NYC Comedy Picks for Week of July 30, 2012

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/30/12

Sara Schaefer performs at The Big Shrink and Broken Comedy; Kristen Schaal bids adieu to Hot Tub Variety

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling show, with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 8 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart and a guest storyteller (not announced this week): The Dump

6:00 pm ($5 cover & $5 drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel

[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

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

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (online sales SOLD OUT; there might be a few standby tickets for $8 at the door): Kristen Schaal's last show as co-host, with Janeane Garofalo, Eugene Mirman, Leo Allen, "a special guest," co-host Kurt Braunohler, and more performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street); if I can stay awake for 24 hours straight, I'll be there too...: Hot Tub Variety

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars mixing it up with genius improvisors John Lutz & Scott Adsit (30 Rock, John & Scott), Rachel Dratch (SNL), Becky Drysdale, and Michael Delaney as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes played by wonderful Broadway, off-Broadway, and TV actors Julie Sharbutt, Amy Rutberg, Oliver Chris, Cristin Milioti, and Jemima Rooper at UCB Chelsea for actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), comedy duo Coker & Stratton, and more performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring the Shrink Dancers: The Big Shrink

8:00 pm ($8): Improv performed by talented duos at The PIT upstairs theatre: Ampers&nd

[DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($11.34 [vs. $21.69] online using discount code LLED10): NYC stand-ups specializing in political humor make fun of our current election cycle at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street); take advantage of discount code LLED10 to see this off-Broadway show for under $12: Laughing Liberally: Electile Dysfunction

8:00 pm ($10): Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Ben Asher, Jerry Shack, and more performing stand-up at this monthly show at The PIT, hosted by twins Todd & Adam Stone: Stone and Stone Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel, FX's Totally Biased), Tyler Fischer (host of Fresh Fisch), Jess Wood, Kevin Avery, and Dwayne Kennedy performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway's Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Mike Denny, Michael Che, and Nimesh Patel, and often featuring free beer: Broken Comedy

9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Charlemagne (which includes such talents as Daily Show writer Zhubin Parang) and Beige: Maude Night: Beige & Charlemagne

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): On the Road

9:30 pm ($5): The debut of the only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

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

[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

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Karaoke plus Mad Libs—in which the audience chooses a list of words to swap into a popular song—at the UCB East Bar hosted by karaoke experts Alan Starzinski and Amy Jo Jackson, plus live keyboard accompaniment by Joe McGinty: Karaoke Night at the Hot Chicks Room

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone wonderful (while Leo Allen is in LA): 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 exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($7; SOLD OUT, but there'll be a waiting list for tickets unclaimed 10 minutes prior to showtime): Jason Mantzoukas (film/TV star; We Used to Go Out, Mother, Baby Mama) and Ed Herbstman (national TV commercial star and stellar comedic actor; co-founder of the Magnet Theater) are improv masters—as they demonstrated by easily winning the $10,000 Friars Club competition for Best Improv Troupe last year. Come see the height of improv as these breathtakingly quick-witted and skillful guys create pure magic during one of the rare evenings when Jason (who now lives in LA) is visiting NYC—and as they then engage in an unusually intimate, and potentially awkward, debriefing session with the audience that can be as much fun as the formal part of the show: The Mantzoukas Brothers

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 7/31/12

Steve Rannazzisi and Kurt Metzger are among the stand-up stars at tonight's ComedyJuice

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

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

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Hoops, Kinsey, and GoodGirl at this first half (see 9:15 pm for more) of Harold Night

8:00 pm ($8): Head writer & director Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team, The Baldwins, Jen & Steve) and a dozen other talents perform brand new sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre: Big Business

8:00 pm ($5): Young improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

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

9:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): John Roy (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award), and "a special guest" performing stand-up for this weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) with tonight's host Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: Eulogy

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Spooky Ghost, Graceland, and The Pox—plus at 11:00 pm advanced improv students make up scenes based on "the news and the fears of today" in a form called The Current—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), and Tony Zaret perform at UCB East hosted by Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) who'll perform a dark mix of improv and sketch that's uniquely The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Al Madrigal (correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno), Steve Rannazzisi (creator/co-star of FX's The League; Comedy Central, MTV's Punk'd), Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Ugly Americans, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing), Brendon Walsh (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), and Ari Shaffir (HBO's Down and Dirty) performing at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

