NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 3/24/14
Janine Brito is among the stand-ups at Wyatt Cenac's
Night Train;
storytellers tell dire tales about
How I Learned the Awful Truth: Stories of Backstabbing and Betrayal
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] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of young improvisors performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Free Improv Monday
7:00 pm ($5): Improvisors take a single (but large) location and explore the many characters who might populate it. "What begins as a collection of disparate scenes across various sub-locations will slowly close in on itself as intersecting storylines converge, the boundaries of space and time are stretched, and we show you firsthand how small the world can be" at The Magnet theatre: Small World
[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): Storytellers Diana Spechler (author of Skinny; 7-time Moth Storyslam Champion), Louis Peitzman (Editor of Buzzfeed, Blackbook Magazine), Alex Edelman (The Atlantic), David Crabb (co-host of Ask Me Stories), and Kara Buller (Second City; writer for Bust Magazine) telling true tales of betrayal at the Le Poisson Rouge's The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned the Awful Truth: Stories of Backstabbing and Betrayal
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Tami Sagher (former writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006) and Chris Gethard (comedy genius; The Office, Broad City, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York) perform duo improv at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Sagher & Gethard
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 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), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Ralph Harris (Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Central Half Hour, Dream Girls, Evan Almighty), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), 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): Judah Friedlander, Nick Griffin, Ralph Harris, and More
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Janine Brito (former staff writer/performer for FX's Totally Biased), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim), Anthony DeVito (Conan O'Brien, VH1, FX), and Derrick Brown performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Stand-ups tell stories about professional failure, with tonight's guests NIck Stevens (host of AMC's Action Park and Discovery's Money on the Menu; VH1, ESPN), Chelsea White (producer of MTV's Girl Code, VH1, TLC, co-host of What Else and Call Us Crazy), Liam McEneaney (Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, Showtime, host of Tell Your Friends), Dave Lester, and Mark Riccadonna performing at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sean Lynch (MTV, Comedy Central, Showtime): Magnificent Fail: An Evening of Comedy Horror Stories
8:00 pm ($5): "Improvisers and stand-ups do what they do best...and then switch places to try their hand at what the other does best. Performing to sold out crowds at UCBT-LA, this show is a cross-discipline Cage Match." On the improv side is the Greg; while the stand-ups are Matt Koff, Charla Lauriston, and Ian Fidance, all performing at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin: Impro(vs)tandup
[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
8:30 pm ($5): A one-man sketch show from Michael Lutton about "modern poetry, the Protestant Reformation, the culture of the Senate, and Star Trek: The Next Generation" at The Magnet theatre: A Man For One, Maybe Two, Seasons
9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch groups try out new material: Alamo (which includes Siobhan Thompson) and Moriarty (which includes Kara Klenk): Maude Night: Alamo and Moriarty
9:30 pm ($10): Julia Morales (Second City, improv group North Coast) performs a one-woman show that "explores risky possibilities of what really happens behind closed doors during intimate moments—risky attempts, epic fails, and triumphant wins—in this dark comedy" at The PIT upstairs theatre directed by Lucas Hazlett (MTV): Closed Doors
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.): 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), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), 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), Ralph Harris (Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Central Half Hour, Dream Girls, Evan Almighty), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), 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, Ali Wong, Nikki Glaser, Ralph Harris, and More
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Joe Pera (hilarious and genius deadpan stand-up; Adult Swim; for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here; for Joe's latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Pete Davidson (MTV's Guy Code), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court, VH1), Janelle James, Sarah Tollemache, and Brendan Fitzgibbons performing for this free weekly stand-up show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Michael Kosta: Frantic Mondays: Joe Pera, Pete Davidson, and More
