NYC Comedy Picks for Week of December 26, 2016

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/26/18

Star improvisors including Jon Glaser (HBO's Girls, NBC's Parks and Recreation, star of Adult Swim's Delocated and TruTV's Jon Glaser Loves Gear; long-time writer/performer and 5-time Emmy nominee for Conan O'Brien), Brian Berrebbi (Showtime's Billions, NBC's 30 Rock), Scott Adsit (co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel; half of genius improv duo John & Scott), and Tami Sagher (superb TV writer for Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Girls, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother; co-star of Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006) and TV/movie/Broadway stars including Carla Briscoe (Major Barbara, Blue Caprice) and Marcy Girt (Comedy Central's Honesty) crash improv into classic theatre scenes for actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water (8:00 pm, $5 (sold out of seats, but you can probably get in if you arrive early and are okay with standing), UCB Chelsea at 307 West 26th Street)

More 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, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($15 cover for FBP, $24 cover for CC & VV, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Holiday Monday

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Free Monday

7:30 pm & 9:00 pm ($7 per show): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors "for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens" at The Magnet theatre hosted by Megan Gray & Christina Dabney: We Might Just Kiss

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There; opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash), TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Naomi Ekperigin (dynamite rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Comedy Central's Broad City and Hulu's Difficult People; MTV, VH1, FX), and Jacqueline Novak (smart, funny stand-up; Inside Amy Schumer, College Humor, author of How to Weep in Public), performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Ruby Karp: We Hope You Have Fun

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Ace improvisors, including James Dwyer and David Bluvband, interview audience members about their lousy experiences during this holiday season and then reenact them on stage at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Your Shitty Holiday

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Improvisors & stand-ups perform a show based entirely around the oddball Twitter comments of superstar musician Kanye West at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Brian Mitchell & Jose Acevedo: Kanye Confidential: Improvised Kanye Tweets

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world-who aren't announced in advance, but it's usually a great lineup and often an extraordinary one—at UCB Chelsea typically hosted by Aparna Nancherla (one of the best stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There). Reservations go quickly, but you can probably get in if you arrive early and are okay with standing: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

4:30 pm-7:00 pm ($5 plus 1 drink min., with drinks as low as $2): Walk-in stand-up open mic with two rounds, the first providing 5-6 minutes per set and the second 2-3 minutes per set, at The Grisly Pear (107 MacDougal Street) hosted by Tuval Mor: Kickin It Open Mic

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] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer who shows up time on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Jacob Lie & Stu Melton: Raining Buckets

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($5 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

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 The Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston Street, off Avenue B) 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, with each comic getting 5 minutes and room for 15 comics who sign up per show, at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by John Field: The Power Exchange

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 4 minutes on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Joseph Robert: PBR & Scrap Paper Open Mic Stand-Up

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/27/16

Jo Firestone (exceptionally inventive and irresistible rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Chris Gethard Show, radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Unexpectashow and The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Josh Gondelman (writer/producer for HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The New Yorker), Sam Morril (Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, America's Got Talent) Mike Lebovitz, Eli Sairs, and Eli Yudin read racy tales they've written based on audience suggestions of pop culture franchises for host Bryan Cook's Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)...

...or if you prefer stand-up, enjoy Gary Gulman (razor-sharp wordsmith who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno; finalist on Last Comic Standing; comedy specials include Boyish Man, In This Economy, and It's About Time), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, VHI, FX's Totally Biased, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Brandon Wardell (Comedy Central's Adam Devine’s House Party, @Midnight, The Meltdown; VICE; correspondent for MTV’s Wonderland), Greg Stone (America's Got Talent, TruTV's Friends of the People), and more performing for host Seth Herzog (long-time Jimmy Fallon staff comic; NBC's 30 Rock, Comedy Central's @midnight, VH1's Best Week Ever, CBS): Sweet (9:00 pm, $7, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)

More 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-10:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 3-hour extravaganza, singing & dancing improvisors use audience suggestions to make up musical tales for the holidays at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Holiday Musical Megawatt

7:30 pm & 9:15 pm ($5 per show): House groups at UCB Chelsea perform the classic improv form The Harold at Harold Night

7:30 pm ($5): Indie improvisors are thrown together into five teams to make up scenes with comics they've never performed with before at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Amelia Bienstock: A Very Merry Indie Holiday Mix-Em Up

