NYC Comedy Picks for Week of February 15, 2016

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 2/15/16

Mike Lawrence describes his winding career path, from seven years of working a drive-through window at McDonald's to currently being a staff writer at Emmy Award-winning series Inside Amy Schumer, for my podcast.

Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.) hosts Sociologist Alternative activist/organizer L. Eljeer Hawkins, plus stand-ups Jessica Watkins, Christian Polanco, and Dave Smith, at The Ted Alexandro Show (8:30 pm, $5, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

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:

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Free Monday

7:00 pm ($5): Character-heavy improvisors Rachel Scherer (X Plus One, Chicago City Limits), Sarah Peele (Gypsy Danger), and Beth White (The Studio System) make up a world where everything is really, really "impordin" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Impordin'

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Monday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, sketch show An Evening with the Trumpet Boys...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, sketch group One Idiot performs the theatrical parody Tennessee Williams' "What The Horse Saw"

8:00 pm ($5): Character comics who typically include rising star Leslie Meisel (Stone Cold Fox) performing bits at UCB East hosted by Frank Garcia-Hejl, Justin Tyler, and Michael Hartney: Characters Welcome

8:00 pm ($8): Seaton Smith (rising star stand-up; FOX's Mulaney, The Nightly Show) guest hosts Joyelle Johnson, Kenny DeForest, Shahryar Rizvi, and Ryan Schutt performing stand-up, plus music from Jean Grae and DJ Donwill, all at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Night Train

8:00 pm ($8): The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; album Ladies Don't Spit; CBS’ The Doctors) host a show that debuts their new music video "Eating Out" and features guests Giulia Rozzi, Becky Yamamoto, Julia Johns, Sharron Paul, Madonna Refugia, and Melissa Stokoski at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street): Eating Out

8:00 pm ($5): Leah Evans & Matthew Schrader make up a fast-paced duo-dialogue mini-play in the style of an Aaron Sorkin movie or TV series at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Boozeroom

8:30 pm ($7): Sketch comedy from two sharp house groups at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams

[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

9:30 ($5): House sketch groups Gotta Go and Choir try out new material at UCB Chelsea for Maude Night

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

9:30 pm ($5): Nine-person improv group The Internet Disagrees makes stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Internet Disagrees Presents Hashtag This

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Stellar stand-ups Sean Patton, Chris Gethard, Dan Soder, Laurie Kilmartin, and more perform for this free weekly show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street) hosted by Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language): Frantic Mondays

[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 hosted by Aparna Nancherla (one of the best stand-ups in the country; writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Last Comic Standing). 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

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

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 2/16/16

Top stand-up Myq Kaplan is hilarious as he reveals secrets about his past involving violins, Robin Hood, linguistics, broken goblets, master's degrees, improv, Carnegie Hall, finding pennies, and much more in this second episode of my career interviews podcast.

Rebecca Brachman (neuroscientist, playwright, screenwriter), Jeanne Garbarino (biochemist), Maryam Zaringhalam (molecular biologist), Shannon Palus (science journalist), and Tim Manley (writer/illustrator/performer) tell tales related to science, with this month's theme Fight or Flight, hosted by Ben Lillie & Erin Barker: The Story Collider: Fight or Flight (8:00 pm, $10, 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:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, eight singing & dancing improv groups at The Magnet make up musicals based on audience suggestions: Magnet Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm ($5): Improvisors perform for this unique show in which "a computer beeps at random intervals, might be 2 seconds, might be 10 minutes. Every time it beeps, and only when it beeps, the performers jump into a new scene. What happens when nothing you can do can make the scene go longer nor end sooner? When only this instant is guaranteed?" at The PIT upstairs theatre: /Switch/

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

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): A showcase for two brand new shows—sketch, solo, readings, what have you—every week at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by the wonderful Ronny Pascale: Pilot Season

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four indie improv teams performing at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue): Catfish Hunter

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($5 online using discount code NORTHERN; no min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of bestselling cartoon book If the Raindrops United), Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It; opens for Amy Schumer), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Josh Carter & Ray DeVito: Northern Discomfort: Judah Friedlander, Mark Normand, Jessica Kirson, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jarret Berenstein hosts a show about weird news around the world, with guests Myq Kaplan and Missy Baker, at the UCB East theatre: Comedy Central Corporate Retreat: Current Events