10:00 pm ($5): Veteran improv group Junior Varsity—which includes Megan Gray—plus a bunch of guests make up scenes at The Magnet theatre: Junior Varsity & Friends
[FREE] 10:00 pm: A monthly stand-up show covering "UrbanAlternative comedy, with a mix of comedians calling out the absurd facets of dealing with life in the concrete jungle" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Tiana Miller & Dee Marie: Gentrification
[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: Open-mic stand-up, with 5 minutes for each comic who reserves a spot in advance (by emailng Dan Fox at danmaxfox@gmail.com) and 3 minutes for each comic who signs up on the spot (sign-up starts at 6:45 and ends at 8:30) at Brooklyn's Muchmore's (2 Havemeyer Street) hosted by Dan Fox: Muchmore's Stand-Up Open Mic
[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 3/25/14
Wyatt Cenac performs at both Sweet and Blaria Live; Ted Alexandro performs at ComedyJuice
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[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 ($10): The delightful Meredith Hackman (The Saddest Sketch Show) debuts a one-woman show about odd characters at The PIT upstairs theatre: Judgy Face
[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
[FREE] 7:00: "Music. Stories. Puppetry. Bitches," featuring storytelling from Selena Coppock (author of The New Rules for Blondes) and Andrew Linderman (host of Local Stories), stand-up from Calvin Cato, songs from Killy Mockstar Dwyer, plus "a panel/coven of Bitches" including Maria Heinegg and Katie Compa, all at The Duplex downstairs bar (61 Christopher Street, between Sixth & Seventh Avenues) hosted by Selena Coppock & Marilyn Summers: Bitchcraft!
7:00 pm ($8): "Remember the happy, bouncy, Broadway-loving Rosie O'Donnell of the '90s? Jody Shelton, Douglas Widick, and Sudi Green sure do! Come see them recreate the primarily color-heavy, Tom Cruise adoration-filled show that you loved watching with your mom," with tonight's mob of guests including Julia Wiedeman at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Rosie O'Donnell Show!
7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups --Higgins, Greg, and Grammer at this first half of Harold Night
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A Halloween show in March, with Mark Douglas (The Key of Awesome), Kate Tellers (The Moth storytelling host), Hadiyah Robinson, and more performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring Jill the Shrink Dancer: The Big Shrink
[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($5 online using discount code NORTHERN; no min.): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Reese Waters, Josh Homer, Ray DeVito, and Josh Carter performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Janeane Garofalo, Lenny Marcus, and More
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle's Show, For the Love of the Game), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), 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 William Stephenson (FX's Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, Marina Franklin, and More
8:00 pm ($10): Jen Kwok (MTV) and her friends perform a variety show "that explores all the ups and downs of weirdness through stories, songs, and sketches" at The PIT upstairs theatre: We're Getting Weird
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Ann Carr (Comedy Central, VH1, Web series The Actress), Sean Crespo (co-host of Lasers in the Jungle), Angela Cobb, Sam Grittner, Alex Ryu, and Chris Strait performing stand-up for this free weekly show at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Tim Ellis & Mo Fathelbab: Manifesto
[FREE] 8:00 pm: 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 hosted by Shak Standley & Paul Higbie: The Black Bar Mitzvah
8:00 pm ($5): Luke Ward & Kevin Shimko host this talk show featuring interviews, sketches, music, variety acts, and more, with tonight's guests including Catie Lazarus (host of Employee of the Month) at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Two-Night Talk Show
[FREE] 8:20 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), Anna Drezen (talented character comic blending words and movement; one-woman show Spooky Jerks), Babe Parker, Brett Osinoff, and Ari Teman performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Comic Anton & Gabe Pacheco: Rabbit Hole Comedy
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (not 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 and hosted tonight by Matt Ruby: Hot Soup
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), and more performing stand-up 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 Nick Maritato (This American Life), Eli Sairs, Kenny DeForest, and Lane Pieschel performing stand-up 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 GoodGirl, Namaste, and The Regulars at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night