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At this monthly game show, comics Anna Drezen (writer for Saturday Night Live; superb stand-up who blends jokes with characters, movement, and sketch; author of How May We Hate You), Nore Davis (Inside Amy Schumer, HBO's Last Week Tonight, Boardwalk Empire, Comedy Central's Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, MTV), Joel Kim Booster (Billy on the Street), and Mary Houlihan (Difficult People) compete to see who can perform the best celebrity impressions at the UCB East theatre, judged by the wonderful Langan Kingsley (rising star; Funny or Die, ace improv group What I Did For Love, one-woman show The Dicewoman Cometh) and hosted by Andy Beckerman (host of podcast Beginnings, co-host of Couples Therapy) & Ramsey Ess: Snap Impression Live

8:00 pm ($10): A group of actors and improvisors attempt to duplicate the success of UCBT's Gravid Water by putting improvisors in the middle of classic theatre scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre. UCBT uses top Broadway and improv talent for its show, making it extraordinary. The participants of this show aren't quite at that level, but the format is so strong that this might work anyway, despite the awful title: The Actor's Worst Nightmare

8:30 pm ($5): Superb improvisors and guest improv groups join host Skycopter (which includes the incredible David Carl) to make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

[FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (for the line-up, usually posted by 1:00 pm, please click here) 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: Hot Soup

9:00 pm ($7): A monthly stand-up & storytelling show in which comics Dan Perlman, Khalid Rahmaan, Wanjiko Eke, Maddy Smith, and May Wilkerson are encouraged to hold nothing back at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) produced by Caitlin Brodnick & May Wilkerson and hosted by Molly Kornfeld & Victoria Hoffman: Brutally Honest with Caitlin Brodnick

9:30 pm ($5): To help you prepare for 2017, Aimee Lutkin & Audrey Stanfield predict what will happen in the future at the UCB East theatre: Karen Hiller's Astrology Bone

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A monthly stand-up show that books comics from the same original area (i.e., outside of NYC) to perform long sets at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Trey Galyon: I'm Not From Here

11:00 pm ($5): Going beyond the classic Harold, improv group Dr. Snake performs different types of longform at the UCB East theatre: Harold on the Run

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

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): A chance for gals to get on stage and improvise with veteran female comics at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Blair Silverman and members of Ladies of the PIT: Lady Jam

6:00 pm ($5 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] 6:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Tim Unkenholz: Butt Factory

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Weekly stand-up open mic, with walk-ins tossing names into a hat and set length determined by the number of comics who show up, at Bunga's Den (137 West 14th Street, between Sixth & Seventh Avenues) hosted by Jimmy LeChase and/or Justin Perez: Townies Open Mic

7:00 pm ($5): Walk-in open mic for stand-up or storytelling. Sign up starting at 6:30 pm at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) for this festive show hosted by Lawson Leong & Sam Bourne: A Merry Holiday Open Mic

[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 upstairs theatre hosted by Jake Hart and a guest co-host: The Dump

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Weekly open mic for any kind of act (with sign-up starting at 7:30) at Brooklyn's Goodbye Blue Monday (1087 Broadway) hosted by Joe Crow Ryan: Goodbye Blue Monday

[FREE] 9:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv veterans to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[ALMOST FREE] 10:30 pm ($1): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Good Scene: Tuesday After Class Jam

11:00 pm ($3): A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly walk-in open mic stand-up providing 3 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from a bucket at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Slonim: Rapid Fire

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/28/16

Hilarious impersonator Anthony Atamanuik spent the last year 18 months touring the country playing Donald Trump "and warning his mostly millennial liberal audiences about Trump's ability to win the presidency." Tonight Anthony tells behind-the-scenes stories, such as getting Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) to moderate his mock debate with top Bernie Sanders impersonator James Adomian; working with the Hillary Clinton campaign; and more. Throughout the show there'll be a Q&A with the audience "that usually ends in hostility" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: I Told You Show with Anthony Atamanuik (11:00 pm, $5, UCB Chelsea at 307 West 26th Street)

More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

7:00 pm ($5): Emmy Blotnick (writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Alison Leiby (VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story), Jess Salomon, and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Evan Kaufman (genius musical improvisor of Your Love Our Musical and North Coast; VH1): The Sensible Show

