NYC Comedy Picks for Week of January 17, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/17/11

Unique, unforgettable, and hilarious stand-up/storyteller Daniel Kitson performs at Hot Tub Variety and Whiplash

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: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story...and if it's a good one, possibly be included in Kevin's popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 6:30 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's Motel Luca

7:00 pm ($5): Jenny Dunne and Rick Andrews improvise a single moment in two characters' lives again and again, exploring three parallel realities, and the difference that a look or tone can make; and duo improv by friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name, in the double-bill The Cascade and We're Matt Weir

[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Myka Fox, Ben Kronberg, Trevor Williams, Brandon Wardell, and Yannis Pappas performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): UK-based stand-up & storytelling genius Daniel Kitson, who flat-out should not be missed (and whose NYC theatrical show The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church has just two weeks left in its run, so if you want to see it buy your tickets soon), gorgeous Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC's American Chopper, Maxim and Cosmo Radio, So-Low Show; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Matt McCarthy & Oren Brimer presenting new & favorite shorts they've made (often with Pete Holmes) as Front Page Films, and musical duo Ronald Reagan 80s performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious new improv duo who should not be missed: John & Scott

8:00 pm ($5): Improv based on headlines from the amazing New York Post: Headless Body in Topless Bar

9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's fine house sketch comedy troupes, Gramp's and Onassis, trying out new bits at Maude Night

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Comics try out sketches, monologues, videos, and more at this laid-back show: Casual Sketch

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include UK-based stand-up & storytelling genius Daniel Kitson, who flat-out should not be missed (and whose NYC theatrical show The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church has just two weeks left in its run, so if you want to see it buy your tickets soon), John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Moshe Kasher (very funny LA-based stand-up; comedy CD Everyone you Know is Going To Die, And Then You Are), and more—guest-hosted by the wonderful Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills on this stand-up open mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/18/11

Moshe Kasher and Jessi Klein make wearing glasses super-cool tonight at 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:

7:00 pm ($5): Six improvisors play themselves on stage (similar to Naked in a Fishbowl) in Self Image ; and in the second half of this double-bill, eight improvisors trace the storylines of characters at a single event suggested by an audience member in Hell Buffalo

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($28 online using discount code TMANIA): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of comedy. Please note this is a sprawling, detail-packed theatrical show, not stand-up...and not for every taste. But whether you're ultimately grabbed by the story or not, it's worth experiencing if only for Daniel's lightning-quick flashes of humor. For example, at the performance I attended a woman sitting in the front row had the incredible gall to start reading. Daniel sweetly responded, "Ooh, that's a subtle yet effective form of criticism. I'm certainly not cross with you, just too nosy about what you're reading to plow on. Look, you're still reading. What a lack of faith you have in live entertainment." Place your faith in Daniel, check out write-ups in The New York Times by clicking here and here, and catch this show running every day except Mondays through January 30th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (38 Water Street): The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show, Jimmy Kimmel), colin jost (staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Baratunde Thurston (Web editor of The Onion), and Stone & Stone performing at the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends

8:00 pm ($10): A new show by Matthew Holtzclaw and Prakash Puru that "explores the bizarre worlds of magic, mind-reading, and mutilation; not for the faint of heart:" Strange Things

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Very Good Kiss, Dybbuk, Sandino, Ragnarock, and CAPTCHA; and at 11:00 pm UCBT students chosen by chance perform with veteran improvisors—all at Harold Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Reese Watere (Comedy Central), Carolina Hidalgo, Justin Murray, Ken Schultz, and Michael Shawki performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Moshe Kasher (very funny LA-based stand-up; comedy CD Everyone you Know is Going To Die, And Then You Are), Andrea Rosen (delightfully fearless stand-up and storyteller; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central's Stella, Variety SHAC, The Nights of Our Lives), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Matt McCarthy, Louis Katz, Max Silvestri, and "a surprise guest or two" performing stand-up at the Ace of Clubs (9 Great Jones Street, underneath Acme Bar & Grill) hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 1/19/11

