NYC Comedy Picks for Week of March 10, 2014

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 3/10/14

Livia Scott spearheads exceptionally fresh, smart sketch comedy in her group Legs For Days;
Glenn Boozan (above) & Karin Hammerberg debut a duo sketch show about pain: This Is Going to Hurt

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] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 15-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) featuring guest storyteller Liz Phillips (The New York Times, WNYC Radio, Moth GrandSlam Champion) at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of young improvisors performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Free Improv Monday

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Justy Dodge (co-host of Married to Comedy podcast and Too Much Information on comicalradio.com; "I was kind of a tomboy growing up. Like, I had Barbies, but only because my Ninja Turtles needed bitches;" for dark bio video, please click here), Ashley Brooke Roberts (co-host of The Dream Show), Matteo Lane, Ryan Beck, Joe Cocozello, Drew Michael, and Chris Nester performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Spike Hill (184 & 186 Bedford Avenue, off N 7th Street) hosted by Will WInners and/or Kyle Ayers: Game Night

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sharp comic Alan Starzinski (Sandino, Fat Penguin) performs a clever one-man sketch show in which he plays characters ranging from Aquaman to Gary Busey to the rescue pilot at the end of Jurassic Park at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Guys You Love to Hate...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, "Six months ago, Karin and Glenn started emailing each other every time they cried. Then they wrote a comedy show about feelings. To test the theory of 'Tragedy Plus Time Equals Comedy,' Karin and Glenn will perform some sketches, dance a little bit, and then tell you some very personal stories that they shouldn't be talking about in front of this many people:" This Is Going to Hurt

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Ralph Harris (Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Central Half Hour, Dream Girls, Evan Almighty), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central), and Modi (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Kevin Meaney, Gary Gulman, Ryan Hamilton, and More

8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Emily Heller (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, FX's Totally Biased), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Joe Zimmerman (Comedy Central), and Lafayette Wright performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) guest-hosted by Jean Grae & Josh Gondelman: Night Train

8:00 pm ($10): "Every family has a black sheep, but the Damn Family is all black sheep. When they get together, things get weird with not-so-wholesome, not-so-family-friendly sketch comedy fun" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Damn Family

8:00 pm ($5): Improv group Gadget makes up scenes, plus musical guest Buckwheat Groats, at the UCB East theatre: The Gadget Hour

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Elana Fishbein performs an unusual one-woman improv show at The Magnet theatre: Pepita; plus improv group The Theme From Jurassic Park

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch groups try out new material: the daring, out-of-the-box brilliant, and hysterical Legs for Days (which includes stellar performers Livia Scott, Ann Carr, Dan Chamberlain, Michael Hartney, and more, plus exceptionally superb writers) and Bellevue: Maude Night: Legs For Days and Bellevue

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Improvisors aim for "the comedy, drama, and vocal juiciness of a Mozart masterpiece made up on the spot; come hear beautiful arias appear out of nowhere as someone's beloved is ravaged by a cheese monster, Gary Busey, or anything else the audience suggests" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Opera

9:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Phillip Jackson, and/or Steve Theiss hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Strong lineup of Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman, VH1, contributor to SNL's Weekend Update), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Dan Soder (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane), performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Dave Attell, Judah Friedlander, Ali Wong, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: In this unique mix of stand-up, improv, and audience participation, comics Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CDs Vegan Mind Meld and Meat Robot), Boris Khaykin, Adam Sokol, Forrest Haigh, and Eli Yuden perform "improvised stand-up" based on pictures provided by the audience via the Crowd Source app at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by John Jorif: Crowd Sourced

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Twelve improv comics who are "friends of Dorothy" perform at The Magnet hosted by Andrew Fafoutakis: There's No Place Like Home: A GLBTQ Event

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Pete Lee (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Gibran Saleem (MTV), Miguel Dalmau, Monroe Martin, Jen Remauro, and Ricky Velez performing for this free weekly stand-up show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Michael Kosta: Frantic Mondays: Judah Friedlander, Pete Lee, Nick Vatterott, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O'Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room"), hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Monday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Tim Duffy: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 7:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at Brooklyn's Colony (274 4th Avenue) hosted by Emily Winter: Sparky the Dog Open Mic