[FREE] 7:00 pm-midnight: Five free hours of improvisation—including an open-to-all improv jam at 6:00 pm; group Lovers, which includes the spectacular Dana Shulman and Tracy Mull at 7:00 pm; and PIT owner Ali Farahnakian & friends at 10:25 pm—at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): Three hours of holiday-themed improv from six groups formed for tonight only (e.g., I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Jaws)—plus a free improv jam at 6:00 pm—at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): The writing staff of Night Late and a bunch of sharp sketch comics skewer the year just past at the UCB Chelsea theatre hosted by Anna Drezen (writer for Saturday Night Live; superb stand-up who blends jokes with characters, movement, and sketch; author of How May We Hate You): The 2016 It Sucked Awards

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: In this new free show, comics perform on controversial topics which are then discussed by experts and the audience. Tonight's stand-ups are Courtney Fearrington (Sirius XM Radio; former Marine) and James Myers (over 30 million views on the Web); and tonight's experts are David Marcus (The Federalist, National Review, New York Post) and Roy Germano (NYU Professor of International Relations; NPR, VICE News, The Economist), all at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue) hosted by Lou Perez (head writer for We the Internet) & Toby Muresianu (writer for HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher and Comedy Central roasts).: Unsafe Space: Nationalism vs. Globalism

7:30 pm ($6): Storytellers share experiences so embarrassing you're likely to cringe, with tonight's brave confessors Ashley Gavin, James Nichols, Meghan Walsh, Crez Hernandez, Tom McGrath, and Justin Angermeyer performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Ron Raganella: Shame!

7:30 pm ($5): Sketches by writer/performers compete for audience laughs and votes at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Gabe Capone & Joanna Hausmann: Battle Sketch

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which features three house groups making up scenes on the spot: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12; proceeds go to ACLU): Hosts Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), John Fugelsang (co-host of Tell Me Everything on Sirius XM; former host of ABC's American's Funniest Home Videos), and David Feldman (Emmy winner, co-creator of the The Jack and Triumph Show) perform stand-up with a political edge, and are joined by this month's guests Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There; opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash) and Jordan Carlos (HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Broad City and The Nightly Show, Showtime, MTV's Guy Code, Guy Court, VH1, Adult Swim), all at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street): Swipe Left

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($10 plus 2-drink min.; or watch the free Facebook stream): Glen Heroy, a long-time Santa Claus for Macy's at Herald Square, shares behind-the-scenes stories of playing St. Nick—while dressed as Santa and taking questions from the audience. If you can't attend at the LIC Bar (45-58 Vernon Blvd. at Long Island City), you can watch a live video stream for free via Facebook. Directed by Kevin Maher (host of one of the finest shows in NYC, Kevin Geeks Out): I, Santa: Confessions From Behind the Beard

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Young and/or struggling NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) produced by Meghan O'Malley, Adrian Davidson, and Erick Hellwig: Barely Making It

8:00 pm ($5): Comics are paired with artists outside of comedy to create something fresh and vibrant about an assigned topical theme at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Cross-Current

8:30 pm ($5): "One lucky single goes on a date with four perfect suitors....at the same time! Part improv, part experimental theatre, this parody of the gone-but-not-forgotten reality show ElimiDATE will feature five actual New York City singles dating each other live on stage" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Expellabeau

8:30 pm ($5): Matt Barats, Anthony Oberbeck, and Carmen Christopher perform as improv group Postmen at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Postmen

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC; stellar new comedy album Live at Webster Hall), Dave Smith, Luis J. Gomez, and other NYC comics "discussing the skankier sides of life, love, and stand-up comedy" for this weekly podcast taping at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Legion of Skanks

9:00 pm ($5): Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There; opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash), Joel Kim Booster (Billy on the Street), Lane Pieschel (Jimmy Kimmel), Mike Lebovitz (Last Comic Standing), and May Wilkerson performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Gutter Bar (200 N 14th Street) hosted by David Drake: Comedians You Should Know

9:00 pm ($5): Comics screen their favorite movie clips as part of their sets, with tonight's stand-ups Sam Stevens, Jesse Eigner, Frank DeRuggiero, V. Lince, and Molly Kornfeld, all performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Justin Angermeyer & Caitlin Mckee: Roll Credits

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Francisco Ramos (Last Comic Standing finalist), John Conroy, Grant Gordon, Cate Weinberg, Sean Gabbert, and Jamal Harrington performing for this free weekly stand-up show at Lucky Jack's Pub (129 Orchard Street) produced by Lance Weiss & Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