10:00 pm ($8): "Improvising from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong, kicking ass, and hoping each time that the next kick ass jump will be the kick ass jump home" from troupe IRTE at The PIT downstairs lounge: IRTE: That Kick Ass Time Jump Show

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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 8/1/12

Comedy stars Janeane Garofalo and Wyatt Cenac (above), Todd Barry, and more perform at Tell Your Friends

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from Brandy Barber (Comedy Central, Late Night Republic), Micah Sherman (Second City, The Scene), Cathleen Carr (Two Girls for Five Bucks, The Scene), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Jerry Mouse (Big Business, College Humor), Chris Roberti (New Excitement), Julia Morales (10K Hours), and Corey Rodriguez performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Micah Sherman: Old School Sketch Comedy Show

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

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic free speech at this monthly show that dates back to 1755 London and tonight provides five minutes per person at The Penny Farthing (103 Third Avenue at 13th Street) hosted by Nat Towsen (co-host of The Moon Show): Cogers

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15 at the door, $15.30 in advance online): TV & movie stars Janeane Garofalo, Wyatt Cenac, and Todd Barry, band The Starlight Girls, and more performing at Brooklyn's The Bell House hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, "some of UCBT's best improvisers gather around the couch to turn each others' bizarre tales and armchair philosophies into an evening of improv comedy. It's like hanging out with your friends except that your friends are really funny and need to suddenly turn their stories into improv scenes." In other words, it's just like previous show Happy Hour minus the beer. The ace improvisors include Fran Gillespie, Charlie Todd, and John Frusciante: The Living Room

[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] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue), hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, one of the very best sketch shows of 2012. It's a noir mini-play written & directed with immense wit by Michael Trapp (Stone Cold Fox), who with this script demonstrates he's a rising star with a surefire career in the biz. And beyond the pages, Michael's put together an all-star cast, including John Murray (simultaneously gripping and hilarious as a hardboiled detective with an absurdly short attention span), Brandon Scott Jones (who delivers an unforgettable scene with John that's worth the trip all by itself), and D'Arcy Carden (who abandons her usual laid-back persona here to be smoking hot). These are all total pros who are virtually assured careers in TV and film. Catch them while they're honing their craft and waiting to be noticed in one of the most consistently fun shows in NYC: Death Wears Stilettos...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, a (mostly) one-man show by George Kareman titled Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible

[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: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) hosts as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight's scheduled performers include Bridey Elliot; for the full 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: 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' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 8/2/12

John Mulaney and Adam Newman (above), Janeane Garofalo, and more perform & raise funds at Fresh Out

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: Jane Borden (former Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That) is tonight's guest co-host 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 (memorably featured here): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

[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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, "all of the badass-ness of a baddass action film brought to you live on stage" by Brandon Gulya (writer/co-star), Brandon Scott Jones, Leslie Meisel, Kristen Acimovic, Eddie Dunn, Tim Martin, and Evan Greenspoon in The Unbreakable Gun; and in the other half of this double-bill, a show I know nothing about titled The Infinity Brothers

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): One of my favorite people, Julie Sharbutt—who's performed with some of the greatest improvisors alive at UCBT's Gravid Water—goes for improv gold herself with comedy partner Cathleen Carr (Birds, The Scene, Dos Experimentos) as they "hope to establish themselves as the leading voices in contemporary South Boston crime noir improv comedy. Watch them, along with special guests Bob Kulhan and Chris Roberti, unspool a suspenseful, heavily-accented mystery thrilla" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Mystic Improv

7:00 pm ($5): Two one-night-only singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Musical Improv Mix-Em-Up: Dorothy and Blanche

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Mamrie Hart is a rising star who somehow manages to be razor-sharp and immensely warm & accessible at the same time—and is always worth catching. Mamrie and her superb comedy partner Stephen Soroka tonight perform puns, wild facial expressions, dance, rock trivia, audience pranks, murder reenactments, and more as sketch duo BoF: Friends Without Benefits...

