Please note that these listings are updated frequently. The best way to be instantly notified about new show postings is to subscribe to my BestNewYorkComedy.com blog and allow for email notifications, and/or to follow me on Twitter (@hybender) or Instagram (@hybenderny).
In addition, you can use the links below to explore the schedules of all the major comedy venues in NYC; and you can find excellent live comedy recommendations weekly via The New York Times.
That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for July 2018 include:
Friday 6/29-Sunday 7/1: The 20th Annual Del Close Marathon, which is the undisputed king of improv festivals, will run continuously from 4:00 pm on Friday June 29th, 2018 until 11:30 pm on Sunday July 1st. Improv groups from all around the US and Canada—and a few places further away—will perform over 750 shows, typically in 15- or 30-minute blocks, for around 55 hours. As in past years, the only down side is way more patrons than available space, which will cause long waits to get into UCB Hell's Kitchen (555 West 42nd Street, off 11th Avenue), which seats 160. However, the congestion will be somewhat eased by 10 additional venues: UCB East, The Magnet, Theater for the New City (4 theatres), All Stars Project (3 theatres), and The Griffin; for details, please click here. For the complete schedule, please click here. To view shows organized by performer, please click here. To buy a festival pass, please click here. To buy premium tickets, please click here. (Please note that if any premium show doesn't sell out and you have a marathon pass, you can receive a remaining seat free of charge on a first come, first serve basis.) Quite simply, this is the greatest improv festival in the world: 20th Annual Del Close Marathon (DCM20) (4:00 pm Friday-11:30 pm Sunday, $45 for festival pass plus $12-$25 each for premium shows, 11 venues around the NYC theatre district and the East Village)
Sunday 7/1: NYLaugh.org's free summer stand-up shows, which happen Sundays 2:00-4:00 pm at parks all over the city, sponsors its second 2018 event today at The Battery (on Castle Clinton Lawn, in front of the National Monument) featuring Christian Finnegan (creator & co-host of A&E's Black and White; co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; Conan O'Brien; three Comedy Central specials, Netflix special The Fun Part; TBS, VH1, MSNBC, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Kerry Coddett (writer for HBO's Wyatt Cenac: Problem Areas; HBO's Crashing, BET's The Rundown, Comedy Central's The Nightly Show, MTV's Joking Off; host of Brooklyn, Stand Up!), Anthony DeVito (Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central Half Hour, This American Life, House of Cards), William Stephenson (FX's Louie, The Chris Rock Show), and more. Subsequent shows will happen at Washington Square Park (at Garibaldi Plaza, on the east side of the Fountain) July 8th, The Battery again July 15th, and Tompkins Square Park (on the Old Bandshell Lawn) July 22nd, with lineups TBA: Laughter in the Park (2:00 pm-4:00 pm, Free!, The Battery (Battery Park) at Castle Clinton Lawn, in front of the National Monument; take the 1 subway to South Ferry, N to White Hall Street, or 4/5 to Bowling Green)
Sunday 7/1: Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable rising star stand-up, sketch comic, and actress; stellar host of Fresh Out; former writer for NatGeo Explorer and MTV's Guy Code; UCB Maude sketch groups The Prom and Absolutely), Ian Fidance (host of Picture This!; regular on SiriusXM's You Up? with Nikki Glaser), Khalid Rahmaan (Conan O'Brien; host of Electric Laughs), Martin Urbano (Jimmy Kimmel), and Charles McBee (Comedy Central, MTV, host of Nerd is the New Black) perform stand-up for this newly free weekly show hosted by Gianmarco Soresi (Seeso; sketch group Uncle Function; acclaimed FringeNYC play <50%) & Jay Schmidt: Last Laugh (7:00 pm, Free!, VSpot Organic at 12 St. Marks Place)
Sunday 7/1: Kerry Coddett (above; writer for HBO's Wyatt Cenac: Problem Areas; HBO's Crashing, BET's The Rundown, Comedy Central's The Nightly Show, MTV's Joking Off; host of Brooklyn, Stand Up!) and indie music duo Strange Parts (Attia Taylor & Corey Duncan) perform and are interviewed about "that one song you'll never forget" hosted by Patrick Cartelli & Evan Forde Barden: Repeater: A Little Show About Big Songs (8:30 pm, $5, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Monday 7/2: Comics share their observations, fears, dreams, and insanities growing up by reading from their childhood diaries, featuring Lauren Culp, Matt Dittus, Ruthie Dreyer, Emily Evans, Jennifer Gersbeck, Dana Norris, Michael Salgarolo, and Emily Walsh and host Maggie Lalley: Dear Diary: Comics Read Their Weird Childhood Journals (8:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Tuesday 7/3: Roland Emmerich's & Dean Devlin's 1996 film Independence Day is actually quite entertaining—and also a milestone in the history of Hollywood blockbusters (it was the highest-grossing movie of its year). That said, there's plenty about it to make fun of. Tonight it'll be screened and mercilessly skewered by comics Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic; author of How to Write Cheesy Movies and 25 MST3K Films That Changed My Life In No Way Whatsoever), Carolina Hidalgo (co-host with MST3K's Frank Conniff & Trace Beaulieu of Movie Sign with the Mads podcast), John Fugelsang (host of Tell Me Everything on Sirius XM; former host of ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos), and Jenn Wehrung (BBC; co-host with Chris Gersbeck of Soft Core!), who make this solemn promise: "We will be fast forwarding through the Randy Quaid scenes." Their cruelty will be contrasted by exceptionally kind host Chris Gersbeck (co-host of Soft Core!, which is essentially a porn version of this show, and Bunk Bed Time Open Mic): Movies R Dumb: Independence Day (9:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Tuesday 7/3: Storytellers Phillip Comella, Rose DF, Dan Freed, Mia Lipsit, and Lorena Russi tell tales on this month's science theme of Transformation, hosted by Tracy Rowland & Nisse Greenberg: The Story Collider: Transformation (8:00 pm, $12, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 7/3: Julio Torres (marvelously nuanced, outside-the-box stand-up; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Billy on the Street, HBO's High Maintenance, Louis C.K.’s Horace and Pete), Sydnee Washington (MTV2's Vidiots, co-host of podcast The Unofficial Expert), Mary Kate Doherty (MTV), and Alexandra Sanchez perform material on social issues they feel passionately about hosted by Nicole Pasquale & William Martinez: WOKE AF: A Mind-Opening Variety Show (9:00 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Wednesday 7/4: The PIT's seventh annual 4th of July improv marathon showcasing indie groups (vs. house groups) runs continuously in two theatres for over 12 hours, hosting 50 shows including As You Will at 4:30 pm (improvised tales using the language and tropes of William Shakespeare), Impro-Vention at 5:00 pm (improvisors make up a complete family & friends intervention), and Ouiser & Clairee at 8:00 pm (hilarious improv