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups perform sets—and you and the rest of the audience tries to answer trivia questions based on those sets! It all happens at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedy Pursuit

8:00 pm ($5): Sketch, improv, and stand-up comics "create a brand new show in only one week, and then perform improvised sketches based off of your suggestions, just like The Second City used to do" at The PIT upstairs theatre directed by Micah Sherman: Old School Sketch Show

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Jena Friedman, Seaton Smith, Dan Wilbur, and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) guest-hosted by Nick Turner: Sweet

9:00 pm ($10): Amber Nelson (dynamic stand-up & character comic; Comedy Central, TruTV's Almost Genius; sketch group Murderfist), Alison Leiby, and Alexis Guerreros performing stand-up at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Derek Humphrey: Headliner's Ball

9:15 pm ($8, which includes free beer): NYC stand-ups performing at Brooklyn's The Experiment Comedy Gallery (20 Broadway) hosted by Jaqi Furback & Mike Lewis: The Party

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Character comics perform a sketch show about a fictitious art gallery at the UCB East theatre hosted by Becky Chicoine & Sudi Green: Theme Party

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Six improvisors—including the wonderful Dana Shulman—compete for your laughs and votes at this fun improv game show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by the also wonderful Tracy Mull: The Island: Improv Competition

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5; no min.): This super-affordable weekly club stand-up show features Chris Gethard (comedy genius; Broad City, Parks & Recreation, The Office, Conan O'Brien IFC; star of Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; author of A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York, plus My Comedy Album), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; staff writer for Emmy-winning Inside Amy Schumer; frequently invited lightning wit on @midnight; Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Pete Lee (Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing), Monroe Martin (finalist on this season's Last Comic Standing), and Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1) performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): $5 Funnies with Chris Gethard, Mike Lawrence, Pete Lee, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: A stand-up performs a 6-minute stand-up set...and then has to endure an old video of him or her telling bad jokes poorly, so the audience can see how much the comic has grown. Six stand-ups—Emily Winter, Sarah Kennedy, Evan Jones, Dina Hashem, Daniel J Perafan, and Kevin Froleiks— will go through this at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Patrick Hastie: Old Bits, New Bits

10:00 pm ($5): In this unique show, improvisors make up a complete family & friends intervention based on an audience suggestion at The PIT downstairs lounge: Impro-vention

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Joe Zimmerman, Jared Freid, Kevin Iso, and more performing stand-up at this free weekly show at UCB East hosted by Matteo Lane (Comedy Central): Chemistry

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

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] 6:00 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

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:30 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open mic show, each comic has 3-5 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, typically hosted by Jamie Aderski: Personality Disorder Character Jam

[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

[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 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

[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): 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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 2/17/16

Three of the finest stand-ups in the country—Myq Kaplan, Jo Firestone, and Aparna Nancherla—performing at the debut of the first-ever stand-up show at The Annoyance produced by Will Bleakley and hosted by Evan Kaufman, Josh Gondelman, Chris Duffy, and Emma Willmann: The Sensible Show (7:00 pm, $5, Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre at 367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street)...

...and don't miss the Season 3 premiere of one of the very best series on TV: Broad City (10:00 pm & 12:31 am, Comedy Central)

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:

[FREE] 6:00 pm-midnight: Six 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; group Gypsy Danger, which includes Katie Hartman and Evan Kaufman at 8:00 pm; and PIT owner Ali Farahnakian & friends at 10:25 pm—at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Three of the finest stand-ups in the country—Myq Kaplan, Jo Firestone, and Aparna Nancherla—performing at the first-ever stand-up show at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Will Bleakley: The Sensible Show

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): 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) try out material every night through Sunday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic): Week at the Creek: John Fugelsang and David Feldman

7:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): Three hours of improv from six groups—plus a free improv jam at 6:00 pm—at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and an 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($24.72 online or $25 at the door): Ophira Eisenberg tapes her comedy trivia radio show live, with tonight's guest Jason Jones, at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street): Ask Me Another

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

7:30 pm ($10): A memoir series in which each storyteller writes a true-life tale and then flips scripts with a partner to present each other’s story, with this month's theme Sink or Swim, at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons: No, YOU Tell It!

