NYC Comedy Picks for Week of January 23, 2012

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/23/12

For tonight only, Jeffrey Sweet reprises his tales of Nichols & May, Del Close, and other legends of comedy history
in his fascinating one-man show You Only Shoot the Ones You Love

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 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 Carol Hartsell's & John Morrison's Motel Luca

[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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphyiscal Graffiti, High Times), and "a surprise guest (he has an accent)"—who I suspect is a visiting comic only off from his Brooklyn theatrical show on Mondays and whose name rhymes with Spaniel Blitzen, but I could be wrong—performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches, a sneak peek at Kurt's new IFC show, and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): Jeffrey Sweet, author of the seminal improv comedy book Something Wonderful Right Away, last year debuted his one-man FringeNYC show about Del Close, Nichols & May, Paul Sills, and other legendary comics whose work led to such comedy institutions as NYC's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, The Pit, and The Magnet. For this one night only, he's reviving the show at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop). For my full review, please click here. If you have any interest in improv comedy history, this is an event not to be missed: You Only Shoot the Ones You Love

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Rogowsky (writer for The Onion, co-host of 12 Angry Mascots) returns to The PIT upstairs theatre to host "a unique talk show experience that needs to be experienced to be experienced. There will be plenty of bits, skits, chits and chats, and maybe that pretty girl you saw on the 6 train last night will be in the audience! It's a big city, but you run into people," with tonight's wonderful guests Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake and Manhattan Cable Access' The Chris Gethard Show; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of new bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do), Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), and Gabe Delahaye (senior editor of Videogum.com): Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

8:00 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), and Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central's Ugly Americans) performing at UCB East hosted by Michael Che: Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

8:00 pm ($5): For this sketch double-bill at UCB Chelsea, first up is a a meta-comedy in which a real estate agent tries to convince a couple that the actual theatre you're in would be a great home for them. He does this by putting on a series of scenes that are presented as a random sampling of what UCBT has to offer but that, directly or indirectly, each promote the stage as a wonderful residence. It's a way fun idea—for a 5-minute sketch. However, this entire show is handled like a single multi-jointed sketch, and 30 minutes is a long time to essentially tell one joke. If the script was further developed to use the internal sketches as stepping stones to achieve a larger and emotionally compelling story, this could become something quite special. Even as is, though, it's great fun at the start; and if you find it wearing out its welcome after that, you'll still enjoy sporadic laughs from individual bits and performers—especially standouts Brandon Gulya and Brandon Scott Jones—in the a-bit-too-clever-for-its-own-good This is Not a Sketch Show—A Sketch Show...

...and second up is Sue Galloway performing a one-woman sketch show directed by UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern about women's magazines and "how to live the perfect life:" Pose

8:00 pm ($5, which includes FREE BEER): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), Kevin Barnett (College Humor), Mara Herron (Web series That Chick Mara Herron), Yannis Pappas (Carolines), and Sabrina Jalees performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's Sandbox Underground (257 Grand Street, near the L subway's Bedford stop) hosted by Mike Denny, Michael Che, and Nimesh Patel, and featuring free beer: Broken Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and the school's razor-sharp instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor

9:30 pm ($5): Two brand new UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: The Prom (which includes such talents as Sasheer Zamata, Stephen Soroka, Amber Nelson, and Ari Scott), and Everything Rabbits (which includes the lovely Violet Krumbein): Maude Night: The Prom & Everything Rabbits

9:30 pm ($5): Young improvisors at The PIT make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Long-form improv from troupe Casual Sex Offenders at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: CSO Improv Comedy

10:00 pm ($5): A new variety show in which comics perform characters, stand-up, and other bits at The Magnet hosted by Jon Bander: What's to Get?