duo Adrian Sexton & Dana Shulman playing characters from Steel Magnolias): Indie-Pendence Day: IndieFest 2018 (Noon-midnight, $10 per half-hour or hour timeslot [typically featuring 2-3 shows], or a mere $20 for an all-you-can-see pass; playing continuously at The PIT Mainstage and The PIT Underground theatres at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 7/8: NYLaugh.org's free summer stand-up shows, which happen Sundays 2:00-4:00 pm at parks all over the city, sponsors the third in its 2018 series today at the West Village's Washington Square Park (above), featuring Dean Edwards (Saturday Night Live, MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch and Guy Code, HBO, Showtime) and more TBA. Subsequent shows will take place at The Battery (on Castle Clinton Lawn, in front of the National Monument) on July 15th and Tompkins Square Park (on the Old Bandshell Lawn) July 22nd: Laughter in the Park (2:00 pm-4:00 pm, Free!, the West Village's Washington Square Park at Garibaldi Plaza, on the east side of the Fountain; take the A/B/C/D/F/E subway to West 4th Street/Washington Square or the 1 subway to Christopher Street)
Sunday 7/8: In this acclaimed monthly show, stand-ups Jim Tews (rising star; Louie, Last Comic Standing; host of Homeschooled and co-host of Fresh Out; New York Times bestselling author of Felines of New York; comedy album I Was in Band), Saurin Choksi (host of Fuse's White Guy Talk Show), Kenice Mobley, and Mookie Thompson each perform a 10-minute set while they "risk getting slapped by Satan himself. Actually, he hosts only bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne & Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man's shoes and put NYC's finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls?f" For a sample torture set with the delightful Christi Chiello, please click here; and if you'd then like more, Matt & Doug will See You in Hell (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 7/8: Natasha Vaynblat (Funny or Die, McSweeney's, Reductress; improv group What I Did For Love, sketch group Absolutely, one-woman show United Federation of Teachers) headlines this free weekly show, which also features stand-up by Chris Cafero, Erick Hellwig, Kevin Hurley, Vinay Umapathy, Bassam Shawl, and Caitlin Ruppert, all hosted by Gianmarco Soresi (Seeso; sketch group Uncle Function; acclaimed FringeNYC play <50%) & Jay Schmidt: Last Laugh (7:00 pm, Free!, VSpot Organic at 12 St. Marks Place)
Monday 7/9: Sean Patton (above; one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien; Comedy Central's Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, This Is Not Happening, and The Meltdown; VH1, TruTV, IFC, Viceland; feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), Doug Smith (Conan O'Brien, co-host of See You In Hell), Sam Jay (writer for Saturday Night Live; performed on Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, Take My Wife), Jordan Temple (staff writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede, previously writer for Showtime's SMIFL), and DeAnne Smith perform stand-up for hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and 2 Dope Queens, Netflix's Master of None and The Standups, and Comedy Central's Corporate; former writer for Seth Meyers), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk): Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 7/9: "James Cross will be meeting a girl he doesn't know at Union Hall and they will be having a first date during the show. He and the (despite what everyone else says) lucky lady will be at a table to the side of the stage—and in between sets from NYC comics," including Nikki Glaser, Joe Pera, Mary Houlihan, Alise Morales, Tony Zaret, Mary Kate Doherty, and Brooke Eliot: Hell Yeah: James Cross Goes On A First Date (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 7/9: Sydnee Washington (above left; MTV2's Vidiots, co-host of podcast The Unofficial Expert), Myq Kaplan (above right—and presumably racing from this show to his own show in Queens [see directly below]; one of the quickest minds in comedy; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents; comedy albums No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot; podcast Hang Out With Me), Gabe Pacheco (host of Funhouse Comedy), and Kendall perform and/or are interviewed by host Nat Towsen (VICE, College Humor), who will also be giving away prizes to audience members: Downtown Variety Hour (7:30 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Monday 7/9: Stellar stand-up Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents; comedy albums No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot; podcast Hang Out With Me) hosts phenom musical improvisor Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (above left; amazing human beatbox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of Battlicious), plus stand-ups Jacqueline Novak (above right; exceptionally smart, fresh stand-up; Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO; comedy album Quality Notions; book How to Weep in Public), Eman El Husseini (opens for Patton Oswalt), Jared Goldstein, and James Creelman: Myq Kaplan and Friends (8:30 pm, $6, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Monday 7/9: Christi Chiello (above; Comedy Central's Roast Battle, MTV's Girl Code, TruTV, stellar solo show It's Christi, B*tch!, co-host of Battle of the Divas and White Chocolate), Kenny DeForest (Seth Meyers, HBO's Crashing; co-host of Comedy Night at the Knit), Khalid Rahmaan (Conan O'Brien; host of Electric Laughs), Evan Williams (Comedy Central's Roast Battle II, FX's The Americans), Sam Corbin (writer for The New Yorker, Buzzfeed), and Ally Spier (Reductress) are scheduled to perform stand-up for this free weekly show hosted by the multi-talented Morgan Miller (immensely likeable improvisor, sketch comic, and stand-up): Dirty Laundry (11:00 pm, Free! (make reservation here), UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Tuesday 6/26: Jackie Tohn (Melrose on Netflix's GLOW; Gilda Radner in Netflix film A Futile and Stupid Gesture; American Idol semi-finalist), Ronny Chieng (correspondent for The Daily Show), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, ABC), Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central's South Beach; host of The Dirty Show and The Secret Loft Show), Chris Thayer (Adam Devine’s House Party, Viceland's Flophouse), and more perform for this seminal weekly stand-up & variety show hosted by Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1) and guest co-host Mike DiCenzo (producer/writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon): Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Tuesday 7/10: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 audience members fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd: Punderdome 3000 (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street—take R subway to Union Street; show up early—doors open at 7:00—to nab a seat, or plan on standing)