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

[FREE] 10:30 pm: 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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Langston Belton: Base Jam

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 3/11/14

Married stand-up couple Rich Vos & Bonnie McFarlane tape their podcast live at the Village Underground: My Wife Hates Me;
Nick Vatterott demonstrates his affable hosting skills at stand-up showcase Last Week Was Packed

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] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet's singing improv groups make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion, followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv group to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Darcy Burke performs a one-woman show in which she "applies the principles of Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth to the 1987 Denver Broncos" at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Drive: Power of Myth

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Improv troupe Punctual Drunks interviews an audience member about his or her favorite fairy tale, and then picks up the story where it left off so you can find out how it really ended, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punctual Drunks & Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Married stand-up couple Rich Vos (stand-up star on two seasons of Last Comic Standing and on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; Comedy Central Presents; Opie & Anthony radio show) and Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) perform a taping of their podcast live on stage at the Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): My Wife Hates Me—Live Podcast

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups --Greg, Higgins, and Grammer at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($5 online using discount code NORTHERN; no min.): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), and Kyle Grooms performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Ray Devito & Josh Carter: Northern Discomfort: Janeane Garofalo, Gary Gulman, Jon Fisch, Carmen Lynch, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know's Best, IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Kevin Meaney, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award) and friends perform a mix of stand-up and sketch at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Last Week Was Packed

8:00 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled" at Channel 101

8:00 pm ($10): A sketch comedy group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger) at The PIT upstairs theatre: Slap Fight

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jeff Simmermon, Becky Yamamoto, Negin Farsad, Sam Grittner, Lynn Bixenspan, Matt Donaher, and Will Miles performing stand-up for this free weekly show at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Tim Ellis & Mo Fathelbab: Manifesto

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically superb stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) produced every Tuesday by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Typically superb comics (not yet announced) performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon long-time staff comic, Comedy Central, VH1, co-host of Nat Geo's Duck Quakes Don't Echo): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (typically announced by 1:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Dean, and/or Steve O'Brien: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Namaste, Graceland, and The Regulars at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

9:30 pm ($5): "People from all across America have submitted ideas for the wackiest and most expensive game shows on earth. At this showcase we'll try out three lucky shows with the help and participation of our gracious live audience. After we've attempted to recreate all three, audience members get the chance to vote on which idea gets to go straight to TV" at UCB East hosted by Jo Firestone (Punderdome 3000): The Incredible Game Show Showcase

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors play outside their comfort zones at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Dan Pozmanter: Fear Corner

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5; no min.): A super-affordable stand-up club show, featuring stars Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Mark DeMayo (retired NYC cop with great stories), Jesse Joyce, and Danny Palmer performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): $5 Funnies: Judah Friedlander, Mark DeMayo, Jesse Joyce, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle's Show, For the Love of the Game), Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), James Smith (Australian comic; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central; for stand-up video on what it's like to be Australian in New York, please click here), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane), and Ralph Harris (Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Central Half Hour, Dream Girls, Evan Almighty) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Judah Friedlander, Ali Wong, Greer Barnes, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups each tell precisely three jokes at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Seth Cockfield: Three Joke Mafia

Tuesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open-mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT Green Room, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:15 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys Open MIc

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Weekly stand-up open mic (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Dustin Drury: This Is Happening Open MIc

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Tuesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Jake Hart with guest co-host TBA: The Dump

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:15: Sign up at 9:30 pm for the opportunity to make up a musical on the spot with The Magnet improv group Aquarius: Magnet Musical Improv Mixer

[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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An improv jam for students at all levels to work on their skills at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Elke Reid and David Frasure: Study Hall

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 3/12/14

New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator is among the guests at Amanda Duarte's Dead Darlings;
Comedy Central stars Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer perform at UCB Chelsea for their monthly stage show Broad City Live

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] 5:30 pm: Sketch comics perform character bits in this audition for the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival at The PIT upstairs theatre: Character Auditions for Just For Laughs

[FREE; plus FREE COOKIES] 6:30 pm ($5): "For this most popular and potentially world-changing American holiday, join us for tea, coloring, and homemade chocolate chip cookies in celebration of the most love-filled (and delicious) day of the year" at the UCB East Hot Chicks Room (the bar area): The Katie Fisher Day Cookie Party