9:30 pm ($5): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Jacqueline Novak, Josh Gondelman, and guest host Naomi Ekperigin performing stand-up at the UCB East theatre: Blaria Live Stand-Up Comedy
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Sasheer Zamata (instant star cast member of Saturday Night Live), Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Brooks Whelan (cast member of SNL), Fred Cooke (Irish star visiting NYC), Maddog Mattern (Sirius Radio, Howard Stern TV; to see Maddog handle a heckler, please click here), Josh Gondelman, and Rus Gutin performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: ComedyJuice
9:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy, improv, and stand-up from comics (not announced) at The PIT upstairs theatre produced & directed by Micah Sherman: Old School Sketch Comedy Show
9:30 pm ($5): Comedy groups Nerds on Fire, Boat, and Captain's Hat compete in the realms of sketch and improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: Sketchy Sketchy Prov Prov
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink 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.), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), 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), Sammy Obeid (documentary 1000 Days of Comedy), Gibran Saleem (MTV), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: 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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks
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 and 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 The Jezebelles: 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 3/26/14
The Daily Show's Jessica Williams is among the guests at
Running Late With Scott Rogowsky;
Julia Wiedeman tells stories about cheating at The Nights of Our Lives
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] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday
7:00 pm ($10): The best sketches of group The Hubbies at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Hubbies Greatest Hits
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
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 First Lady and Musk: Lloyd Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A monthly show in which "stand-ups throw their set lists out the window for a night of wild riffing. Comics premiere a story that they've never told anyone, improvise a stand-up set based on an audience suggestion, or rant off the cuff. Also expect freestyling and musical improv in an anything goes atmosphere that makes for a one-of-a-kind experience." Tonight's superb comics are 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.), Bridey Elliott (razor-sharp rising star; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Witstream, Fambly), Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupes Murderfist and The Prom, co-host of The Dream Show), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), and Jenny Rubin (host of Here's the Story)—plus music from improv rap group North Coast—performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Carolyn Castiglia: Rifftown
[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] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Comics who've performed on VH1's Best Week Ever, including TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Dan St. Germain, Sherrod Small, Amanda Seales, and Pete Lee performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Best Week Ever Live
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($10-$14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam) hosts all shows, which feature Ali Wong, Lenny Marcus, and Keith Robinson at 8:00; Judah Friedlander, Ali Wong, Nick Griffin, Marina Franklin, and Ryan Hamilton at 9:45; and Dave Attell, James Smith, Big Jay Oakerson, and Wil Sylvince at 11:30, with all three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Wednesday
[TOP PICK] [$] 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 the 2012 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
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10 at the door or $11.88 online): Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams, hip-hop star Pharoahe Monch, New York Times writer Bill Carter, radio host Dale Seever, and stand-up/Daily Show Producer Adam Lowitt being interviewed and/or performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Running Late With Scott Rogowsky
9:00 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features house groups Detroit and Hotspur: Lloyd Night
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Julia Wiedeman, Adam Wade, Anna Roisman, Christian Capozzoli, and wonderful host Dave Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's topic Cheating, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups John Moses, Luke Thayer, Kyle Ploof, Gabe Pacheco, Missy Baker, Joe Praino, and Chad Plaine 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?