Tuesday 7/10: Comics who are lesbian, bi, queer, or "straight if they are very, very funny and/or were raised by two moms" perform stand-up, with Sydnee Washington (MTV2's Vidiots, co-host of podcast The Unofficial Expert), Jenny Hagel (writer/performer for Seth Meyers), and DeAnne Smith (Craig Ferguson), plus music from band Free the Mind, all hosted by Sophie Santos & Jess Salomon: The Lesbian Agenda (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 7/10: Superb comics Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Maeve Higgins (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, co-host of NatGeo's Star Talk, host of Maeve in America, co-host of Butterboy), Karen Chee (Stephen Colbert, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, McSweeney's), and Sean Wilkinson go deep on their weird obsessions with seemingly boring things (e.g., "The History of the Rubber Duck") hosted by Raj Sivaraman (co-host of Universe City podcast): Monotony: A Smart Comedy Show about Stupid Stuff (7:00 pm, $8, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 7/10: Comics share tales of their favorite femme fatales, with guests Robin Browne and Stephanie Fagan (hosts of the That's the Spirit podcast), Sabrina McMillin (project manager at feminist creative agency Grey Horse), and Tija Mittal (storyteller) hosted by Allison Huntington Chase (owner & star of Madame Morbid's Trolley Tours): Death Becomes Her (9:30 pm; $13.71 in advance online or $15 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 7/11: The quick-witted & hilarious Tyler Richardson (above; ReelzChannel; host of New Bedtime Stories) & Brian Mitchell (sketch group Laser Baby) host stand-ups Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents; comedy albums No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot; podcast Hang Out With Me), Adam Mamawala (MTV’s Girl Code; stand-up album One of the Good Ones), Sharron Paul (co-host of Cheap Date Comedy), Jatty Robinson (host of Grill On The Hill Comedy), Pooja Reddy, and Kara Lindsay: Black Guys (8:00 pm, Free!, Brooklyn's Starr Bar at 214 Starr Street; take L subway to Jefferson Street)
Wednesday 7/11: New dad Hasan Minhaj (correspondent for The Daily Show), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Negin Farsad (Comedy Central, MTV, Netflix), and Lauren Ashley Smith perform stand-up, and DJ Donwill (co-host with Wyatt Cenac of Shouting At The Screen) serves up music, for hosts Michelle Buteau (VH1's Morning Buzz and Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Key & Peele, FOX's Enlisted, Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, comedy album Shut Up) & Jordan Carlos (HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Broad City and The Nightly Show, Showtime, MTV's Guy Code, Guy Court, VH1, Adult Swim): Adulting (8:00 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Wednesday 7/11: The delightful & modelesque Carmen Lynch (America's Got Talent, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing finalist; Sirius XM 2017 comedy album of the year Dance Like You Don't Need the Money), Chris Laker (Jimmy Kimmel; opens for Mike Birbiglia; stand-up album Moments of Greatness), Rob Haze (Adam Devine's House Party, Viceland's Flophouse, Dish Network's Cabbage Town), Evan M. Williams (Comedy Central), Julia Solomon, and Alex Dragicevich perform stand-up for this free weekly LES show produced by Luisa Díez, and hosted by Samantha Ruddy, Luke Touma, JP McDade, Jordan Temple, and/or Dina Hashem: Too Many Cooks (9:00 pm, Free!, Lucky Jack's Pub at 129 Orchard Street between Rivington & Delancey Streets)
Wednesday 7/11: Cutting-edge tech topics are tackled by one or more guests TBA and hosts David Ryan Polgar & Joe Leonardo for this live recording of their podcast: Funny as Tech (7:00 pm, $10, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 7/11: Rebekah Sebastian hosts this crime trivia show that challenges your knowledge of serial killers, unsolved mysteries, the legal system, OJ, and much more: Yellow Tape (9:00 pm, $7, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Wednesday 7/11: Highly talented singing improvisors Eric Gersen, Jeff Hiller, Michael Hartney, Jessica Morgan, Zack Willis, Hannah Solow, and Jake Smith interview an audience member about his or her college major, minor, classes, and final thesis, and then use the information to make up a complete musical on the spot: Rumpleteaser: Major and Minor (9:30 pm, $10, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 7/14: A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with the lovely and quick-witted Lane Moore (above; HBO's Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's; author of upcoming book How to be Alone) going on a live Tinder safari for guys while a packed audience watches her every choice with fascination. Offering comments and suggestions are guests Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up who's performed on Stephen Colbert and stars in an upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Stephen Colbert; Head Writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV, VH1), Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up and staff writer for TBS' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee; previously staff writer for Comedy Central's The President Show and nearly 400 episodes of NBC's Jimmy Fallon, and contributing writer for Saturday Night Live), and Scott Rogowsky (NBC's The Voice; host of wildly popular trivia game app HQ Trivia). This show consistently sells out, so I recommend nabbing tickets in advance online for Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 7/14: Lisa Bettencourt & Jillian Schiralli are a comedic musical duo named Pretty Sad White Girls, and they deserve your attention. They combine witty original lyrics with beautiful harmonies, hitting notes that may make you happy for days afterward. If you love Garfunkel and Oates, then you'll probably also adore these rising stars working a similar folk comedy vein; and you can become part of history tonight by experiencing them recording their first album at Greenwich Village's legendary Bitter End: Pretty Sad White Girls (8:00 pm, $10 cover [plus 2-drink min. at tables], The Bitter End at 147 Bleecker Street)
Monday 7/16: Isaac Mizrahi (above; fashion icon and top cabaret performer), Jen Kirkman (HBO, VH1, Chelsea Lately, After Lately, Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central's Drunk History, staff writer for NBC's Perfect Couples, author of I Can Barely Take Care of Myself), Nimesh Patel (exceptionally sharp stand-up; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, TruTV; written for Chris Rock hosting the 2016 Oscars; co-host of Broken Comedy), Martin Urbano (Jimmy Kimmel), and Amy Miller (co-host of Who’s Your God? podcast) perform stand-up and/or music for hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and 2 Dope Queens, Netflix's Master of None and The Standups, and Comedy Central's Corporate; former writer for Seth Meyers), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk): Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 7/16: "Bonjour! Hola! Guten Tag! Ni Hau! Claire & Jessie are giving up on America and looking overseas for better dating options. This month they’ve put together a panel of their favorite foreigners to discuss dating customs from all corners of the world and decide where