NYC Comedy Picks for Week of March 11, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 3/11/13

Jon Glaser, Sara Schaefer, Cintra Wilson of The New York Times, and more debate Childhood vs. Adulthood;
the mystery & wonder of the brain is explored via stories by neuroscientists & writers at Story Collider: Brain Awareness...

...world-class stand-up John Mulaney performs at UCB Chelsea For the Hour; and
the lovely Chelsea White is among the sharp stand-ups in Brooklyn at Brooke's & Giulia's Dive 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:

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories) hosts this weekly hour-long open mic storytelling show, with typically six audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 6-7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge: Cammi Climaco's Storytelling Open Mic: Six by Six

6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics, no cover for audience with code HyReviews, plus 1-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

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: After Cammi Climaco's show ends (see 6:00 pm above), race on down to this other open mic storytelling show, 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

[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), along with guest storyteller Dawn Fraser (host of Barbershop Stories, storytelling instructor for The Moth) and improv illustrator Sharon Spell drawing scenes as they're described, all 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

7:00 pm ($5): A variety show mixing sketch, stand-up, music, and improv (sadly, guests not announced) at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by all-gal improv troupe Gypsy: The Mélange

[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 ($5): A writer/performer for Saturday Night Live (for a sample, please click here) who's also one of the very finest stand-ups in the country—with appearances on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever, etc.—performing a deliciously long set that's likely to leave you breathless with laughter and chuckling weeks later. Seats are sold out, but if you're willing to stand UCB Chelsea can probably squeeze you in: John Mulaney: For the Hour

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15): The critical issue of "Childhood vs. Adulthood" is debated by comics who are experts on the subject: Jon Glaser (star of Adult Swim's Delocated; long-time writer/performer for Conan O'Brien), 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), Cintra Wilson (Cultural Critic for The New York Times), Joe Randazzo (former Editor of The Onion), Starlee Kine (NPR's This American Life), and Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific). For a sample of what goes on at this show, check out Michael Showalter making a case for cats vs. dogs here. If you're sufficiently amused, get yourself over to Symphony Space (2537 Broadway, off 95th Street) for Uptown Showdown: Childhood vs. Adulthood

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door, $12.75 in advance online; the latter is highly recommended since this will probably sell out): The mystery and wonder of the brain is explored via stories by three neuroscientists and three writers at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Ben Lillie & Erin Barker: The Story Collider: Brain Awareness

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; writer for Kroll Show, former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central), and Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific) performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) guest-hosted by Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): Night Train: Jessi Klein, Jermaine Fowler, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Kicking off this film-based evening at UCB East is ace director Todd Bieber (razor-sharp Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com) "cutting down a film to 25 minutes, removing its audio, and adding our own music and audio cues live, and dialogue live via improvisors," with this month's theme The Irish, and the performers Casey Jost (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), James Dwyer (GoodGirl), and Shaun Diston: Rewrite Movie Night...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, a cast of talented improvisors springboard off an audience suggestion to create The Improvised Documentary

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A musical comedy evening with singing character comics Mr. & Mrs. Webb-Wilson, pianist/composer Paul Leschen, and scenes from new theatrical piece Lesbian Love Octagon, all at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted (with yet more singing) by Kyle Supley: Vintage Vantage Variety Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Michelle Buteau (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), Chelsea White (MTV, VH1, TLC, co-host of Call Us Crazy), Robbie Collier (host of Hey We Live There), and Jim Tews performing stand-up, plus music from Gypsy George, at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced this week; read the flyer and judge for yourself) performing at Brooklyn's Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway's Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che: Broken Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new material: Fambly (which includes wonderful rising stars Bridey Elliott, Mamrie Hart, Dan Chamberlain, Veronica Osorio, and a sharp crew of writers) and Bellevue (which I plan to finally catch soon): Maude Night: Fambly & Bellevue

[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' Long Island City: On the Road

9:30 pm ($8): "Joins hosts Rachel Wenitsky & Danny Visconti for a variety show that goes well with that first early morning cup of coffee—at 9:30 at night" (sadly, guests not announced) at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Morning Show: Late Edition

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

[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

[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 & Langston Belton: Base Jam

[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: Whiplash

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 3/12/13

One of the finest storytellers alive, Mike Daisey, performs a one-night-only show at Joe's Pub: Five Technical Rehearsals;
one of the slyest & funniest stand-ups in the biz, Marina Franklin, performs at Brooklyn's Union Hall for Cheap Date...

