NYC Comedy Picks for Week of May 2, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 5/2/11

Breathtakingly funny comics John Lutz (John and Scott) and Brett Gelman (Hot Tub Variety)

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: Stand-ups Tony Camin (The Marijuana-logues) and Kyle Grooms (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents) tell jokes, and then improvisors make up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Death

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Comedy veterans Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Ari Voukydis perform an improvised play in What a Year!

[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel), Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon), Damien Lemon (NBC's Stand Up For Diversity), Yamaneika Saunders (NBC's Stand Up for Diversity), Yannis Pappas, and Daniel Tirado performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub produced by Phoebe Robinson—who's celebrating this show's 2nd Anniversary: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious new improv duo who should not be missed: John & Scott

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Brett Gelman (surreal comedy great temporarily back from LA), Baron Vaughn (also briefly back hom from LA; Jimmy Fallon, USA's Fairly Legal), and more performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

8:00 pm ($5): Brothers Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel) and Ashok Kondabolu (Dap in Das Racist) host a talk show, with tonight's guest Ajay Naidu (Office Space, Bored to Death, Ashes): The Untitled Kondabolu Brothers Project

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's finest house sketch comedy troupes, Thunder Gulch and Dweeb, trying out new bits at Maude Night

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Chelsea White, Ray Devito, Jay Welch, Tim Warner, Calvin Cato, Subhah Argawal, and Dan Shaki performing at Pat O'Shea's free weekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight will be a surprise for this special all-musical edition—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 5/3/11

The hilarious Arden Myrin (The Moon Show) and Andy Blitz (Tell Your Friends)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm ($5): Two tough guys from the 1930s will explain the ins and outs of Hollywood at sketch show Listen Kid! ; and duo improv by Dustin Drury and Andrew Yurman-Glaser in Upstate New York

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35.50 with discount code BOX): Mike Birbiglia has long been one of the finest stand-up comics in the country, with credits including the hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; and the comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live. But what puts Mike in a class all his own is a unique style he's developed that mixes the razor-sharp hilarity of the finest stand-up with the depth of emotionally moving theatre. Mike pioneered this approach with his previous off-Broadway hit Sleepwalk with Me (which he then turned into a New York Times bestselling book, Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories); but he's raised his game to a whole new level with this show, which is regularly selling out—for good reason. The $35.50 (discounted via code BOX) price is about what you'd pay at a comedy club...and it'll buy you one of the richest experiences you're ever likely to receive from art. To enjoy world-class laughs while being taught how to value what's truly important, grab tickets while you can at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop); this utterly brilliant one-man show is slated to run only through May 15th: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Comics creator Dennis Calero and stand-up Ben Kissel joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes CAPTCHA, Standard Oil, Ragnaröck, Sandino, and Very Good Kiss, and at 11:00 pm a show special enough to merit its own listing (see below)—all at Harold Night

8:00 pm ($5): "A drama written by teen Jerome McDonough that teaches teens about the evils of alcohol abuse. A talented and twistedly funny group of adults (the Marumsco Valley Players) will present the hard-hitting play, stage directions and all, while under the influence: Alky

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being an Emmy-nominated and long-time writer/performer for Conan O'Brien; has also written for Comedy Central's Important Things, MTV's Human Giant, etc.; a thoroughly unique stand-up whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable), Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here), Streeter Seidell (MTV's Pranked, College Humor), and Baratunde Thurston (Web editor for The Onion) performing at the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Neal Brennan (Chappelle's Show writer, Funny or Die, director of The Goods), John Flynn (superb storyteller; The Nights of Our Lives), and more performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Rebound and The Sound & the Fury

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Baron Vaughn (briefly back home from LA; Jimmy Fallon, USA's Fairly Legal), Neal Brennan (Chappelle's Show writer, Funny or Die, director of The Goods), MC Mr. Napkins, and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A super lineup for the return of this fine show at its new location, the PIT downstairs lounge: Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, MTV, VH1), Nick Griffin (David Letterman), and Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno) hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

9:30 pm ($8): The worlds of "magic, mind-reading, and mutilation" are explored by Matthew Holtzclaw and Prakash Puru: Strange Things

