NYC Comedy Picks for Week of January 14, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/14/13

Kerri Doherty joins Adam Wade in tellilng stories at Under St. Marks; Colin Quinn polishes a new show at Unconstitutional

Also, if you missed last night's Golden Globes, please watch the opening of luminous hosts Tina Fey & Amy Poehler here

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories) hosts this weekly hour-long open mic storytelling show, with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 6-7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge: Cammi Climaco's Storytelling Open Mic

6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics, no cover for audience with code HyReviews, plus 1-drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O'Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), along with guest storyteller Kerri Doherty (host of Geeking Out) at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

[$] 7:30 pm ($15): Singer/sketch performer/downtown cult figure Tanya O'Debra "lends her voice to 10 different characters while simultaneously staging live Foley sound effects in this filthy, filthy, dirty 1940’s radio detective spoof; just like the golden age of radio, only dirtier, running for one hour with no intermission" at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th Street): Radio Star

7:00 pm ($5): A variety show mixing sketch, stand-up, music, and improv (sadly, this month's guests haven't been announced) at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by all-gal improv troupe Gypsy: The Mélange

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn looks at US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at UCB Chelsea as part of his process to perfect a new one-man show for mass audiences: Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional: A Work in Progress

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Key & Peele), and Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), plus musical guest Mike Doughty, performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) guest-hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS, host of ComedyJuice): Night Train

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Kicking off this film-based double-bill at UCB East is ace director Todd Bieber (razor-sharp Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com) "cutting down a film to 25 minutes, removing its audio, and adding our own music and audio cues live, and dialogue live via improvisors Brandon Scott Jones, Leslie Meisel, and D'Arcy Carden:" Rewrite Movie Night; and then a cast of talented improvisors springboard off an audience suggestion to create The Improvised Documentary

[$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardi Fuqua: John Mulaney, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, and More

8:30 pm ($7): Sketch troupe Shelby Company performs oddball bits for this Magnet sketch show show that in the past has included two-timing monsters and presidential ninjas: Ephemerama

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), and stand-ups Adam Conover, Jacqueline Novak, Lance Weiss, and Matt Ruby performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, trutV; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1; for sample of Carolyn as white rapper, please click here), Jake Young, Greg Warren, and Matt Maragno performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway's Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che: Broken Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new bits: Fambly (which includes wonderful rising stars Bridey Elliott and Mamrie Hart, plus Dan Chamberlain, Veronica Osorio, and a sharp crew of writers), and Bellevue: Maude Night: Fambly and Bellevue

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

9:30 pm ($5): 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), and Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Marina Franklin, Greer Barnes, and More

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

[FREE] 10:30 pm: 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone wonderful: Whiplash

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/15/13

Character genius Nick Kroll's new Comedy Central sketch show is previewed tonight for free at Carolines...

...Reggie Watts performs at Brooklyn's The Moon Show, and Jackie Kashian performs at The Afterlife and Sweet

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] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC-based comic book artist Neil Dvorak (Easy Pieces) joining 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: Comic Book Club

7:00 pm ($5): Stand-up, sketch, storytelling, maybe juggling—it's an "anything can happen" variety show at The PIT downstairs lounge, with regulars Amber Nelson, Molly Austin, Mike Brown, Shamikah Martinez, and Shak Standley: The Big Pony Show

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($7.37 if you use code BREAKOUT online or by phone, plus 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on MTV, co-hosts Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, and runs the popular blog Sandpaper Suit, headlines for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Matt Ruby

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes A Sparrow, Rocks, and Guthrie at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central special, IFC's Comedy Bang Bang, Electric Company; for video samples, please click here), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Chris Rozzi, and The People vs. Larsen performing at Brooklyn's Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, and Tim Skinner, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Lynn Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: John Mulaney, Lynne Koplitz, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Shannon O'Neill (comedy genius), Morgan Grace Jarrett (wonderful comedic actress), Lydia Hensler (member of red-hot improv troupe Grandma's Ashes), and/or Brandon Scott Jones (top sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox, red-hot improv troupe Grandma's Ashes) host a showcase of female comics at UCB East who tonight are Bethany Hall (stand-up), Stephanie Streisand (storytelling), Tamsi & Samsi (sketch), and D'Arcy Carden (can do anything): Ladies Night: Men Welcome