Wonderful storytellers Sara Schaefer, Elna Baker, and more show & discuss childhood movies tonight 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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): Brilliantly talented cartoonists for The New Yorker and national comic strips compete for audience applause as they employ their quick wits and drawing skills to meet various comedic challenges in this wonderful show featuring Hilary Price (Rhymes With Orange), Eric Lewis (Animal Nuz, The New Yorker), Matt Diffee (The Rejection Collection, The New Yorker), and Drew Dernavich (The New Yorker)—plus a musical guest—hosted by delightful comic Patrick Borelli (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central)—all at Fisticuffs!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Doctors, writers, storytellers and/or nerds Naomi Azar (psychologist and yoga instructor), Johanna Clearfield (storyteller at The Moth), Seth Lind (host of storytelling show Told), Erin Barker (writer), Jefferson (writer), Steve Zimmer (computer programmer), and host Ben Lillie tell funny tales at this monthly show that tonight focus on a trimly subject for NYC's flu season—Pathology—at Brooklyn's Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue): The Story Collider

8:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories) hosting this free weekly NYC stand-up comedy show, with tonight's guests Liz Miele, Al Jackson, Joe List, Pat O'Shea, and Sara Jo Allocco—plus musical guests Ryan Roger & Jeff Gretz—performing at Brooklyn's Hank's Rootin' Tootin' Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic): Dive Comedy

8:00 pm ($5): Billy Eichner provides a fun, energy-filled show fueled by his love of celebrity pop culture in Billy Eichner Goes Pop! ; plus for the second half of this double bill, young talents perform a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops in The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Bruce Cherry, Kristeen von Hagen, Dan Hirshon, Chris Doucette, Elihu Dietz, and Lisa Kirchner performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Robin Fox, Adam Lehman, and Kara Klenk performing at the Bar-Tini Ultra Lounge (542 Tenth Avenue, between 40th & 41st Streets) for a free weekly gay-themed comedy show hosted by Adam Sank: That Sank Show

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A blowout lineup of phenomenal storytellers & comics—Elna Baker , Adam Wade, Sara Schaefer, and Seth Herzog—share movies they made as kids, along with highly entertaining tales about these cinematic masterpieces, at a very special edition of Jon Friedman's & guest host Mamrie Hart's wonderful The Rejection Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing 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. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/20/11

The irresistible Mamrie Hart demonstrates why she's a rising star tonight at her sketch show BoF: It’s Pronounced ‘Boaf’!...

...and improv giants Outlook of the Poet and Death by Roo Roo fight for the championship tonight at Cage Match

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm ($5): UCBT improv and sketch veteran and The Onion writer Eddie Brawley tries out new material in Eddie Brawley Unleashed

7:00 pm ($5): "Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack:" The Vigilante

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The unsinkable Mamrie Hart and her comedy partner Stephen Soroka are Best of Friends, and their new sketch show educates you about how to effectively promote it when you tell all your friends to see it: BoF: It's Pronounced 'Boaf'!; and in the other half of this double-bill, a two-man sketch show from very smart and somewhat nerdy comics Dan St. Germain (MTV; quick-witted rising star) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill) about history's most infamous rivalries in They Hated Each Other

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Arden Myrin (Mad TV), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Joe Schiappa (MTV), and other fine comics express themselves through poetry and dance in Dealing With My Feelings

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) An energetic regular on Chelsea Lately who's also appeared on Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, VH1, and his own Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jo Koy

8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors play with "elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde" in Sleepover

9:00 pm ($12): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central, co-host of Hot Tub Variety), Jesse Joyce (Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing), DC Benny (Comedy Central Presents), Ray Elkin, and more performing stand-up at Comedy Below Canal

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), and NYC including Jordan Carlos and Jon Rineman performing stand-up at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by recently engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A spectacular and unforgettable demonstration of the artful power of mime when combined with a wickedly sharp modern sensibility, executed with great wit and style. Street performers have given mime a bad rep; but if you think about it, what mime does is boil a situation down to its essential elements, and then express those elements in a manner that's instantly and universally understood. That's really what art is all about; and that's also what Billy the Mime does, often brilliantly. (For my review of his FringeNYC show in 2006, please click here.): Billy the Mime

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): A unique sports-themed stand-up, sketch comedy, and interview show hosted by Scott Rogowsky and Neil Janowitz that features both professional sports stars and comics doing sports-themed comedy: 12 Angry Mascots

