NYC Comedy Picks for Week of March 25, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 3/25/13

Badass storytellers: Cammi Climaco at Six by Six and Song Is About You, and Dave Hill at Local Stories: Promises

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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] [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

[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): Star improvisors and stars of Broadway crash improv into classic theatre scenes at UCB Chelsea for actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Great lineup of 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), 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), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), 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 Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Todd Barry, Marina Franklin, Nick Griffin, Gary Gulman, and More

[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), The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), John F. O'Donnell, and Rojo Perez performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Storytellers Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper, author of Tasteful Nudes), Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSlam finalist), Slash Coleman (National Storytelling Festival), Malaika Gordon (The Moth), and Daisy Rosario (The Moth) share true tales about this month's theme Promises: Pacts, Oaths, and Unusual Agreements at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Andrew Linderman: Local Stories: Promises

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Four superb storytellers—Adam Wade, Sasheer Zamata, Cammi Climaco, and Julia Wiedeman—tells tales, 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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A comedy quiz show full of heavily researched quirky facts in which sharp contestants receive points if their answers are correct but get more points if their answers are "quite interesting" at UCB East created & hosted by Katey Healy-Wurzburg: The Fascinator

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): To celebrate the start of the Season 3 of the greatest series on television (hey, I dearly love many shows, but we all have a favorite child...), performers at The Magnet bring passion and magic on stage with the promise "Improv is Coming:" Game of Thrones Improv

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Megan Neuringer (HBO's Flight Of The Conchords, Comedy Central's Strangers With Candy, FOX's Fringe, VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV; freelance writer for Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, MTV, Spike), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), and Sharon Spell (host of Big Shrink) performing 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, co-host of Dive Comedy) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Phil Hanley (Jay Leno), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), and Mike Cannon performing stand-up 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: The Prom (which includes such stellar talents as Sasheer Zamata, Amber Nelson, Stephen Soroka, and Siobhan Thompson), and Dinner (which includes Eddie Dunn, Natasha Rothwell, and Bree Sharp): Maude Night: The Prom and Dinner

[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): Sketch comics Matthew Robert Gehring (FX's Louie), Jana Schmieding (Magnet sketch troupe Risky Bottom), Will Hines (UCBT's The Stepfathers), and Ryann Weir (Golden Baby) each show off their solo character work for this unique format at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sam Martin &Branson Reese: Comedy Expo

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

10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors "for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens" at The Magnet hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & 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 3/26/13

Fearless storyteller Anthony Atamanuik tells of his days as an addict in one-man show Pissing Your Pants On Vine;
TV & movie star Justin Long (Mac commercials, Live Free or Die Hard) DJs at Sweet

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 5-hour extravaganza, four of The Magnet's singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Aquarius and Fisticuffs (at 7:00), Legend and Mint Condition (at 8:30), and BEEES! (at 9:00 pm), followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv troupe to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comic book creators 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 Neil Constantine (Cluster Fuck Radio) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Amazing improv beatbox from Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), cartoon talk from New Yorker cartoonist Erik Bergstrom (also cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales and blogger for Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), stand-up from Janine Brito (staff writer/performer for FX's Totally Biased), a story from Dawn Fraser (Barbershop Stories, The Moth), plus Michael Fisher (Movies I Slept Through), Austin Rodrigues (Comedy Central), and Rob Gorden (Onion News Network), all performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring Jill the Shrink Dancer and DJ Pandamonium: The Big Shrink

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Josh Gondelman, Allen Strickland Williams, and Sean Wilkinson performing stand-up on tonight's theme What Are the Odds? at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon, and hosted tonight by Erin Judge (Comedy Central; for hilarious bit, please click here) and George Gordon: The Afterlife: What Are the Odds?

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), 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), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Nick DiPaolo, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

8:00 pm ($8): Improv troupe Adorable makes up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre: Adorable Musical Improv

[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): Justin Long (NBC's Ed, Galaxy Quest, Going the Distance, Live Free or Die Hard, the Mac in Apple Computer commercials), Colin Jost (Co-Head Writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Baratunde Thurston (author of How to Be Black, CNN pundit), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Salmon Diane, A Sparrow, and GoodGirl—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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Back from his recent trip to LA, brilliant and fearless storyteller Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) recounts for one night only his harrowing adventures as an addict—a one-man show that previously enjoyed a long run—at the UCB East theatre: Anthony Atamanuik: Pissing Your Pants On Vine

[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

[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), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), 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), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), 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 William Stephenson: Dave Attell, Mark Normand, and More