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Shane Mauss (Comedy Central Presents), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Phoebe Robinson (TV Guide’s 100 TV Shows To See Before You Die and 25 Biggest Reality Star Blunders, Huffington Post), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), J-L Cauvin, Kevin Saucier, and Shalewa Sharpe celebrate host Josh Gondelman's birthday at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon: The Afterlife

8:00 pm ($10): NYC's only episodic monthly burlesque show, featuring a different script each month and a rotating cast, tonight presents a Sherlock Holmes tribute: "The famous residents of 221B Baker Street have departed London and are investigating an international web of mystery whose strings all lead back to The Home for Wayward Girls and Fallen Women. Will even the brilliant mind of Sherlock Holmes and the dogged friendship of his trusted companion Dr. Watson be enough to unravel the clues before some evil falls on Cherry Pitz, the grand dame of The Home?" Find out with award-winning storyteller Cyndi Freeman and friends performing at R Bar (218 Bowery, off Prince Street): Hotsy Totsy Burlesque: A Study in Pink

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the wonderful Joe Pera, Dan Licata, and Charles Gould: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[TOP PICK] [FREE, plus chance at prizes; call (212) 757-4100 to reserve seats] What may well end up being the best sketch comedy series to appear on Comedy Central since Chappelle's Show debuts tomorrow night at 10:30 pm. You don't have to wait for comedy genius Nick Kroll's new series, though, because the network is throwing a free screening tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club. It's not entirely without cost—you have to sit through an episode of Workaholics. But that's a price well worth paying to enjoy the kickoff of Kroll Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Yannis Pappas, and other stand-ups perform—with composer Matt Garrisona's four-piece jazz band playing in the background!—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Mike Finoia: Code Name

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes The Regulars, Bucky, and GoodGirl—plus advanced improv students "are going to challenge themselves by performing a show that they only just learned," summed up as Instant Gratification—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from brilliant, fearless, and innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives). Tonight Tony has been kidnapped by gypsies; "They've cursed the show and have an enough babies to toss at every member of the audience!" Plus there'll be stand-up from guests Bridey Elliott (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Witstream, Fambly), Justin Shanes (writer for Jimmy Fallon), and Phil Hanley (Jay Leno), all at UCB East produced by Andy Rocco: The Tony Show: Gypsies, Scramps, and Sleeves

9:30 pm ($10): A dozen improvisors make up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre: Musical Improv Spectacular

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Shane Mauss (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, Showtime), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Kendra Cunningham (Jimmy Fallon, The Tyra Banks Show, Law & Order), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS): ComedyJuice

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Big Jay Oakerson, Nick Griffin, and More

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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 1/16/13

Canadian Ophira Eisenberg and more tell joyous stories about Canada at Yum's the Word;
author Dan Wilber and more share sad tales of failure at The Rejection Show

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: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Dr. Champagne, Bloomer, Horses, Brick, Nintendo, The Wrath, Flower Girl, and Chet Watkins, performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Horses at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

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

7:00 pm: Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), JL Calvin (Craig Ferguson), Truen Kirk, and Josh Gondelman performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm show ($8 online or at the door with code POUTINE—which includes free slices of homemade ice cream cakes!): Superb storytellers Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another), Melanie Hamlett (brilliant storyteller/writer; Moth Grandslam Champion, Marie Claire Magazine, amazing blog, roving adventurer), Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSlam finalist), and Slash Coleman (PBS) telling tales about this month's theme Canadians at the Le Poisson Rouge's The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Robin Gelfenbien (storyteller and singer/songwriter; VH1, AMC, Sirius Radio, acclaimed one-woman show at FringeNYC) and that includes free ice cream cakes made by Robin herself: Yum's the Word

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

8:00 pm ($5): Sketch troupe Boat performs 30 minutes of bits at Boat: Comedic Sketches...