their next vacation needs to be. They’re also exploring dating shows too crazy for America, and might even fill out applications for each other. You don’t want to miss!" hosted by Claire Burns & Jessie Jolles: No Such Thing as Love: Dating Around the World (7:00 pm, $8, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Monday 7/16: Seth Herzog (above; long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1; host of Sweet), Adam Conover (star of TruTV's Adam Ruins Everything; cast member of BoJack Horseman), Sam Jay (writer for Saturday Night Live; performed on Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, Take My Wife), Mitra Jouhari (writer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), Chris Laker (Jimmy Kimmel; opens for Mike Birbiglia; stand-up album Moments of Greatness), Rell Battle (Superior Donuts, Comedy Central Roast Battle), Pat Regan (The Eric Andre Show, Last Comic Standing), and Ryan Mazer (Adult Swim) are scheduled to perform stand-up for this free weekly show hosted by the multi-talented Morgan Miller (immensely likeable improvisor, sketch comic, stand-up, and juggler): Dirty Laundry (11:00 pm, Free! (make reservation here), UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Tuesday 7/17: Comics Nore Davis (HBO, Showtime, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Netflix; album You Guys Are Dope), Sydnee Washington (MTV2's Vidiots, co-host of podcast The Unofficial Expert), Ayo Edebiri, and Karmen Naidoo share their so-horrible-it's-funny experiences of being racially profiled, hosted by Marcela Onyango (host of Feel the News) & Lauren Clark (The Story Pirates): Profiled (7:00 pm, $10, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 7/17: Phoebe Robinson (above; co-star of HBO's 2 Dope Queens; host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys; Seth Meyers, Conan O'Brien, Broad City, MTV’s Girl Code; feature films What Men Want and Ibiza; author of You Can't Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain), Vanessa Bayer (cast member for seven seasons of Saturday Night Live; feature films linclude Trainwreck, Office Christmas Party, The Polka King, and Ibiza), Sasheer Zamata (cast member for three seasons of Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, Amazon’s Transparent, TBS’ People of Earth), Wayne Federman (HBO's Crashing; feature films include Funny People, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and Legally Blonde), and more perform for host Seth Herzog's (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1) seminal weekly stand-up & variety show: Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Tuesday 7/17: Comedic storytellers Al Jacobs, Mollena Williams-Haas, and more join pioneering sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) to celebrate the release date of RISK! True Stories People Never Thought They'd Dare To Share, a collection of some of the best true stories to be featured on the RISK! stage and/or podcast, which is typically one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk! Book Launch (9:30 pm, $15, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 7/17: A monthly event that showcases physical comedy and "the weird, the beautiful, the gross, and, ultimately, the human" tonight features comics Morgan Miller (fabulous host of Dirty Laundry), Karen Chee (The New Yorker, The Washington Post, McSweeney's), Larry Owens (writer for TruTV's Paid Off; feature film To Dust), Alise Morales (Managing Editor/Video Producer of Betches), and Amanda Justice (half of Comedy Cunt Collective—and producer of this show) hosted by Arti Gollapudi (the other half of Comedy Cunt Collective): Yourself, Your Body (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 7/17: "We've all repressed the memories of the times we regrettably eavesdropped on our parents, or accidentally overheard something we so did not want to hear. Join us as we bravely reminisce on those moments our ears bled," with Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe), Julia Shiplett (HBO’s Crashing), Amanda Shechtman (Comedy Central), Tori Piskin (MTV), and Melissa Diaz hosted by Kelsey Caine (The New York Times): All Kidding Aside; Weird Shit My Parents Have Said (7:00 pm, Free!, Brooklyn's Pete's Candy Store at 709 Lorimer Street)
Tuesday 7/17: Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Neel Nanda (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, MTV), Matthew Broussard (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour), Calvin Cato (Oxygen's My Crazy Love, host of Ed Sullivan on Acid), Abby Rosenquist, and Thiago Macklin perform stand-up hosted by Keenan Steiner: Comedy at the Corner (8:20 pm, $5, Brooklyn's Hungry Ghost Cafe/Bar at 781 Fulton Street, between Fulton and South Oxford Streets)
Tuesday 7/17: Jacqueline Novak (exceptionally smart, fresh stand-up; Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO; comedy album Quality Notions; book How to Weep in Public) performs this new solo show she describes—eerily, in third person—as follows: "Jacqueline finds everything embarrassing...except for the obvious. Revealing intimate details of her life to strangers? Her chosen profession. Crying in public? She wrote a book encouraging it. Being caught for even a moment having something resembling self-esteem? Unbearable. As a woman, shame is constantly dumped upon you...in regards to body, beauty, sexual behavior, and more. As a human, the indignities are near constant. This show weaves Novak’s personal stories with stand-up to parse what does and does not deserve our embarrassment:" Jacqueline Novak: How Embarrassing for Her (10:30 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Wednesday 7/18: A live band provides musical accompaniment to jokes for this monthly show that tonight features a great lineup of Chris Gethard (comedy genius; star of HBO 90-minute special Career Suicide; star of TruTV's & Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; co-star of Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice; host of Webby-winning podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People; The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; author of A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Friends Who Folk (delightful singing duo Rachel Wenitsky & Ned Riseley; TheNewYorker.com), Nore Davis (HBO, Showtime, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Netflix; album You Guys Are Dope), Farah Brook (Reductress, Someecards, viral video Kiss Me NYC), and Wanjiko Eke hosted by Yedoye Travis (Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central): Rent Party (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 7/18: Taking the very reasonable position that Halloween is too glorious a holiday to happen only once a year, this show brings you Halloween in July at Brooklyn's spooky House of Wax Bar (just one floor below the Alamo Drafthouse theatres), with comics Christi Chiello (Comedy Central's Roast Battle, MTV's Girl Code, TruTV, stellar solo show It's Christi, B*tch!, co-host of Battle of the Divas and White Chocolate), Sydnee Washington (Conan O'Brien, MTV2's Vidiots, co-host of podcast The Unofficial Expert), Marie Faustin (co-host of 99.5 FM's Tall Tales in the Big City and podcast The Unofficial Expert; former host of Oxygen's Very Real Talk; VH1, TruTV, MTV's Girl Code and Vidiots), Molly Austin (TruTV's Late Night Snack) performing stand-up, plus music from band Free The Mind, hosted by Kelsey Caine (The New York Times; Miss New York State finalist; for a video sample, please click here) & Martin Urbano (Jimmy Kimmel) and produced by Jamie Rabinovitch: Summertime Halloween Comedy Show (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's House of Wax Bar at 445 Albee Square West, 4th Floor—take the 2/3 subway to Hoyt Street)