[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 3/27/13

Ellena Chmielewski co-writes & directs a fresh, witty mini-play about relationships: Standards & Practices;
and on the same UCBT double-bill, Georgie Aldaco co-stars in fiercely surreal sketch show Former Business Partners

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 (please note this Monday show has, as of tonight, permanently moved to Wednesdays): Cammi Climaco's Storytelling Open Mic: Six by Six

[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: Six 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 Nintendo, Horses, Dr. Champagne, Brick, Featherweight, The Wrath, Flower Girl, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Chet Watkins at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

7:00 pm: Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), Dave Lester, Mike Feeney, and Lance Weiss performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Wow; two of the best sketch shows currently at UCB Chelsea for five bucks. First up is four-gal comedy group Georgie Aldaco, Danielle Gibson, Viviana Olen, and Katie Simon performing 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, brilliant improvisor Ellena Chmielewski proves herself to also be a brilliant comedic writer, and a young, fresh voice about relationships, in this mini-play about modern romance at UCB Chelsea she co-wrote with John Zachary Townsend, and that holds the seeds for a longer commercial stage production and/or a series on a network like MTV. Come enjoy watching the foundation of a promising career at one of the best-scripted shows to grace UCBT in a while (and if you know Ellena, urge her to star or co-star in her next production, because she's a gifted performer too): Standards & Practices

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Storytellers Tracy Rowland (TV Editor, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Taylor Negron (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm), Eliot Glazer & Jackie Anacin (It Gets Betterish , Guyspeed), Jessica Grose (author of Sad Salad Days), and Brady Dale tell true tales about Letting Go for this monthly show at Happy Ending (302 Broome Street) hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned...to Let Go

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): 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), Catie Lazarus (host of show and podcast Employee of the Month), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Dawn Fraser, Brendan Eyre, and Rojo Perez performing performing at McSwiggan's (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) with hosts Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and/or Emily Epstein: Connotation

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/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; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), 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 stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam) : Ted Alexandro 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: 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), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), John Moses (Carolines), Damien Lemon (MTV2's Guy Code, Comedy Central), Sergio Chicon (Comedy Central), Luke Thayer (host of The Living Room), and Peet Guercio 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): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik, Adam Wade, Michelle Markowitz, Mike Guild, and wonderful host Dave Martin, tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's topic Adventurous and Daring, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines perform color commentary on an improv set by other top improvisors at UCB East for this monthly event: The Brothers Hines: Play by Play

[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—Mark Normand, Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Dan. St. Germain, Michael Che, Emily Heller, Jeffrey Joseph, Dan Soder, Barry Rothbart, Calise Hawkins, Joe List, Pat Dixon, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, FX's Totally Biased; comedy troupes Doppelganger, The Prom, Bucky) 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 include the always memorable Joe Pera and the delightful Phoebe Robinson; 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

[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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from 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), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), 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), 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: Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, Nikki Glaser, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 3/28/13

Hilarious comedic performers, including Wendy Joy and Jen Jamula (directly above),
turn verbatim Web text into laugh-packed scenes in Blogologues: #SexyTime...

...and stellar stand-ups Sara Schaefer & Jena Friedman tell stories for a change
—accompanied by accordion music—at the wonderful Leslie Goshko's Sideshow Goshko

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Michael Hartney (Characters Welcome, The 2017 Tony Awardz) is tonight's guest at 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!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: PIT musical improv troupe Adorable makes up scenes and songs at the downstairs lounge: Adorable

[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] 7:00 pm ($12): Two top stand-ups tell stories tonight: 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) and Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), plus storytelling duo Eliot Glazer & Jackie Mancini, at this unique storytelling show at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) that features such charms as accordion playing by Dr. Michelle-Leona Godin and a trivia contest with alcoholic prizes: Sideshow Goshko

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), and more 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] [$] 8:00 pm ($19.62 in advance online, $18 at the door): A top-notch theatrical troupe that's equally fine at compelling acting and split-second comedy uses actual material on the Web, performed verbatim, to craft laugh-out-loud scenes. Tonight is the debut of the 12th edition of the series (begun in 2011), and—appropriately for Spring—focuses on all things sexy. While everyone in the cast is exceptional, standouts such as Wendy Joy, and the show's producers Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula, are worth the trip all by themselves. For a video sample (a pale shadow of the live show), please click here. Another reviewer called this "like Forbidden Broadway for the Internet," and that's pretty close to the mark. This is running March 28-30 and April 4-6 at 8:00 pm. Grab tickets in advance before it sells out, and then enjoy this production at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place): Blogologues: #SexyTime

