy Picks for Week of August 13, 2012

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 8/13/12

SNL star Kate McKinnon & MTV star Nikki Glaser perform at Jena Friedman's Entertaining the Bartender

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open mic storytelling show running for an hour (sadly, cut down from 90 minutes), with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 8 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump

6:00 pm ($5 cover & $5 drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful 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 Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), along with guest storyteller Diana Spechler, at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

[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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV's Punk'd, IFC), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), and RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice): Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: The Prom (which includes such stellar talents as Sasheer Zamata, Amber Nelson, Stephen Soroka, Siobhan Thompson, and Ari Scott), and Everything Rabbits (which includes the lovely & uniquely hilarious Violet Krumbein): Maude Night: The Prom & Everything Rabbits

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Kate McKinnon (genius sketch comic and latest cast member of Saturday Night Live), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Phoebe Robinson, and the Cocoon Central Dance Team performing at the Ace Hotel lobby (20 West 29th Street, between Fifth Avenue & Broadway) for this monthly stand-up show hosted by wonderful dark humor comic Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman) : Entertaining the Bartender

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, a screening of Mike Birbiglia's Sleepwalk with Me—plus a live appearance by Mike: Sleepwalk with Me

9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Charlemagne (which includes such talents as Daily Show writer Zhubin Parang) and Beige: Maude Night: Beige & Charlemagne

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

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Twelve improv comics who are "friends of Dorothy" perform at The Magnet hosted by Andrew Fafoutakis: There's No Place Like Home: A GLBTQ Event

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Karaoke plus Mad Libs—in which the audience chooses a list of words to swap into a popular song—at the UCB East Bar hosted by karaoke experts Alan Starzinski and Amy Jo Jackson, plus live keyboard accompaniment by Joe McGinty: Karaoke Night at the Hot Chicks Room

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea probably hosted by someone wonderful: 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 exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 8/14/12

Renowned acrobat Rudi Macaggi is at Sweet; Anthony Atamanuik requests your company during his last night of freedom

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] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, each of four of The Magnet's singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Legend and the Montels (at 7:00) and BEEES! and Atticus (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe Atticus to make up stories in song on the spot: Magnet Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm-9:00 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Johnny Romance, The Regulars, and Surfing at this first half of Harold Night

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

8:00 pm ($5): Chris Nester & Ross Taylor are aspiring Country Western musicians who "sneak laughs and toe-tapping-tunes in between serious moral lessons based on suggestions from the audience (sinners welcome!)" at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Oakwood Boys: MoralityProv

8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: National Scandal

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Rudi Macaggi (world-renowned third-generation acrobat; Jay Leno, America's Got Talent; "everything you see is real and nothing is what you thought it would be;" for video samples, please click here and here), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A)—plus an Olympics-style competition!—hosted by Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), JC Coccoli (MTV, VH1, WB; looks great in a hat), Greg Warren, David Smithyman, and George Gordon performing on this week's topic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) hosted tonight by Emily Heller: The Afterlife: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Good Girl, Bucky, and Sandino—plus advanced improv students make up a story in which the first scene is the last scene for a form called The Evente—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) reveals he's about to go to prison. Please join him for his last night of freedom, along with guests Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Sam Henderson (SpongeBob Squarepants, Magic Whistle) and producer Andy Rocco at UCB East building upon the mythology that is The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($5): Tom DiMenna (one-man show Who Loves You, Baby? at Soho Playhouse), Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team, The Baldwins, Jen & Steve), Robin Cloud, and Fariaz Rabbiani performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Michael Blaustein (MTV's new version of Punkd!), Shang, and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Thu Tran (creator of IFC's Food Party), and more are interviewed about "their earliest creative experiences and the nuances of having a creative career" for a weekly podcast that once a month goes live on the UCB East stage with hosts Andy Beckerman & Mark Bisi: Beginnings