...and Carmen Lynch, Leah Bonnema, Jessimae, and Robyn Schall perform a rare all-gal stand-up show at Carolines

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] [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 downstairs lounge, 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] 6:30 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 4-hour extravaganza, eight of The Magnet's singing & dancing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Fisticuffs and Vulcan (at 7:00), Mint Condition and Legend (at 8:00); BEEES! and Parliament (at 9:00); and Aquarius and Funkadelic (at 10:00): Magnet Musical Megawatt

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

...and in the other half of this double-bill, Yale's longest-running improv troupe performs: Purple Crayon

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: YA novelist Jesse Karp and stand-up Alex Edelman joining 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: Comic Book Club

[FREE] 7:00 pm: This weekly 2-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge, tonight featuring guest co-host Michael Fisher (Bad Luck Rising) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:00 pm ($5): The show title pretty much says it all—improvisors make up an action movie on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Boom! An Improvised Action Movie

7:30 pm ($5): Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX's Totally Biased), Michelle Wolf (IFC), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream), Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out), Sean Donnelly (MTV, FOX News; host of many shows), Paul Oddo (co-host of The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic), and Josh Gondelman performing at UCB East for a show being videotaped for UCBcomedy.com: UCBT Stand-Up Showcase

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($13.24 online using code GIRLS, plus 2-drink min.): Ignore the awful title and be happy about this rare all-gal stand-up show at the Carolines Comedy Club, which tonight features Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Leah Bonnema (VH1, WeTV's Cinematherapy, Logo, Opie & Anthony’s Virus Channel), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Kate Wolff, and host Robyn Schall (TLC, TruTV): Funny Ladies with Robyn Schall

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes A Sparrow, Guthrie, and Bucky at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX's Totally Biased), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall for this show hosted by Calvin Cole & Sharron Paul that calls attention to its inexpensive price: Cheap Date

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Veteran improvisors who've had children—tonight including the wonderful Mary Archbold and PIT owner Ali Farahnakian—make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Mamas and the Papas

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), 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, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View): Colin Quinn, John Mulaney, Nick DiPaolo, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: On this special edition, show host Joe Pera (superb surreal stand-up) will be performing 30 minutes, followed by co-host Charles Gould performing 30 minutes, and other co-host Dan LIcata premiering a short comedy film, for an hour and 15 minutes of fun at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show: Big Long Sets Edition

[$] 8:00 pm ($10 & 2-drink min.): Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central) hosts this monthly stand-up show that tonight includes Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), and Frank Liotti performing at the Vintage Lounge (downstairs at the Gotham Comedy Club): Funny Faces with Carmen Lynch

8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Kevin Barnett (MTV's Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), Nick Maritato (Meatsteak), and Alison Leiby performing stand-up on this week's theme Last Words at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon, and hosted tonight by Erin Judge (Comedy Central; for bit on men vs. women, please click here): The Afterlife: Last Words

8:00 pm ($5): Christine Holt & Mary Guiteras tend bar for a living, then let off steam by performing improv at The PIT downstairs lounge where they unleash the secrets they've heard: Bartenders

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway),NIck Stevens (host of AMC's Action Park and Discovery's Money on the Menu; VH1), Laura Prangley (contributor to SNL's Weekend Update; Inside Amy Schumer, PBS), Sean Donnelly (MTV, FOX News; host of many shows), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced, but 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 troupes GoodGirl, Sherlock & Cookies, and The Regulars—plus an all-gal group of 16 advanced improv students challenge the male-dominated improv world to Suck My Dick—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($29.50 online, plus $12 drink/food min.): MIke Daisey is one of the finest and most respected storytellers alive; and he's not resting on his prior achievements. Within just the past five months Mike's churned out an amazing seven new shows at Joe's Pub, and has two more coming shortly. Some have been better than others—e.g., the one titled Fucking Fucking Fucking Ayn Rand was breathtaking, and cries out for mass exposure—but even the least developed of them was highly skilled and entertaining. I haven't been plugging them on this site simply because they've often sold out within a day—and sometimes mere minutes—of their tickets being available online. However, in an unusual move, Mike gave tonight's show a title that made it sound dull: Five Technical Rehearsals in India. As a result, there are still about a dozen seats left as I write this. But don't be fooled; what the title's really saying is this is a story focused on Mike's personal experiences as a fish-out-of-water performer, and those tend to be among his most revealing and hilarious. I'll be attending tonight—and you can join me, if you most fast to snap up whatever tickets are still left online or at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street & Astor Place): Mike Daisey's Five Technical Rehearsals in India