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free show, audience members can join in with veteran musical improv talents to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Michael Kayne, Winston Noel, Amber Petty, Mike Still, Ashley Ward, and tonight's guest John Frusciante (UCBT Artistic Associate, Badman)—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel: Diamond Lion

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 5/4/11

Come to UCBT at 8:00 for genius improv troupes Outlook of the Poet and The Two-Man Movie

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] 2:00 pm: "Something worth watching. Could be a movie, or a TV show. Might be populist and unapologetically entertaining, or hard to find and harder to understand. But you will always leave saying, 'I am glad that I saw that.'" Hosted by The PIT's Chris Grace, today's free film is the director's cut of an amazing though not exactly funny 1984 feature: Amadeus

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

7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and comedy geniuses Gavin Speiller (Death by Roo Roo, Rogue Elephant), Ben Rodgers (Reuben Williams, co-host of Cage Match), and Jon Gabrus (Conan O'Brien, Best Week Ever, The Nights of Our Lives) comprise one of the most hilarious improv trios in NYC as troupe Outlook of the Poet

8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free drink!): Joe Derosa (Comedy Central Presents), Joe List (Comedy Central), Maddog Mattern, and Andy Hendrickson performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Nick Turner: Monsters

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-drink min.): Amy Beckerman hosting stand-ups Robin Cloud, Lisa Kaplan, Amy Albert, and Scout Durwooda performing at the RF Lounge (531 Hudson Street) for Dykes on Mics

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1, host of Sweet) and Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, MTV, FUSE) each perform 30-minute sets for filming at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central): Herzog & Hailes Stand-Up Taping

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Will Hines (UCBT superstar), Joe Garden (Features Editor of The Onion, co-author of The Devious Book For Cats and The Dangerous Book For Dogs), Paul Mecurio (The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), and Michele Carlo (The Moth) performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two of the finest improvisors on the planet, Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, Let's Have a Ball, Adsit & Gausas) and Becky Drysdale (Baby Wants Candy, Let's Have a Ball), are new improv duo Drysdale & Gausas

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Helen Hong (host of Logo TV's Setup Squad), Sheba Mason, and Neil Thornton performing at the Bar-Tini Ultra Lounge (542 Tenth Avenue, between 45th & 46th Streets) for a gay-themed show hosted by Adam Sank: That Sank Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing 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. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 5/5/11

Complicated stand-ups Todd Barry (headlining at Gotham) and Doug Stanhope (headlining at Carolines)

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] [$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-item min.): A stand-up who's performed on NBC, BBC, Comedy Central Presents, and The Howard Stern Show, and has twice won Time Out New York's Best Comedy Performance of the Year award, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Doug Stanhope

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): An hour of improv directed by Magnet Theatre co-owner Armando Diaz: Evente

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm (just $15 with discount code TODDB, plus 2-drink min.): One of the finest stand-ups in the country, with appearance on HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead, headlining through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Todd Barry

9:00 pm ($12): The Lady Aye, Camille Harris, and more performing at Comedy Below Canal

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and guest-host Ben Kissel (while Sean Patton shares his gifts with other cities): Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), and Adam Lowitt (Producer of The Daily Show) joining delightful hosts Andrea Rosen and Shonali Bhowmik for Variety SHAC

9:30 pm ($5): Musical improv from troupe 10 Pound Ally

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, MTV, VH1) and Dan Soder (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at The Pit for this new weekly show hosted by Harrison Greenbaum: The Big One

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): In a shocking upset, improv troupe CAPTCHA beat Death by Roo Roo last week in a very close vote of 71-67. CAPTCHA therefore returns tonight to try and repeat its magic, competing with improv group Dybbuk for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 5/6/11

;

Two of the greatest improvisors alive—each visiting from Chicago——are coincidentally both performing tonight:
Joe Bill (Lights Out, Shirley!) and Blaine Swen (The Improvised Shakespeare Company)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm ($8): "Ever wonder how you become a writer for an Emmy winning TV show? So does J. D. Durkin. Since no one has told him, here is his one-man show performing all original material to become a writer for The Colbert Report. Durkin channels Colbert live on stage to present political punditry as only The PIT could do it...and only The PIT, since he was escorted off the Comedy Central premises:" Stephen Colbert: Hire Me

