NYC Comedy Picks for Week of January 30, 2012

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/30/12

Broadway actress Tracee Chimo (to the left of Amanda Peet & David Duchovny) and
Michael O'Brien (writer for Saturday Night Live) are among the stars at tonight's Gravid Water

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 stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of The Adam Wade Show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) hosts a show at The Magnet that's "like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption," with tonight's guests Catherine Pappas, Hillary Rea, Rob Hurst, and Amy Bennett: Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars Tracee Chimo (Circle Mirror Transformation, The Five-Year Engagement, Irena's Vow on Broadway), Maggie Lacey (Broadway actress in Our Town, Dividing the Estate, Inherit the Wind), Cristin Milioti (30 Rock; Broadway actor in Coram Boy, Lieutenant of Inishmore, Once), Stephen Ruddy (Skype Duet, Chekhov's Gun), and Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night, Maladies) mixing it up with stellar improvisors Michael Delaney (Conan O'Brien, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Stepfathers), Becky Drysdale (Baby Wants Candy, Let's Have a Ball, One Woman in Several Pieces), and Michael O'Brien (Saturday Night Live, 7 Minutes in Heaven) as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at UCB Chelsea for actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor for FOX's Bob's Burgers, Comedy Central's Ugly Americans, Adult Swim's Assy McGee and Home Movies, and numerous other shows), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), and Damien Lemon (Russell Simmons Presents) performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches 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

8:00 pm ($5): This monthly show at UCB East describes itself as featuring "the next generation of performers who epitomize Andy Kaufman's alternative, bizarre, and envelope-pushing sense of humor." Tonight's guests are NYC stand-ups Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award), Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio), and Dan Crossley, capped off by a short Andy Kaufman film: Andy Kaufman's Fun House

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Matt Ruby, Jermaine Fowler, JF Harris, and more performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway's Nassau Avenue stop) guest-hosted tonight by Kate Hendricks: Broken Comedy

8:00 pm ($10): Twins Todd & Adam Stone perform stand-up and more at this monthly show at The PIT, along with comedy guests (not announced): Stone and Stone Show

[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: Charlemagne (which includes such talents as Leslie Meisel) and Beige: Maude Night: Beige & Charlemagne

[FREE] 9:30 pm: An improv show that asks you to drop written suggestions into a box before it begins and then dips into the collection of suggestions throughout to propel new scenes: The Drop Box

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host .Pat O'Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors "for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens" at The Magnet hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss

10:00 pm ($5): Rob Lathan (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, ABC, Stinson's Awesome Movie Night) and more performing at UCB East hosted by Chris Wilkes (Thunder Gulch): After Dark

[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 haven't yet been announced, but you can check for an update here—performing at UCB Chelsea and probably 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 1/31/12

Christopher Weingarten, Senior Editor of Spin magazine, is at Tell Your Friends;
Alex Segura, writer of Archie Meets KISS, joins the super-hosts of Comic Book Club...

...and top improvisors, including Fran Gillespie, Amey Goerlich, Silvija Ozols, and Sasheer Zamata,
raise funds for a good cause at Pups at The PIT

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): Some of the finest improvisors in NYC—Fran Gillespie (The Law Firm), Amey Goerlich (Krompf), Silvija Ozols (The Stepfathers), Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger), Dan Hodapp (The Scene), Oscar Montoya (Local 154, Aquarius), and Chris Roberti (Stranger) —get together for one night only to perform a fundraiser for dog rescue and adoption at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pups at the PIT

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 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 Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street), it's Bunk

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A music-centric edition, with Christopher Weingarten (Senior Editor at Spin magazine, former drummer for Parts & Labor) and a "surprise rock 'n roll guest," plus stand-ups Shane Mauss (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Chris DeLuca (creator of Spike TV's sitcom MoCap LLC), and Laura Prangley performing at Lolita Bar produced by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comic book industry pros Alex Segura (Archie Meets KISS) and Eric Grundhauser (Dungeon Masters) 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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Okay—this is a big deal...but I can't tell you who is on it. It's a secret. The lineup is so talented that we cannot reveal their identities lest we be mobbed and pestered before the event. Treat yourself, you deserve to see comedy history." Your guess is as good as mine regarding this mysterious show at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by who knows who: Secret Stand-Up Showcase

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Dance Break, Mr. Crime, Still Mike, Sandino, and Very Good Kiss—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): NYC stand-ups Billy Wayne Davis, Matt Koff, Arthur Meyer, Andrew Short, and Reid Faylor performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran: Hot Dang

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: Rosencrantz and BEEES!