7:30 pm ($5): Sketch group Screen Savers performs at The PIT downstairs lounge on the theme of love: LOL: Love Other Losers

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The very best sketches of a comedy group that aims to have you "laughing until blood pours out of your throat and eyes and you die and you go to hell and you're like 'god damn that was worth it!' to Satan and he'll be like 'Yeah, I know, I was there, it was dope'" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Best of O.S.F.U.G.

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Writers & performers of The Daily Show, including Roy Wood Jr., Matt Koff, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): The Daily Show Performers and Writers

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): "Henry Koperski has come up with another dumb combo for a show: The Black Swan featuring the music of Chicago! Come enjoy a staged version of this treasured Darren Aronofsky film, complete with showstopping numbers from the hit Broadway show Chicago" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Black Swan...featuring Chicago!

[FREE] 8:00: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Dominic Fogarty: /r/standup

8:30 pm ($5): Comedic storytellers tell tales accompanied by videos, with tonight's guests Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), David Lawson (David Lawson (The Flyer Guy at Solocom 2015), and Angel Yau performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Harmon Leon: Videotale

9:00 pm ($10): Aparna Nancherla (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Meltdown, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, Totally Biased, opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash), Josh Gondelman (HBO's Last Week Tonight, The New Yorker), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Sunnyvale (1031 Grand Street) hosted by Harris Mayersohn: Just a Show

[FREE] 9:00 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' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Legion of Skanks

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing for 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?

9:00 pm ($7): Monster musical comedy at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Terrorbird: The Musical

9:00 pm ($10): Comics performing storytelling or stand-up at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Angela Cobb: My First Time: A Stand Up and Storytelling Show

[TOP PICK] 9:15 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 hosted by Doug Mo and/or Ben Rameaka: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the funniest duo sketch show you're likely to see from Dylan Marron (Welcome to Nightvale, 2015 Drama Desk Nominee) and Jo Firestone (exceptionally inventive and irresistible rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of Punderdome 3000 and The Incredible Game Show Showcase), who give you "a real-time middle school talent show performed by two grown adults" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite

9:30 pm ($5): "You don’t know where. You don’t know when. You don’t know why. But it will Happen. Happenings Come get immersed in laughter" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Happenings

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5; no min.): This super-affordable weekly club stand-up show features Joe List, Christian Finnegan, Pete Lee, Monroe Martin, and Chris DiStefano performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): $5 Funnies at The Stand

[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' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue), hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

[TOP PICK] 10:15 pm ($5): Improvisors pair up as scene-inventing duos for one night only at the UCB East theatre hosted by Leslie Meisel (Broad City, 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, HBO's Bored to Death) & Brian Faas: Couples Skate

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): 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. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a monthly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible, hosted by the charming Jackie Jennings (The Chris Gethard Show, improv group Smalls): School Night

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: 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: Your chance to improvise on stage at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Anthony Velez & Parker Denton: Recess

[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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: All-gal open mic for stand-up, solo characters, or storytelling at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Nayomi Reghay (email nayomi.reghay@gmail.com to sign up): Mouthy

[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 upstairs theatre hosted by Matthew Tenenbaum: Punch & Pie

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: 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, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house group Higgins: The Improv Jam

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 2/18/16

A former Daily Show correspondent and award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines on Broadway: Al Madrigal (7:30 pm, $35 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)...

...and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Lately, writer for MTV's Girl Code, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories) celebrates the release of her first stand-up comedy album at Threes Brewing (333 Douglas Street): True Love (8:00 pm, Free!, Threes Brewing at 333 Douglas 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] [FREE] 7:00 pm: 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) try out material every night through Sunday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: John Fugelsang and David Feldman

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($24.75 via Goldstar [vs. $29 at the door]): The only FringeNYC show to ever include a barbershop quartet singing about alcohol and three rounds for each audience member (for my full review, which includes a rave for the spectacular Nicole DiMattei, please click here) is now playing as a perfect show for a date every Friday & Saturday night at the West Village's Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street, in the downstairs Huron Club): The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking

7:00 pm ($5): Storytelling from comic book fan Pete LePage (co-host of Comic Book Club) at The PIT upstairs theatre: A Special Evening with Pete LePage

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Storyteller Jake Hart (host of The Dump and ASS) performs an autobiographical one-man show "about being drunk and ruining comedy opportunities: at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue): Jake Hart: GET. OUT.