...and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, a two-man sketch show by Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp that very loosely springs off the real events of the title but is mostly meta-comedy. I would've preferred something meatier, especially given the fascinating subject—436 people killed by a tiger whose damaged teeth made it difficult to eat anything other than humans—but there's lots of energy and performance talent here, making this a solid first-time effort: Maneater: The True Story of the Champawat Tigress

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): Tom Papa, Jermaine Fowler, Gregg Rogell, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Mike Dobbins (unique stream-of-consciousness stand-up), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Dan Goodman, J. F. Harris, Jim Tews, and Lawson Leong performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully invent scenes (hopefully without any fighting) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Comedic writers, storytellers, and stand-ups sharing their tales of failure, with tonight's guests Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Dan Wilbur (author of How Not to Read), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories) performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street), with music from Stuckey & Murray & The Defibulators, at Jon Friedman's wonderful The Rejection Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): Ted Alexandro, Jessica Kirson, Gary Gulman, and More

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regular Suspects

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): The Nasty Show: Big Jay Oakerson, Kurt Metzger, Jermaine Fowler, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/17/13

John Flynn performs one of the best one-man shows you'll see this year for the final taping of his first comedy album;
rising star Sasheer Zamata & her troupe Doppelganger will work hard & smart for your laughs at a fierce Cage Match

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker (hosts of Failing Our Twenties) guest-host tonight's open mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress (which regular host John Flynn is over at UCB Chelsea performing a stellar one-man show—please see the 8:00 pm listings): Oh, Hey Guys!

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

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Fran Gillespie, Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Tim Martin, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot (formerly named Diamond Lion): KOSMOS Musical Improv

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): John Flynn (superb storyteller/actor/host; The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling show Oh, Hey Guys!) delivers one of the best one-man shows you're likely to see anywhere, spinning a series of hilarious stories about his experiences growing up gay that are universal, tightly written, and performed with exceptional skill. Don't miss this last chance to be a part of history and have your laughs recorded for this taping for John's comedy album at the UCB Chelsea theatre: John Flynn's Live Comedy Album Taping

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August's FringeNYC it's been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Todd Barry, Gary Gulman, and More

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

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Junion Varsity, Featherweight, The Boss, and Hello Laser performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by The Blackout (scenes are edited by blackouts created by the director in the booth, and the stage is set by the improvisers from the previous scene), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), tonight featuring Weekend of Regret vs. Flower Girl: The Magnet's Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Great lineup of Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS, host of ComedyJuice), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; I recently saw him sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), Sandy Danto (Mad TV), James Harris, and Shalwewa Sharpe performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Comedy duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney perform new sketches at UCB Chelsea, as well as host stand-up and improv guests: BriTANicK: The Monthly Mankerthon

9:30 pm ($8): Gal duo Tamsi & Samsi (Tamsi New & Samantha Reece Schecter) perform sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre, offering helpful advice on How to Be Nice, Pretty and Invisible

[FREE] 9:30 pm: All-gal improv troupe Vacation makes stuff up about battling the post-holiday winter blues at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Vacation Fights the Sads

[$] 10:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sam Morril (Comedy Central) and Andy Hendrickson performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Jena Friedman, Sherrod Small,and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight's victim the awesome 1975 Hong Kong rip-off of Japan's Ultraman: Infra-man (self-described as "six million light years beyond believability;" for a trailer, please click here)—at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Doppelganger (Sasheer Zamata, Nicole Byer, and Keisha Zollar) has proved itself to be one of the most organic and fiercely funny improv groups in the country. Tonight it goes up against a UCBT weekend troupe, What I Did For Love, that typically includes UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), and Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion). The foundations of UCB Chelsea will quake as these titans compete for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1; for sample of Carolyn as white rapper, please click here), Joe List (Comedy Central), and Harry Terjanian (Andy Kaufman Award finalist) perform for a showcase of NYC stand-ups not yet represented by a manager or agent at UCB East hosted by Luke Thayer & JL Cauvin: Unmanageable Stand-Ups

[TOP PICK] [$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Lynn Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Syle), Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), and Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV): The Nasty Show: Jay Oakerson, Lynn Koplitz, Paul Mecurio, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/18/13

Todd Barry and Reggie Watts perform at a spectacular edition of Annie Lederman's free Brooklyn Pirate Party

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor; author of YA novel The Symptoms of My Insanity; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), Matt Graham, and Megan Sass are tonight's pro talent for this half-booked and half open mic comedy & music show in which the audience provides written feedback to the performers. "Do you like to offer advice to comedians? Come on down and be the armchair critic you love to be!" Or if you're a performer, "At your request, guest assholes and designated hecklers will chop you down. Not for the faint of heart!" Join them & critique them at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street). B.Y.O.P. (Bring Your Own Pen) hosted by comedic singer Jessica Delfino (albums Dirty Folk Rock, I Wanna Be Famous; YouTube animated hit I Wanna Be Famous): Timbre Comedy Show & Workshop