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up; staff writer for David Letterman), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), NIck Stevens (VH1, AMC, ESPN), 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.): A special "let's practice our sets for the Montreal Comedy Festival" show, with stand-ups Mark Normand (hilarious; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Phoebe Robinson, Emily Heller, Annie Lederman, Jamie Lee, George Gordon, Jeff Wesselschmidt, Ryan Conner, Dan goodman, and Nate Fridson performing for this weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) tonight hosted by Erin Judge: The Afterlife: Journey to Canada

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by twins Adam & Todd Stone, who for this weekly show leave behind their trademark suits: Jackets Off

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Dave Stone (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies), Andy Sanford (TBS), Joe Zimmerman (Rooftop Comedy), and TJ Young "deliver an original brand of humor that's deeply rooted in stand-up and lightly blended with avant-garde elements of music, sketch and improv," plus tonight's guest stand-up Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), all performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Beards of Comedy

[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 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), 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), and Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here): The Tony and Johnny Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Todd Barry, Christian Finnegan, Godfrey, and more, plus host 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 Rosencrantz 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 2/1/12

Julia Wiedeman celebrates baring all in her memorable sketch show Naked People,
and a visting UK character comic performs an award-winning one-man show: Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches

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] 5:00 pm: Some of NYC's best comics—including Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo) and Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger)—try out their material for the upcoming Montreal comedy festival at The PIT upstairs theatre: Just for Laughs Showcase

[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, Horses, Featherweight, Chet Watkins, Brick, Leviathan, and The Wrath 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's Super Free Wednesday

[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

[$] [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?

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Edinburgh Grand Prize Winner character comic Adam Riches performs a new one-man show at UCB Chelsea for one night only: Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches

[FREE] 8:00 pm-Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at this new weekly four-hour showcase at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Wednesdays at The Creek

[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: Pat O'Shea (host of Ed Sullivan on Acid), Raquel D'Apice (The Ultimate Experts), Jenn Dodd (Identity Theft, Jenneral Assembly, I've Got Munchies), Garry Hannon (SRSLY LOL), and Sam Grittner 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): At UCB Chelsea, first up is 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...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, 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 sketches 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 an awfully 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

[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] 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. (For tonight's lineup, 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 2/2/12

Stellar improvisors Becky Drysdale, Anthony Atamanuik, Christina Gausas, Jim Santangeli,
and more are trapped in a scene they must recreate over and over at Groundhog Day

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: Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo) 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

7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Jacqueline Novak (Comedy Central, College Humor, host of Spirit of Comedy; for "response to heckler" video, please click here), Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific), and more performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with cartoonist host David Rees: Lollygaggin' with David Rees

[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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & 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 star improv duo that's become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15 online; buying in advance highly recommended as this will probably sell out): Sandra Bernhard, Tom Scharpling, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, and more performing at Brooklyn's The Bell House hosted by Julie Klausner (author of I Don’t Care About Your Band) : How Was Your Week Live

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: "A panel of comedians give their hilarious takes on the more grim/sensational crime stories taken from NYC's daily newspapers. It's live comedy with a streak of yellow journalism and dark New York flavor"—not to mention a monthly podcast—at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): The New York City Crime Report

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): Storyteller Martin Dockery (The Moth, The Liar Show; acclaimed as "fantastic" by The New York Times) and Canadian actress Vanessa Quesnelle performing a self-described "high-energy, high-comedy, highly surreal play about a guy trying to get a girl into his flying bed. Tempting her with the forbidden promise of a wild flight through paradise, they must negotiate a bizarre and harrowing journey through a wilderness of seduction, temptation, and betrayal at the Under St. Marks Theatre (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): Oh, That Wily Snake

[$] [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?