9:00 pm ($5): Indie improv troupes perform, plus a final set by host group New Greta, at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): New Greta Has Friends: Indie Improv

9:15 pm ($5): An improv show somehow performed in both English and Spanish by bilingual comics—including Charlie Todd and Morgan Miller—that springboards off an interview with an audience member about an experience in a Spanish-speaking country or with a Spanish-speaking person at the UCB East theatre: Fifty/Cincuenta

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Dynamite musical improvisors including Jeff Hiller, Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp, Lauren Adams, and/or more make up stories with songs at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Rumpleteaser: Musical Improv

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-ups perform—until the audience decides they're done!—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Mark Reiss: Slaughter House Live

10:00 pm ($5): Improvisors springboard scenes revolving around a time and place provided by the audience at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Jason Scott Quinn: Meanwhile...

[TOP PICK] 10:15 pm ($5): The UCB Touring Company consists of some of UCB's finest improvisors who show audiences beyond those visiting UCB's theatres in NYC and LA what improv is all about. For this monthly show, however, the traveling troupe will be strutting its stuff on the UCB East stage: UCB TourCo

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] 6:00 pm: Walk-in open mic storytelling show, with each yarn-spinner (selected via names from a bucket) getting up to 8 minutes to tell a true and funny tale at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Vincent Chang: Flynn's 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' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Kaity Neagle & Irene Hartmann: Ragtag Team Open Mic Stand-Up

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Sign up at 5:45 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with veteran improvisors: Magnet Mixer Wednesday

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic stand-up providing 4 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com to sign up, or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45, at Brooklyn's Halyards Bar (406 Third Avenue) hosted by Lukas Kaiser: Comics Phoning It In

11:00 pm ($3): Open mic stand-up show, with each comic whose name is selected from a bucket getting on stage for 3-5 minutes (depending on the number of comics) at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Camel Butt

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly walk-in open mic stand-up providing 3 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from a bucket (but no actual punch or pie, that's just a lure to entice you to come) at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Matthew Tenenbaum: Punch & Pie

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

[FREE] 11:15 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans: The Improv Jam

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/29/16

World-class singing improvisors Rebecca Vigil & Evan Kaufman interview an audience couple about their love life and then turn it into a musical—with breathtaking skill (see my review of their award-winning FringeNYC 2015 shows here). I highly recommend the phenomenal Your Love, Our Musical (8:00 pm; $10, which is super cheap—;this show has regularly sold out at $18 at other venues; Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

11:00 am-Noon ($15 per family): A sketch and stand-up show for kids—no irony, this is for children aged 4-9—with guests TBA at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Mark Malkoff: Two Juice Minimum

7:00 pm ($5): Comics perform scripted characters at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street):hosted by Sarah Smallwood Parsons: Perfect Strangers

7:30 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Alison Leiby (VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story), Drew Anderson, and Wanjiko Eke performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

7:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from a six-person troupe at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue): Sunday School Dropouts

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): The creators of the amazing live-on-stage movie reenactment Hold On To Your Butts (Jurassic Park) and Fly, You Fools! (Lord of the Rings)—performers Kyle Schaefer & Nick Abeel, music & sound wizard Kelsey Didion, and stellar director Kristin McCarthy Parker—explore new techniques by this time using puppetry to recreate the classic Christmas movie Home Alone. Added to the mix are two new performers (Natalie Rich & Sonia Mena), a four-person choir (Sarah Godwin, Evan Maltby, Richard Sears, and Michelle Vo), and producer Lanie Zipoy, all making magic at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Kevin!!!!!

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12, plus 2-item minimum if you purchase a seat; no min. if you buy a standing room ticket): Talented improvisors (who tonight include Jon Bander, T.J. Mannix, Douglas Widdick, Julie A. Feltman, and Jeff & Rachel Scherer) make up a religion based on an audience suggestion—e.g., The Church of the Carrot, The Church of Crime—and then make up hymns, readings, sermons, sacraments, and more on the spot at the The Gallery of Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Geoff Grimwood: Fake Church

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-11:00 pm ($10 for the entire evening): Four veteran house improv groups, plus themed improv show Space Station Delta (a Star Trek-like TV episode made up on the spot), all for just $10 at The Magnet theatre: The Magnet's Thursday Night Out