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm ($5): NYC comics are panelists for this game show in which "four smart, funny people are quizzed on odd and obscure bits of trivia that just might save your life (probably not, though)" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by MIchael FIsher: Pop Quiz Hotshot

7:00 pm to 12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Five and a half hours of improv from eight groups at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Fiction and nonfiction stories involving this month's theme Video Games from Anna Roisman (MTV; co-host of You Probably Think This Song Is About You), Peter Olson (Marvel Comics, Spike TV), Matt London (Tor.com), and Sam J. Miller (The Rumpus), plus musical guest The Royal Bees, all performing at Le Poisson Rouge's The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Dana Ross: Lost & Found: Video Games

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features house groups Musk and Detroit: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, “a comedic exploration of why we love to hate the women we do" written by & starring Abby Holland, Molly Gaebe, Jenn Roman, and Julie Rosing, and directed by the brilliant Ellena Chmielewski: Fuck Judy Towers...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a full-blown musical about "three polygamist pop stars on the hunt for their brother husband," starring Caitlin Davis, Kaleigh Malloy, and Elizabeth May (with some help from Dave May): Missionary in Manhattan: A Mormon Musical

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A hodgepodge of comedy hosted by the wonderful and quick-witted Amanda Duarte (young), with Joe Dator (New Yorker cartoonist), Naomi Ekperigin (MTV, VH1, Totally Biased), Chris Tanner (Karen Finley's Make Love, The Etiquette of Death, Footballhead), DuSchnaüzel Worldwide, and celebrity bartender Julia Knippen performing at Judson Memorial Church (239 Thompson Street): Dead Darlings

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($10-$14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam) hosts all shows, which feature Gary Gulman, Marina Franklin, Keith Robinson, and Dov Davidoff at 8:00; a very strong lineup of Dave Attell, Ali Wong, Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, and Ryan Hamilton at 9:45; and Kurt Metzger, James Smith, and Sam Morril at 11:30, with all three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Kate Ghiloni, Scotland Green, and Rojo Perez performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by Joe Zimmerman, Jono Zalay, and Taylor Ketchum: Hot Crowd: Jon Fisch, Dan St. Germain, and More

[FREE; plus FREE BACON] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups perform a special fundraising show for Liza Dye—with guests Carmen Lynch, Calise Hawkins, Leah Bonnema, Tyler Fischer, and many more—at this show that provides you with both free comedy and free bacon at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Kevin Berrey and/or Farah Brook: Free Bacon

8:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy group Awful DJ (Bill Grandberg, Cory Cavin, and Josh Lay) hosts this variety show at The PIT downstairs lounge: Awful DJ

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CDs Vegan Mind Meld and Meat Robot), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), J-L Cauvin (Craig Ferguson), Zach Broussard (Jimmy Fallon), Sachi Ezura (MTV’s Girl Code and Guy Code), Simeon Goodson, and Christian Duran performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Lucky Jack's Pub (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:00 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

9:15 pm ($8): Sketch comedy from groups Business Computer, Cockadoodle Don't, and UniSex, character sketch from Lauren Maul, plus music from Positive Feedback, and more at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Max Fox: March Sketch Block

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5; sold out of seats, but you can probably still get in if you don't mind standing): Join Ilana Glazer & Abbi Jacobson, the delightful stars of Comedy Central's hit series Broad City (recently renewed for a second season), plus stand-ups (not announced) at UCB Chelsea for this "delicately crafted hour of fun:" Broad City Live

[FREE] 10:00 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' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

10:00 pm ($5): Randomly selected UCBT students perform with UCBT improv veterans at the UCB East theatre: The Lottery

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Charla Lauriston (MTV; host of Free Cable) 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. (Tonight's lineup includes Brandon Scott Jones and Naomi Ekperigin; for the complete list, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

Wednesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[FREE] 5:30 pm: A character-based open-mic happening weekly at UCB East hosted by Sean Hart: Don't Be Yourself: Character Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Kaity Neagle & Irene Hartmann: Ragtag Team Open Mic Stand-Up

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

6:30 pm (no cover, 1-drink min. for comics): Walk-in open mic providing 7 minutes per stand-up at the Phoenix Bar (447 East 13th Street) hosted by Lisa Harmon: Lisa's Clubhouse