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): The final showdown! Two of the finest improv troupes in the world, Death by Roo Roo (Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, John Gemberling, John Murray, Gil Ozeri, Gavin Speiller, and Mike Still) and Outlook of the Poet (Jon Gabrus, Ben Rodgers, and Gavin Speiller) square off to learn who Gavin Speiller really loves best as they compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/21/11

Aziz Ansari returns to UCBT—and brings along comedy super-stars—at The Super Secret Stand-Up Show; and
Pam Murphy (above) & Leslie Meisel perform the best double-bill you'll see anywhere: The C Word and Love Can Suck a Dick

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Fearless and hilarious stand-up/storyteller Andrea Rosen tests out a one-woman show that's sure to be special because Andrea is: Ding Dong Meow

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Hilary Schwartz, Pat O'Shea, Jenn Palumbo, Fariaz Rabbani, and Miguel Dalmau performing at Otto's Shrunken Head (538 East 14th Street, between Avenues A and B) hosted by Eric Vetter: No Name and A Bag O' Chips

7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Pamela Murphy proves herself to be a star in this not-to-be-missed autobiographical show that's the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT in the past year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Pam's work, please click here). Don't miss Jane Borden of Time Out New York's pick for Best Solo Show of 2010: Pamela Murphy: The C Word

...and for the other half of this double-bill, a delightful tale of heartbreak by Leslie Meisel—who manages the impressive feat of being adorable, sexy, and hilarious all at the same time, and is a sharp comedic talent very much worth keeping an eye on—quite ably abetted by co-writer Megan Neuringer in one of the smartest theatrical shows to grace UCBT this past year: Love Can Suck a Dick...and So Can I

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), Mike Lawrence (hilarious sharp-witted stand-up; John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show), plus the usual sketch comedy gang, and musical band Fortress of Solitude, all performing at Karma Lounge with hosts Pat Stango & Blaine Perry for this endearingly oddball monthly comedy show: Don't Touch Me There

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) An energetic regular on Chelsea Lately who's also appeared on Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, VH1, and his own Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jo Koy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show), Dan St. Germain (rising star; MTV, FUSE), Adrienne Iapalucci, Ben Kissel, and Harry Terjanian performing at Brooklyn's Coco 66 for hosts Nick Turner's & Jason Saenz's Too Cool for School

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC's American Chopper, Maxim and Cosmo Radio, So-Low Show; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central), Matt Ruby, Zach Sims, and Nate Fernald performing at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue) hosted by David Cope: Hot Soup

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comic's comic who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, HBO, FX's Louie, and three Comedy Central specials headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen's Class: The Harvard Sailing Team

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm:"In 2005, Oprah Winfrey invited Cicely Tyson to her house for lunch, but forgot to invite Ruby Dee. Then she forgot to invite Della Reese, Maya Angelou, and Phylicia Rashad, so she decided, instead, to do something only Oprah would: invited, like, a million famous black ladies to her California estate for a three-day weekend that included a luncheon, a black-tie gala, and a gospel brunch. All of it—from the excessive preparation to the actual ceremonies—was captured on camera for a two-hour special that is some of the most insane television you will ever see, featuring bad poetry, an Oprah trolley, and Ashanti trying to speak eloquently. Join comedian and blogger Eliot Glazer as he presents the footage live with commentary, special guests, surprises, and Oprah-style giveaways" at Brooklyn's Union Hall: Oprah's Legends Ball: The Deconstruction

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Aziz Ansari put together a stand-up line-up so spectacular that I'm not even allowed to tell you who'll be on it. Which means this is not to be missed: The Super Secret Stand-up Show

11:00 pm ($5): "Actors enter with cell phones, not knowing what the night will hold. Their job: To speak aloud whatever they hear through their earpieces. The phones start to ring and the real-time adventure begins. Spontaneous conversations, narrated journeys, and unique experiences overlap as the night's theme sporadically emerges: Line One

11:30 pm ($5): Five women performing an improvised, and possibly tipsy, parody of The View at Focus

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Sean Fennessey (Vibe, Spin, Pitchfork.com) is among tonight's guests joining "opinionated audiophile John Frusciante hosting a revolving panel of music-loving comedians, writers, and musicians for a live monthly discussion about the state of music past and present, what you should and shouldn't be listening to, and why KISS sucks so much. It is a guarantee that your favorite band will at some point be brought up, dissected, and either praised to the rafters or dismissed with the wave of a hand that knows how to properly handle vinyl:" Break Up Your Band