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): "Improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights and genres, spontaneously generating an original and hilarious work of instantly important theater right before your eyes" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Play

9:30 pm ($5): Come experience the magic of improv transform The PIT downstairs lounge into a live radio show, with patter, call-ins, commercials, and songs all made up on the spot: WPIT-FM: Radioprov

9:30 pm ($5): A monthly stand-up competition at UCB East in which "new and emerging stand-up comics face off against each other in front of a panel of judges eager to provide unsolicited advice and even more unsolicited scores"—the judges being Brian Cichocki and Shannon Coffey, hosted by John Frusciante: Stand-Up Smackdown

[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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, 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; 7 Up Yours ads), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View): Judah Friedlander, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Stand-up from 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), Eliot Chang (Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately), and Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), music from Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), and more performing at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS): ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

[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

[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 3/13/13

Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer (Broad City) invite you to join them at UCBT for their Stoned Sleepover Party

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 ($5): Claire Ayoub interviews comedians over tea and coloring from up-and-coming illustrators in this on-stage version of her In Too Steep podcast, with this evening's theme Katie Fisher Day Day at the UCB East theatre: The In Too Steep Tea and Coloring Party

[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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

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

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Dr. Champagne, Flower Girl, Bloomer, Brick, Chet Watkins, The Wrath, Nintendo, and Featherweight followed by a free audience interactive show with Featherweight at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of the best and one of the worst shows currently at UCB Chelsea. Starting with the positive: Four-gal comedy group Georgie Aldaco, Danielle Gibson, Viviana Olen, and Katie Simon perform a series of surreal sketches that are both unsettling and charged with comedic energy. A long bit about a mother threatening to do something surprising to her husband and son is an instant classic (when you see it, you'll have no doubt what sketch I'm talking about...). The show could be greatly improved with periodic nuanced emotion to create a roller coaster effect—right now the audience is hit with surface shock after shock, which after a while desensitizes and loses impact—but if you're open to the purity of conceptual comedy that challenges your sanity, you'll enjoy Former Business Partners: Everything Must Go...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, frankly, the worst scripted UCBT show I've seen over the past year—terrible writing, acting, direction, a perfect storm of bad. The folks involved are very nice, though; sometimes things just don't work out...: The State vs. Josh: The Trial of the Millennial's

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Colin Quinn, Nick DiPaolo, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15, no min.): Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co -host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central, VH1), and Pete Davidson performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nick DiPaolo, Mark Norman, Jessica Kirson, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Chelsea White (MTV, VH1, TLC, co-host of Call Us Crazy), Missy Baker, Lance Weiss, Nathan McIntosh, and Fariaz Rabbini performing stand-up at McSwiggan's (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) hosted by Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes) and guest-host Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX's Totally Biased): Connotation: Emily Heller, Selena Coppock, Chelsea White, and More

[FREE] 8:00 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

8:00 pm ($5): The debut of a stand-up show (comics not announced) that includes a bass guitar performer to set the tone at The PIT downstairs lounge: Stand-Up Bass

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully invent scenes (hopefully without any squabbling) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Justin Williams (host of Death Comedy Jam”), Frank Liotti, Jesse Jones, and Will Carey performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer created Broad City as a Web series, which was then picked up for development as a TV series for FX...and is also a monthly stage show at UCB Chelsea. Tonight's theme is Stoned Sleepover—and you're requested to "be sure to wear PJs...no joke"—for this "delicately crafted hour of fun:" Broad City Live

9:30 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs a brand new show parodying Beckett and Theatre of the Absurd at The PIT upstairs theatre: National Scandal