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Wednesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Lizzie Martinez: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house group Bucky and DJ Cipha Sounds: The Improv Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your chance to perform on stage with experienced improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Bernard Maynore & Patrick Cucuta: Improdome

[FREE] 11:30: Sign up at 11:00 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with veteran improvisors: Magnet Improv Mixer

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 3/13/14

See Michelle Wolf almost get engaged on Seth Meyers; check out a fine set from Jared Logan on The Pete Holmes Show; and enjoy Thomas Middleditch deliver a joyful comedy performance with Pete Holmes here and here

UCB Chelsea hosts a dozen one-acts (six at 8:00 and six at 9:30) at its Ten Minute Play Festival;
stellar comics Jessi Klein, Todd Barry, Leo Allen, Larry Murphy, and Jo Firestone at Brooklyn's Myrtle Comedy

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] 5:30 pm: Sketch comics perform character bits in this audition for the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival at the UCB East theatre: Character Auditions for Just For Laughs

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Shonali Bhowmik (Variety SHAC; leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys), and Billy Prinsell performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and/or Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

7:00 pm ($8): Musical improv based on audience neuroses—"about the hidden, shameful, and most vile portions of your subconscious, and then getting the entire room to sing a chorus about them"—at The PIT downstairs lounge: Possum Fondue: (Your) Group Therapy Session

[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:45 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Nick Griffin, Marina Franklin, Lynne Koplitz, and Keith Robinson at the 7:45 show; Ali Wong, Wil Sylvince, Lynn Koplitz, and Ralph Harris at the 8:00 show; strong lineup of Ali Wong, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, and Ralph Harris at the 9:30 show; and strong lineup of Dave Attell, Paul Mecurio, James Smith, and Wil Sylvince at the 11:30 show, with three of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday

[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), Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; head writer for Inside Amy Schumer,writer for Kroll Show, former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Leo Allen (Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die; writer for Comedy Central's Review; former long-time writer for Saturday Night Live; former director/co-writer of Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van; host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), and Jo Firestone (rising star; Punderdome 3000, host of The Incredible Game Show Showcase) at this show for stand-up plus sketch at Brooklyn's Splitty (415 Myrtle Avenue) hosted by Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor for FOX's Bob's Burgers, Comedy Central's Ugly Americans, Adult Swim's Assy McGee and Home Movies, and numerous other shows) and/or Greg Johnson (Sirius XM): Myrtle Comedy: Todd Barry, Jessi Klein, Leo Allen, Larry Murphy, Jo Firestone, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Six 10-minute comedic plays by such superb writer/performers as Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, and Ari Scott, and performed by such talents as Morgan Grace Jarrett and Ann Carr, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The UCBT's Ten Minute Play Festival, Program A

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups The Boss and Junior Varsity performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by Genus ((long form improv that takes the suggestion of a genre and then improvises an entire show in that genre), at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from star storyteller Robert Weinstein at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet's Night Out

8:00 pm ($8): Two musical improv groups make up song-and-dance-based stories on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Washingtons and Moose

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), and Chloe Hilliard telling stories about movies at Videology (308 Bedford Avenue) hosted by John Murray & Matt Fisher: Low Standards with John & Matt

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Phoebe Robinson (MTV’s Girl Code, Glamour Magazine), Hadiyah Robinson, Chris Lamberth, and Kat Higgins performing at Poco Restaurant & Bar (33 Avenue B at 3rd Street) hosted by Sooyah Jun and/or Jawann Carmona: FTH Comedy

8:00 pm ($10): NYC stand-ups (not announced) perform at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jenny Jaffe (former staff writer for MTV's Nikki and Sara Live): Camp Time

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-ups (not announced) audition to be included in the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs Festival at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Just For Laughs Stand-Up Auditions

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC comics (not announced) performing stand-up or songs at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jay Dean: In The Garage

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Phoebe Robinson (MTV’s Girl Code, Glamour Magazine), and Casey Jost (Head Writer of truTV's Impractical Jokers, former writer for Jimmy Fallon), Jono Zalay, and Ramon Rivas performing at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover (College Humor, Olde English): Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Six 10-minute comedic plays performed by such superb talents as Ryan Karels, Ann Carr, and Siobhan Thompson at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The UCBT's Ten Minute Play Festival, Program B