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($20 online or at the door with discount code ISCFRIEND): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. Tonight is actually sold out, but it's not too late to grab tickets for the final performance on Saturday of the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Andrea Rosen is already famed as a comic—in fact, she recently won the prestigious 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up—but what's not as well-known is that Andrea's among the finest comedic storytellers in the country. This new one-woman show should fix that. It offers smart, fearless, hilarious material ranging from fast food you should avoid to the medicinal power of a boyfriend's penis. It also provides one of the sharpest comedic performances that will grace NYC this year (for which kudos are also deserved by the show's superb director, John Flynn). Plus if you sit in the first few rows, expect free home-baked cookies. Don't miss Andrea's unique blend of dark comedy and silliness: Ding Dong Meow...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, Jordan Klepper and Laura Grey perform an acclaimed sketch show in which "they're bringing their baggage to the stage and dumping it all on you" in Baggage

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.): A stand-up who's performed on NBC, BBC, Comedy Central Presents, and The Howard Stern Show, and has twice won Time Out New York's Best Comedy Performance of the Year award, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Doug Stanhope

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Phoebe Robinson (host of Case of the Mondays Comedy), and more performing at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue) hosted by Mark Normand: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Groundbreaking and highly acclaimed improvisors Matt Higgins, Jay Rhoderick, and Kevin Scott performing with a three-piece rock ensemble: Centralia

8:00 pm ($5; includes copious homemade treats): Fine NYC stand-ups Dan St. Germain, Kevin McCaffrey, Raquel D'Aprice, and Sean Donnelly performing at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Aalap Patel, Matt Maragno, and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, College Humor): It's Not That Serious

9:00 pm ($7): Sketch comedy about the past year from two friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name, and tonight plan on performing a movie sequel: We're Matt Weir: Thor 2

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($20 with discount code TODDB, plus 2-drink min.): One of the finest stand-ups in the country, with appearance on HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead, headlining through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Todd Barry

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

9:00 pm ($7): "In March of 2009 a gaggle of performers were born. Some died, some wandered off into the woods, others went to work in the private sector. Those that remained grew strong by feeding on the nectar of specific choices and the gruel of strong character work. The 2-year-old terror that exists today is akin to watching a Tsunami of hair and teeth attack a baby Blue Whale and destroy it with the will of a thousand hungry Burnese Mountain Dogs. What does it all mean? We don't know." In other words, improv from Chet Watkins

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches: The Harvard Sailing Team

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with a n audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Thomas Middleditch (when he's not in LA), Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Jenny Slate (Saturday Night Live, HBO's Bored to Death) and Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), plus wonderful musical guest Corn Mo, performing at this monthly comedy talk show hosted by the Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central, IFC, Hot Tub Variety): Night of the Living with Kurt Braunohler

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): One of the finest improvisors alive, Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO, co-founder of the Annoyance Theatre) spearheads a breathtakingly brilliant group of improvisors from Chicago and New York who'll blow the roof off at this spectacular monthly show that offers lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. The other players are Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central's Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!'s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O'Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet instructor), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer). The previous show I caught was one of the finest comedy hours I've ever been lucky enough to experience (but no pressure, Joe; am just sayin'....). You don't want to miss Lights Out, Shirley!

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight include Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1, host of Sweet), Seth Herzog's mom, Peter Gwinn (Baby Wants Candy), Billy Eichner (Bravo, Creation Nation), and Carla Rhodes (rock n roll ventriloquist)—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and the wonderful Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 5/7/11

Tonight's your final chance this season to catch the smartest & funniest improv comedy troupe in the world:
The Improvised Shakespeare Company...

