NYC Comedy Picks for Week of February 2, 2015

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 2/2/15

TV Alert: John Oliver is on Seth Meyers;
Martin Short is on The Daily Show;
Nick Kroll, Jon Daly, and Seth Morris
of Kroll Show are on @midnight

Rising star & Seth Meyers writer Michelle Wolf performs a 30-minute set at Stand-Up Spotlight;
former The Onion features editor Joe Garden (above) debates CNN producer Ted Schillinger
about the role of media in Queens LIC at The Creek's Sweaty Nixon

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: This monthly debate-style comedy show "sets two expert combatants from different sides of a polarizing issue against one another," with tonight's topic The Role of Media debated by Joe Garden (former Features Editor at The Onion) and Ted Schillinger (Emmy winner; Co-Executive Producer of CNN's The Hunt With John Walsh) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ben Kissel: Sweaty Nixon

7:00 pm ($5): A monthly sketch show that takes you to "an alternative reality filled with unique characters, curious tales, and odd occurrences" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Blunderbuss

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation—which include group Jean Pool at 7:00 pm featuring the spectacular David Carl and Becky Krause—at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Free Monday

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:45 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:15 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's stand-ups include Judah Friedlander, Ryan Hamilton, Colin Jost, and Marina Franklin (hosting) at the 7:45 show; Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, Carmen Lynch, Lenny Marcus, and Ralph Harris at the 9:30 show; and Mark Normand, Keith Alberstadt, Joe List, Sam Morril, and Wil Sylvince (hosting) at the 11:15 show, with all three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Monday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Deliciously long 30-minute sets from Michelle Wolf (rising star; staff writer for and performer on Seth Meyers; MTV's Girl Code, IFC) and Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, host of Chemistry) at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Stand-Up Spotlight: Michelle Wolf and Phil Hanley

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Strong lineup of 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.), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Damien Lemon (Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court), Alison Leiby (host of It's a Long Story), and Greg Barris (MTV, host of Heart of Darkness) performing stand-up or storytelling at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show; albums Wyatt Cenac: Comedy Person and Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn): Night Train: Ted Alexandro, Mike Lawrence, Damien Lemon, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($16.82 online using code IKEA15, or $20 at the door): A fun, lively musical parody mashup of Wicked and Frozen from the perspective of a high-strung 7-year-old girl written & co-starring Zoe Farmingdale & Toby Singer at The PIT upstairs theatre: Wicked Frozen

8:00 ($5): Dean Haspiel (acclaimed comic book artist; Marvel Comics, American Splendor; 2010 Emmy winner for his design work on HBO's Bored To Death), stand-up Tim Dillon, and musician Daniel Koren performing at UCB East hosted by Nat Townsen: Nat Townsen's Downtown Variety Hour

8:00 pm ($8): Storytellers gather in hopes of being randomly selected to tell tales and compete for judging panel approval at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) hosted by Peter Aguero: The Moth StorySlam

[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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10 at the door at $11.59 online): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CDs Small, Dork, and Handsome. Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Jon Ronson (New York Times bestselling author of The Men Who Stare At Goats and more; screenwriter; This American Life), John Early (30 Rock, Ars Nova's Showgasm), Vicky Kuperman, and Jenny Zigrino performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Mehran Khaghani: The Mehran Show: Myq Kaplan, Jon Ronson, and More

9:30 ($5): New Maude Night groups Dangerous Woman and Lover perform sketch comedy at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Maude Night: Dangerous Woman and Lover

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

10:00 pm ($7): Duo improv from groups Foxtrot, Old Man Time, Genetic Freaks, Suli, GCPD, and host MegaLou (Megan Gray & Louis Kornfeld) at The Magnet theatre: The Duo Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious red-hot rising star; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It), Sabrina Jalees (irresistible dynamo stand-up and rising star; Comedy Central's Adam Devine's House Party, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV’s Failosophy, co-host of How Many Questions), Chris Distefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), Eleanor Kerrigan, Danny Palmer, and Kevin Iso performing stand-up for this free weekly show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language): Frantic Mondays: Mark Normand, Sabrina Jalees, and More

[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 or someone else wonderful: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 5 minutes on stage—and also allows everyone play Bingo!—at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Julia Lundy & Veronica Elizabeth: Bingo 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] 10:00 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 lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Joseph Robert: PBR & Scrap Paper Open Mic Stand-Up

[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

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

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

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

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

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$20)

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

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

The Annoyance Theatre
(367 Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn; J/M/Z to Marcy or L to Lorimer; 50-seat theatre; shows free-$10)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laughing Devil/The Standing Room
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club; free cover Fri-Sat with code LICVIP; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 2/3/15

TV Alert: Ellen DeGeneres (and Neil Young!) are on Jimmy Fallon;
Bob Odenkirk is on Jimmy Kimmel;
Horatio Sanz is on Seth Meyers;
Sarah Tiana, Roy Wood Jr., and Jesse Joyce are on @midnight;
Kroll Show is at 10:30 pm on Comedy Central

SNL star Sasheer Zamata is among the comics at Anthony Atamanuik's darkly wacky The Tony Show;
Andrea Alton plays a drunk lesbian poet telling stories, singing and dancing, hitting on women in the audience,
and hosting fun guests ranging from Michael Musto to burlesque stars at Molly's North Korea Armageddon Family Hour

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, seven of The Magnet's improv groups make up musicals based on audience suggestion, creating epic stories on the spot using song and dance: Magnet Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm ($5): Luke Ward, the co-host of We Love TV, tonight deviates from his parody format to host a reading of a TV pilot script he's written at The PIT upstairs theatre: We Love TV Presents: TV Pilot Reading