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Nikki Glaser (former co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Sanding, Comedy Central Half Hour; 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), Pete Lee (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), and Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Nikki Glaser, Christian Finnegan, Pete Lee, and Aaron Berg

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-ups (not announced) audition to be included in the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs Festival at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Just For Laughs Stand-Up Auditions

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($5): Barry Rothbart (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV's Punk'd, IFC's Do Whatever) and Nimesh Patel (co-host of Broken Comedy), performing on this weekly stand-up show hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera ((for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here), Charles Gould, and Dan Licata at the UCB East theatre: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

[$] 10:30 pm ($6 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—which hasn't been announced for the second week in a row, which means this is the last time this show will be listed here until Laughing Devil gets back on the ball—at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Last week improv group Fuck That Shit easily captured its 6th victory in a row, this time against The Curfew with an impressive 91-63 win. Tonight FTS competes against team Greg for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

Thursday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv veterans mix with musical improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving 2 minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

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

9:30 pm (free for audience members, $5 or 1 drink min. for stand-ups wanting to perform): Open mic stand-up providing 7 minutes per comic (and a free recording of your set!), with order determined raffle-style. Sign up by emailing info@oldmanhustle.com or calling (212) 253-7747, or just walk in and supply your name, to perform at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Solomon Chehebar: Peep Show Comedy Open Mic

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An open stage for indie improv groups—and if you're not in a group, that's also fine, you'll simply be added to one—at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Darcy Burke & Donna Lobello: New Team Lunacy

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 3/14/14

Wu Tang Clan's Masta Killa is among the guests telling comedic tales about being a traveling artist at LIC's Road Stories;
the Boston Typewriter Orchestra performs at Jeff Simmermon's unique midnight show And I Am Not Lying...

...and Just For Laughs holds stand-up auditions, hosted by Mike Lawrence at 8:30 and Joe Matarese at 10:30, at The Stand
—FREE admission online for the early show and late show using discount code JFL

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: Sketch comics perform character bits in this audition for the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival at The Magnet theatre: Character Auditions for Just For Laughs

[$] 6:00 pm ($15; no min.): A long set from Kevin Meaney, plus a bunch of lesser-known comics (not announced), performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Kevin Meaney and More

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Bridgid Ryan (visiting from UCB-LA) "about every awful soul you've stood behind to get a cup of coffee, based on her experiences as a barista in Brooklyn" at the UCB Chelsea theatre, directed by the wonderful Amy Heidt: Grind Time

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Stellar all-round comics Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell "bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure," and are joined by superb improvisors Ryan Karels, Chelsea Clarke, Brandon Gardner, Sarah Nowak—plus character bits from Jon Bershad—all performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hodapp & Rothwell

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Two of the best people in the world, married couple Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay, host this new show that puts comics to the ultimate test: "Perform in front of an audience that doesn't get their fancy references, doesn't care about their observations, and really could poop themselves at any moment. In this game show, laughter from infants, toddlers, up to jaded teenagers determines the winner" at The PIT upstairs lounge: Make My Baby Laugh

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 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): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Mike Britt (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[$] 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, Gina Yashere, and Keith Robinson at the 7:00 show; Mark Normand and Gina Yashere at the 8:00 show; Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, Gina Yashere, and Keith Robinson at the 8:45 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

7:00 pm ($7): A duo sketch comedy show based on this premise: "In 1976, soul singing duo Cocoa Dreamz made a shimmery splash and lit a fire under Aretha Franklin with their smash hit 'Neighborhood Plumber.' After a 20 year hiatus, these legendary songbirds are back. For one night only, come experience the concert of a lifetime. Cocoa Dreamz invites you to take a tender walk down memory lane as they share stories of life on the road, lovers from the past, and perform songs off their newly released Greatest Hits album. Be there to sing along to all your favorite Cocoa Dreamz tunes" at The Magnet theatre: Cocoa Dreamz: Live in Concert

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch group (vs. improv group) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its writers (who include stellar comics Brandon Gulya and Silvija Ozols) are terrific, and its cast is superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, John Murray, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez. (If you're in the industry, hire them.) Enjoy this new collection of sketches from these sexy performers (which I hope to finally catch tonight): Stone Cold Fox: Sexy Idiots