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[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 & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Daniel Kitson, James Adomian, John Roy, and Erik Bergstrom—performing at UCB Chelsea hosted by comedy genius Chris Gethard: 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 at this stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/24/12

Tales of "The Wilderness" at The Story Collider; Saturday Night Live's Vanessa Bayer performs 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:

[FREE] 6:00 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 Robert Dean: The Dean's List

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Six stories about The WIlderness from Robin Gelfenbein, Kerri Doherty, Hallie Haglund, David Gelles, Maija Miemisto, and Ari Daniel Shapiro performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Erin Barker & Ben Lillie: The Story Collider

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The editors of The Onion—Joe Garden, Todd Hanson, and Baratunde Thurston—plus Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), and Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It) performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comic book industry pros Danny Fingeroth (The Stan Lee Universe) and Sam Ball (Joann Sfar Draws From Memory) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

8:00 pm ($5): Front Page Films (hilarious shorts by Pete Holmes, Matt McCarthy and Oren Brimer), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), and musical guest Matthew Hemerlein performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran: Hot Dang

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): Storyteller Martin Dockery (The Moth, The Liar Show; acclaimed as "fantastic" by The New York Times) performing a one-man show about LSD—or, as Martin describes it, "a comic monologue about peddling chemical truths"—at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop): The Bike Trip

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Mr. Crime, Very Good Kiss, Creature, Grandma's Ashes, and Deckard—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students perform scenes in which a very small occurrence can produce unpredictable and sometimes explosive results—all at Harold Night

8:00 pm ($5): This one-woman show at The PIT upstairs theatre "follows Leanne’s journey from Waukegan, Illinois to Vegas, baby! Doesn’t every woman want to move to Vegas, sell guns, and get married a few times? It would be completely made up if it weren't totally true:" Lady Luck is a Whore

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly show features "a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Mint Condition & Rosencrantz

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Vanessa Bayer (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), Eric Ledgin (staff writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), John Roy, Ashley Brooke, Roberts Zach Sims, Emily Heller, and Kristine Levine performing stand-up on tonight's topic of Hell for this new weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) hosted by Josh Gondelman & George Gordon: The Afterlife

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives), team up to create their special dark version of a comedy variety show at UCB East. Tonight's guests are Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), and Violet Krumbein (30 Rock, hilarious sketch comic): The Tony and Johnny Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.) Al Madrigal, Robert Kelly, Godfrey, and hosts Joe DeRosa & Jared Logan performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[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] 11:30 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 1/25/12

Stand-up & TV star D. L. Hughley headlines tonight and Thursday at Carolines; rising star Dan St. Germain
performs stand-up about social awkwardness and other misdemeanors at Bad at the Good Times

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with "15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Grappler, The Surge, Leviathan, The Wrath, Chet Watkins, Featherweight, Horses, and Brick performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with The Surge at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Storytelling from Kambri Crews (author of Burn Down the Ground), and stand-up from Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City), Adam Lehman (HereTV’s Hot Gay Comics, Stereotyped 101), and Katherine Williams (FringeNYC solo show Call Me) performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with hosts Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and Emily Epstein: Connotation

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy superstar (for a sample set, please click here) headlining tonight and Thursday at the Carolines Comedy Club: D. L. Hughley

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are first up as the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger; and then genius improvisors Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform as Outlook of the Poet

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7 at the door, or $8.44 in advance online—the latter is recommended because this show usually sells out): Genius storyteller/writer Elna Baker hosts New York Magazine's 2011 pick for Best Variety Show, with tonight's guests Dave Hill, Eugene Mirman, Stuckey & Murray, Shaina Feinberg, Glennis McCarthy, and more at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): The Talent Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Adam Wade, Anthony Atamanuik, Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Giulia Rozzi, and host Dave Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious at UCB Chelsea, with tonight's theme Body Issues: The Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm ($8): Sharp Storytellers performing at Happy Ending Lounge, 302 Broome Street (between Eldridge and Forsythe) hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned I'll Never Do That Again (Most Likely)

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically terrific NYC comics (not announced) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) typically hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film at UCB East as The Two-Man Movie

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Becky Yamamoto (rave reviews from The New York Times and The New Yorker; Supercream Supreme), Kristeen von Hagen (Showtime's Comics without Borders), Tom Dunlap, Paul Oddo, and improv troupe North Coast performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1) performs a stand-up show at UCB Chelsea in which he explains how he's Bad at the Good Times

[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: NYC comics (TBA) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this new talk & stand-up show hosted by Sarah Tollemache: Last Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: 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 lineup includes Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), Brandon Gulya (Stone Cold Fox, Sandino, This is Not a Sketch Show), and David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup); 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: 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

[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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/26/12

Julie Klausner and other stellar comics tell stories at Risk!; Kurt Braunohler tapes an episode of his IFC game show Bunk