Wednesday 7/18: Free stand-up at the elegant Hotel Mondrian Park Avenue, featuring Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO's phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O'Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up album Physical Whisper), Todd Barry (Netflix special Spicy Honey, star of delightful documentary The Crowd Work Tour; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, co-star of feature film The Wrestler), Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1; host of Sweet), Sam Jay (writer for Saturday Night Live; performed on Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, Take My Wife), and Jane Harrison (co-host of Casual Town) hosted by Greg Barris (MTV's All That Rocks, host of Heart of Darkness): Loud Village Comedy Presents: Luxury Comedy (8:30 pm doors, 9:00 pm shpw; Free by making online reservation here; Hotel Mondrian at 444 Park Avenue South)
Wednesday 7/18: Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, national comedy treasure) hones material for a one-man show: Colin Quinn: Law Abiding Criminals (7:00 pm, $5 plus 2-item food/drink min., West Village's The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
Wednesday 7/18: Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up who's performed on Stephen Colbert and stars in an upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Stephen Colbert; Head Writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV, VH1), Michelle Collins (host of E!'s Daily Pop, People Mag TV's Search History, and Sirius XM's The Michelle Collins Show; former co-host of ABC's The View and Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise), Sasheer Zamata (cast member for three seasons of Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, Amazon’s Transparent, TBS’ People of Earth), and Alyssa Wolff perform stand-up for this fundraiser hosted by Alison Leiby (writer for The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, previously writer for The President Show; VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story): Night of Self(Less) Care (8:00 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Wednesday 7/18: Superb stand-up Jessica Kirson (HBO's Crashing, The Tonight Show, The View, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Apprentice, Comedy Central, Showtime, Bravo, VH1) performs a deliciously long headlining set in the West Village, with opening comics TBA: Jessica Kirson (8:30 pm, $10 plus 2-item food/drink min., The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
Thursday 7/19: Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly; Netflix stand-up special America is the Greatest Country in the United States; bestselling cartoon book If the Raindrops United) performs a deliciously long set of his unique form of crowd work and Q&A stand-up, with opening comics TBA: Judah Friedlander Headlines (7:00 pm, $10 plus 2-item food/drink min., The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
Thursday 7/19: Comics who are immigrants perform stand-up, storytelling, or characters, and comics who aren't perform immigrant-related material, for this show celebrating talents who weren't born in the US hosted by German-American Lucie Pohl (above; voice of Mercy in Overwatch and Harmony in Red Dwarf XI; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them): Immigrant Jam (7:30 pm, $7, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Thursday 7/19: Aparna Nancherla (above; one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and 2 Dope Queens, Netflix's Master of None and The Standups, and Comedy Central's Corporate; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Rell Battle (co-creator of Comedy Central's Roast Battle; Conan O'Brien; cast member of CBS' Superior Donuts), Joe Pera (star of Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks With You; Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central), Boris Khaykin (Comedy Central's Broad City, The Opposition; Amazon's Red Oaks, acclaimed improv hip-hop group North Coast; host of Impro(VS)tandup), and more are slated to perform for stellar hosts Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable rising star stand-up, sketch comic, and actress; former writer for NatGeo Explorer and MTV's Guy Code; UCB Maude sketch groups The Prom and Absolutely) and/or Jim Tews (Louie, Last Comic Standing; host of Homeschooled; New York Times bestselling author of Felines of New York; comedy album I Was in Band): Fresh Out (9:00 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Friday 7/20: Infamous 1988 E.T. ripoff movie Mac and Me is considered one of the worst films of all time, with a rare 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The images above provide some clue as to why. It's also notable for numerous product placements, winning Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director (Stewart Ratfill) and Worst New Star (Ronald McDonald). "Enjoy" this screening with comics Christian Finnegan (creator & co-host of A&E's Black and White; co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; Conan O'Brien; three Comedy Central specials, Netflix special The Fun Part; TBS, VH1, MSNBC), Brian McGuinness, Erin Lynn O'Connor, and Colin Fitzgerald making cruel comments throughout produced by Chris Gersbeck (host of Casual Sets, Soft Core!, and Bunk Bed Time Open Mic): Movies R Dumb: Mac and Me (11:00 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Friday 7/20: Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly; Netflix stand-up special America is the Greatest Country in the United States; bestselling cartoon book If the Raindrops United), plus Rob Haze, Greg Stone, Julia Johns, Maria Shehata, and Jill Weiner perform stand-up hosted by Shelby Taylor (host of The Killing Joke, producer of See You In Hell): Bitches' Brew (8:30 pm, Free!, Brooklyn's Halyards Bar at 406 Third Avenue)
Friday 7/20: This new free stand-up show features Seaton Smith (rising star stand-up; HBO's Girls, FOX's Mulaney, Chris Rock's film Top Five, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Inside Amy Schumer, The Nightly Show), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Half Hour), Samantha Ruddy (College Humor, Reductress, Someecards), Dan Black (sketches for Jimmy Fallon; TruTV, TLC, Fuse; UCB's Death by Roo Roo), Joe Rumrill (The Chris Gethard Show; co-host of Cartoon Monsoon), and Mary Kate Doherty (MTV's 420 Theater) performing for hosts Matt Strickland & Colby Smith: Knapsack (8:30 pm, Free!, Crystal Lake Brooklyn at 647 Grand Street; take L subway to Brooklyn's Lorimer Street or Graham Avenue)