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv troupes Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by something called The Movie directed by comedy genius Ed Herbstman, and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with last week's winner and BEEES! competing: 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): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Kevin Barnett (College Humor), and Starlee Kine (delightful storyteller; NPR's This American Life) 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.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Desiree Burch (VH1's Best Night Ever, Joe's Pub, Ambiguously Brown Comedy Hour), Marianne Schaberg, and Ken Schultz 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 ($5): Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live), The Wagstaff Municipal Theatra, and the Cocoon Dance Team performing at UCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik (leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys) and Andrea Rosen (brilliant stand-up & storyteller; HBO, Comedy Central, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up): Variety SHAC

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—including Becky Drysdale, Anthony Atamanuik, Christina Gausas, and Jim Santangeli—are trapped in the same improv scene and must reinvent it over and over again at UCB East in this show honoring Groundhog Day

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 2/3/12

Phoebe Robinson performs stand-up at Beautiful Comedy and Undefined; breathtaking improv genius Joe Bill
will likely put on one of the finest shows you'll ever see at Lights Out, Shirley!

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: Sharp NYC character comics—including Lauren Olsen (brilliant writer/sketch/improv performer at FringeNYC and The Magnet), Tim Dunn (UCBT sketch performer), and Oscar Montoya (Midnight Movie at Montoya’s at The PIT)—try out their material for the upcoming Montreal comedy festival at The PIT upstairs theatre: Just for Laughs Showcase

[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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Ace Magnet improvisors who are married—and who sometimes include improv genius Ed Herbstman, plus Melanie Hoopes, Matt Evans, Christine Walters, Maggie Kemper, Robert Cuthill, Ryan Rodgers, Christian Paluck, Michele Laikowski, and/or Kelly Moylan: The Mamas and the Papas

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Phoebe Robinson, Roger Hailes, Justin Murray, Pat O'Shea, Christian Polanco, and "a confirmed national headliner" performing at Beauty Bar (231 East 14th Street) for this biweekly stand-up show hosted by Peter Ostrovski & Ilya Gofshteyn: Beautiful Comedy

[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

8:00 pm ($5): "It may be made up on the spot, but there is a method to the madness. In this show players explore the structure of improv by performing unique forms provided by the community and abroad" at The PIT downstairs lounge: True to Form

[$] 8:00 pm ($18 at the door or $20.34 online): Storyteller Martin Dockery (The Moth, The Liar Show; acclaimed as "fantastic" by The New York Times) and Canadian actress Vanessa Quesnelle performing a self-described "high-energy, high-comedy, highly surreal play about a guy trying to get a girl into his flying bed. Tempting her with the forbidden promise of a wild flight through paradise, they must negotiate a bizarre and harrowing journey through a wilderness of seduction, temptation, and betrayal at the Under St. Marks Theatre (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): Oh, That Wily Snake

[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 ($7): Veteran improv duo Megan Gray & Louis Kornfeld are joined at The Magnet by improv star Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, Let's Have a Ball): Gausas & MegaLou

[FREE] 8:30ish pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central's Ugly Americans), Jeff Wesselschmidt (Rooftop Comedy), and Jacqeline Novak performing at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Amber Nelson, Annie Lederman, and Ashley Brooke Roberts: Mustache Party

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who starred in his own Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, and performed on David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, and The Howard Stern Show (for Letterman stand-up video, please click here), headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe Matarese

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

9:00 pm ($10): UCB East hosts "Thin Skin Jonny. They had it all. They were icons, legends, anti-folk superstars. However, tragedy struck and they broke up, citing an alleged statutory charge, gay porn addiction, and Four Loko abuse. Now, two months later, they're back to do one last show—a benefit! Can they find a way to get along long enough to raise the money needed to re-animate the corpse of Bea Arthur? Maybe, with your help!" Performers include Ari Scott, with direction from Pam Murphy: Thin Skin Jonny: Farewell Reunion Tour

[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): Judy Gold, Big Jay Oakerson, Mike Britt, and more performing stand-up 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

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Eric Ledgin (Jimmy Fallon), Phoebe Robinson, Mike Recine, John F. O’Donnell, and the Cocoon Central Dance Team performing at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Improv comedy that's all like, 'Have you been drinking tonight, sir?' but then is all like, 'Lemme get a sip'" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Teenage Cop