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Andrew Law (Seth Meyers, Looking). Brigid Ryan (visiting from UCB-LA; one-woman show Grind Time), Winston Noel (ace improv groups Baby Wants Candy and Grandma's Ashes), Matt Starr (superb sketch group Legs for Days), Claire Ayoub (In Too Steep podcast), and Sydney Hollis (improv group Apollo, Illuminati Brothers) perform character bits at UCB Chelsea hosted by Justin Tyler and/or Michael Hartney: Characters Welcome

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Michelle Buteau (FOX's Enlisted, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show; for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Tanisha Long (MTV's Girl Code), Becky Yamamoto (Web series Uninspired; co-host of Comedy School Dropout), Tyler Fischer, Emma Willmann, and Adam Glyn performing at this monthly stand-up show at the One and One Bar (12 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Jeff Cerulli and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, VH1, TLC, co-host of Call Us Crazy): What Else? Comedy

[$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($39.25 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] [FREE] 8:30 pm (FREE online using code JFL; no min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium) hosts stand-up auditions for the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs Festival at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Mike Lawrence Hosts Just For Laughs Stand-Up Auditions

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): 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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from Shannon O'Neill, 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): Cipha Sounds (Hot 97, Chappelle's Show) thought it would be cool if a hip-hop star told tales and then improvisors made up scenes based on them. This monthly show is the result, with a "secret" music celebrity "mesmerizing the crowd with amazing stories and linguistic darts to spark the creativity of some of the best improvisers in NYC," the latter being Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, Abra Tabak, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

9:30 pm ($10): Two PIT upstairs theatre improv groups making up a musical on the spot, one with sharpness and the other with a friendly greeting: Dagger and Hello

9:30 pm ($10): Solo character comedy from Lauren Maul, Jamie Aderski, Angel Yau, Rob Asaro, and Kelly Fitzpatrick, plus light banter from Chris O'Neil, music from Kurt Dietrich Materne & Brendan McLoughlin, and judging from Tim Girrbach, Adam Hamway, and Tanisha Long, with Jenn Dodd hosting this parody of a talent contest at The PIT downstairs lounge: Buttski & Glasscock's New Talent Blowout

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Masta Killa (Wu Tang Clan), Andrew W.K. (Village Voice advice columnist), and stand-up Tom Cowell tell their "funniest, weirdest, most-depraved stories about being on the road" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Brian McManus (Village Voice Music Editor): Road Stories

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

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] [FREE] 10:30 pm (FREE online using code JFL; no min.): Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC) hosts stand-up auditions for the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs Festival at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe Matarese Hosts Just For Laughs Stand-Up Auditions

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O'Malley—who this year defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), Bridgid Ryan (visiting from UCB-LA; one-woman show Grind Time), Monroe Martin (Last Comic Standing), "Storytellers Live," and more performing stand-up, sketch, storytelling, or improv at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Michael Zegen (cast member of HBO's Girls) and 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) are interviewed at a late night talk show hosted by Jamie LeeLo at The PIT upstairs theatre: Brunch Night

11:30 pm ($5): A sketch show that asks "Do you ever wonder what waits for us on the other side? Don't! It's pointless! Instead, come laugh with The Junk Brothers (Tim Platt, Kati Skelton, and Branson Reese) as they incorrectly predict a future where sons inherit infinity and benevolent governments lay waste to Death itself!" at The Magnet theatre: The Junk Brothers: Immortal Family

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): This monthly stand-up, storytelling, and carny show brings the blog And I Am Not Lying to life on stage, with storytelling from host Jeff Simmermon (NPR's This American Life), stand-up from Sarah Tollemache (immortal story That's Not My Shit) and Tyler Fischer, burlesque by Matt Knìfe & Tiny Dee, and music from the Boston Typewriter Orchestra (just what it sounds like), all at the UCB East theatre: And I Am Not Lying

Friday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

5:45 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 1 hour. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[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 host Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Attend to perform improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge, with a weekly rotating selection of formats and hosts: Happy Hour

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Sarah Tollemache and/or Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[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 hosted by members of Maude troupe Moriarty: Liquid Courage