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Celebrating the 30th birthday of twins Todd Stone & Adam Stone (by an amazing coincidence, they both have it on the same day this year) are Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper, author of Tasteful Nudes), Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CDs Dirty Folk Rock and I Wanna Be Famous; created the wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous), Doug Smith, Tyler Gildin, J.F. Harris, Brent Katz, and Matt Maragno at The PIT upstairs theatre: Stone and Stone Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.17 online or $10 at the door): Stand-up comics and sideshow attractions at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this unusual carny experience hosted by Matteo Lane (and normally also Abigoliah Schamaun, but tonight she's in Australia at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival): Abigoliah's Bizarre Bazaar

[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 ($5): UCBT star & Chris Gethard Show icon Riley Soloner is a sweet and silly comic almost impossible to not like. His character Vacation Jason is over-the-top ridiculous, which means Riley has to walk a tightrope between getting laughs and creating a reality believable enough to make us care about what's going on. This first attempt at a sketch show falters on the latter; and I'd encourage Riley to be bolder about doing sharp, smart comedy, even with dumb characters, as he moves forward with his young and promising career. But script aside, there are worse ways to spend 30 minutes then watch Riley on stage while you're wearing a show-supplied Hawaiian lei of flowers around your neck: Vacation Jason's Island Flavors...

...and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, "all of the badass-ness of a baddass action film brought to you live on stage" by some of UCB Chelsea's finest talent: Brandon Gulya (writer/co-star), Brandon Scott Jones, Leslie Meisel, Kristen Acimovic, Eddie Dunn, Tim Martin, and Evan Greenspoon (co-writer) in a sketch comedy that proclaims "First they broke his town. Then they broke his heart. But there's one thing they'll never break—his gun!:" The Unbreakable Gun

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

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Bloomer, Junior Varsity, The Boss, 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): The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: A jaw-dropping dark comedy group, which includes members of ace sketch troupe Murderfist, will terrify Manhattan for an hour at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street): The Cowmen

[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

9:00 pm ($5): Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX's Totally Biased), Alex Koll (Conan O'Brien), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Hadiyah Robinson, and Allen Strickland Williams performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Superb storytellers 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, co-host of Dive Comedy), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Ed Gavagan (The Moth, TED Talks), and Kerri Doherty (Huffington Post, Adult Swim blogger) sharing true tales at The PIT upstairs theatre on tonight's theme Losing It at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!: Losing It

[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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Comedy, music, and lots of love" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Patrick J. Reilly: I Love You Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight's victim the 1973 science fiction soft porn flick Invasion of the Bee Girls, in which women kill men by sexually overexerting them (for the trailer—which reportedly doesn't do justice to the movie's copious nudity—please click here) at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): All-star improv troupe The Stepfathers continues to orphan all challengers, crushing Bucky last week 81-33. Tonight the 3-0 champion competes with team Tickles for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 3/29/13

One of NYC's very finest, star stand-up Ted Alexandro headlines tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club...

...star stand-up Nick DiPaolo headlines at Carolines; and hilarious comedic actress Wendy Joy brings her
special style to a show that turns verbatim Web text into laugh-packed scenes: Blogologues: #SexyTime

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-2:00 am: Sixty small improv teams perform over eight hours at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Fourth Annual Small Team Extravaganza

[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): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (might be 9:00 pm only), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Musical improv troupe BEEES! creates stories on the spot using song and dance at The Magnet theatre: BEEES! Musical Improv

7:00 pm ($7): Improv at The Magnet that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—"each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:" Scoresby

[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. Nate's & Paul's favorite comics from this open mic will be selected to perform at their midnight Beastmasters show: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[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. I haven't yet seen this latest show which debuted recently, but will soon; among its writers are the delightful Silvija Ozols, and Brandon Gulya...who also directed: Stone Cold Fox: Hey, Look Over Here!