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/22/11

Stand-up star Jo Koy headlines at Carolines, while Sara Benincasa revives her storytelling show 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] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are Martin Dockery (Best of Fest winner at Winnipeg Fringe Festival), Jen Lee (The Moth Radio Hour), Andy Ross (The Onion News Network), and Robert Hurst (Moth GrandSlam). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8; might include free baked goods): Brilliantly funny writer/singer Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here), Jess Wood (HBO, Comedy Central), Katina Corrao, and Reese Waters telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at Ochi's Lounge for a show hosted by Sara Benincasa (CBS, CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs): Family Hour with Auntie Sara

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Becky Drysdale, and more—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors who've included writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comic's comic who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, HBO, FX's Louie, and three Comedy Central specials headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for three years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last year for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight's edition of Baby Wants Candy

[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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($5): Genius improvisor Ed Herbstman joins vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike—With Special Guest Ed Herbstman

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): An open contest to see who can create the most shockingly funny & filthy sketch running three minutes or less. If you're easily offended, don't even consider attending; but if you appreciate comedy that pushes the envelope without hurting anyone (with the possible exception of prudes), you'll applaud this wild, uninhibited breaking of taboos to get laughs. If a routine is dreadful (many will be), the festivities will be maintained by witty hosts John Flynn and John Frusciante at The Dirtiest Sketch in NYC Contest

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/23/11

Storyteller Ben Lillie debuts a one-man show about dating and the universe in Elliptical Orbits,
while Nick DiPaolo deals with more down to earth topics headlining at Gotham

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] 4:00 pm ($28 online using discount code TMANIA): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of comedy. Please note this is a sprawling, detail-packed theatrical show, not stand-up...and not for every taste. But whether you're ultimately grabbed by the story or not, it's worth experiencing if only for Daniel's lightning-quick flashes of humor. For example, at the performance I attended a woman sitting in the front row had the incredible gall to start reading. Daniel sweetly responded, "Ooh, that's a subtle yet effective form of criticism. I'm certainly not cross with you, just too nosy about what you're reading to plow on. Look, you're still reading. What a lack of faith you have in live entertainment." Place your faith in Daniel, check out write-ups in The New York Times by clicking here and here, and catch this show running every day except Mondays through January 30th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (38 Water Street): The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church

6:30 pm ($5): A new show auditioning at The Magnet with no posted description but a fun title that one hopes will be lived up to: Citizen Models

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), adorable Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Russell Simmons Presents; for dating tips, please click here), Nick Turner (co-host of Too Cool for School), and Sean Crespo (Onion News Network) performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Physicist turned storyteller Ben Lillie debuts a one-man show in which he observes "Understanding people: hard. Understanding physics: easy. Let's navigate the world of dating with an eye to the fundamental structure of the universe;" plus an original longform improvisation from troupe Flophouse "that starts with the cast confessing real sins and continues with the ensemble exploring these moral crimes on their way to salvation," in the double-bill Ben Lillie: Elliptical Orbits and Flophouse: The Confessional

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) An energetic regular on Chelsea Lately who's also appeared on Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, VH1, and his own Comedy Central special headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jo Koy

8:00 pm ($7): Mike DeStefano (finalist on this summer's Last Comic Standing), A.D. Miles (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), Nick Turner (co-host of Too Cool for School), and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Sam Morril, Sarah Tollemache, Sean O'Connor, and Joseph Rocha performing stand-up at The PIT for a free weekly show hosted tonight by Sean Donnelly and Chris Griggs: Cold Soda Comedy

[$] 8:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comic's comic who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, HBO, FX's Louie, and three Comedy Central specials headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Louis Katz, Chuck Roth, Jason Good, and Jordan Carlos performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Dan Soder, Jay Bois, Jeff Joseph, and John F. O'Donnell performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

9:30 pm ($5): Two improv groups compete for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with less well-known troupes, plus there's an escalating challenge component—at Magnet Inferno

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: A fine all-gal stand-up lineup of Helen Hong (Logo’s new series Setup Squad), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike TV), and Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy tonight hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($12 [vs. $20] at the box office by mentioning discount code FBTJD7): Chicago-based TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi are a widely acclaimed improv duo. This is the next-to-last evening of their four-night run at The Barrow Street Theatre: TJ & Dave

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