8:00 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, a one-woman show by Hallie Haas celebrating PBS and tits: Masterpiece Classic: Women in Art...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a well-meaning but dull parody in which "three sisters must find husbands on the night of Lord Darkcastle’s ball or be doomed to a fate worse than death: spinsterhood:" The Bride of Murdery Heights

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Comics compete with on-the-spot tweets...and you decide the winner in real time using your smart phone" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Shelby Taylor: Like Me

8:00 pm ($10): Two improv house groups make up scenes for an hour at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Detention + Selfish Green Men

8:30 pm ($5): A parody of a talk show in which guests are encouraged to fight at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Ali! A Fight Show!

9:00 pm ($10): Joe List (HBO, David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV), Julia Johns (MTV's Girl Code), and more performing stand-up at UCB East typically hosted by Ashley Brooke Roberts & Jim Tews: Fresh Out

9:00 pm ($5): Philip Casale performs one-man film noir sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge directed by Christopher Aurilio: Detective Jack Fiction & Other Folks Who Don’t Exist No More

9:00 pm ($10): A comedic yet somehow faithful reworking of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): A Christmas Carol

9:00 pm ($7): Stand-up from Sooyah Jun and Rishi Mathur, and musical characters from Matt Abedi, performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Maggie Lally: Magtag Variety Hour

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliant improvisors Langan Kingsley, Aaron Jackson, and Josh Sharp make up scenes while being unusually thin: Big Fat Fatties

9:30 pm ($5): A sketch show that developed in the wake of Donald Trump's election at The PIT upstairs theatre: A Punk Rock Anti-Trump Sketch Show

[FREE] 10:30 pm: "A curated hour of eclectic comedic material written in a week with no rehearsals" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Holy Fuck Comedy Hour

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Musical improv group Rumpleteaser competes with improv troupe Slingshot for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea's raucous Cage Match

[FREE] 10:30 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) produced & hosted by Chris Gersbeck, Lauren Hope Krass, and/or Peter Bandyk: Casual Sets

11:00 pm ($5): "Improvisers and stand-ups do what they do best...and then switch places to try their hand at what the other does best. Performing to sold out crowds at UCBT-LA, this show is a cross-discipline Cage Match," with tonight's stand-ups Clark Jones (Saturday Night Live), May Wilkerson (writer for someecards), and Stavros Halkias, and improv from group Bug Shoes, all performing at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin: Impro(vs)tandup

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

5:45 pm-8:00 pm ($5 plus 1 drink min., with drinks as low as $2): Weekly walk-in stand-up open mic with two rounds, the first providing 4-5 minutes per set and the second 2-3 minutes per set, at The Grisly Pear (107 MacDougal Street) hosted by Tuval Mor: Kickin It Open Mic Thursday

[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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per comic (sign-up starts at 5:30 pm) at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Jake Vevera & Amy Liszka: The QED Thursday Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): A weekly improv jam open to the audience in which the number of participants on stage is determined by a roll of the dice at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Jon Monje, Glorillis Tavarez, Trumane Alston, and Julien Darmon: Chance Encounters Jam

6:30 pm ($3): If you're a gal who'd like to try stand-up but are wary of being vulnerable in a tough male-dominated room, this show may be the perfect opportunity for you—an all-female open mic, with the first 15 comics to sign up (starting at 5:50 pm) getting 3 minutes each on stage at The PIT downstairs lounge: Ladies Night Open Mic

[FREE] 7:00 pm: A weekly improv jam hosted by group Salt at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Blender

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A recorded-for-podcast walk-in open mic providing 5 minutes on stage for whatever you want to perform—stand-up, sketch, song—with names drawn from a bucket at The Creek's downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Mike Mercadal & Will Watkins: Unsung Heroes

[ALMOST FREE] 10:30 pm ($1): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Thursday After Class Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3 minutes on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Matt Anderson: Barf Up the Jokes

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/30/16

The spectacular Dana Shulman debuts a one-woman show at 6:00 pm that asks why we hold onto things for much longer than we should: Shulman Burn; and then at 7:00 pm Dana hosts a fond look back at the year just past: 2016 Can Go Suck a Dick (6:00 pm & 7:00 pm, $5 per show, The PIT Upstairs Theatre at 123 East 24th Street)

More 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, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Holiday Friday

7:00 pm ($7): "Improvisers create scenes inspired by essays written about personal experiences and show that sometimes laughter really is the best medicine" at The Magnet theatre: You Are Not Alone: An Uplifting Show About Depression

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($15): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, "six strangers meet at a mysterious dinner party where they find a surprising connection between them: they're all idiots:" HINT: A Murder Mystery...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a musical sketch comedy show: Pop Roulette's Amazing Earth

7:30 pm ($10): Two improv groups each make up a musical on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: [title of team] and Royals

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 (whenever that happens, consider this a TOP PICK)—at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Thank F#@% It's Friday!