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 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), 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), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Judah Friedlander, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars

[$] 10:30 pm ($20, no min.): If you're a fan of MTV's Washington Heights, come join the show's cast as they screen the final episode of the season at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Cast of MTV's Washingon Heights & Season Closer

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger, Bucky, The Prom) 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 guests haven't yet been announced, but please check for an update—that doesn't start with Gary Vider, the top of the list from last week—by clicking 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' 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 troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam

[$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), and Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): The Nasty Show: Nikki Glaser, Jon Fisch, Kurt Metzger, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 3/14/13

Giulia Rozzi explains her divorce in new one-woman show Bad Bride;
one of the worst films ever made is dissected at Devil Science Theater 3000: Robot Monster Edition

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: This year's Moth GrandSlam winner Tara Clancy is tonight's guest co-host for this weekly open mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, hosted by the wonderful John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv troupe Adorable mixes 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 two 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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories) debuts a one-woman show about her marriage and divorce in Bad Bride; plus a show I nothing about, Gentlemen Thieves, also auditions for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Four sharp improvisors, including Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at FringeNYC; brilliant writer, actress, and improvisor; improv troupe Chet Watkins, sketch troupe Risky Bottom), making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: 4Some

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punchbowl and THEM

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: A one-man show by Joe LIst Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) that tells "a tale of love, heartbreak, heartbreak, feces, and herpes (in that order)" taking you through "New York City, Hollywood, Peru, and the doctor's office" at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Joe List: There Will Be Pigs

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sasheer Zamata (highly charming, innovative rising star; Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, FX's Totally Biased; host of UCBT's School Night, member of red-hot improv troupe Doppelganger, sketch troupe The Prom, and Harold Night troupe Bucky), Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX's Totally Biased), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), and Nate Fernald performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Halle Kiefer and/or Dan Chamberlain: Splitsider and Tumblr's Dog and Pony Show

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander, John Mulaney, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he's developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): An LA-based sketch troupe visits NYC and performs for one night only on the UCB Chelsea stage: The Intecollectuals

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15, no min.): Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans) practices his upcoming one-hour stand-up special for Comedy Central, with the lovely Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1) and Paul Virzi (FOX, Spike TV) as openers, at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): One Hour with Kurt Metzger

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August's FringeNYC it's been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Horses, and Hello Laser performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by The Kubler (long form improv that takes you through the five stages of grief, directed by Russ Armstrong), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) features The Wrath vs. Homewreckers: The Magnet's Night Out

8:00 pm ($8): Ora Fruchter & Christopher Scheer put a hand-puppet through improvised therapy at The PIT upstairs theatre: Puppet Therapy

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes, Hemlock (which includes stellar singer Megan Maes) and Dagger (which includes notable talents Ryan Dunkin and Jon Bander), make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hemlock and Dagger

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Ted Travelstead (brilliant, hilarious writer/comic; Vanity Fair, author of The Petraeus Files and Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk), Sabrina Jalees (Last Comic Standing, MTV’s Failosophy), Michelle Buteau (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), Chris Fairbanks (Last Comic Standing), Chris Laker (host of The Show at The Creek), and Nate Fernald (Team Submarine) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[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 comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[FREE] 9:00 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

9:30 pm ($5): At this UCB Chelsea double-bill, first sketch troupe Boat performs 30 minutes of bits at Boat: Comedic Sketches, and then a one-act play about the Biblical end of the world written by & co-starring Kevin Hines and directed by Brandon Gulya: Apocalypse in Connecticut

9:30 pm ($10): Trieste Kelly Dunn (Cinemax’s Banshee), The Kondabolu Brothers, Mark Malkoff, and Josh Gondelman performing and sharing insider stories hosted by Scott R. for the last time at The PIT upstairs theatre (this weekly show is moving permanently to Brooklyn): Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight's victim a serious candidate for "Worst Movie of All TIme," the jaw-dropping 1953 end-of-the-world disaster Robot Monster (for a trailer that will change your life, please click here) at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Grandma's Ashes appeared unstoppable—but last week it clashed with an improv legend, The Stepfathers, which triumphed 107-84. This comedy giant tonight faces what appears a very uneven battle against City Mouse—but you can never tell what will happen at UCB Chelsea when improvisors compete for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Janine Brito (FX's Totally Biased), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Alex Edelman (BBC), and more performing stand-up and who knows what else at UCB East hosted by Jason Saenz: Undefined—A Variety Show