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Darrell Hammond (famed long-time cast member of Saturday Night Live), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Tony Woods (David Letterman), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Darrell Hammond, Jessica Kirson, and More

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

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), plus a bunch of lesser-known stand-ups, perform at Saloon NYC (1585 York Avenue, off 84th Street) hosted by Ben Rosen: Stand-Up at Saloon

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Nate Dern and Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom. I haven't yet seen this latest all-new sketch show, but am hoping the writing lives up to the on-stage talent: Stone Cold Fox: All Keyed Up

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.):A TV & movie star who was a cast member of Mad TV headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Orlando Jones

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Karl Custer, a.k.a., Uncle Yo, debuts a show based on his podcast We Are the Geek at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Uncle Yo: Ecto-Kitt Lorean

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($49 & 2-drink min.): An acerbic stand-up star who's appeared on Oprah, Jay Leno, Bill Maher, The View, and many other TV shows—and several films, to boot—headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Sommore

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: A "wow" lineup of Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central special, IFC's Comedy Bang Bang, Electric Company; for video samples, please click here), Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Maddog Mattern (Sirius Radio, Howard Stern TV; to see Maddog handle a heckler, please click here), Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased, Comedy Central), Joe List (Comedy Central), and Andy Hendrickson performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Annie Lederman, followed by wild Karaoke: Pirate Party

8:30 pm ($7): Sketch comedy and more focused on US politics at The Magnet theatre: The Great American Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:45 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Lynn Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Tony Woods (David Letterman), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Judah Friedlander, Lynne Koplitz, Gary Gulman, and More

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A gathering of comedic musicians, who tonight are Killy "mockstar" Dwyer, and Squirm & Germ & Taylor, performing at UCB East hosted by superb musical group Summer & Eve (for samples, please click here): Earworm Funny Music Party Show

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, and Marcus Parks of Cave Comedy Radio's Last Podcast On The Left "explore the dark recesses of humanity, both real and imagined, via short films, clips from favorite features, and audio spookiness" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Last Podcast on the Left Live

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Screening of bits from VH1's Best Week Ever featuring such Creek regulars as Jared Logan, Dan St. Germain, Michael Che, Pat Dixon, Nick Turner, and lots more at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Best Week Ever Premiere Party

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), 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; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Lynn Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Ted Alexandro, Lynn Koplitz, and More

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), John Flynn (rising star storyteller/actor; Saturday Night Live, The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling show Oh, Hey Guys!), Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Brendan Fitzgibbons (Bravo), and more performing at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Emily Axford, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

11:00 ($5): Comics (not announced) are talk show guests at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Paul Gutkowski (for a brief video promo, please click here): Sex in the Late Night Air

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

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

Midnight ($5): Screenings at UCB East (which used to be an indie film theatre) of brand new comedy videos that haven't yet been released, tonight focusing on material from UCB video team Scraps and UCBComedy.com: Test Screening

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:15 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Russ Meneve (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno), Tony Woods (David Letterman), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Lynn Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style): Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Nikki Glaser, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/19/13

MST3K's Frank Conifff and more perform a staged reading in Brooklyn of literary classic Pretty in Pink...

...sketch comics base comedy on verbatim excepts from the Web at Blogologues; and
fierce competitor Judah Friedlander performs at Comedy Cellar, Eastville, and The Stand

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

6:00 pm ($5): An improvised musical made up on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge by The Shady Bunch

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Sam & Pat, Gunther, and Johnny Velvet & The Moonbeams at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

7:00 pm ($5): Layer by layer, improvisers build a town based on an audience member’s suggestion for the town’s name, while artist Asher Rogers paints a large map of the town based on the improvisers’ descriptions. This cool-sounding new show is at The PIT downstairs lounge: Our Town

7:00 pm ($5): Sharp improv troupes not affiliated with any school/theatre performing at UCB East for Indie Improv Showcase

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5 at the door or $7.63 online): Mystery Science Theater 3000's Frank Conniff and more perform a staged reading based on a John Hughes literary masterpiece at Brooklyn's Union Hall: Pretty in Pink

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Darrell Hammond (famed long-time cast member of Saturday Night Live), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Judah Friedlander, Ted Alexandro, Darrell Hammond, and More