7:30 pm ($10): Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Leah Bonnema (VH1, IFC's Comedy Drop, WeTV's Cinematherapy, Logo, Opie & Anthony’s Virus Channel), Eagle Witt (CollegeHumor, Netflix), Christine Meehan-Berg (Dr. Oz), and Joe Pontillo dissect current events at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Tracey Carnazzo & Geno Bisconte: Hashtag Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There; opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash), Brandon Scott Wolf (contributor to SNL's Weekend Update; Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris), Justin Williams (host of Death Comedy Jam), Erik Monical, and Joe Gerics performing stand-up at the HiFi Bar (169 Avenue A) produced by Gary Levitt and guest-hosted by Ayanna Dookie: I Don't Get It Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Stand-up, sketch, improv, and/or more hosted by Wes Haney & Bardia Salimi at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) : Wes & Bardia Live

[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 Sebastian Conelli (2014 Cage Match Champion The Enemy): The Friday Night Sh*w

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

[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, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

9:00 pm ($5): Comics discuss an absurdly popular anime series at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Pokémon Panel

9:00 pm ($5): A duo sketch show about the holidays from Erik Grivalsky & Katie Escoto at The PIT downstairs lounge: Off Book

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A dozen comics each perform stand-up, sketch, characters, stories, dance, or whatever else they think is funny about their favorite song from 2016—on the condition that the bit is exactly as long as the selected song, which will be playing in the background at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jaime Lutz: Mixtape 2016

9:30 pm ($5): Annoyance Artistic Director Philip Markle performs sketch, cabaret, and more with friends at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Sparkle Zone

9:30 pm ($8): Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Christina Galston, Tim Dillon, Adam Sokol, Ariel Elias, Suzie Afridi, Brian Parise, and Keon Polee performing stand-up at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Alison Klemp...who gave this show the odd name Tina Fey Will (Not) Be Here

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Musical improv group Premiere—which typically features the best improv piano player in the biz, Frank Spitznagel—springboards off an audience suggestion to create a complete story with song and dance at The Magnet theatre: Premiere: The Improvised Musical

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors James Dwyer, Craig Rowin, Connor O'Malley, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and Shaun Diston make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($10): Comics (not announced) performing stand-up, sketch, storytelling, or improv at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, Justin Tyler, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

10:30 pm ($5): A rotating pool of improvisors perform in groups of five at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Singles Motel

11:00 pm ($5): Before moving to Chicago to study at the Harold Ramis Film School, Elveera Ibragimova improvises one more time at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Soup Appreciation Night: Bon Voyage Elveera Ibragimova

11:00 pm ($7): Levi Penley & Robert Price perform duo stand-up, improv, freestyle rap, and banjo at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue): The Cheep Show

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): "The Rainbow Dancers are a handful of amateur dancers whose faces are painted different colors of the rainbow. Watch as they create improvised and completely synchronized dances to your favorite holiday and pop songs. Guaranteed to be the weirdest holiday comedy show you see this season" spearheaded by the wonderful Jo Firestone (exceptionally inventive and irresistible rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Chris Gethard Show, radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Unexpectashow and The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers) at the UCB Chelsea theatre: New Year's Eve with Rainbow Dancers

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Langan Kingsley (rising star; Funny or Die, ace improv group What I Did For Love, one-woman show The Dicewoman Cometh), Dylan Marron (Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite, Seriously.tv, Welcome to Night Vale podcast), and more discuss some of the positive things that happened in 2016 at UCB East hosted by Matt Denne & Josh Sharp: Cool Shit / Weird Shit: Recapping 2016 While Looking for Silver Linings

[FREE] Midnight: "The holiday season can be hard on everyone. That’s why Mr. Oslo will help you make it even more depressing. Featuring death advice by Howdy Mardukie, a live reading of Rvdolph The Kvlt Reindeer, and depression master Dr. Suicide" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Mr. Oslo’s Sunday School