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and an 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday

7:30 pm ($5): Phoebe Robinson (Seth Meyers, Last Comic Standing, Broad City, MTV’s Girl Code, Totally Biased, co-host of 2 Dope Queens), Tim Harmston (David Letterman), Michelle Biloon (Chelsea Lately), and Mary Mack performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

7:30 pm ($5): Professional clowns perform a silly show in hopes of changing your life at The PIT downstairs lounge: An Unapologetic Mess: A Clown Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Two sketch shows at the UCB Chelsea theatre: This Show Will Get a Cease and Desist and Eggs for Sale

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Judah Friedlander, Chris Gethard, and more performing stand-up at either the 8:00 pm or 10:00 pm show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand Thursday

8:00 pm-Midnight ($10 for the entire evening): Two veteran house improv groups, art-inspired improv from The Forgers Guild, themed improv show Bloom ("fantasy, myth, and memory intermingle freely in this story-based improvisation inspired by the movie Big Fish), and improv competition Inspirado, all for just $10 at The Magnet theatre: The Magnet's Thursday Night Out

8:00 pm ($10): This Harry Potter parody is crippled by a mediocre script, but is spared from being an utter waste of time by inventive direction from the highly talented Kristin McCarthy Parker (Hold On To Your Butts), and a large and mostly likeable cast (including the wonderful Langston Belton...who doesn't get to do nearly enough) at The PIT upstairs theatre: Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue), hosted by stand-up Nick Maritato and improv troupe Priest and the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

8:00 pm ($5): Three 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 + Gun Club + Dim Wit

8:30 pm ($10): Game-based improv and sketch at The PIT upstairs theatre from group Gentlemen Party

9:00 pm ($5): Julio Torres, Ben Kronberg, Mary Mack, and Doug Smith performing at UCB East hosted by Ashley Brooke Roberts & Jim Tews: Fresh Out

9:00 pm ($10): "We’re here to listen to things you’re sad, angry, frustrated, or just feeling strongly about. We will listen to audience members share their emotions and help them deal with it in whatever way they choose—including but not limited to dancing, singing, screaming, hugging, eating, breaking shit, whatever you need. We've got a list of approved methods for dealing with strongly held emotions; you choose which method speaks to you and the whole crowd supports you. You’re not alone. You are heard!" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): You Are Heard

9:00 pm ($5): Stand-ups Andy Beckerman, Raquel D'Apice, Justin Williams, Becky Yamamoto, Chris Laker, and Chris Doucette performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Sue Funke & Katie Compa: Happy Place Comedy

9:00 pm ($5): Skilled improvisors David Rysdahl & Paul Gutkowski make up a play on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge as improv duo True East

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Potentially an animation fan's dream come true, in this show comics make merciless fun of bad Japanese anime at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Benel Germosen: Otakulypse

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): A dozen comics will perform stand-up, sketch, characters, stories, dance, or whatever else they think is funny about their favorite song by David Bowie—as long as their bit is exactly as long as the song they picked, which will be playing in the background at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jaime Lutz: Mixtape: David Bowie

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Daily Show gather on the UCB Chelsea stage to perform an all-improvised Non-Daily Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Michael Che (SNL Weekend Update star; former star correspondent for The Daily Show and staff writer for Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1) tries out material at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Michael Che

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC magicians try out new material, with some stand-up thrown in, at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by mind reader Eric Dittelman (America’s Got Talent, Ellen): Amazeballs

[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): Improv groups Fuck That Shit and Coworkers compete for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea in the raucous semi-finals of Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Selena Coppock, Katina Corrao, Justin Williams, and more performing stand-up at the UCB East theatre hosted by Brendan Fitzgibbons & Lance Weiss: Gandhi, Is That You?