[FREE] 11:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (lineup not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Justin Williams: Death Comedy Jam

[$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): The Nasty Show: Jon Fisch, Kurt Metzger, Jermaine Fowler, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 3/15/13

The wonderful Natasha Leggero glams up NYC through Sunday headlining at Carolines;
comedy superstar Amy Schumer has already sold out except for Saturday at 11:45 pm headlining at Gotham

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $13 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

[$] 6:00 pm ($15, no min.): "In 2011, four attorneys with backgrounds in government, politics, and private practice got together to form a business that relied on their collective expertise. But when Strippers-at-Law was a miserable failure they realized that they were also all stand-up comedians. Combining their diverse and intelligent brand of humor, the Comedians at Law have traveled the country entertaining law schools, comedy clubs, and anywhere else willing to cut a check that can be used to pay down their student loans." The comics are Alex Barnett, J-L Cauvin, Kevin Israel, and Matt Ritter, all performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Comedians at Law

6:30 pm ($10): The NYC debut of "the first-ever sketch comedy troupe consisting of openly autistic people" at The Magnet theatre, plus sketch from Arthur Meyer (The Onion; sketch troupes Pangea 3000, Fambly, and Two Fun Men): Asperger's Are Us

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he's developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), 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), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Neal Brennan, Marina Franklin, Gary Gulman, and More

7:00 pm ($10): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast clobbered some of the best groups in NYC last year at UCBT's Cage Match. Tonight it takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT upstairs theatre: North Coast

[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 Nate Dern and Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): This monthly show that features gal storytellers tonight has a wonderful lineup: Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), JC Coccoli (Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, WB; looks great in a hat, and in fur looks like a Lannister), abd token male Jonathan Zipper sharing tales about cash at UCB East hosted by Ruby Karp: HelloGiggles: The Money Machilne

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, John Murray, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez. As for the new script, I know nothing about its quality, but among its writers are the delightful Silvija Ozols, and Brandon Gulya...who also directed: Stone Cold Fox: Hey, Look Over Here!

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.94 online & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country, with performances on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and upcoming Comedy Central sketch show Inside Amy Schumer. Amy's headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are sold out for tonight, but there are still some left for Saturday at 11:45; grab them while you can...: Amy Schumer

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; who's performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich. Moshe Kasher is that rare thing, a Jewish comedian, and has performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye.” Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no 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), Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Joe Matarese (David Lettterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Joe DeRosa, Joe Matarese, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: All-gal lineup of Kate Hendricks (Bravo, VH1), Del Harrison (The Mo'Nique Show, BET), Lane Moore (The Onion), and Sachi Ezura (real cool chick) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Postmark Cafe (326 6th Street) hosted by the delightful Abbi Crutchfield and Luke Thayer: The Living Room

8:00 pm ($10): "The Kondabolu Brothers (Comedy Central’s Hari Kondabolu and Das Racist’s Dap aka Ashok Kondabolu) return for their first show in NYC in a year! The brothers will present a night of mostly improvised banter and a carefully prepared powerpoint presentation, along with a super secret guest. Past topics have included: Peak Oil theory, cultural appropriation, the Illuminati, Blipsters, police brutality, and Ashok’s vitamin manifesto" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Kondabolu Brothers

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups aiming to slay audiences at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Destroy All Humans

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

8:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from Anne Fidler, Tyler Foltz, Paul Travisano, Mikael Walter, and Kevin Young at The Magnet theatre: Citizen Models

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:45 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman, VH1, contributor to SNL's Weekend Update), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Neal Brennan, and More

[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): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Mike Britt (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander, Ted Alexandro, and More

[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): A gathering of comedic musicians, who tonight include Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 11 million people on YouTube, please click here), Squirm and Germ, and Anna Marquardt performing at UCB East hosted by superb musical group Summer & Eve (for samples, please click here): Earworm Funny Music Party Show