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: Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam Champion, FringeNYC, co-host of The Standard Issues) is tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: MC Harold and The HOB Conference. These might be great or awful; but at $2.50 per show, you can't go far wrong either way. That's part of the fun of Spank

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC treasure Kurt Braunohler is the producer and host of this comedic "anti-game-show" game show that will soon be a TV series on IFC. It involves three comedic contestants being asked ridiculous questions so they can provide even more ridiculous answers. The winner, judged by Kurt, is then awarded points—which are meaningless, because no one ultimately wins and there are no prizes. Being taped tonight at The PIT downstairs lounge, it's Bunk

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): "If you were alive in the 70's, you may have attended some 'Key Parties' where you were randomly paired with someone to go home with and engage in free spirited coitus. (Today we either stay at home alone or congregate at an improv theater.) Key Party combines the 70's arrangement with modern anxiety, exploring the rich moments leading up to that act of coupling and the fallout that follows" at UCB East with stellar comics Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey (delightful old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm), and guest improvisors: Key Party; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv based on the iPods, CDs, and mp3 players provided by audience members, executed by superb performers Fran Gillespie, Ryan Karels, Megan Neuringer, Jesse Falcon, Silvija Ozols, Doug Moe, Lou Perez, Sue Galloway, and Emily Axford: Soundtrack USA

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a troupe specializing in meta-comedy—that is, comedy about the process of making comedy—performs their most meta show yet, which is billed as a "best of" show but actually is a series of internal spats that delay any of the promised sketches from being performed. It's smart and clever, and all four members of the group are highly appealing. But it's such a purely "from the head, not the heart" show that it feels increasingly repetitive and one-note as it goes on. I wish the guys had been less concerned with the purity of their one-joke idea and more with creating an emotional rollercoaster experience for the audience. (The reason their best sketch ever is a spelling bee for fart jokes is because it's a perfect blend of their conceptual approach with laugh-out-loud funny. Sadly, no such sketch is in this show...) If you like concept comedy, though, these guys are great at it; and you're likely to enjoy at least the first 10 minutes before the novelty wears off from Pangea 3000: 12 Years of Hard Work...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a witty and ultimately exhilarating exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman (who I had the great fortune of seeing about a decade ago as she walked around with zero clothing, like a glorious tigress, in broad daylight on the streets of the East Village): Naked People

8:00 pm ($5): Desiree Nash wrote and co-stars in a sketch show revolving around the comedic travails of dating: Check Please!

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (for tonight's lineup, please click here) performing at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman: Happy Sounds Comedy

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, Phooka, and Junior Varsity performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with Leviathan and The Wrath competing at 11:00 pm: The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this 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): Typically superb comics (not yet announced) performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker), Dave Rosinsky, Rae Sanni, Jeff Maurer and more performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for this weekly comedy show hosted by Sean Crespo & Dan Wilbur and produced by Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are Judy Gold (The Judy Gold Show: My Life as a Sitcom), Julie Klausner (author of I Don’t Care About Your Brand), Jeff Simmermon (NPR's This American Life), and Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Keep On The Grass)—performing at The PIT upstairs theatre to share tales on tonight's theme A Time When Things Were New at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!

9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on the UCB West stage—along with stand-ups Patrick Cassels, Boris Khaykin, Jamie Lee, and Jermaine Fowler, plus nerd rapper MC Chris—at CollegeHumor Live

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge for The Scene

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): One of the quickest and sharpest minds in comedy plays around with the audience in ways only he can at UCB East while developing new material for an international stand-up tour: Daniel Kitson: Work in Progress

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two vibrant improv troupes, Fuck That Shit and Creature, compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:15 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) bringing their A-game—because their sets are captured at this new monthly show as audition tapes—performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Grass Route

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/27/12

The irresistable Mamrie Hart mourns the passing of Jennifer Lopez at tonight's Celebrity Funeral...