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 8/15/12

Ashley Wren Collins & friends debut musical comedy Mother Eve's Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood at FringeNYC;
NYC-based feature film Coyote Ugly is screened & ridiculed by Myq Kaplan and more at Hey We Live There

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

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

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

7:00 pm ($5): Rick Younger (NBC's Guys Tell All), RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), Eddie Brawley (The Onion), and Rachael Parenta performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by the delightful Abbi Crutchfield (VH1) and comedic rapper Andrew Singer (Atom TV): Positively Awesome

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features troupes Spooky Ghost and Graceland: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Multi-talented comics Sara Benincasa, Micah Sherman, and Matt Wayne 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

8:00 pm ($5): Typically fine NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Ryan Conner (freelance writer for SNL, BBC): Free Healthcare

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

[FREE] 9:00 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] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a delightful dark musical about the rich consuming the poor—literally. Witty songs from Brian Glidewell, Marcy Jarreau, and Kevin Carter, a uniformly strong cast (Megan Maes, Aaron Jackson, Michael Martin, Katie Schorr, Dan Hodapp, Brian Glidewell, and Stephanie Streisand), and sharp direction from Christopher Gladysz and Lauren Conlin Adams make this 30-minute surreal parody of Newsies a winner as a UCBT comedy, and recommended. That said, right now the story is paper-thin and the characters cardboard. While the latter is turned into an asset (e.g., a leg-injured character is hilariously named "Cripply"), I'm hoping the creators consider making all the elements deeper and more nuanced, and expanding the production to a 90-minute legit theatre length. Meanwhile, enjoy this remarkably compact version that delivers a quick, sharp punch to the gut you're likely to remember: Newsadoozies: A Man-Eating Musical...

...plus in the other half of this double-bill, a (mostly) one-man show by George Kareman titled Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: The NYC-based feature film Coyote Ugly is screened and torn apart by NYC comedic commentators Myq Kaplan, Emily Heller, Matt Ruby, and Josh Gondelman at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Robbie Collier: Hey We Live There!: Coyote Ugly

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

10:00 pm ($5): Young comics perform a sketch show at The PIT downstairs lounge: Unlikely Allies

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) hosts as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (For tonight's scheduled guests, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 8/16/12

Unless you have tickets to Friday's sold out show, today is your last chance to catch one of the funniest
comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to ever grace FringeNYC: 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 4:00 pm ($18): The last (and only) performance for which tickets haven't sold out in advance for what may end up being the best show at this year's FringeNYC (for my review, please click here) is today at The Living Theatre (21 Clinton Street, between Houston & Stanton): 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Christian Capozzoli (The Story Pirates, 4Track) is tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A delightful comedic dance troupe auditions at UCB Chelsea for a spot on the theatre's schedule: Cocoon Central Dance Team: The Recital

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Tracey Wigfield (30 Rock), Zhubin Parang (The Daily Show), Carter Edwards (UCB Tour Co.), and Dan Gurewitch (College Humor) are tonight's guests at this monthly open mic storytelling show at UCB East hosted by Todd Bieber (Commercial Interruption, Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com) that at the end selects a favorite from the audience tales to be turned into an animated short film premiering the following month (for hilarious samples, please click here): Animated Stories

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): "For over a year, Patrick Waldo scrawled his moustache tag on countless advertisements around New York City, entertaining commuters and causing thousands of dollars in damage. After a three month investigation, the NYPD put an end to his spree when they arrested Waldo under felony charges of graffiti, criminal mischief, and fucking shit up," written & starring Patrick Waldo, and directed by Nate Dern & John Flynn: Moustache Man: Confessions of a NYC Graffiti Artist...