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] 6:00 pm: A character-based open-mic happening monthly at UCB East hosted by Mike Sapp: Don't Be Yourself: Character Open Mic

[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

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): A weekly improv jam for 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

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 (34 Pell Street, 2nd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[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

[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 downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Patrick Hastie: Beer, Booze, and Bits

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): A supportively silly jam for duo improv (you'll be paired up on the spot) in which the audience shows "Good Scene!" at the end of every scene at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by improv group Judith: Good Scene!: A Judith Jam

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 2/19/16

A dinner theatre version of an unforgettable FringeNYC 2014 operetta about a lonely fat kid who responds to his bullying classmates in an extreme way. This show has struggled with its ending (which I hope has been improved), but you definitely won't go wrong with the exquisite music composed & orchestrated by the brilliant Christian De Gré: Fatty Fatty No Friends (11:30 pm, $15-$35 plus $20 food/drink min., supper club 54 Below at 254 West 54th Street, between Eighth Avenue & Broadway)

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, 7:30 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, 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) and the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): "Evan Forde Barden & Chris Duffy attempt to teach the crowd a foreign language—which tonight is Romanian—and take them on a tour of a new culture. Each show features a new language instructor and a celebrity guest comedian. Evan and Chris use hilarious presentations, games, quizzes and even dance to help the audience understand a language more fully. You'll probably walk away speaking a few words. Recurring segments include 'Guess What This Sign Says!,' 'What Noises Do Animals Make?,' and 'Heckle a Comedian,' where we teach the audience to say 'very good'" and 'try again!' in the language and after each joke, they make a judgment call about which to shout "at The Magnet theatre: An Hour Abroad—A Comedy Show & Foreign Language Program: Romanian

7:00 pm ($5): Storytelling from comic book fan Pete LePage (co-host of Comic Book Club) at The PIT upstairs theatre: A Special Evening with Pete LePage

7:00 pm ($5): Three improv teams compete in this cutthroat battle for laughs. What's different about this cage match is it's determined by a human judge, the audience...and a dog. If there's a tie between the votes of the judge and audience, the guest canine will decide the fates of everyone based on which bowl this dog goes to first. It all happens at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Dog Fight

[TOP PICK] 7:10 pm ($10): An autobiographical one-man show by Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam Champion) on how he "survived a childhood in the Reagan Eighties, the rise of the moral majority and meth amphetamine, the terrors of sex and nuclear bombs, and his guest role in a sibling’s suicide by escaping into pop culture" at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): The Gospel of Sherilyn Fenn

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, ace improvisors Connor Ratliff, Molly Lloyd, Terry Withers, and more somehow create an improvised murder mystery on the spot—with the audience helping to commit the crime: The Terry Withers Mysteries

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) An award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal

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 ($7): Storytellers share nostalgic tales from the 80s and 90s with hosts Robin Gelfenbien & Danny Artese at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue): A Very Special Episode

7:30 pm ($10): Stand-ups, improvisors, and more performing at The PIT downstairs theatre hosted by Matt Catanzano & Richie Moriarty: Simply Unemployable Live

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Powerhouse musical improvisor Rebecca Vigil is among the performers of this rock opera made up on the spot: "From the pits of hell and antiquity's bowels, a one-of-a-kind Improvised Rock Musical. From leaping nymphs to garish kings, it will rip out your eyeballs and exorcise your soul unlike any theatrical experience in your life" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Stonehenge: The Improvised Rock Opera

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): "An interactive farce about a couple on the verge of a breakup. Their friends, portrayed by three audience members, must try to keep them together through deception, sneaking, and creative thinking. The couple continually clashes in a 5 minute loop and the audience can change their fate by learning from previous loops and making good choices. Will the audience be smart enough to save the relationship? Or will they doom them to eternal heartbreak?" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Groundhog Date

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & Midnight ($15-$20; no min.): Stand-ups Dan Soder, Adrienne Iapalucci, Brooks Wheelan, and more performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand Friday

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up, sketches, and music for this variety show at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Take It Or Leave It

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at the HiFi Bar (169 Avenue A) hosted by Gary Levitt & Matt Schwartzer: I Don't Get It Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Morgan Miller, Nick Naney, Ana Fabrega, and other comics performing at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue) for a show with an election season theme: Cool Show (Not Lame): Presidents

[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, Jordan Klepper, Silvija Ozols, Shannon O'Neill, 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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm ($24.75 via Goldstar [vs. $29 at the door]): The only FringeNYC show to ever include a barbershop quartet singing about alcohol and three rounds for each audience member (for my full review, which includes a rave for the spectacular Nicole DiMattei, please click here) is now playing as a perfect show for a date every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at the West Village's Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street, in the downstairs Huron Club): The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking

9:00 pm ($10): Two improv groups each make up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre: [title of team] and Royals

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): "A psychedelic sci-fi kids show for adults brought to you by Lexie Kahanovitz & Jim Tozzi, co-creator of Adult Swim’s Xavier: Renegade Angel" starring Lexie and David Ebert (Guy Code, Not Exactly News, Master of None) at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Super Fun Show with Learning!