[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
[FREE] 10:30 pm: Your opportunity to get on stage for an improv jam at UCB East hosted by master DJ Cipha Sounds: Hot for Teacher: Student Lounge
[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 wonderful sketch/character comic Meredith Hackman; 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
10:30 pm ($3): Biweekly open mic stand-up, with each comic getting an unusually long 6-10 minutes, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by James III & Jamie LeeLo: Hump Day
[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 3/27/14
Cyndi Freeman is among the colorful ace storytellers at Leslie Goshko's Sideshow Goshko;
Ali Wong is among the stand-ups raising money for an injured colleague at
A Benefit Show For Liza Dye
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] 7:00 pm: Storytellers Cyndi Freeman (Moth StorySlam champion, two-time FringeNYC award winner, burlesque performer , co-host of And I Am Not Lying and The Standard Issues), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Lately, writer for MTV's Girl Code, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive Comedy and Stripped Stories), and Diana Spechler (author of Skinny) performing at this wonderful monthly oddball storytelling show at the KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue) hosted by the lovely Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post) and featuring such charms as a trivia contest with alcoholic prizes: Sideshow Goshko
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Storytellers Jefferson, Lori Baird, and Paul Swartz tell tales about "times in our lives that we wish we could take back, that make us feel icky and weird and gross and clumpy; times that hurt to talk about because they are irreversible" at The Tank Theater (151 46th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues): Bad Feelings: Not Proud of It
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Using real horror films purchased in local gas stations and bodegas, the hosts select specific clips to play for 30 seconds, pause, and then ask the improvisers to finish the scene. Will anyone survive at The PIT downstairs lounge? Attend at your own peril with hosts J. W. Crump and Jordan Hirsch: Gas Station Horror
7:00 pm ($5): 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), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Greg Stone, Tim Dillon, and Raj Sivamaran performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and/or Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle
7:00 pm ($10): All-gal improv group Gilda, plus guest group Theme From Jurassic Park, make up scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gilda's Date Night
[$] 7:45 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ali Wong and Marina Franklin at the 7:45 show; Ali Wong and James Smith at the 8:00 show; Ali Wong, Joe Matarese, and Andy Hendrickson at the 9:30 show; and Dave Attell, James Smith, and Wil Sylvince at the 11:30 show, with three of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Aparna Nancherla (delightfully wry, razor-sharp stand-up; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, former writer/performer for FX's Totally Biased), Michelle Wolf (staff writer for Seth Meyers; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Murderfist (NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Phoebe Robinson (MTV’s Girl Code, Glamour Magazine), and Sue Smith (VH1's Best Week Ever) performing stand-up or sketch to raise funds to pay fellow comic Liza Dye's hospital bills (while her left leg recovers from her being struck by a subway train) at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Justin Perez & Naomi Ekperigin: #HelpLiza: A Benefit Show For Comedian Liza Dye
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Mark DeMayo performs a one-man show about his 20 years as an NYC cop—which he then traded for a career in stand-up—at The PIT upstairs theatre directed by Peter Michael Marino: 20 & Out
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sharp comic Alan Starzinski (Sandino, Fat Penguin) performs a clever one-man sketch show in which he plays characters ranging from Aquaman to Gary Busey to the rescue pilot at the end of Jurassic Park at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Guys You Love to Hate...
...and in the second half of this double-bill, sketch from gal duo Samantha Schecter & Becky Chicoine, with some help from Kelly Harper and director Matt Dennie: Womantown
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Chris Gethard, Dan St. Germain, Adrienne Iapalucci, Sam Morril, Stuckey & Murray, and more audition their stand-up skills for TV at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Auditions for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups The Boss and Hello Laser 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 storyteller Rob Penty 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 ($5): A "special" guest, plus stand-ups Matteo Lane, James Patterson, and Billy Dotter performing 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
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Greg Stone, and Rogin Kim performing stand-up at Poco Restaurant & Bar (33 Avenue B at 3rd Street) hosted by Sooyah Jun and/or Jawann Carmona: FTH Comedy