Friday 7/20: A game show that describes itself as follows: "Ever talk to a straight guy and think, 'Jesus Christ you're boring!' Two straight men—Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney—enter the arena, but only one leaves with the title of Queen of the Straights. Lifelines include a Woman Who Gets It (Catherine Cohen) and a Wise Queer (Pat Regan)" hosted by Matt Rogers & Dave Mizzoni, who invite you to "come witness the ultimate test of who Is honorarily Gay As Fuck:" GAYme Show (9:00 pm, $10, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 7/21: World-class singing improvisors Rebecca Vigil & Evan Kaufman interview an audience couple about their love life and then turn it into a musical—with breathtaking skill (see my review of their award-winning FringeNYC 2015 shows here). I highly recommend the phenomenal Your Love, Our Musical (7:00 pm; $16.89 in advance online or $20 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 7/21: Jacqueline Novak (exceptionally smart, fresh stand-up; Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO; comedy album Quality Notions; book How to Weep in Public) practices this solo show she'll be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, described as follows: "Jacqueline finds everything embarrassing...except for the obvious. Revealing intimate details of her life to strangers? Her chosen profession. Crying in public? She wrote a book encouraging it. Being caught for even a moment having something resembling self-esteem? Unbearable. As a woman, shame is constantly dumped upon you...in regards to body, beauty, sexual behavior, and more. As a human, the indignities are near constant. This show weaves Novak’s personal stories with stand-up to parse what does and does not deserve our embarrassment." For tonight only, it'll be hosted by John Early (Netflix's The Characters and Wet Hot American Summer, NBC's 30 Rock, Comedy Central's Broad City). "Exquisite banter between J and J will unfold into Jacqueline performing the show—sweaty, personal, passionate, and full notionry—and then afterward John will praise it:" Jacqueline Novak, Hosted by John Early: How Embarrassing for Her (PLEASE NOTE: This has SOLD OUT. 8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 7/21: Terrific lineup of Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another, author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Christi Chiello (Comedy Central's Roast Battle, MTV's Girl Code, TruTV, stellar solo show It's Christi, B*tch!, co-host of Battle of the Divas and White Chocolate), Tyler Richardson (quick-witted rising star stand-up; ReelzChannel; host of New Bedtime Stories and co-host of Black Guys), Leighann Lord (HBO, Comedy Central, Lifetime; frequesnt co-host of StarTalk Radio podcast; author of Dict Jokes), and Bob Hansen (comedy album The Best Bob I Can Be) perform stand-up or storytelling hosted by Christi: QED Presents (9:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Saturday 7/21: A guest celebrity answers arcane questions on a topic he or she claims to be expert in by hosts J. Keith van Straaten & Helen Hong for this live podcast recording: Go Fact Yourself (Noon; $11.59 in advance online or $15 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street; a second edition of this show happens Sunday)
Sunday 7/22: NYLaugh.org's free summer stand-up series concludes today with a show at the East Village's Tompkins Square Park, with Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents special; co-host of My Wife Hates Me podcast, author of You're Better Than Me), Petey Deabreu (host of Petey's World and co-host of White Chocolate), Kevin Bartini (warmup comic for The President Show, and previously for Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, and The Nightly Show), and Harrison Greenbaum (Comedy Central, Mad Magazine): Laughter in the Park (2:00 pm-4:00 pm, Free!, at Tompkins Square Park on the Old Bandshell Lawn; take the F subway to Second Avenue)
Sunday 7/22: "Eliot Glazer, a classically trained vocalist-turned-comedian, takes some of pop music's most infamous songs and turns them into highbrow, sweeping ballads. Like a twisted version of MTV Unplugged, Austin City Limits, or VH1 Storytellers, it's an intimate night of bad music made good," with guests Matt Rogers & Bowen Yang (hosts of the acclaimed Las Culturistas podcast) and Yamaneika Saunders (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Roast Battle): Eliot Glazer's Haunting Renditions (8:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Sunday 7/22: A show for hypochondriacs and victims of terrible insurance, these comedic stories of healthcare nightmares range from self-diagnosis via Internet to at-home surgery, with this month's topic Women's Health tackled by comics Becky Chicoine, Tessa Hersh, Suni Reyes, and Moujan Zolfaghari, with music by Sarah Dooley, and medical expertise from Hanna Kim, Linda Melanie, and Kelli Dunham, all hosted by Sarah Burton & Allie Kokesh: I'm a Doctor Now: Stories About Self-Diagnosis (7:00 pm, $10, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Monday 7/23: Hari Kondabolu (above left; fresh, sharp, rising star stand-up; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents; fascinating TruTV documentary The Problem with Apu; Netflix special Warn Your Relatives; co-host of Kondabolu Brothers podcast), Dwayne Kennedy (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, Seinfeld, Martin, Totally Biased), Maria Shehata (Showtime, Comedy Central, The New York Times), Michelle Biloon (Craig Ferguson, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central), Sam Taggart (Live on Broadgay, Lake Homo High), and Samantha Ruddy (College Humor, Reductress, Someecards) perform stand-up for hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and 2 Dope Queens, Netflix's Master of None and The Standups, and Comedy Central's Corporate; former writer for Seth Meyers), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk): Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 7/23: Tales of humiliating failure from comedic storytellers Vanessa Golembewski (NBC, Moth StorySlam winner), David Hu (Moth StorySlam winner), Harmon Leon (VICE), Alan I. Ross (Risk!), and ChaChanna Simpson (writer) hosted by Tija Mittal: Mistakes Were Made: Storytelling About Failure (7:00 pm, $15, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Monday 7/23: Jessica Walter (Archer, Arrested Development, Play Misty For Me, Grand Prix) is tonight's guest of this NPR weekly comedy trivia show taped live in Brooklyn and hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime): Ask Me Another (7:30 pm, $20, The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Monday 7/23: Terrific lineup of Rebecca Vigil (above; powerhouse improv singer; Your Love Our Musical, The Vigilante, Kick It!), Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up and staff writer for TBS' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee; previously staff writer for Comedy Central's The President Show and nearly 400 episodes of NBC's Jimmy Fallon, and contributing writer for Saturday Night Live), Bowen Yang (Comedy Central's Broad City, HBO's High Maintenance; co-host of podcast & stage show Las Culturistas), Scott Rogowsky (NBC's The Voice; host of wildly popular trivia game app HQ Trivia), and Michael Hartney (TV Land's Throwing Shade, Broadway's School of Rock; co-host of Characters Welcome) are scheduled to perform stand-up or music for this free weekly show hosted by the multi-talented Morgan Miller (immensely likeable improvisor, sketch comic, stand-up, and juggler): Dirty Laundry (11:00 pm, Free! (make reservation here), UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Tuesday 7/24: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 people fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd. Tonight's extra special edition includes New York Post headline writers going up againt audience members, and will be judged by NY1 TV Anchor Pat Kiernan: Punderdome 3000 (8:00 pm, $20, Chelsea's Highline Ballroom at 431 West 16th Street)