...but first come see Leslie Goshko, Adam Wade, and other stellar storytellers at The Liar Show

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 4:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($35.50 with discount code BOX): Mike Birbiglia has long been one of the finest stand-up comics in the country, with credits including the hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; and the comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live. But what puts Mike in a class all his own is a unique style he's developed that mixes the razor-sharp hilarity of the finest stand-up with the depth of emotionally moving theatre. Mike pioneered this approach with his previous off-Broadway hit Sleepwalk with Me (which he then turned into a New York Times bestselling book, Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories); but he's raised his game to a whole new level with this show, which is regularly selling out—for good reason. The $35.50 (discounted via code BOX) price is about what you'd pay at a comedy club...and it'll buy you one of the richest experiences you're ever likely to receive from art. To enjoy world-class laughs while being taught how to value what's truly important, grab tickets while you can at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop); this utterly brilliant one-man show is slated to run only through May 15th: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, Sideshow Goshko), Tracy Rowland (TV writer/producer), and Colin Dempsey (Comedyland). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, and more—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors who've included writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft making up a play on the spot in Theory of Everything

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($20 with discount code TODDB, plus 2-drink min.): One of the finest stand-ups in the country, with appearances on HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Todd Barry

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The 3rd Anniversary of this "comedy chat show with boundary issues" that has stand-ups perform sets and then be interviewed about their personal lives, with tonight's guests Dan Soder, Jesse Popp, and Yannis Pappas at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Mark Normand & Matt Ruby: We're All Friends Here

[FREE—plus FREE BEER!] 8:00 pm: A variety show of stand-up, storytelling, and sketch that's not only free, but promises to give each of the first 25 audience members who arrive a free beer! Unfortunately, the lineup hasn't been announced; but if you'd care to take a chance, join hosts Ray Combs Jr., Evan Jacobs, and Aalap Patel as they provide you a drink On the House

[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—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($20 online or at the door with discount code ISCFRIEND): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. Tonight ends ISC's brief May visit to NYC; don't miss this chance to experience the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, 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. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight's edition of Baby Wants Candy

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King interviews an audience member about where he or she grew up and then creates an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike

11:00 pm ($10): "Have you ever wondered what would happen in a porno movie if there was no sex? Would the repairman fix the washing machine and be on his way? Would the teacher help Johnny raise his SAT scores? Would the delivery boy tell the nice, scantily clad lady she can pay him later? This show is the best parts of adult films: the character work, the blocking and the acting---oh, the acting! Improv troupe Borealis screens the opening scenes of random porn movies and then makes up what happens next" in Who Ordered Pepperoni?: Porn-Inspired Improv

[FREE] 11:45 pm: A weekly chance for you to shine, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

Midnight ($5): John Flynn (superb storyteller; The Nights of Our Lives), Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1, host of Sweet), Dan Gurewitch (College Humor), Thunder God Thor (played by Rob Stern), and more performing at host Andy Rocco's Underground Americana

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 5/8/11

Mamrie Hart isn't performing tonight, but please watch her informative Mother's Day video by clicking here

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] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 5:00 pm ($18.50 online using discount code ADVANCE ): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. This marvelous event recently received a 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy and a nomination for the 2011 MAC Award for Special Production. Please read my review by clicking here, watch Faye make a pecan pie by clicking here, and then take advantage of this revival running Sundays through May to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

6:30 pm ($5): A Harold improv session performed in the dark: The Bat

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Brett Gelman (surreal comedy great temporarily back home from LA), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), and Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Colin Jost (writer for Jimmy Fallon, former writer for SNL), Kevin McCaffrey (freelance writer for David Letterman, TruTV), Morgan Venticique, and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-item min.): A stand-up who's performed on NBC, BBC, Comedy Central Presents, and The Howard Stern Show, and has twice won Time Out New York's Best Comedy Performance of the Year award, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Doug Stanhope

8:00 pm ($5): A biography, from birth to death, made up on the spot by improvisors Dave Maulbeck, Jared McGrail, and Taylor White: Life

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Mike Recine, Annie Lederman, Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Seaton Smith, and Jeff Wesselschmidt performing at The PIT's downstairs lounge for a free weekly show tonight guest-hosted by Amber Nelson: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, movie star; host of Sweet), Jay Pharoah (SNL), Helen Hong, Nikki Glaser, and Todd Lynn, Seth performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by Seaton Smith: Comedy Night

9:30 pm ($5): Two improv groups competing for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with less well-known troupes and an escalating challenge component—at Magnet Inferno

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Shecky Beagleman (feature film Hacks), Emily Dickson, and Yameneika (TruTV, VH1) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 4 minutes per comic, at The PIT's downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle

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