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

9:30 pm ($8): Political-based sketch, debate, and improv at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight's guests including Mary Phillips-Sandy (Editorial Director of Comedy Central’s Indecision), Kim Moscaritolo (Policy Director for the Manhattan Young Democrats), Siobhan Beasley (United Nations), Robert A. George (New York Post), Lucas Hazlett (MTV’s Money from Strangers), David Kimball-Stanley (Super Nice), and Nate Starkey (Shackled)!: Electoral Dysfunction

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code WARD, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. BWC is running every Friday night through April 4th at the Soho Playhouse. Come see why this show won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

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

[DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.): Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Joe Matarese (David Lettterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Dante Nero (Comedy Central, HBO, ABC, FOX) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe DeRosa, Gary Gulman, Joe Matarese, and More

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night, The Lady Jam), John Haskell (Jimmy Fallon), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Vinny DePonto (World Magic Seminar) performing at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Emily Axford, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Sam Morril (Comedy Central) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): As a comics fan, I love this concept: an improv troupe will make up scenes while playing Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and other members of the Justice League of America at The PIT upstairs theatre: JLA Improv

[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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, 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

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Shannon O'Neill (comedy genius), Morgan Grace Jarrett (wonderful comedic actress), Lydia Hensler (member of red-hot improv troupe Grandma's Ashes), and/or Brandon Scott Jones (top sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox, red-hot improv troupe Grandma's Ashes, top comedic play Death Wears Stilettos) play host to audience members getting on stage and performing their talents, with "the weirder the better," at the UCB East theatre: Ladies Night: Men Welcome—Audience Talent Night

[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, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:15 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Andy Hendrickson (TBS' The Comedy Festival) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Neal Brennan, Nikki Glaser, Gary Gulman, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 3/16/13

World-class comic Natasha Leggero promises you a good time when you come see her headline at Carolines...

...Mike Drucker, Dan St. Germain, Emily Heller, Janine Brito, and more perform their Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction...

...and there are still some tickets to see one of the very finest stand-ups alive, Amy Schumer, 11:45 pm at Gotham

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

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes including Eaglefox, Davenger, and Tooth & Nail at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): The debut of this monthly variety show blending comedy forms, with tonight's guests The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don't Spit), stand-up Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStreamg), and sketch troupe Onassis (Maude Night, SF Sketchfest) performing at UCB East with hosts Zach Broussard (Fambly, SiriusXM), Nick Maritato (Meatsteak, This American Life), and Nate Fernald (Team Submarine), directed by Randy Foreman: Special Presentation

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): The return of gal sketch duo Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree, who are reuniting to celebrate their 10th Year Anniversary at The PIT upstairs theatre, and accurately point out "before Two Broke Girls and Two Girls One Cup, there was us:" Two Girls for Five Bucks

7:00 pm ($5): Layer by layer, improvisers build a town based on an audience member’s suggestion for the town’s name, while artist Asher Rogers paints a large map of the town based on the improvisers’ descriptions. This cool-sounding new show is at The PIT downstairs lounge: Our Town

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Gregg Rogell, and More

7:30 pm ($7): 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): 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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Ten sharp comics—including Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX's Totally Biased), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Janine Brito (FX's Totally Biased)—performing erotic fiction they've written to make you laugh at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Bryan Cook: Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nikki Glaser, Joe Matarese, Kurt Metzger, and More

[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

8:30 pm ($10): The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Josh Rabinowitz (FX's Louie, MTV's I Just want My Pants Back), Jim Tews, Josh Gondelman, and Paul Oddo performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

9:00 pm ($8): Gal duo Tamsi & Samsi (Tamsi New & Samantha Reece Schecter) perform sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre, offering helpful advice on How to Be Nice, Pretty and Invisible

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:15 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Nick Griffin, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which stand-ups perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can't even imagine—with tonight's comics Erik Bergstrom, Robbie Collier, Matt Ruby, Emily Fleming, Tim Dimond, Jake Young, and Nick Naney performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Reid Faylor, Kelly Fastuca, and/or Andrew Short: Underbelly

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($8): A small army of comics (not announced this month) performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.):Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe Matarese, Adrienne Iapalucci, Dan Soder, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, 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:" Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and has so far crushed 10 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC's The Unusuals) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Nick Griffin, Lenny Marcus, and More

11:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college and tonight performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 11:45 pm ($32.94 online & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups alive, with performances on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and upcoming Comedy Central sketch show Inside Amy Schumer. Amy's headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are sold out for 7:30 and 10:00, but there are still some left for 11:45 pm. Don't miss this chance to experience one of the very best: Amy Schumer

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys...and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one at UCB Chelsea, which is a monthly open improv jam for any female wanting to participate, at any experience level—and which has a very special and communal "gal energy" you're unlikely to find anywhere else. The show's creator, the wonderful Shannon O'Neill, is out of town this weekend, but it's still likely to be good thanks to the participation of other top UCBT gal improv stars: The Lady Jam

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) joking about their culture—Jewish, African-American, Asian, geek, whatever—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City : The Black Bar Mitzvah

Midnight ($5): Six improvisors make up scenes about the end of the world at The Magnet theatre: A Show at the End of the World

Midnight ($5—or free if you show up in a costume): "A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv at The PIT downstairs lounge. Incorrigible performers team up to turn down the lights, slip into something a little more comfortable, and spend the good part of an hour tickling your funny boners. Beware of partial nudity, strong sexual themes, and the possibility to be dragged on stage for a not-so-wholesome game of Truth or Dare:" Yes, Yes, Yes...And

[FREE] Midnight ($5): Paul Oddo (co-host of The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic) performs an hour of stand-up at the UCB East theatre: Paul Odo For the Hour

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:45 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Russ Meneve (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Andy Hendrickson performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera: Dave Attell, Greer Barnes, Russ Meneve, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 3/17/13

One of the sharpest, funniest, and most beautiful—in every sense of the word—stand-ups there is headlines
one last night at Carolines. I'll be there, and hope you'll join me, for the wickedly wonderful Natasha Leggero

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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

[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 (and a Half)

[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

6:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet, Kevin Cobbs & Alessandro King perform sketch or improv set in old-time Hollywood, and tonight are joined by guest performer Peter McNerney: Listen, Kid!

[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: 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: An all-music extravaganza featuring The Cowmen (jaw-dropping dark parody of a country music band that includes members of award-winning sketch troupe Murderfist), The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don't Spit), and Skulk the Hulking (hip-hop doom & gloom with drunk punk break beats) performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; who's performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich. Moshe Kasher is that rare thing, a Jewish comedian, and has performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye.” Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Mike Birbiglia, Todd Barry, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($10 online using discount code VODKA; no min.): An Irish edition featuring Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Colin Jost (Co-Head Writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Kendra Cunningham (Jimmy Fallon, The Tyra Banks Show, Law & Order), and Sean Donnelly (MTV, FOX News; host of many shows), and Jon Savoy performing stand-up that rips something or someone deserving to shreds at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Invitation to a Beheading: Bonnie McFarlane, Colin Jost, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): In this new musical improv show at The Magnet, a narrator tells a story (fueled by audience suggestions) and then improvisors bring the tale to life with song and dance, plus improv piano playing by the invaluable Frank Spitznagel: The Narrator

8:00 pm ($7): Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Nimesh Patel, Sandy Danto, and "a special guest" performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead: Creaghead & Company

8:00 pm ($8): "ImprovFM is every improv lover’s dream. Not only are the radio station conversations improvised, but so are the names, the stories, the songs, reports, and sound effects! In and by their play, the performers create a parallel world with its own rules, based solely on their imaginations and interactions" at The PIT upstairs featuring Nate Starkey, Ashley Ward, Justin Akin, Michelle Best, and Erick Hellwig: ImprovM

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1), Ben Kissel, Mike Kaiser, and Koshin Egal 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

9:00 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

9:30 pm ($7): Sketch comedy at The Magnet, tonight from troupes Breakfast for Dinner and Dispacho: Magnet Sketch Teams

[ALMOST FREE] 9:30 pm ($1): 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 (no cover, no drink min.!): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour). It's rare for a top comedy club to offer a show that's 100% free; come and support this, and order from the acclaimed food menu and/or drink list if the spirit moves you: The Seaton Smith Show

[FREE] 10:00 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] 10:45 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 10:30 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

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