Tuesday 7/24: Dan St. Germain (above; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Crashing, @midnight, This is Not Happening, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1; currently writing for Netflix's The Break with Michelle Wolf, previously staff writer for CBS' Superior Donuts and TruTV's Ten Things; upcoming album No Real Winners Here), Pete Lee (Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, TruTV, VH1), Sam Jay (writer for Saturday Night Live; performed on Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, Take My Wife), Nate Craig (writer/producer for MTV's Ridiculousness; Comedy Central, TruTV, Netflix), and more perform for host Seth Herzog's (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1) seminal weekly stand-up & variety show: Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Tuesday 7/24: Myka Fox (above left; SNL freelance contributor; host of Myka Fox & Friends podcast on Keith and The Girl Network), Sunita Mani (above right; cast member of Netflix's GLOW and USA's Mr. Robot, stellar comedy dance group Cocoon Central Dance Team), and Shanon Wright (singer/songwriter) perform jokes, dance, or music for host Shonali Bhowmik & guest host Jordan Clifford making this live recording of Shonali's podcast We Don't Even Know (8:00 pm, no cover but 2-drink min., KGB Bar's upstairs Red Room at 85 East 4th Street off Second Avenue)
Wednesday 7/25: In the tradition of summer reruns, film/TV expert & super-fan Kevin Maher (Emmy-nominated writer whose work has appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, and AMC; former host of AMC's The Sci-Fi Dept.) screens seven of the most popular segments from previous shows, each a "supercut" that boils down a movie, TV series, or film genre to its most enjoyable essence by editing it to run just 10 minutes. (For a recent example of what Kevin does, please click here.) Topics covered include Kung Fu wizards, an environmental monster movie, an under-seen slobs-vs-snobs prep school comedy, the ultimate 1990’s women’s wrestling epic, and a made-for-TV movie from a master of horror, with guest lecturers John Beaman, M. Sweeney Lawless, and John Cribbs: Kevin Geeks Out About Supercuts (7:30 pm; $16, Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema at 136 Metropolitan Avenue—take the L to Bedford)
Wednesday 7/25: Stellar storytellers Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable rising star stand-up, sketch comic, and actress; stellar host of Fresh Out; former writer for NatGeo Explorer and MTV's Guy Code; UCB Maude sketch groups The Prom and Absolutely), Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 20-time StorySlam Champion; albums The Human Comedy and Live at the Magnet Theater; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), Halle Kiefer (MTV, TruTV, Friends of the People, Vulture), and Matt Dennie (MTV, IFC, co-host of Cool Shit/Weird Shit) tell comedic tales on this month's theme Fathers for this live podcast taping hosted by the wonderful David Martin: The Nights of Our Lives: Fathers (8:00 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Wednesday 7/25: Comics and/or storytellers Jason Gore (Hulu's Difficult People, sketch group Bridge & Tunnel), Mary Houlihan (Difficult People, The Chris Gethard Show, Cartoon Monsoon), Sandi Marx (PBS, 7-time Moth StorySlam winner), and David Goldberg (writer for Time Out New York, EW) share tales about how faith has affected their lives hosted by Ian Goldstein (above): All Is Forgiven: A Non-Religious Comedy Show About Religion (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Wednesday 7/25: Highly talented singing improvisors Eric Gersen, Zack Willis, Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp, Lauren Adams, Jessica Morgan, Hannah Solow, Carrie McCrossen, Jeff Hiller, Jake Smith, and/or Jeremy Bent make up an entire musical on the spot springboarding off an audience suggestion as group Rumpleteaser; and for the second half of this double-bill, a bio-sketch show about pharmaceutical insider turned prison inmate Martin Shkreli: Shkreli! Portrait of a Pharma Bro (9:30 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Thursday 7/26: Marina Franklin (HBO, Trainwreck, Louie, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show) performs an hour of stand-up (soon to be a filmed special), with opening sets by comics TBA: Marina Franklin: Single Black Female (7:00 pm, $10 plus 2-item food/drink min., The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
Thursday 7/26: Learn the early history of the MTA via fun lectures, sketches, and more at the third of this comedic history series about NYC transit, with guests TBA, hosted by Meg Pierson (TEDx, Alchemy Comedy) and Justin Williams (Comedy Central; host of Death Comedy Jam): Why Your Train is F*cked: A Love/Hate Show About the History of the MTA (7:00 pm; $16.89 online, $18 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Thursday 7/26: Stand-ups TBA perform for stellar hosts (above) Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable rising star stand-up, sketch comic, and actress; former writer for NatGeo Explorer and MTV's Guy Code; UCB Maude sketch groups The Prom and Absolutely) and/or Jim Tews (Louie, Last Comic Standing; host of Homeschooled; New York Times bestselling author of Felines of New York; comedy album I Was in Band): Fresh Out (9:00 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Friday 7/27: This free stand-up show features a deliciously long set by Chris Laker (Jimmy Kimmel; opens for Mike Birbiglia; stand-up album Moments of Greatness): Chris Laker for the Hour (7:00 pm, Free!, The Creek Upstairs Theatre in Queens' LIC at 10-93 Jackson Avenue—take the 7 subway to Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue, just one stop past Grand Central)