...plus in the other half of this double-bill, "For over a year, Patrick Waldo scrawled his moustache tag on countless advertisements around New York City, entertaining commuters and causing thousands of dollars in damage. After a three month investigation, the NYPD put an end to his spree when they arrested Waldo under felony charges of graffiti, criminal mischief, and fucking shit up," written & starring Patrick Waldo, and directed by Nate Dern & John Flynn: Moustache Man: Confessions of a NYC Graffiti Artist

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Superb comics—including Adira Amram, Doppelganger, and Annie Lederman—perform at The PIT upstairs theatre for judges of this Andy Kaufman Award Auditions

8:00 pm ($5): Two one-night-only singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Musical Improv Mix-Em-Up: Sophia and Rose

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Rick Andrews directing The Weave (organic freeform improv "with no rules"), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), featuring last week's winner against The Friday Night Sh'w: The Magnet's Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete" at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, TV & movie star Todd Barry, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), and more performing stand-up and raising fund at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out

9:30 pm ($8): Rory Albanese (Executive Producer for The Daily Show), Jeff Maurer (Last Comic Standing), Jim Tews, and Emily Epstein performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge co-produced by Meg Cupernall and hosted by Ryan Conner (freelance writer for SNL, BBC): Free Healthcare

9:30 pm ($5): Aat UCB Chelsea, an improvised movie from troupe The Buffs and then improv scenes based on a series of audiene suggestions from troupe The Pad

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Wow. In a major upset, shiny new Lloyd team Graceland defeated world-class troupe Doppelganger last week 92-54. I didn't see it, but you can read a report from blog Improv Observations here. Can Graceland keep it up against tonight's killer challenger Good Dad, comprised of such superstars as Neil Casey, Fran Gillespie, and Jon Gabrus? Come find out as these two teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): "Secret movie screenings of movies you probably haven't seen and/or should see again" at UCB East (which used to be a movie theatre) hosted by Ryan Karels (Grandma's Ashes, Krompf), Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers), JD Amato (Harold Night), and Mike Roth (Two Boots Video): Secret Movie Show Presented by Two Boots Video

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 8/3/12

Shannon O'Neill interviews the audience at Strangers Wanted; Judah Friedlander headlines at Carolines...

...Sean Patton and JC Coccoli perform at Annie Lederman's Pirate Party; plus JC's also at Undefined and Gentrify

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($10 plus 1 drink min.): "Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater, a shark swims right into your heart." Beloved storyteller/stand-up/sketch comic John Flynn stars—superbly—as a singing shark, along with two wonderful finds, powerhouse singer Laura Daniel and comedy dynamo Brett Douglas, in this 40-minute musical written & composed by Wayne Henry at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues) that really should be doubled in length via a second act but in the meantime is worth catching as is (running tonight and just a few other dates): Jaws: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): One of my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The Magnet to perform as improv trio Mr. Gorsky; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv troupe Swartzlander

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion) does a monthly show at UCB Chelsea based on nothing but interviews with the audience and sheer guts: Strangers Wanted with Shannon O'Neill

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), and more perform improv at UCB East springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) Judah Friedlander is a hilarious stand-up and occasional agent of chaos. Judah is a cast member of 30 Rock, and has also performed on VH1’s Best Week Ever, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, MTV’s Wonder Showzen, and Jay Leno. In addition, Judah has acted in over 20 films, including such hit comedies as Meet the Parents, Zoolander, and Full Grown Men. Judah was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in American Splendor. When asked in an interview about his influences, Judah responded: "Audiences. They are often the forgotten ingredient in stand-up comedy. Stand-up is live entertainment, and a live audience is needed. Also, whatever is happening at the moment. I play off of that. The moment is a big influence. If you’re not playing the moment you’re not doing stand-up comedy–someone just reciting material but not responding with what’s going on in the room is not stand-up comedy." This playful, anarchic, in-the-moment comedy veteran—and author of the book How to Beat Up Anybody—is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander

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 ($5): D&D-style epic fantasy improv, plus nerdy stand-up, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Eric Grundhauserled as your Dungeon Master

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[FREE] 8:00 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' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): Two of the most respected improvisors in the country, Magnet co-owner Armando DIaz and Christina Gausas team up as Diaz & Gausas

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on David Letterman and Jay Leno, and starred in two Comedy Central specials, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Mitch Fatel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30ish pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), and Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Annie Lederman—followed by wild Karaoke party!: Pirate Party

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—plus tonight's guests Fran Gillespie (ASSSSCAT 3000, Stone Cold Fox, The Law Firm, The Living Room), Lauren Adams (Newsadoozies, Onassis), and Tim Martin (Airwolf) making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), TV & movie star Todd Barry (might be 9:00 pm only), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): The Lucas Bros (Jimmy Fallon), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), and Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award) performing stand-up, plus others doing sketch, improv, and who knows what else, at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Joe Zimmerman (Rooftop Comedy), Dave Stone (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies), Andy Sanford (TBS), 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." This bearded quartet's credits include the album Cardio Mix from Comedy Central Records. Tonight they're joined by NYC stand-ups performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Beards of Comedy & Friends