7:30 pm ($7): Sharp Magnet improvisors "perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:" The Weave

7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here

8:00 pm ($19.62 in advance online, $18 at the door): A sketch troupe uses actual material on the Web, performed verbatim, as the foundation for comedy sketches, with this latest series focused on New Year's health & fitness resolutions. For a video sample, please click here; and if you're intrigued, come see the show live at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place), which is running Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday through January 26th: Blogologues Health & Fitness: Kale In Me Softly

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.):A TV & movie star who was a cast member of Mad TV headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Orlando Jones

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

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

8:00 pm ($5): Political-based sketch, debate, and improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: Electoral Dysfunction

8:30 pm ($10): Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), Sarah Tollemache (immortal story That's Not My Shit), Anton Shuford, Anthony Devito, and Andrew Short performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): The debut of a unique show in which improvisors speak non-English languages. The first group, which includes Chris Grace, makes up scenes in Mandarin. The second group, which includes Oscar Montoya, improvises in Spanish. "No English will be used!" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Say What?—Improv Without English

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 9:15 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Judah Friedlander, Ted Alexandro, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, Mark Normand, and More

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): "Musical sketch comedy that skewers and dissects pop culture one roll of the dice at at time" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pop Roulette

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): A small army of comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:" Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($5): At UCB East, improv troupe Sandino—which includes Aaron Jackson, Brandon Gulya, Don Fanelli, and Kate Riley—interviews an audience member about some puzzle and then acts out scenes providing an unexpected answer: Sandino: Unsolved Mysteries

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($20 plus 2-drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Yannis Pappas performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Big Jay Oakerson, and More

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): Dave Attell, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, and More

11:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college but tonight performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

Midnight ($5): Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, Andy Kaufman Award finalist) hosts a variety show at UCB East that's a mix of forms, with tonight's performers Meghan O'Keefe (stand-up), Athos Cakiades (monologue), Elemental Wizard (music), and improv jams with teams led by Amey Goerlich, Sharon Spell, Mo Pula, Steve Ling, Alex Pereira, and Julia Morales: The Soul Glo Project

Midnight ($5): Sketch troupes Coker & Stratton and Ibish Comedy compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

Midnight ($5—or free if you show up in a costume): "A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv at The PIT downstairs lounge. Incorrigible performers team up to turn down the lights, slip into something a little more comfortable, and spend the good part of an hour tickling your funny boners. Beware of partial nudity, strong sexual themes, and the possibility to be dragged on stage for a not-so-wholesome game of Truth or Dare:" Yes, Yes, Yes...And

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

[$] 12:45 am ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View): Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Nikki Glaser, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/20/13

Rising superstar Amy Schumer's at the 8:45 show, and razor-sharp Neal Brennan's at the 10:30 show, of 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:

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

[FREE] 5:30 pm: A smorgasbord of of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Chris O'Neil: Mishmash Variety Hour (and a Half)

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

6:00 pm ($8): A sketch comedy troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: Bridge & Tunnel: A Sketch Show

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a show looking at US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[$] 7:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Sam Morril (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1): Rachel Feinstein and More

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS, host of ComedyJuice), Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV's Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), and more performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors—including the wonderful the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at FringeNYC; brilliant writer, actress, and improvisor)—make up a one-act play on the spot at The Magnet theatre: Tonight's Performance

[$] 8:00 pm ($49 & 2-drink min.): An acerbic stand-up star who's appeared on Oprah, Jay Leno, Bill Maher, The View, and many other TV shows—and several films, to boot—headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Sommore

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Amy Schumer, Judah Friedlander, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Bonnie McFarlane (Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Noah Gardenswartz, and more performing stand-up, plus music from Shakir Standley, at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by Ben Kissel & Kevin Barnett: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), Reid Faylor (co-host of hilarious Creek show Underbelly), Kevin Saucier, Kunal Arora, Brendan Eyre, Steve Forrest, and Matt O'Meara performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

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

9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy at The Magnet, tonight from troupes Jacktown and Dispacho: Magnet Sketch Teams

[ALMOST FREE] 9:30 pm ($1): Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central), and Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Neal Brennan, Marina Franklin, and More

[$] 12:15 am ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Andy Hendrickson performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Nikki Glaser, Gary Gulman, and More

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