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 3/15/14

A rising star tells stories and jokes while tickling ivories at Leslie Goshko's Old-Fashioned Piano Party;
women and gay men perform comedy as straight men at The Creek's Dudes Being Dudes Being Dudes

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($10, which includes one free drink): A solo show by Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, host of Sideshow Goshko) which she describes as follows: "Oh my gosh, you guys, I'm so excited about this! For the first time since I was like 12 (and for the first time ever in NY), I'm performing a solo night of music, combining my love of comedy, storytelling, and music for an old-fashioned piano party featuring everything from Elton John to George Gershwin. I so hope you can join me" at the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street): Leslie Goshko's Old-Fashioned Piano Party

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ben Bailey, Gregg Rogell, Gina Yashere, Lynn Koplitz, and Keith Robinson at the 7:00 show; Ted Alexandro, Greer Barnes, Dov Davidoff, and Gina Yashere at the 7:15 show; Ben Bailey, Greer Barnes, Dov Davidoff, Gina Yashere, and Keith Robinson at the 8:45 show; Ben Bailey, Lynne Koplitz, and Tony Woods at the 9:15 show; Gary Gulman, Dov Davidoff, Lynne Koplitz, Keith Robinson, and Tony Woods at the 10:30 show; and Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, James Smith, Lynne Koplitz, and Tony Woods at the 12:15 show, with four of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 7:15 and 9:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 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): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Mike Britt (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:30 pm ($10): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, and more 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 ($10): Sharp Magnet improvisors "perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:" The Weave

[$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($39.25 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($20; no min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Ben Bailey (Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab and NBC's Who's Still Standing?; Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), 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), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1), Angelo Lozada, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Dan St. Germain, Ben Bailey, Christian Finnegan, Marina Franklin, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improvisors make up a religion based on an audience suggestion—e.g., The Church of the Carrot, The Church of Crime—and then make up hymns, readings, sermons, sacraments, and more on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Fake Church

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Big Black Car (which includes Chris Grace, Nate Starkey, and Ashley Ward) and The Baldwins (which includes Micah Sherman Brigid Boyle, and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: BBC and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) hosted by Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here): Comedy at Irish Exit

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($20): Michelle Buteau (FOX's Enlisted, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show; for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), Maeve Higgins (UK star), and The Wolfe Brothers perform for this monthly stand-up & storytelling show at CSV (107 Suffolk Street, between Rivington and Delancey in LES): Moonwork

9:00 pm ($10): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[$] 9:30 pm ($11.34 online or $15 at the door): A young all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party

9:30 pm ($10): Sketch comic Chris Aurilio performs a one-man show that he hasn't bothered to title very creatively at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Chris Aurilio Solo Show

[TOP PICK] 10:00 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), Aaron Jackson (Newsadoozies), and more form an improv troupe at UCB East that won this year's prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($20; no min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Ben Bailey (Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab and NBC's Who's Still Standing?; Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), 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), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Pete Davidson (MTV's Guy Code), Angelo Lozada, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Mike Lawrence, Ben Bailey, Christian Finnegan, Rachel Feinstein, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups take a comedic look at the world's problems at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Tom Dillon: Love, Poverty, and War

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Gay and lesbian comedy at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Michelle Delgado: Queer in the Cave

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): 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 West Village's Soho Playhouse: The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma's Ashes: We Won't Tell

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney making up scenes at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy that aims to have you "laughing until blood pours out of your throat and eyes and you die and you go to hell and you're like 'god damn that was worth it!' to Satan and he'll be like 'Yeah, I know, I was there, it was dope'" at the UCB East theatre: O.S.F.U.G. A Fast Fuckin' Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Women and gay men perform comedy as straight men for this unique show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Scott Talentt: Dudes Being Dudes Being Dudes

Midnight ($20; no min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), 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), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Pete Davidson (MTV's Guy Code), Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): MIke Lawrence, Christian Finnegan, Rachel Feinstein, and More

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[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' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Walk-in open mic comedy show—stand-up, character, or funny story—providing 5 minutes per comic at The Fifth Estate Bar (506 5th Avenue, off 12th Street) hosted by Meghan O'Keefe: Open Mic-hael Douglas

5:30 pm ($5): Walk-in open mic, with sign-up at 5:15 pm and each stand-up performing for 5 minutes, at the Comedy Village Comedy Club (107 MacDougal Street): Comedy Village