9:30 pm ($5): Stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Ariel Elias & Liz Magee: You Deserve It

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: A historical period or major event is explored comedically via stand-up, sketch, trivia contests, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Justin Auslaender & Lindsay Boling: Annal Revue

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Musical improv group Premiere—which 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 David Angelo (David Letterman) Jon Tyler (CBS Sunday Morning), Matt Bachus, and Liz Noth 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 ($10): Eight stand-ups compete for laughs by telling jokes on topics handed to them just this morning at The PIT downstairs lounge refereed by Jenn Welch & Will Neville: The Stand-Up Showdown

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stylized musical duo improv by Ariel Dumas & Jennifer Millsat inspired by the works of Stephen Sondheim at the Magnet theatre: Leotard Foundation: Improvised Sondheim

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($7): Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), Myka Fox, and more riff on reportedly super-terrible 2003 film The Room at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Chris Gersbeck & Freddy G : The Room

Midnight ($5): A live taping of this "monthly comedy game show in which three contestants participate in a battle of wits and knowledge for the chance to win a grand prize of 20 American dollars" at UCB East hosted by Ryan Simmons: Everyone's Favorite Game Show

[FREE] Midnight: "Every month comedian Dan King writes a pilot script for a new sitcom and hosts a live table read of the script. It’s important that you come see these live because these ideas will never, ever make it to television" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Test Pilots

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 comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Davey Melch & Sydney Beveridge: Queens Free 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 (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 hosted by Shalewa Sharpe & Courtney Fearrington: Thug Passion

[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

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

[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

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage hosted by members of various Maude Night groups: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 2/20/16

A former Daily Show correspondent and award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight and Sunday at Carolines on Broadway: Al Madrigal (7:30 pm, $35 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)

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:

[FREE; reserve tickets here] 1:00 pm: A rare lunchtime stand-up show for families, with all kids under 15 allowed on stage to tell a joke, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Peggy O'Leary & Lindsay Boling: Guess What?

6:00 pm ($5): Four Indie improv troupes performing at The Magnet theatre: The Rundown

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 5:45 pm, 8:00 pm, 10:00 pm, and midnight ($16.25 online using discount code DAYAFTER; no min.): Dan St. Germain, Big Jay Oakerson, Adrienne Iapalucci, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand Saturday

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Emily Winter, Patrick Hastie, Jared Dryden, and Mike Mercadal each perform a different 10-minute stand-up every Saturday in February at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Grant Lindahl: The 8

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Two 3-person Improv groups—Brandon Scott Jones, Morgan Grace Jarrett, and Pat Regan, and Jonathan Braylock, James III, and Jerah Milligan—perform at the UCB East theatre: Thrice Twice Once

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, 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) and the 7:15, 9:15, and 11:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday

7:00 pm ($5): Storytelling from comic book fan Pete LePage (co-host of Comic Book Club) at The PIT upstairs theatre: A Special Evening with Pete LePage

7:00 pm ($5): Three improv groups performing at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): New Year, New You + Fetch + Distant Cousins

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; album Ladies Don't Spit; CBS’ The Doctors) and Mark Douglas (host of YouTube hit The Key of Awesome) performing at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by 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): Don't Feed the Musicians

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jeff Hiller, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Kevin Hines, Erik Tanouye, and John Timothy 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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "Created in 1995 at the iO Theater in Chicago, The Armando Diaz Experience is the longest running improv show ever. A guest monologist takes a suggestion from the audience and shares true personal tales. These stories are then brought to life by a rotating cast of improv all-stars—and occasionally Armando himself" at The Magnet theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience

7:30 pm ($7): Political activists and pundits mix with comics at this political comedy show that makes fun of the news at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Electoral Dysfunction

7:30 pm ($10; arrive early, previous weeks have sold out!): A popular YouTube sketch comedy group performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Cool Kid Comedy: Four Nights Only

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10):A comedic play about girls competing in a bizarre contest at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Saybrook Sexy Baby Pageant