...Ilana Glazer reveals herself at We're All Friends Here; Amy Schumer performs at the Eastville Comedy Club

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 start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine (Comedy Central) and Annie Lederman (Comedy Central): The Shinebox

7:00 pm ($5): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell "bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure" as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:00 pm ($5): All-gal Improvisors who've previously created viral sketch videos performing at The PIT downstairs lounge (and why this venue would "pit" two rare all-gal improv troupes opposite each other—see directly above—instead of placing them back to back is beyond me, but I hope a bit more thought goes into scheduling in the future...): Candy Slice Comedy

7:00 pm ($5): A Magnet one-man show by Justin Peters about—wait for it—condiments. "Mitch 'Packets' Franco has demonstrated condiments at groceries, farmers' markets, superstores, and gas stations in all 50 states; over the course of 25 minutes, he'll give you the inside squeeze on how all your favorite condiments are marketed, shipped, distributed, and sold; how to seduce a checkout girl; how to tell a supermarket by its odor; and other lessons learned during his wild life in America's grocery aisles:" Confessions of a Condiment Hustler

[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 more than earned the slot with its first Friday effort, This is Not Art, which was one of the very best comedy shows of 2011. This month it debuted its second show, Crisistown—which so far is a mixed bag. The good news is the cast has developed into one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough to be a star on his or her own. However, the writing on opening night was often sloppy and repetitive rather than tight and sharp. Perhaps the problem is the new format: "A scripted interactive comedy show that puts you, the audience, in charge. You get to vote on what happens next." It's a fun approach designed to tempt audiences to see the show repeatedly (just as people will return to a favorite improv group week after week). But it means generating a lot more material than will be performed on any given show; and spreading the writing out like that has, so far, resulted in a lot of weak scenes. The up side of the open-ended structure is it's never too late to improve the writing, and to even entirely replace dull scenes with great ones (and I'll be attending this show again at some point on the assumption it's evolving). But either way, between the material that's already solid and the all-star cast, this top troupe is continuing to deliver a quite enjoyable way to kick off your Friday evening: Stone Cold Fox: Crisistown

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

8:00 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comedy star you either love or actively avoid headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Tom Greene

[FREE] 8:00 pm: As a prologue to the upcoming improv tournament The Arena 2012, some of the best troupes who've participated in the past three years of the tournament perform at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena Pre-Game Show

[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] 8:30 pm ($5): This new Magnet improv show makes clever use of the Web: "Give us a topic, a name, a question on any subject and the cast—including ace improvisors Alex Marino and Jesse Falcon—will answer it using the full power of the Internet and the combined mental acumen of five intellectual juggernauts. Also, maybe some improv. What you will learn cannot be unlearned! What do you want to know?": Search Engine

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The unsinkable Mamrie Hart (rising star who's snared over 235,000 visits to date with her Harry Potter viral video) hosts eulogies at UCB East for singer/actress/almost can see your vagina fashion pioneer Jennifer Lopez, with participants Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, Steve Soroka, Carla Rhodes, Eliot Glazer, Mary Grill, and many more: Celebrity Funeral: Jennifer Lopez

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 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): Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The BTK Band and The Majestic Sword team up to bring you an epic tale: "Atop a mountain in Scotland, a bolt of lightning split in two and simultaneously struck a group of traveling misfit improvisors and a band whose van had stalled on the side of the road. The groups merged to form an unholy alliance of heavy metal, righteous licks, kick ass beats, and down home dirty improv. The BTK Band and The Majestic Sword will create a fully realized rock opera before your eyes that you will never, ever forget" at The PIT downstairs lounge: An Improvised Rock Opera

9:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team) Clayton Early (Harvard Sailing Team), and Chris Roberti (New Excitement) at The PIT upstairs theatre, plus stand-up, music, and more: The Monster Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jim Tews ("beaten as a kid"), Ilana Glazer ("everyone's fuck buddy"), and Emily Heller ("not a boy") performing sets and then being interviewed about their personal lives at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand (who says "all these guys were hand-picked because they're funny and have some serious problems; when you read this lineup you're gonna be like 'oh yeah, that guy is a mess'"): We're All Friends Here

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

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

10:30 pm ($5): NYC comics (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[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, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[FREE] Midnight: 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

[FREE] Midnight: This show typically isn't much fun for audience members—which is why it hasn't been on the UCBT schedule for a long time—but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/28/12

Tom Green headlines at Carolines; Amy Schumer performs at Eastville

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 at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Secret Crush, Old Timey Radio, and Honey at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic storytelling at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Eugene Aston-Gonzalez: 1001 Nights