8:30 pm ($5): Jason Saenz (Comedy Central, sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), Kevin Barnett (MTV's Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), John Early (30 Rock), Ryan McKee (blogger for MTV’s Guy Code), Hadiyah Robinson, and Alex Edelman performing at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover (College Humor, Olde English): Fresh Out
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Jeff Simmermon (NPR's The American Life, Moth StorySlam Champion, host of And I Am Not Lying), Sean Crespo (co-host of Lasers in the Jungle), and Kate Greathead telling daring personal tales at The PIT upstairs theatre on tonight's theme Freedom for one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Daily Show gather on the UCB Chelsea stage to perform an all-improvised show at A Non-Daily Show
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15; 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), Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Monroe Martin, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Carmen Lynch, and More
[FREE] 10:00 pm: A monthly comedy variety show featuring sketch, character bits, and stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Anthony Apruzzese: Comedic Information
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($5): 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, with tonight's guest comics TBA: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Last week improv group Fuck That Shit won its 8th victory in a row by virtually obliterating team Detroit with a score of 127-13. Tonight FTS aims to set ablaze group Gulf Oil for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea at the raucous Cage Match
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): Improvisors (who might include powerhouse musical improvisor Rebecca Vigil) take an audience suggestion of a band and then make up an episode of VH1's Behind the Music on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Stories Behind the Music
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
[FREE] 11:00 pm: 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 upstairs theatre 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 3/28/14
R. L. Stine is among the guests at midnight show
Cool Shit / Weird Shit;
stars Darrell Hammond (above), Colin Quinn, and more at the 7:00 pm Comedy Cellar
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, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight opens with a killer lineup that includes TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, SNL's Darrell Hammond, Greer Barnes, and Lynne Koplitz at the 7:00 show; and then Colin Quinn, Ali Wong, and James Smith at the 8:00 show; Colin Quinn, Ali Wong, Greer Barnes, and James Smith at the 8:45 show; Ali Wong, Gary Gulman, Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, Lenny Marcus, and Lynne Koplitz at the 10:30 show; and Dave Attell, Ali Wong, Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, Big Jay Oakerson, and Lynne Koplitz at the 12:15 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday
[TOP PICK] [$] [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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Dave Smith, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
7:00 pm ($7): "It's important to stay informed. That's why we bring you all the news that happened this month, at the end of this month. Just your average news show, keeping you up to date with your world one month at a time" at The Magnet written & performed by Jarret Berenstein: Current Events
7:00 pm ($10): All-gal group Wicked City performs Peter Pan-themed sketch at The PIT upstairs theatre: Wicked City Presents Lost Boys
[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 ($10): Improv group Bucky makes up one long scene in the same location (a winning form that's helped such teams as Death by Roo Roo win a whole lot of Cage Match victories)—and, when SNL is on break, sometimes includes star Sasheer Zamata—at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Here and Now
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($20; 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), Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Mike Vecchione (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Michael Kosta (Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately) performing stand-at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Wyatt Cenac, Sean Patton, Big Jay Oakerson, and More
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion;for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), Josh Gondelman (staff writer for HBO's Last Week With John Oliver), Alison Leiby (host of It's a Long Story), and Sue Smith tell tales about this month's theme of Kids Say the Darndest Things, and then hosts Anna Roisman & Katie Haller sing songs they've written pre-show about those stories, at The PIT upstairs theatre: You Probably Think This Song Is About You
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Reid Faylor (co-host of hilarious Creek show Underbelly), 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), Mike Speirs, Will Miles, and Ryan Beck performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Legion Bar hosted by Tom Cowell & John Anderson: Heavy Metal Laser Plane
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups aiming to slay audiences at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Destroy All Humans
8:00 pm ($8): Iona college group Skits O'Frenicks briefly visit NYC to show us their sketch at The PIT downstairs lounge: Skits O'Frenicks
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w