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Gypsy Danger (which includes brilliant comics Katie Hartman and Evan Kaufman, and which will make up a feature film on the spot) and The Baldwins (which includes brilliant comics Micah Sherman and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gypsy Danger: The Improvised Movie and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A parody of a town hall meeting at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by James Cross & Colby Smith: Your Truly: Town Hall Meeting

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Improv group Airwolf—with big talents Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, Achilles Stamatelaky, Eddie Dunn, Ben Rameaka, and Adam Fruccie—make up scenes about terrible audience experiences related to a home at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): An improvised apocalypse from superb comics Anthony Atamanuik, John Murray, Sean Casey, Jackie Jennings, Joanna Bradley, Chad Carter, and Joel Weidel at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Goat

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A freestyle rapping long-form improv group that includes such talents as Evan Kaufman (Your Love Our Musical) takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT downstairs lounge: North Coast

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): Groundbreaking and highly acclaimed improvisors Matt Higgins, Jay Rhoderick, and Kevin Scott performing at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Centralia

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors Peter McNerney & Nick Kanellis make up scenes at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

9:00 pm ($10): NYC stand-ups performing for this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Experiment Comedy Gallery (20 Broadway) hosted by Camille Harris, Camille Theobald, and Mo Fathelb: The Weekend Drop

9:30 pm ($10): TV parodies from a food-based sketch group performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Dinner For One: A Channel Flippin' Odyssey

9:30 pm ($5): Long-form improv with a playful title directed by Conner O’Malley at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Michael Jordan Steakhouse

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): A powerhouse group of improvisors—Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Langan Kingsley (rising star; sketch group Beige, one-woman show The Dicewoman Cometh), Aaron Jackson (Fuck That Shit, Newsadoozies), Natasha Vaynblat (one-woman show United Federation of Teachers), and Nate Dern (News Editor for Funny or Die)—springboard scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life at the UCB East theatre: What I Did For Love

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups take a comedic look at the world's problems at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Tom Dillon: Love, Poverty, and War

[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] 10:30 pm ($10): Long form improv about the behavior of a theatrical troupe both on-stage and off-stage, revolving around a different show biz theme each week—which tonight is Motivational Seminar—at The Magnet theatre: The Cast: Straight Play Edition

10:30 pm ($5): "Social Media guru Tony Zaret wants to help you negotiate the seemingly bewildering #content options out there. What’s the difference between a “meme” and a “macro”? Should I sign up for Snap Chat or Meerkat or should I just tweet on Tumblr? And what about older forms of content, like sounds and foods? Zaret’s informative PowerPoints and inspirational Ted Talking sorts it out—and it all leads up to an attempt to craft the ultimate Yik Yak post live on stage" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): #Content Live!

10:30 pm ($10): Disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

11:00 pm ($10): The show that uses social media to put together an entire sketch show from scratch in one intense day tonight gives out awards at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Sktch-y Awards

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Freddy Goldstein: Last Stop Laughs

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy that aims to have you "laughing until blood pours out of your throat and eyes and you die and you go to hell and you're like 'god damn that was worth it!' to Satan and he'll be like 'Yeah, I know, I was there, it was dope'" at the UCB East theatre: O.S.F.U.G. A Fast Fuckin' Sketch Show

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

3:00 pm ($5; your ticket provides $3 off a drink at nearby Pioneers Bar): Walk-in lottery style open mic (sign-up starting at 2:45 pm) at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Swing Riders Open Mic

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show, with names drawn out of a bucket, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Rachel Coleman: Let's Be Friends

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Experienced hip-hop improvisers perform scenes with "anyone willing to stretch that hip-hop improv muscle; it's a fun supportive environment where scenes turn into a rap song, beatbox, freestyle, or rap battle" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Raymond Morency & Richie Alfson: Off Top!: A Hip Hop Mixer

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 2/21/16

An SNL cast member performs stand-up, with openers Liza Treyger (Comedy Central Half Hour, Chelsea Lately) and Matteo Lane (Comedy Central, MTV's Guy Code & Girl Code, host of Chemistry): Sasheer Zamata for an Hour (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Bell House at 149 7th Street in Brooklyn; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

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] 5:00 pm: A smorgasbord of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Chris O'Neil: Mishmash Variety Hour