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 3/16/14

Rachel Dratch performs at matinee children's show Two Juice Minimum;
cop turned stand-up Mark Demayo performs his one-man show about his 20 years in the NYPD: 20 & 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] 3:00 pm ($10): The spectacular Rachel Dratch (former Saturday Night Live cast member) performs in this sketch and stand-up show for kids—with no irony, this is for children aged 4-10—hosted by Mark Malkoff at The PIT upstairs theatre: Two Juice Minimum

[FREE] 5:00 pm: A smorgasbord of of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Chris O'Neil: Mishmash Variety Hour

6:00 pm ($7): Live traditional Irish songs, performed by John Borland & Brendan Jordan, are used as springboards by eight sharp improvisors—including Megan Gray—to create an hour of scenes made up on the spot at The Magnet theatre: SceneSongs: St. Patrick's Day Edition

6:00 pm ($10): Sketch, improv, and audience participation, with tonight's special guest Ali Farahnakian (SNL, owner of The PIT) at The PIT upstairs theatre: Night Out with The Pin-Up Squirrels

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), John Milhiser (Saturday Night Live, sketch group Serious Lunch), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court, VH1), sketch group Good Cop Great Cop (Funny or Die), and more performing stand-up or sketch—plus surprises—at Brooklyn's Shea Stadium (20 Meadow Street) hosted by Brett Davis & Brian McElroy: The Macaulay Culkin Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes superstars in the improv world such as Chris Gethard, and occasionally network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($7): New groups Baby Shoes and Action Park perform sketch comedy at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams

[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Todd Barry, Gary Gulman, Dov Davidoff, and Gina Yashere at the 8:00 show; Nick Griffin and Gina Yashere at the 9:45 show; and Mark Normand, Joe Matarese, Marina Franklin, and Joe List at the 11:30 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Sunday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Guest improvisors Micah Sherman, Joe Schiappa, and Kevin Cragg, guest improv groups Gypsy Danger and Junior, and host Skycopter (which includes the incredible David Carl), make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Live stage readings of popular Saved By The Bell episodes, with each cast member allowed an optional 3-minute Zack Morris style "time out" for episode-specific stand-up or a fan fiction bonus scene at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Bayside Myself

8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $12.62 online): Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Today Show, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book being made into movie Screw Everyone), Jolenta Greenberg, Louis Peitzman, and Alex Edelman performing stand-up or storytelling at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Mara Wilson: What Are You Afraid Of?

8:00 pm ($5): Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Leah Bonnema (VH1, WeTV's Cinematherapy, Logo, Opie & Anthony’s Virus Channel), Robert Dean (co-host of Comedy at Alligator Lounge), David Smithyman, Chris Lamberth, and Julio Torres performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), Kevin Barnett (MTV's Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), Miguel Dalmau, Gabe Pacheco, and Drew Michael performing stand-up at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Reid Faylor (co-host of hilarious Creek show Underbelly), Jim Tews (co-host of Cheat Hair), Carmen Lagala, Andrew Michael, and Jay Welch performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly stand-up show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at Beauty Bar

9:00 pm ($7): Sketches written, performed, and directed by literally dozens of female comics at The Magnet theatre: Lady Sketch Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm ($15): Typically terrific NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (co-star of Comedy Central's Broad City and Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show; former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Mark DeMayo was an NYC cop for 20 years—who then retired to pursue his true passion, stand-up comedy. Tonight Mark debuts a one-man show sharing the highlights of his time on the force at The PIT upstairs theatre directed by Peter Michael Marino: 20 & Out

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket at 3:45), providing 3 minutes or more per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 5:00 pm ($1): Sign up at 4:30 pm to do improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sasha Capelli, Eitan Levine, and Shaina Stigler: 10K Jam Jam

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

9:30 pm ($3): Open-mic comedy, with 2 minutes per walk-in performer picked at random from a bucket of names, at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jonathan Morvay and/or Evan Williams: Child Support

[FREE] 10:00 pm: 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

[FREE] 10:15 pm: Open-mic show for sketch and character bits running 3-5 minutes at The Magnet hosted by Sebastian Conelli. Everyone who signs up—at 9:45 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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