[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($26 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on MAD TV for a decade, and has also acted on such shows as Showtime's House of Lies and Seinfeld, and such films as Austin Powers and The Heat, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Michael McDonald
[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] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show and podcast Risk!, owner of The Story Studio), Calise Hawkins (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation), Becky Yamamoto (Web series Uninspired; co-host of Comedy School Dropout), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Nick Maritato (This American Life), and Dustin Wesley performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Brooklyn's The Cobra Club (6 Wyckoff Avenue) hosted by Erik Bergstrom, Ben Kronberg, and/or John F. O'Donnell: Live From Outer Space
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): "Have you ever witnessed something truly miraculous or beyond rational explanation? Ever had an out-of-body experience, felt the presence of a divine agency, or seen a real-life unicorn? Been touched by the transcendent or religious? Raised in a cult? Come share your experiences and have improvisors use them to create hilarious scenes" at the UCB East theatre: Namaste: The Light Within
[FREE] 9:00 pm: The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon, FOX's Lucas Bros. Moving Company), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Gary Shteyngart (author of Little Failure), and Sarah Dooley (musician) performing stand-up or music and/or being interviewed at Brooklyn's Pine Box Rock Shop (12 Grattan Street) hosted by Chris Rose with DJ Allison Pacelli: Late Night Basement
9:30 pm ($10): Michelle Wolf (staff writer for Seth Meyers; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court, VH1), Natasha Rogers, Megan Lohne, Nick Markovich, and Angela Perrone perform stand-up or sketch at "a variety show inspired by a poignant evening on NBC's The Voice in which a contestant found himself going through 'dark times' after dropping out of NYU's graduate program for music business to pursue his true calling: slightly faltering karaoke singing. His parents seemed very disappointed" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Megan Lohne and/or Melissa Somosky,: Dark Times: A Comedic Variety Hour
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
[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] 10:00 pm ($20; 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), Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Mike Vecchione (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Michael Kosta (Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately) performing stand-at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Wyatt Cenac, Sean Patton, Big Jay Oakerson, and More
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Veteran improvisors reunite, new improvisors perform, and then old and new merge to create a one-nigh-only team at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Nick Arret: Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue
[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): Joe Pera (hilarious and genius deadpan stand-up; Adult Swim; for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here; for Joe's latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged), and storyteller Jon Tyler 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] [ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): Julia Wiedeman and Rachael Parenta are among the guests at this monthly show in which "comics do 3-5 minutes of something they've always wanted to do on stage but never had the balls to" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Peter Michael Marino (creator of SoloCon) and the brilliant & lovely Amanda Duarte (host of Dead Darlings; young): Cojones
11:00 pm ($10): Improv troupe The Jessicas (which includes dynamic actress Jessica Sherr) makes stuff up with guest improvisor Julia Morales, plus opening improv groups Herschel and Elbow Fire, all at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Jessicas Have a Crush on Julia Morales
11:30 pm ($5): Eli Itzkowitz & Teddy Shivers host a late night talk show at The Magnet theatre: E&T Live
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A variety of oddball comedy acts, with tonight's featuring children's horror mega-selling author R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Melinda Taub (Still Star-Crossed) for "An Experimental Reading of Fiction" at UCB East hosted by superb sketch duo Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp (GUMP): Cool Shit / Weird Shit
[$] Midnight ($22 plus $15 food/drink min.; I personally like both the burgers and lasagna): "Multi-talented Australian drag idol Courtney Act has opened for Lady Gaga, co-starred in Rent, sung a duet with Idina Menzel. and was a contestant in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6. Tonight she sings her favorite songs, and divulges the fascinating and funny dirty laundry list that is her sex life. There's that angry text from a straight boy's girlfriend, the twins in Montreal, and the US Marine, just to name a few of the titillating encounters she details in story and song. This tuneful, hysterical performance showcases Courtney's sharp observations of living life on the gender divide" at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, inside the West Bank Cafe (407 West 42nd Street, off Ninth Avenue, downstairs): Courtney Act: Boys Like Me