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

10:00 pm ($5): A one-man show about a port-a-john manager seeking advice from a variety of oddball sources, written & performed by Tim Leuzarder at The PIT downstairs lounge: Mentor-ized: Looking For Help In All The Wrong Places

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

10:30 pm ($10): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Team Submarine, and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

11:00 pm ($5): Where else can you find a late-night improvised exorcism besides The PIT downstairs lounge?: The Exorcism of Lucas Hazlett

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

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

Midnight ($5): A three-person improv competition at UCB East hosted by Brian Glidewell, Josh Patten, and Ben Rameaka: Three for All

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 8/4/12

Judah Friedlander continues his headlining run at Carolines; Janeane Garofalo performs at Fresh Fisch

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes The Bartender, Eaglefox, and Orange Augustus at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Stellar storytellers Ted Travelstead (Vanity Fair, author of Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk), Jim O'Grady (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion), and Erin Barker (Moth GrandSlam champion, co-host of The Story Collider) tell "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 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas The Adam Wade Show and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), : Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv at The PIT downstairs lounge from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division

[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

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

7:30 pm ($7): Andrew Yurman-Glaser and Dustin Drury perform at The Magnet as improv duo Upstate

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $11.34 in advance online): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Jon Glaser (star of Adult Swim's Delocated; long-time writer/performer for Conan O'Brien), Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Bill Stiteler (The Newlywed Game), and Sagar Bhatt performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Tyler Fischer: Fresh Fisch

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and 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? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on David Letterman and Jay Leno, and starred in two Comedy Central specials, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Mitch Fatel

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Joe List (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), Jeff Wesselschmidt, and Nick Maritato performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [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): TV & movie star Todd Barry (might be 9:00 pm only), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

9:30 pm ($5): "A monthly show featuring long form improv of three diverse schools of thought and culminating in a cross-team closing" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sharif Ali and Kelly Ann Rockwell: World's Fair

[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] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which stand-ups Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out), Greg Stone, Team Submarine, Eli Sairs, Gonzalo Cordova, Luis Gomez, and Kris Tinkle perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can't even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City produced by Kelly Fastuca, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short: Underbelly

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter" at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot—and which is currently kicking ass at Cage Match: Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf—which in a phenomenal run crushed over a dozen improv troupes in a row this year at Cage Match—makes stuff up at UCB East for an entire hour: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

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

11:00 pm ($5): All-gal improv at The PIT upstairs theatre from troupe Goldie and the Hawns (Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell), plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: The delightful Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party) debuts with Kat Toledo in a sketch show Amber mostly wrote (with help from Jill Morris, Kat Toledo, and Jeff Seal) that "explores the moment before a breakdown, the breakdown, and what happens after" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Snapped

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), and Sam Morril performing stand-up at UCB Chelsea with host Andy Rocco: Underground Americana

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes typically includes superb NYC comics—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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 8/5/12

Adorable comedic musicians Supercute! and equally adorable Todd Barry perform at Fooling Around with Casey Jost...

...and ace storyteller Melanie Hamlett returns from her South American adventures
to be the monologist tonight at both editions of UCB Chelsea's ASSSCAT 3000

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: "Improvising from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong, kicking ass, and hoping each time that the next kick ass jump will be the kick ass jump home" from troupe IRTE at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): IRTE: That Kick Ass Time Jump Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz—and tonight features stellar storyteller Melanie Hamlett as the monologist who tells tales serving as the springboard for improv scenes: 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): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead) and adorable band Supercute! (Rachel Trachtenberg and her young gal pals) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre with host Casey Jost (writer for Jimmy Fallon): Fooling Around with Casey Jost

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Jane Borden (former Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Greg Warren, Paul Hooper, and Chris Burns performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), John Early, David Bernstein, and Mallory Schlossberg performing stand-up, storytelling, and more at The Magnet hosted by Willy Appelman: The Willy Appelman Variety Show

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Typically stellar stand-ups performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress or (if he's out of town) a guest host: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), , Ashley Brooke Roberts, Doug Smith, Shalewa Sharpe, and Nick Maritato performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sharp Chicago-trained improvisors led by Susan Messing make up scenes at The PIT, with tonight's guests including Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, 30 Rock, Louie): Messing with New York

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comics performing their best material: Sketch Sundays

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Leah Bonnema, and Raquel D'Aspice performing stand-up at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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

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