5:30 pm ($5): Improvisors who cut across all regions and schools come together for one evening at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Supernova

6:00 pm ($7): "Pat May has over 80 guests that are invited to do a sketch with him. And they are doing definitely a sketch show. It’s not just going to be up to Pat May doing the parts meant for his best friends and parents who didn't show up. Sad Face :( …" at The Magnet theatre: Pat May’s Not Solo Show but Greatest Sketch Show Ever

6:30 pm ($5): Three NYC improv groups that are independent (i.e., not a house team of any particular improv school/theatre) compete for audience member laughs and votes at UCB East hosted by superb improvisors Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (half of revered improv group Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): 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) try out material one last night at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic): Week at the Creek: John Fugelsang and David Feldman

7:00 pm ($10): Marina & Nicco perform a play in the dark (flashlights will be provided) in which "A happy couple has just moved into their new home. But the novelty of home ownership quickly fades as they face a sea of boxes, a major blackout, and, shortly thereafter, the ghosts of all their past relationships" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Unpacking: A Ghost Story Told in the Dark

7:00 pm ($5): Three scripted shows for the price of one at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Triple Feature

7:00 pm (Pay Whatever You Like): "Delusional cruise ship entertainer and musical theatre fanatic Lance Johnson welcomes scheduled guests Liza Minnelli, Hugh Jackman, and Miami Sound Machine for an instantly forgettable evening of chat, song, dance, and Lance before he heads back out to sea" by Peter Michael Marino and a cameo YouTube star Christina Biancoa at The Triple Crown Underground (330 7th Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets): Late With Lance

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-performing at Bunga's Den (137 West 14th Street, between Sixth & Seventh Avenues) hosted by Jimmy LeChase: Church!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) An award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among five shows, with three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Sunday

[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 Shannon O'Neill and Anthony Atamanuik, and sometimes network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($7): Veteran comics Matt Evans & Jon Bander perform duo sketch comedy at The Magnet theatre: Matt & Ban

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors Micah Sherman, Sarah Nowak, Langston Belton, Rachel Scherer, Jeff Scherer, and more—plus Alan Schmuckle performing improv piano—make up theatrical scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre for this weekly show produced by Sarah Nowak: People Improvising

8:00 pm ($5): Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Billy Prinsell, Alyssa Wolff, Michael Joyce, Carmen Lagala, and Paul Oddo performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Joe List, Christian Finnegan, Brooks Wheelan, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): The Stand Sunday

8:00 pm ($5): Nine-person improv group The Internet Disagrees makes stuff up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue):: The Internet Disagrees

8:00 pm ($10): NYC stand-ups performing for this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Experiment Comedy Gallery (20 Broadway) hosted by Ryan Schutt: Day of Jest

8:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisor James III performs characters with fellow comics at The PIT downstairs lounge: James III & Friends

8:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors make up scenes on a rug at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Rug Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Duo improv from Louis Kornfeld & Rick Andrews at The Magnet theatre: Kornfeld & Andrews

9:00 pm ($8): Rachel Feinstein, Nick Vatterott, David Angelo, Josh Gondelman, and Jon Rudnitsky performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Nate Craig: Nate Craig & Friends

9:00 pm ($7): Typically solid stand-ups perform at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Will Miles, Clark Jones, and/or Kenny DeForest: Comedy Night at the Knit

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Tom Cassidy & Matt Pavich: Have Fun

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, drawings every half hour), providing 4 minutes per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Intestinal Fortitude

[FREE] 5:00 pm: Walk-in stand-up lottery style open mic that provides 4 minutes per comic at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Andrea Shapiro & Chris Gersbeck: Bunk Bed Time Open Mic

[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

5:30ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Weekly open mic stand-up, with comics selected from names tossed into a bucket starting at 5:00ish pm, at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue): Sunday Open Mic

[FREE] 7:00ish pm: If you feel like stretching beyond stand-up, this lottery-style walk-in open mic (sign-up starts at 7:00 pm) is for singers, songwriters, musicians, poets, actors, and spoken word artists, with a whopping 7 minutes per performer, at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Mickey Zetts (The Ickles): Words and Music Open Mic Night

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show (sign up is at 9:45 pm) providing 5 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from the bucket at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Ian Kitchen: The Grandstand

[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

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