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 3/29/14
Tune into Comedy Central at 11:00 pm for a reprise of Amy Schumer’s
stellar stand-up special Mostly Sex Stuff (Amy’s show returns this week),
and then keep watching at midnight for Hannibal Buress’
new stand-up special Live From Chicago;
plus set your DVR for tonight's SNL, hosted by Louis CK
Australian drag star Courtney Act sings and jokes tonight and tomorrow in Boys Like Me;
red-hot rising star stand-up Sean Patton performs at the 10:00 pm and midnight shows of The Stand
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, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Exceptionally great lineups of Colin Quinn, Darrell Hammond, Gary Gulman, Lenny Marcus, Lynne Koplitz, and Keith Robinson at the 7:00 show; Colin Quinn, Darrell Hammond, Mark Normand, Greer Barnes, and Lynne Koplitz at the 7:15 show; Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander, Gary Gulman, Greer Barnes, Lynne Koplitz, and Keith Robinson at the 8:45 show; Colin Quinn, Mark Normand, Greer Barnes, and Lynne Koplitz at the 9:15 show; Ted Alexandro, Dave Attell, Ali Wong, Nick Griffin, Gregg Rogell, Lynne Koplitz, and Keith Robinson at the 10:30 show; and Dave Attell, Ali Wong, Greer Barnes, James Smith, and Big Jay Oakerson at the 12:15 show, with four of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 7:15 and 9:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday
[TOP PICK] [$] [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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Dave Smith, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
[$] 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($22 plus $15 food/drink min.; I personally like both the burgers and lasagna): "Multi-talented Australian drag idol Courtney Act has opened for Lady Gaga, co-starred in Rent, sung a duet with Idina Menzel. and was a contestant in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6. Tonight she sings her favorite songs, and divulges the fascinating and funny dirty laundry list that is her sex life. There's that angry text from a straight boy's girlfriend, the twins in Montreal, and the US Marine, just to name a few of the titillating encounters she details in story and song. This tuneful, hysterical performance showcases Courtney's sharp observations of living life on the gender divide" at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, inside the West Bank Cafe (407 West 42nd Street, off Ninth Avenue, downstairs): Courtney Act: Boys Like Me
7:00 pm ($10, or FREE with student ID from any comedy school): All-female character & sketch comedy, featuring Betsy Kenney, Andrea Ilene Shapiro, Melissa Gordon, Iliana Inocencio, and Madonna Marie Fugia performing at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Carly Ann Filbin: Lady Parts
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
[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.), Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Mike Vecchione (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and more performing stand-at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Wyatt Cenac, Adrienne Iapalucci, Big Jay Oakerson, and More
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Big Black Car (which includes Chris Grace, Nate Starkey, and Ashley Ward) and The Baldwins (which includes Micah Sherman Brigid Boyle, and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: BBC and The Baldwins
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Comic Chris Burns is moving to LA, so a bunch of stand-up friends—Joe Pera, Doug Smith, George Gordon, Jason Burke, Jared Freid, Greg Stone, Chris Burns, Shaun Murphy, and Shalewa Sharpe—gather to wish him well at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Matt Wayne: Chris Burns Goodbye Show
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($26 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on MAD TV for a decade, and has also acted on such shows as Showtime's House of Lies and Seinfeld, and such films as Austin Powers and The Heat, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club, with openers including the superb Michelle Buteau and Sam Morril: Michael McDonald
[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
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
[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 ($20; no min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Mike Vecchione (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Graham Kay performing stand-at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Wyatt Cenac, Sean Patton, Big Jay Oakerson, and More
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, and Marcus Parks of Cave Comedy Radio's Last Podcast On The Left "explore the dark recesses of humanity, both real and imagined, via short films, clips from favorite features, and audio spookiness" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Last Podcast on the Left Live
[TOP PICK] [$] 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 Peter McNerney & Nick Kanellis make up scenes at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike
11:00 pm ($10): Stand-up from the delightful Katey Healy-Wurzburg and sketch from group Totally, Yes! at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by improv group Stamos: Full House Variety Hour