[FREE...plus FREE DINNER!] 7:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Justy Dodge (co-host of Too Much Information on comicalradio.com; "I was kind of a tomboy growing up. Like, I had Barbies, but only because my Ninja Turtles needed bitches;" for dark bio video, please click here), Rob Stern (co-host of Gutbucket), and more performing stand-up at CultureFix (9 Clinton Street; take F subway to Delancey or J/M/Z to Essex) hosted by Aaron Glaser & Danny Jolles...plus "come early and get some free dinner! CultureFix opens its one pot staff dinner to the public, but you gotta get there early cause it goes fast. Last time it was shrimp stew over grits; CultureFix does not fuck around:" Comedy Night at CultureFix

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, Brandon Gardner, Jed Resnik, and/or other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions at UCB Chelsea all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($5): The wonderful Ryan Karels (Krompf, Radio Rogue) hosts a live podcast interview show at UCB East with guests "who put the ordinary in extraordinary" (I think that's supposed to be a compliment, somehow): Radio Rogue: The Roguing

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnet making up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups are invited to perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can't even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Kelly Fastuca, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short: Underbelly

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comedy star you either love or actively avoid headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Tom Green

[$] 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 Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Orlando Jones

8:30 pm ($10): Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing), Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Michael Che, and Team Submarine (comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien; SketchFest NYC) 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 ($7): Musical improv from one of The Magnet's best troupes: Choral Rage

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Hilarious sketch duo Chris O'Neill and Paul Valenti describe themselves as "vaudeville gold for a 2010 crowd." Whatever. They're funny. Especially the bit with the nose. Come catch their brand new material tonight at The PIT upstairs theatre: Chris and Paul Present: Recognition

9:30 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers at The PIT downstairs lounge: Rap Crimes Division

[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 to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: 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] 10:00 pm (sold out online, there might be some standby $5 tickets at the door): Stand-up and burlesque are weirdly blended together at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): Pat Dixon's (Nearly) Naked Lady Hour: Now with Bacon Bar

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): A Third Year Anniversary improv show at The Magnet for troupe Lead McEnroe

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A talk show at UCB East hosted by the razor-sharp writer/performers of Pangea 3000 (who also write for The Onion), with typically non-standard guests (not announced): The Night Night Show with Pangea 3000

Midnight ($5): Two sketch troupes, Dinner For One and Chowdah, competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

[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

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) participate in the fake taping of a bad late-night TV comedy show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Brad Steuernagel: Comedians Off Of the Leash

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/29/12

Comedy genius Ed Herbstman and top theatre actors at Melanie Hoopes' very special mix
of comedy, theatre, and simulated live radio: Laurie Stanton's Sound Diet

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

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Killer lineup of Bobby Moynihan (long-time cast member of Saturday Night Live and UCBT superstar), James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Julie Klausner (razor-sharp comic & storyteller, and author of I Don't Care About Your Band), and Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City) participating in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): An extraordinary event that happens only once every few months at The Magnet, this show mixes the style of live radio with the depth of classic theatre and the energy of stage comedy to create something unique and unforgettable. It's written and produced by Melanie Hoopes, and stars Melanie, her genius improvisor/actor husband Ed Herbstman, and top Broadway & off-Broadway actors. Tonight's theme is Watch Your Mouth. Be sure to reserve tickets because this is likely to sell out: Laurie Stanton's Sound Diet

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBwest'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

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

8:00 pm ($7): NYC stand-ups Giulia Rozzi, Greg Johnson, Gabe Liedman, and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City), Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh and The I Like You Too Show; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here), Kevin McCaffrey (TruTV's The Smoking Gun), Kristine Levine (IFC's Portlandia), and Rojo Perez performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

9:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Seaton Smith, Dan Goodman, and more performing at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Matt Ruby, Kara Klenk, Reid Faylor, Dave Waite, and Kristine Levine performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two wonderfully skilled improvisors team up for one night only at The Magnet—Ed Herbstman (co-owner of The Magnet, and winner of the 2011 Friar's Club $10,000 prize for best improv team [with Jason Mantzoukas]) and David Razowsky (former artistic director of The Second City Los Angeles): Razowsky & Herbstman

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Yamaneika (TruTV, BET), Hadiyah Robinson (BET, The Monique Show), and Frank Liotti performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

10:30 pm ($5): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Charmingly silly & very funny performer Brandon Gulya can also be a charming & very funny writer. Hence this one-man show he's hoping will make his career (and which I've missed due to deadlines but will finally catch in early February): Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon

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