...and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, a sketch show about one of the sadder aspects of the human condition: Lonely People

[$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: John Caparulo

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: The East Side Orphan Riot and Harvey

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, The Boss, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Rick Andrews directing The Weave (organic freeform improv "with no rules"), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), featuring last week's winner against another talented improv troupe: The Magnet's Night Out

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): Amber Nelson (fearless rising star; sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party), Phoebe Robinson (100 TV Shows To See Before You Die), Team Submarine, Jim Tews, and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo, writer for The Newlywed Game) and NIck Stevens (VH1) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (Conan O'Brien, VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1.com, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive Comedy) telling erotic true tales on this month's theme "Facing the Facts"—plus hot songs from Myq & Micah—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Good Dad, comprised of such superstars as Neil Casey, Fran Gillespie, and Jon Gabrus, drowned challenger Surfing last week 113-20. (Ouch.) Tonight it seeks to embarrass UCBT Lloyd troupe Kinsey as these two teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): "Secret movie screenings of movies you probably haven't seen and/or should see again" at UCB East (which used to be a movie theatre) hosted by Ryan Karels (Grandma's Ashes, Krompf), Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers), JD Amato (Harold Night), and Mike Roth (Two Boots Video): Secret Movie Show Presented by Two Boots Video

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 8/17/12

Molly Lloyd is one of the stellar sketch performers of Stone Cold Fox;
powerhouse Rebecca Vigil belts out improvised songs as The Vigilante

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Leslie Goshko (delightful storyteller/stand-up; WNYC, Sirius XM, Manhattan Monologue champion) hosts this monthly storytelling show at the KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue), with tonight's guests Carter Edwards, Ed Gavagan, and Steve Zimmer, plus accordion playing by Dr. Michelle-Leona Godin: Sideshow Goshko

7:00 pm ($5): Improv at The Magnet that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—"each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:" Scoresby

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom. As for its writers, they sizzle when at their best; but when I saw this new show about two months ago, it was a work in progress. Regardless of the current state of the script, you're virtually guaranteed a good time from the all-star cast—Fran Gillespie, John Murray, Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, D'Arcy Carden, and Johnathan Fernandez. (The scary faces Molly Lloyd makes are worth the trip all by themselves...) Directed by ace improvisor Ryan Karels: Stone Cold Fox: You Probably Think This Show Is About You

[TOP PICK] 7:30 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), and more perform improv at UCB East springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; I recently saw him sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), and Zach Broussard (sketch troupe Fambly) host "the only comedy show aimed exclusively at older women with a penchant for younger men, featuring stand-up from some of NYC's funniest boy-toys, cougar dating games, and discounts on chilled white wine" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Cougar Night

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: John Caparulo

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30ish pm: Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Phoebe Robinson (100 TV Shows To See Before You Die), Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor), Team Submarine (MTV), and "a surprise guest" performing at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Annie Lederman (and followed by wild Karaoke!): Pirate Party

8:30 pm ($7): Five veteran improvisors make stuff up at The Magnet as troupe Lead McEnroe

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Harris Stanton (SNL, Comedy Central, BET), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): "Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack"—quite beautifully, in fact, as Rebecca is not only a sharp improvisor but a powerhouse singer—at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

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

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Improv comedy that's all like, 'Have you been drinking tonight, sir?' but then is all like, 'Lemme get a sip'" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Teenage Cop

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

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

11:30 pm ($10): improvisers Bianca Casusöl as Madam Ant, Nina Klemow as Fanny Price, and Alex Marino as Larry Lazlo use burlesque dancing at The Magnet to tell a story "and titillate the audience with some seductively fun choreographed burlesque numbers:" Whisky Tango Foxtrot: Burlesque Improv Revue

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

Midnight ($5): A three-person improv competition at UCB East hosted by Brian Glidewell, Josh Patten, and Ben Rameaka: Three for All

Midnight ($5): Natasha Rothwell, Bill Parker, and musical guest Revi Roza are talk show guests at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Paul Gutkowski (for a brief video promo, please click here): Sex in the Late Night Air

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 8/18/12

Today's FringeNYC includes razor-sharp comic Matt Graham's This Too Shall Suck, which is
my favorite one-person show of the fest so far. For all Fringe shows I've seen to date, please click here.