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Cipha Sounds (Hot 97, Chappelle's Show) thought it would be cool if a hip-hop star told tales and then improvisors made up scenes based on them. Tonight is the debut of this concept, with The RZA from Wu-Tang Clan "mesmerizing the crowd with amazing stories and linguistic darts to spark the creativity of some of the best improvisers in NYC," the latter being Chris Gethard, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Brandon Gardner, and Abra Tabak at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip Hip Improv Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A comic's comic who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, HBO, FX's Louie, CNN, FOX, and three Comedy Central specials, and has been a frequent guest on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and Howard Stern, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: All-gal stand-up from Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Abbi Crutchfield (MTV, VH1; co-host of Positively Awesome and The Living Room), Hadiyah Robinson (BET), Carrie Gravenson (Pink Comedy Tour), and Kaytlin Bailey (Pink Comedy Tour) at Brooklyn's Postmark Cafe (326 6th Street) hosted by Luke Thayer: The Living Room

[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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): One of the very finest stand-ups in the country, who's performed on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, and The View, starred in two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials, and frequently opens for Louis C.K., headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club (with openers Rob Cantrell, Jim Mendrinos, and Deb DiGiovanni), the wonderful Ted Alexandro

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] 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 Myq & Micah (comedic singing duo Myq Kaplan & Micah Sherman; for a song about distribution of natural resources, please click here) and Squirm & Germ 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 improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

9:30 pm ($8): Sketch comedy writers who normally remain off-stage tonight perform their own sketch, stand-up, and/or stories at The PIT downstairs lounge: Sketchy Stand-Up

[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 —tonight including guest Chef Dave Martin—at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[$] 10:00 pm ($20): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Russ Meneve (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), Paul Virzi (FOX, Spike TV), Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Russ Meneve, 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

10:30 pm ($10): NYC comics performing stand-up or sketch at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Emily Axford, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): Improvised scenes by duos—Steve Soroka & Paul Gutkowski, Ashley Ward & David Rysdahl, Beth White & Ariel Karlin, and Bill DiPiero & Kaitlin Fontana—based on the "Missed Connections" section of Craigslist at The PIT upstairs theatre: Missed Connections Two-Prov

[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): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here) is tonight's headliner at this UCB East show that features a top comic, plus comics that did well at the 7:00 pm Hot Chicks Room open mic, plus two comics whose names will be drawn from a hat, hosted by Nate Dern, Sarah Tollemache, and Paul Oddo: Beastmasters: Up From the Mic

[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.): 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), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Marina Franklin, Big Jay Oakerson, and More

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 3/30/13

Don't miss one of the finest stand-ups alive perform a masterful and thoroughly hilarious set
(I caught it yesterday) headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Ted Alexandro...

...and experience Allison Goldberg's & Jen Jamula's show about Teletubbies sex with Severus Snape,
intercourse with dolphins, a reinactment of Hulk Hogan getting it on, and lots more at Blogologues: #SexyTime

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 Dicks and Stones, Durian at the Movies, and Petting Zoo at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($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 stand-up Sarah Spear, storyteller and character/sketch comic Cody Lindquist, plus an audience talent show ("the weirder, the better") at the UCB East theatre: Ladies Night: Men Welcome

7:00 pm ($10): Stand-up, sketch comics, and improv groups mix up their regular routines; plus host Kissing Disease performs an improvised monoscene based on an audience member's suggested obstacle at The PIT upstairs theatre: Kissing Disease Tries Something

[FREE] 7:00 pm: A unique musical improv open mic show that lets both beginners and veterans get on stage and belt one out accompanied by brilliant improv pianist Frank Spitznagel at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street) hosted by Douglas Widick: Spot Song

[$] 7:30 pm ($15): Singer/sketch performer/downtown cult figure Tanya O'Debra performs "a serious comedy about loneliness, mental illness, and perception. Holed up in her bedroom for eternity, crazy old Emily Dickinson unsuccessfully woos the object of her affection, a disembodied voice. A pseudo-historical, quasi-biographical psycho-romantic look at the life of America's most annoying poetess" at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street): Shut Up, Emily Dickinson

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): One of the very finest stand-ups in the country, who's performed on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, and The View, starred in two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials, and frequently opens for Louis C.K., headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club (with openers Rob Cantrell and Jim Mendrinos). I saw this last night and highly recommend you don't miss the wonderful Ted Alexandro

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($18 at the door or $19.62 in advance online; the latter is recommended because this may well sell out): A top-notch theatrical troupe that's equally fine at compelling acting and split-second comedy uses actual material on the Web, performed verbatim, to craft laugh-out-loud scenes. This 12th edition of the series (begun in 2011) kicks off Spring by focusing on all things sexy...with the hilarious scenes covering intercourse with dolphins, Harry Potter's Severus Snape getting it on with Teletubbies, and lots more. The three women in the cast—human dynamo Wendy Joy, and the show's writer/producers Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula—are each NYC treasures; any of them is worth the trip all by herself. (And if you're a producer or director, snap them up while they're still affordable...) For a video sample (a pale shadow of the live show), please click here. Another reviewer called this "like Forbidden Broadway for the Internet," and that's pretty close to the mark. There are just four performances left, running tonight and next Thursday-Saturday at 8:00 pm. Grab tickets in advance before it sells out, and then enjoy this production at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, between First Avenue & Avenue A): Blogologues: #SexyTime