[FREE] 11:30 pm: Stand-up from Nicole C. Lee, music from group Take Care Brush Your Hair, improv jams led by Sharon Spell, Knife Sandwich, Snatch Menagerie, and the Soul Glo team, and more at this free monthly variety show at UCB East hosted by Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger), Anna Suzuki, and/or Emily Schorr Lesnick: The Soul Glo Jam
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Two fine sketch groups, Pop Roulette and Garlic Jackson, compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($20; no min.): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Sean Donnelly (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, TruTV), and Graham Kay performing stand-at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Wyatt Cenac, Sean Patton, Big Jay Oakerson, and More
[FREE] Midnight: NYC comics & storytellers (not announced) share holiday-themed tales of love and/or horror at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Brandon Wetherbee: You, Me, Them, Everybody Live
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 3/30/14
Former Mad TV star Michael McDonald headlines one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club;
one-of-a-kind Micah Sherman is among the superb improvisors making up plays on the spot at Act One
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): A sketch and stand-up show for kids—with no irony, this is for children aged 4-10—with musical guest Tom Leopold (Seinfeld, Cheers) and 14-year-old stand-up Simon Cadel, hosted by Mark Malkoff at The PIT upstairs theatre: Two Juice Minimum
[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 ($7): Sketch comedy groups American Wormholes and The Misses perform new material at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams
[$] 7:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on MTV2's Guy Code and Comedy Central headlines for one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Damien Lemon
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's strong lineups include Colin Quinn, Mark Normand, Ali Wong, Gregg Rogell, and Big Jay Oakerson at the 8:00 show; Todd Barry, Gary Gulman, Nick Griffin, and Lynne Koplitz at the 9:45 show; and Dave Attell, Marina Franklin, Wil Sylvince, and Sam Morril 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): Superb guest improvisors Aparna Nancherla, Micah Sherman, Doug Stoley, and Mike Burton, guest improv groups The Theme From Jurassic Park and The Best, 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] 8:00 pm ($8): A unique musical improv show in which scenes explode into popular songs with with tunes you know but entirely made up lyrics. Instead of an improv pianist, this show uses a DJ spinning karaoke tracks at The PIT upstairs theatre: Happy Karaoke Fun Time!
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($26 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's performed on MAD TV for a decade, and has also acted on such shows as Showtime's House of Lies and Seinfeld, and such films as Austin Powers and The Heat, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club, with openers including the superb Michelle Buteau and Sam Morril: Michael McDonald
8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Reese Waters (David Letterman), Tanisha Long, and hosts Amanda Seales (VH1) & Marc Lamont Hill performing stand-at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Smart, Funny, and Black
8:00 pm ($5): Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Pete Lee (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Janelle James, and Shanti Charan performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Sean Donnelly (David Letterman, MTV), Sean Crespo (co-host of Lasers in the Jungle), and Jake Young 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: Ashley Brooke Roberts, Nick Maritato, Clark Jones, Brian Parise, and Patrick Schroeder 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 ($7): Sketches written, performed, and directed by literally dozens of female comics at The Magnet theatre: Lady Sketch Show
[$] 9:30 pm ($22 plus $15 food/drink min.; I personally like both the burgers and lasagna): "Multi-talented Australian drag idol Courtney Act has opened for Lady Gaga, co-starred in Rent, sung a duet with Idina Menzel. and was a contestant in RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6. Tonight she sings her favorite songs, and divulges the fascinating and funny dirty laundry list that is her sex life. There's that angry text from a straight boy's girlfriend, the twins in Montreal, and the US Marine, just to name a few of the titillating encounters she details in story and song. This tuneful, hysterical performance showcases Courtney's sharp observations of living life on the gender divide" at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, inside the West Bank Cafe (407 West 42nd Street, off Ninth Avenue, downstairs) for the final night of this brief NYC run: Courtney Act: Boys Like Me
9:30 pm ($8): A solo show mixing characters & music from Jillian Green at The PIT upstairs theatre: Balls
10:00 pm ($15; no min.): An evening of Brazilian-themed comedy and music with host Julia Melim performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): The Brazilian Hour
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
[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
[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
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.)
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Email: hy@hyreviews.com