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

7:00 pm ($5): Rosie Guarino & Michael Delisle play a dozen characters auditioning for a community theatre production at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Kunkletown Community Theatre Announces The Audition

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Apollo, Side Piece, and 2014 Cage Match Champion The Enemy at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:45 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:15 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's stand-ups include Trevor Noah, Ryan Hamilton, and Judy Gold at the 7:45 show; Ted Alexandro, Judah Friedlander, Lenny Marcus, Ralph Harris, and Marina Franklin (hosting) at the 9:30 show; and Dave Attell, Carmen Lynch, Colin Jost, Sherrod Small, and Dov Davidoff at the 11:15 show, with all three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Tuesday

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($11.30 in advance online or $15 at the door): Andrea Alton tells unsettling stories, sings and dances, and hits on women in the audience as her very funny character Molly "Equality" Dykeman, "the loveable but barely lucid security guard at PS 339 who dabbles in a bit of poetry, a bit of Percocet, and a lot of drink; plus dinosaurs, zombies, giant sink holes, Kim Jong Un, and guests." The latter tonight are Michael Musto (famed NYC columnist), Mary Dimino (David Letterman; stellar FringeNYC one-woman shows Big Dummy and Scared Skinny), Allen Warnock (The Knick, I Just Want My Pants Back), Jubilee Diamond (burlesque performer), and Tym Moss, all performing at LES' 21-A Clinton Street: Molly's North Korea Armageddon Family Hour

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door at $11.59 online): Phoebe Robinson (Comedy Central's Broad City, MTV’s Girl Code, FX’s Totally Biased, Glamour Magazine), Sarah Lyall (American journalist who worked as London correspondent for The New York Times; author of The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British), Mona Chalabi (data analysis expert), Kevin Townley (author of upcoming novel You Are My Revenge), and Emily Gould performing stand-up and/or being interviewed at Brooklyn's Union Hall for this show hosted by recent UK transplants Jon Ronson (New York Times bestselling author of The Men Who Stare At Goats and more; screenwriter; This American Life) and Maeve Higgins (Irish TV & radio star): I'm New Here, Can You Show Me Around?: Phoebe Robinson, Sarah Lyall, Jon Ronson, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A monthly show about obsessions with pop culture, tonight revolving around Sex with guests Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Today Show, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book being made into movie Screw Everyone, new comedy album Bangs!), Josh Ruben (College Humor, sketch group Onassis), and Isaac Oliver (Intimacy Idiot) at UCB East hosted by Damian Bellino & Anne Rodeman: So Into It: A Fanatic Variety Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): NYC stand-ups (not announced) do their best to impress Comedy Central casting directors and other industry professionals at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Sam Morril: Comedy Central Stand-Up Auditions

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Comics are invited to share their feelings about the only definite outcome of living...becoming dead. And they must record their last words with you as their witness. Plus sketches, characters, heartfelt stories, and more...about death" with Nathan Min, Sue Smith, Alec Lambert, Tynan DeLong, Maria Wojciechowski, and David Agyekum performing at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by Lorelei Ramirez & Steve DeSiena: I'm Afraid of Dying

[$] 8:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Eleanor Kerrigan (HBO, Women of Wrestling, The Melt), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, MTV's Wild N Out), Paul Morrissey (David Letterman), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: Comedy Juice

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Harry Terjanian, Will Miles, Jackie Jax, Simeon Goodson, Rachel Joan, and Kenny Joseph performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by David Shine & Derrick Thompson: Double D Tuesday

[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 stand-up 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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Noah Gardenswartz, Kyle Ayers, Drew Michael, and Andy Fiori perform stand-up for this free weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Robert Dean, Sachi Ezura, and/or Steve O'Brien: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Death By Roo Roo, Goat, The Nights of Our Lives) plays oddball characters in a mix of sketch and improv (with help from producer Andy Rocco and Jesse VandenBergh). Performing stand-up sets in between Tony bits tonight are Sasheer Zamata (instant star cast member of Saturday Night Live), Seaton Smith (FOX's Mulaney, Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), and Rae Sanni (The 3 A-Negroes Podcast), all at the UCB East theatre: The Tony Show: Sasheer Zamata, Seaton Smith, and More

9:30 pm ($5): Raquel Powell & Nate Foster host three real-life couples performing two-prov at The PIT upstairs theatre: Couple’s Retreat

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5; no min.): Mark Normand (hilarious red-hot rising star; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It), Joe List (HBO, David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Chris Distefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Damien Lemon (Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court), Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Danny Palmer performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): $5 Funnies: Mark Normand, Joe List, Chris Distefano, Damien Lemon, Bonnie McFarlane, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A sketch show about song parodies, plus NYC stand-ups or sketch comics Connor Ratliff, Tom McCaffrey, Tom McCaffrey, Gary Richardson, Christi Chiello, Colin O'Brien, and Charlie Hankin, all performing for this free weekly show at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by Bret Davis (playing a new character at every show): The Tuesday Special

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Typically a mix of superb and so-so stand-ups (not announced) performing at this free weekly stand-up show with a weirdly low-energy vibe at the UCB East theatre typically hosted by Phil Hanley: 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

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 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, hosted by Jamie Aderski: Personality Disorder Character Jam

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT Green Room, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 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

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

[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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Open mic stand-up that's first come, first serve (signup starts at 8:30) and provides each performer 5 minutes—or 4 minutes plus 2 minutes of feedback!—at the Producer's Club (358 West 44th Street): Train Wreck Open Mic Stand-Up

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 David Frasure: Study H all