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A comic's comic who's performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, HBO, FX's Louie, CNN, FOX, and three Comedy Central specials, and has been a frequent guest on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and Howard Stern, headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

8:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge from National Scandal

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

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Barry Rothbart (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV's Punk'd, IFC's Do Whatever), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Michelle Wolf (IFC), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), and more 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups tell jokes and perform comedy as original characters at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Shakir Standley: Out of Character

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

9:00 pm ($10): "A monthly show featuring long form improv of three diverse schools of thought and culminating in a cross-team closing...that last year broke an all-time attendence record" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sharif Ali and Kelly Ann Rockwell: World's Fair

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($8 online using code FIVE; no drink 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), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nikki Glaser, Big Jay Oakerson, 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

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

[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 ($10): An improv double-bill at The Magnet theatre: Eaglefox and Upstate

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Original comedic songs are showcased, with tonight's performers including Jen Kwok, Will Hines, and Marshall York, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Justin Perez & Shaina Stigler: Totally Requesty

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] [FREE] Midnight (totally FREE online using code FIVE; no drink min., but it'd be nice if you bought something from the acclaimed food/drink menu): 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), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nikki Glaser, Kurt Metzger, Dan Soder, and More

Midnight ($5): Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, Andy Kaufman Award finalist) and Poupak Sepehri (runs UCB's Difference Blog) host a variety show at UCB East that's a mix of forms, with tonight's performers Saad Haroon (stand-up), Shonali Bhowmik (music), and jams with teams led by Sunita Mani, Nivedita Kulkarni, and Roheeni Saxena: The Soul Glo Project

[FREE] Midnight: Bryson Turner performs an hour of stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Bryson Turner

Midnight ($5): Two duo sketch troupes, Coker & Stratton vs. Cohen & Gentile, competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 3/31/13

Murderfist's Henry Zebrowski & Ed Larson torture Jesus Christ at Big Fat Scary,
then join a small army of storytellers at Sara Benincasa's Family Hour with Auntie Sara

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 5:00 pm: Very dark religious comedy from the award-winning members of sketch troupe Murderfist: "As we all sit and stuff our faces with chocolate eggs filled with corn starch placenta, it's good to remember the reason for the season: the torture and murder of the only cool nice guy in pre-history. Watch Henry Zebrowski, Ed Larson, and Ben laugh at what critics call 'a combo of Saw and Lincoln' on this most holy day, with special guest Jesus Christ—man, can Jesus scream:" Big Fat Scary Presents: The Passion of the Christ

[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

[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] [DISCOUNTED] [FREE] 8:00 pm (no cover, and no drink minimum, using discount code FIVE online): 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), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), and Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street). This is a great comedy club lineup, and especially since this show is free if you use the discount code: Judah Friedlander, Gary Gulman, Rachel Feinstein, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A small army of comedic storytellers including Leslie Goshko, Janine Brito, Emily Epstein, Jenny Rubin, and Kambri Crews, plus sketch troupe Murderfist's Henry Zebrowski and Ed Larson, and more performing at The Bowery Electric Map Room (327 Bowery, off 2nd Street) with host Sara Benincasa (NBC's Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, CNN, MTV, author of Agorafabulous): Family Hour with Auntie Sara

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Adam Conover (VH1's Best Week Ever, College Humor, host of Fresh Out), Jared Freid (MTV's Failosophy), and more performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do their best to impress judges for Montreal's most prestigious comedy festival at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Just For Laughs Montreal Showcase

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, and More

8:00 pm ($7): Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Allen Strickland Williams, and Jacqueline Novak performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead: Creaghead & Company

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Leo Flowers, and Jon Laster performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

[$] [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): Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Andrew Schulz (MTV2's Guy Code), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Alison Leiby, Matthew Maragno, Lindsay Boling, Nathan Macintosh, and Peggy O'Leary 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 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): An all-gal storytelling show of "true tales with feelings; so many feelings...," tonight featuring Jodi Lennon, Lea Palmieri, and Hillary Rea at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Lisa Kleinman: Shut Up Storytelling Show

[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

[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), Colin Jost (Co-Head Writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Judah Friedlander, Colin Jost, Nick Griffin, and More

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

[$] 11:30 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink 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), Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Andy Hendrickson (David Letterman), 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 Ardie Fuqua: Nikki Glaser, Jon Fisch, and More

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