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] [$] Noon ($18): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron has a one-man show at this year's FringeNYC! Further, it's terrific; for my review; please click here. Come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham today at noon at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

[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] 5:00 pm: New improv teams experimenting with new forms at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Andy Rocco and Jon Monje: Anybody Vs. Everybody: An Improv Show for You

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Fast Tractor, Sad Kids, and GCA at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 ($5): Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses) and Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV) ,perform comedy club-length sets at UCB East hosted by Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel, FX's Totally Biased): Big Long Sets

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

7:30 pm ($7): An hour of all-new sketch comedy from two friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name: We're Matt Weir

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: John Caparulo

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Sharp stand-ups Jon Friedman, Erin Judge, Kenny Zimlinghaus, Adam Lowitt, Michael Che, and John F. O’Donnell performing at UCB East guest-hosted by Sean Donnelly: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($8 at the door or $10.70 in advance online): Stand-up Kate Berlant, musical acts The Bowery Riots and The Forgiveness, "mind warrior" Daniel Pinchbeck, and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall for a show hosted by Greg Barris: Heart of Darkness

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

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($8): From the producers of The Scene, improvisors—tonight including troupes Gameface, GCA, and Moscow River Sharks—make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, and who knows what else at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by a stand-up/sketch duo: Team Submarine and Friends

[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

10:00 pm ($5): Improvisors make up a Quentin Tarantino movie at The PIT downstairs lounge for this new themed show: The Tarantino

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter" at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot: Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark

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

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Original comedic songs are showcased, with tonight's singers Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show), Langan Kingsley, Amy Albert, Lorraine Cink, and Kathleen Armenti performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Justin Perez & Shaina Stigler: Total Requesty

11:00 pm ($8): A young new all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party

[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 female wanting to participate, at any experience level—and which has a very special and communal "gal energy" you're unlikely to find anywhere else. This new monthly UCB Chelsea event is led by the wonderful Shannon O'Neill Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion): The Lady Jam

Midnight ($5): Screenings at UCB East (which used to be an indie film theatre) of brand new comedy videos that haven't yet been released: Test Screening

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 8/19/12

Phoebe Robinson headlines at Carolines; Jessimae Peluso and more
help celebrate the 8th Anniversary of the Electro Shock Therapy Comedy 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:

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: A TV & Broadway stand-up star hones 30 minutes of material at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre every day this week: Colin Quinn Tries Stuff Out

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

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & R an Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

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

8:00 pm ($5): Improvised episodes of the never-made third season of Twin Peaks at The PIT's downstairs lounge: In These Woods

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jermaine Fowler (cast member of Fox's new In Living Color), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Matt Ruby (co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Neal Stasny, Robert Dean, and John F. O'Donnell performing at RG's free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately headlining one more night at the Carolines Comedy Club: John Caparulo

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Justy Dodge (co-host of Too Much Information on comicalradio.com; "I was kind of a tomboy growing up. Like, I had Barbies, but only because my Ninja Turtles needed bitches;" for dark bio video, please click here), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Gonzalo Cordova, and Noah Gardenswartz performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

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

9:30 pm ($5): At Magnet, sketch comedy from The Weird Sisters, Listen Kid!, We're Matt Weir, Darth Vader Ginsberg!, Beth Newell, Christian Paluck, and Nick Kanellis: Sketch Sundays

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) perform sets that are then used as springboards for improv troupes to make up scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: Daws of Jeath

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($10 using code COB10, plus 2-drink min.) A beloved stand-up in the NYC downtown community who's performed on TV Guide’s 100 TV Shows To See Before You Die and 25 Biggest Reality Star Blunders headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Phoebe Robinson

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-ups Adam Lehman, Jessimae Peluso, Yamaneika, and Karith Foster celebrating the 8th Anniversary of this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience...and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam

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