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Delightful singing duo The Reformed Whores (Katy Frame and Marie Cecile Anderson) and Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes) join terrific sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (Leah Rudick and Katie Hartman) for a comedy variety show at The PIT basement lounge: Daddy's Basement: A Comedy Variety Freakshow

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): One of the finest improvisors alive, Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO, co-founder of the Annoyance Theatre) spearheads a breathtakingly brilliant group of improvisors from Chicago and New York who'll blow the roof off The Magnet with lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. Chicago-based Joe tends to visit NYC at the start of every month, so he'll probably be at tonight's performance. But either way, the other superb players are Jordan Klepper (Klepper & Grey, iO, ), Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central's Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!'s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O'Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet instructor), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer), all declaring Lights Out, Shirley!

[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 might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to try out sketches 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 2/4/12

The delightful Erin and Her Cello performs at Tales of the Cosmos;
Baron Vaughn headlines (after an opener by Phoebe Robinson) at Black to the Future

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 Espiritu de '76, The Storks, and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): "Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe," hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), and featuring Erin and her Cello (wonderfully witty comedic musician), storyteller Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and storyteller Andy Ross: Tales of the Cosmos

[TOP PICK] [FREE...plus FREE DINNER!] 7:00 pm: James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up; staff writer for David Letterman), Rob Lathan (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, ABC, Stinson's Awesome Movie Night), Noah Garfinkel (host of Totally J/K), Kate Berlant (host of Crime & Punishment), and Frank Hejl 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 chicken cutlet; CultureFix does not fuck around:" Comedy Night at CultureFix

7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PIT upstairs theatre that answer such questions as "Why can't you touch a black girl's hair? Why do some of us burn our cheating man's clothes in his car and can't wait to exhale? How did Foxy Brown know how to get down? Why can two play that game? Why do mad black women write so many diaries?" and more: Mrs Jones

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic solo performances—storytelling, sketch, and whatever else isn't stand-up or improv—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Bill Stiteler & Adam Schwartz: Wank

[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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: Susie Essman

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

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who starred in his own Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, and performed on David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, and The Howard Stern Show (for Letterman stand-up video, please click here), headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe Matarese

[FREE] 8:00 pm-midnight: Four hours of stand-up (guests not announced) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Stand-Up Comedy Showcase

8:30 pm ($10): Baron Vaughn (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon; co-star of USA's Fairly Legal and Comedy Central's The Awkward Comedy Show, MTV, VH1) headlines at an hour-long stand-up show at UCB East, with an opener by Phoebe Robinson (for a recent Conan set by Baron, please click here): Baron Vaughn: Black to the Future

[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): A sharp Magnet musical improv troupe makes up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Musical improv from one of The Magnet's best troupes: Choral Rage

9:30 pm ($15): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: 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 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] 10:30 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): Vibrant improv at The Magnet from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes superb NYC comics—unfortunately, not yet announced this time, but previous winners have included Dave Hill, Myq Kaplan, and Becky Drysdale—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Revenge of the Rewrite in 3-D with John Gemberling (genius improvisor & comedic character actor; Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo, The Tony and Johnny Show), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Seaton Smith (Opie and Anthony Virus Tour), and musical guest Niall Connolly performing at UCB Chelsea with host Andy Rocco at Underground Americana

Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 2/5/12

Enjoy the Super Bowl with snacks supplied by Eugene Mirman at tonight's free Pretty Good Friends;
or if you're not a football fan, stay home to enjoy the BBC America marathon of Absolutely Fabulous...

...and don't forget the TV alternative that's a Janeane Garofalo fave: The Puppy Bowl

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] [FREE] 6:00 pm: A free Super Bowl party with snacks instead of comedy at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Typically stellar NYC comics (but, unusually, not announced this week) 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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: At this monthly show, "three improv teams swap two performers each, pick a long-form style out of a hat, and then perform with their new rosters" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Yankee Swap

6:30 pm ($5): A one-man show by Athos Cakiades at The Magnet about "marginal portraits of masculinity as in a Roman poet, a college dean, a frat brother, two inmates, and your average rooster:" Cock of the Walk

[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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jimmy Fallon writer Casey Jost performs a one-man show in which he plays a myriad of characters revolving around a theme: Fooling Around with Casey Jost

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

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

[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

9:00 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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