Friday 7/27: Highly talented hip-hop improv group North Coast attempts to create a Hamilton on the spot by making up a musical based on an audience suggestion of a famous historical figure: Anybody: An Improvised Historical Hip-Hopera (9:30 pm, $16.89 online or $20 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 7/28: Ace improvisor Matt Higgins (Conan O'Brien, The Jim Gaffigan Show, member of revered improv groups Centralia and Burn Manhattan) performs two versions of a 45-minute solo show back to back, at 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm, for the sake of filming his work. Come have your laughter immortalized—at no charge!—at Matt Higgins: The Improvisor (PLEASE NOTE: Both shows have SOLD OUT. 2:00 pm & 3:30 pm, Free!, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Saturday 7/28: WWE YouTubers Lucy T WWE, The Nobodies, Ashlee White, Damian Blewitt, Malcolm Muscle Man, and/or more make SummerSlam predictions, answer audience questions, play wrestling-related games with the audience for prizes, host wrestling-related stand-up by Chris Griggs, and interview surprise guests at this special filmed event celebrating the one-year anniversary of Lucy's WWE YouTube channel: Lucy T WWE: Live! (3:30 pm, $10, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Saturday 7/28: Courtney Maginnis (above; Comedy Central, host of The Narcisistas podcast), Tommy Pope (above; National Lampoon, Funny or Die, Comedy Central webseries Delco Propper), Daniel Simonsen (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Andrew Collin share true-life longish funny tales at this mashup of stand-up and storytelling hosted by Alison Leiby (writer for The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, previously writer for The President Show; VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog): It's a Long Story (11:30 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Saturday 7/28: Seven comics—including Erik Bergstrom (Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, VH1, Fuse; cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker)—whose places of origin range from Colombia to Ireland to Brazil perform stand-up that might include material about where they originally came from and the journey that led them to NYC, produced by Katie Boyle: Transplants (7:30 pm, $7, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Sunday 7/29: Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO's phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O'Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up album Physical Whisper) headlines this free show, which also features stand-up by Larry Owens (writer for TruTV's Paid Off; feature film To Dust), Sophia Cleary, Ayo Edebiri, and George Civeris, all hosted by Emily Panic & Lillian Devane: Sunday Roast (8:00 pm, Free!, LES' Max Fish at 120 Orchard Street)
Sunday 7/29: Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's 2 Dope Queens, stellar Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself; Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It; tours with Amy Schumer) headlines this free weekly show, which also features stand-up by Allan Fuks, Royce Wynn, Patrick Holbert, Fumi Abe, Tristan Smith, and Zahra Ali, all hosted by Gianmarco Soresi (Seeso; sketch group Uncle Function; acclaimed FringeNYC play <50%) & Jay Schmidt: Last Laugh (7:00 pm, Free!, VSpot Organic at the East Village's 12 St. Marks Place)
Sunday 7/29: Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe), Joe Zimmerman (Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing), Dan Licata (writer for Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks To You; The Chris Gethard Show; co-host of the Dan + Joe + Charles' Show), Joe Rumrill (The Chris Gethard Show; co-host of Cartoon Monsoon), Marissa Goldman (VICE), and Rachel Kaly perform stand-up, plus group Simple Town performs sketch, hosted by Harris Mayersohn & Jessy Morner-Ritt: Just a Show (6:00 pm, $8, Brooklyn's Sunnyvale at 1031 Grand Street)
Sunday 7/29: Comedy duo Marty Scanlon (musical improv team Good Catch) & Ali Gordon (musical improv group Rumpleteaser), plus guest Grey Henson (Tony Nominee for Broadway's Mean Girls; previously Elder McKinley in Broadway's The Book of Mormon), improvise on-the-fly pitches for sequels to movies that definitely do not need them, plus an assessment of each sequel's scientific viability by Moiya McTier, for this live recording of their podcast: Making Number 2: Sequels = Comedy + Time (9:30 pm; $9.47 online or $12 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 7/31: Mark Normand (above left; one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's 2 Dope Queens, stellar Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself; Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It; tours with Amy Schumer), Michael Kosta (above middle; correspondent for The Daily Show), Alex Brightman (above right; Tony nominee for starring in Broadway's School of Rock; upcoming Broadway musical Beetlejuice; Showtime's SMILF), Michael Cruz Kayne (sketches on Stephen Colbert and The Chris Gethard Show; HBO's Crashin;g former writer for @midnight and Billy on the Street; member of ace musical improv group Baby Wants Candy and UCB Saturday night improv group What I Did For Love, co-host of monthly comedy show The Exhibition), Julian Velard (singer/songwriter; pianist for NPR's Ask Me Another; albums include Fancy Words For Failure), and more perform for host Seth Herzog's (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1) seminal weekly stand-up & variety show: Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Tuesday 7/31: This free stand-up show—which also provides free beer!—features Chris Gethard (comedy genius; star of HBO 90-minute special Career Suicide; star of TruTV's & Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; co-star of Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice; host of Webby-winning podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People; The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; author of A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Kate Willett (Comedy Central's The Jim Jeffries Show and This Is Not Happening; VICE's Flophouse, Netflix's Comedy Lineup; comedy album Glass Gutter), Anthony DeVito (Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central Half Hour, This American Life, House of Cards), Jordan Temple (staff writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede, previously writer for Showtime's SMIFL), Mary Cella (The New York Times), Mike Lasher, and Caitlin Peluffo hosted by Emily Winter (writer for Fusion’s Come Here and Say That, TVLand, and The New Yorker; co-host of The BackFatlorette, Backfat Variety, and Side Ponytail): Comedy at Rose Gold (8:00 pm, Free!—plus Free Beer!!, Brooklyn's Rose Gold Cocktail Lounge at 96 Morgan Avenue; take the L subway to Morgan Avenue)
Tuesday 7/31: Comedic storytellers share tales of reclaiming power, with Danny Artese (Moth GrandSlam champion), Sandi Marx (7-time Moth StorySlam winner), Elana Lancaster (Moth StorySlam winner), Dawn Fraser (TED@NYC), Stephanie Summerville (The Moth mainstage), Lily Herman (founder of Get Her Elected), Negin Farsad (Comedy Central, MTV, Netflix), and Mark Pagán—plus political organizers Adrienne Lever (Director of Swing Left) and Asher Novek (President of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats) offer ways to support a blue wave for the 2018 elections, all hosted by Nicole Ferraro: Our House: A Storytelling Benefit for Swing Left (7:00 pm; $20, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Copyright © 2018 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
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