Friday Open Mics & Jams

[FREE] 5:00 pm: Walk-in open mic (signup at 4:30 pm), with 5 minutes per comic, storyteller, poet, or singer, at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Sydney Beveridge & Davey Melch: Queens Open Mic Fridays

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 ($5 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

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Walk-in open mic that allows everyone to get on stage at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): $1 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 hosted by Shalewa Sharpe & Courtney Fearrington: Thug Passion

[ALMOST FREE] 6:30 pm ($1): PIT improv veterans mix with improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Happy Hour

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Show up at 6:45 pm to place your name in a dog bowl for the chance to get called up on stage and jam with veteran improvisors at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Dog Fight

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-up starts at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Seena Jon: Mic and Cheese

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/31/16

Happy (almost) New Year! Ring in 2017 with laughs at the Cornelia Street Cafe, QED, The PIT, The Stand, and/or Comedy Cellar

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] [$] 6:00 pm ($25, which includes champagne; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who chooses correctly gets a free t-shirt! This New Year's Eve's yarn-spinners are Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic/pianist; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, Internet Action Force, host of Sideshow Goshko), Michaela Murphy (The New Yorker, Moth Radio Hour), Gastor Almonte (Comedy Central), and Ed Gavagan (TED Talks, Moth Grandslam champion, WNYC's Moth Radio Hour). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let these storytellers and host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam champion, exceptionally nice guy) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($20; no min.): Laurie Kilmartin (dynamite stand-up; writer for Conan O'Brien; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, VH1), Jim Florentine (Comedy Central, MTV), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Ron Bennington (host of radio shows Bennington and Unmasked), Derek Gaines (host of MTV's Broke A$$ Game Show), and Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand Early New Year's Eve

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Improv group Big Black Car 2 makes up scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: BBC2

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm-9:00 or 10:00 pm-11:30 pm ($20 for show alone; $30 for show & food at 7:30; $40 for show & food at 10:00): Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There; opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash), Leah Bonnema (VH1, IFC's Comedy Drop, WeTV's Cinematherapy, Logo, Opie & Anthony’s Virus Channel), Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 13 million people on YouTube, please click here), and Anthony DeVito (Adam Devine's House Party, This American Life) ring in your new year with stand-up at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Charles McBee Rory Scholl: QED's New Year's Spectacular

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm, 8:15 pm, 10:15 pm, and 10:30 pm ($40 cover for early shows, $80 cover for late shows, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among 8:00 pm & 10:15 shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and 8:15 pm & 10:30 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar New Year's Eve

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—including Tracy Mull (host of The Island), Langston Belton (improv groups Grounds for Divorce, G.U.S., Fun Young Guys), and Chris Booth (sketch group City Hall, National Geographic’s Brain Games)—play a bunch of short improv games to ring in the new year at The PIT downstairs lounge: New Year's Eve Short Form Show

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Improvisors make up scenes like it's their last chance to perform "because the world is ending" at The PIT upstairs theatre: End of the World Jam

12:45 am ($20; no min.): Artie Lange (former cast member of MAD TV and The Howard Stern Show; former host of The Artie Lange Show; host of The Artie Quitter Podcast), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand New Year's Eve After-Party

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/1/17

Wishing you a 2017 filled with joy, love, wonder, and laughter

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy on New Year's Day (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] Noon-2:00 pm: The NYC performing arts community gathers to set personal, local, and global-centric plans for the new year at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Brad Lawrence, Cyndi Freeman, and Erez Ziv: The Underground Service

7:30 pm ($5): Dana Shulman and friends are improv group Student Driver, which hosts two indie improv troupes making up scenes and then performs itself, all at The PIT downstairs lounge: Student Driver Indie Road

8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Pete Lee (Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing), Derek Gaines (host of MTV's Broke A$$ Game Show), Subhah Agarwal (TruTV, Fusion), Aida Rodriguez, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand New Year's Day

New Year's Day Open Mics & Jams

[ALMOST FREE] 5:30 pm ($1): Sign up at 5:00 pm to do improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge: 10K Jam Jam

9:30 pm ($3): Open-mic comedy, with 3-5 minutes per walk-in performer who signs up (first come, first serve) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Will Neville: Amateur Night at the Gemini

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