NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 5/8/17
Chris Gethard (comedy genius; star of HBO 90-minute special Career Suicide; star of Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; co-star of Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice; host of Webby-winning podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People; The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; author of A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Joe Pera (hilarious deadpan stand-up; killer set on Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien; Comedy Central, Adult Swim; for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here; for Joe's Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here; co-host of the Dan + Joe + Charles Show), and Krystyna Hutchinson (co-host of popular Guys We Fucked podcast, Carson Daly) perform stand-up hosted by the charming Ruby Karp: We Hope You Have Fun (8:00 pm, $7, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
More 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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation—including at 8:00 pm group Poor Melissa, which features superb comics Dana Shulman & Adrian Sexton—at The PIT Underground: Super Free Monday
7:00 pm ($7): Improvisors make up scenes with the lights turned off, using everyday objects to add layers of sound—like a radio play created on the spot—at The PIT Underground: Bat-Prov: Improv in the Dark
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Monday
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm [$] ($25): Ophira Eisenberg tapes her comedy trivia radio show live, with tonight's guest Andy Karl at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street): Ask Me Another
7:30 pm ($7): House sketch groups Trouble Town and Chillionaire perform at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Will Sylvince hosts Michelle Wolf, Joe Machi, Roy Wood Jr., Pete Lee, Nick Griffin, Joe List, Emma Willmann, and more trying out fresh stand-up material at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): New Joke Night
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Sam Morril (Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour) performs a solo stand-up show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Sam Morril: You've Changed
8:00 pm ($8) NYC stand-ups Carmen Lagala, Chelsea Hood, Rojo Perez, May Wilkerson, Chris Garcia, and Danny Jolles perform at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) guest-hosted by the Kondabolu Brothers (Hari & Ashok) : Night Train
8:00 pm ($7): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, musical comic Eric Gersen attempts to move himself up to the first page of search results for his name on Google: Gersenality: One Man's Search for Google Greatness...
...and in the second other of this double bill, a faux TV episode by sketch group Nipsey in which "As a father/daughter duo, Albert and Corinne work great. As co-owners of a cigar store-turned-vape shop, they've got a lot to learn! And when the big Vape Expo comes to town Darcy, Gayle, and Heath have kooky ideas about how to make waves!:" Nipsey: Vape Lyfe
[$] 8:00 pm ($18): A one-man show by Mike King about his late father, who owned Sid King's Crazy Horse Bar and had the nickname "The Sultan of Striptease," at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Fifth Dentist in Search of Sid's Treasure: A Tribute to the Sultan of Striptease
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope
8:30 pm ($7): Ten comics perform stand-up,, storytelling, or characters fat Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Mary Heatwole: Flying Solo
9:00 pm ($7): Seven-person improv group Dolo makes up scenes—possibly with occasional songs thrown in—at The Magnet theatre: Dolo
9:30 ($7): House sketch groups The Foundation and Choir try out new material at UCB Chelsea for Maude Night
9:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Chelsea Clarke, Anthony Apruzzese, and/or Steve Theiss host and perform this show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds
9:30 pm ($7): Improv group Astronomy Club—which includes Keisha Zollar and Jonathan Braylock—gets race-related stories from the audience and a guest monologist, and then makes up scenes based on those tales at the UCB East theatre: Astronomy Club: Let's Talk About Race, Baby!
9:30 pm ($7): Improv group Giggle Mountain makes up scenes at The PIT Mainstage: Giggle Mountain
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Tim Dillon, Vladimir Caamano, Derek Gaines, Katie Hannigan, Gibran Saleem, Sarah Tollemache, and Scott Chaplain perform for this free weekly show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street) hosted by Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language): Frantic Mondays
10:00 pm ($7): Each of 4 groups select improv forms from among 10 buckets and then make up scenes in the style selected at The PIT Mainstage: Forms From the Bucket
10:30 pm ($7): Improv from underrepresented voices at The Magnet theatre: Mixtape: Diversity Improv
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE; reservations go quickly, but you can probably get in if you arrive early and are okay with standing] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's usually a great lineup and often an extraordinary one—at UCB Chelsea hosted by Aparna Nancherla (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There): Whiplash
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A gay-themed variety show at the UCB East theatre hosted by Timothy Dunn: Queerball
Monday Open Mics & Jams
4:30 pm-7:00 pm ($5 plus 1 drink min., with drinks as low as $2): Walk-in stand-up open mic with two rounds, the first providing 5-6 minutes per set and the second 2-3 minutes per set, at The Grisly Pear (107 MacDougal Street) hosted by Tuval Mor: Kickin It Open Mic
5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer who shows up time on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Jacob Lie & Stu Melton: Raining Buckets
6:00 pm ($5 for both comics and audience members, no drink min.): 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
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 The Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston Street, off Avenue B) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint
11:00 pm ($5): Open mic stand-up, with each comic getting 5 minutes and room for 15 comics who sign up per show, at The PIT Mainstage hosted by John Field: The Power Exchange
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 4 minutes on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Joseph Robert: PBR & Scrap Paper Open Mic Stand-Up
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT Underground for this weekly open access show hosted by such improv talents as Gary DeNoia and Langston Belton at The PIT Underground: Base Jam
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 5/9/17
Tariq Trotter (a.k.a. Black Thought; co-founder & rapper/MC for legendary band The Roots; regular sketch performer on Jimmy Fallon, and exceptionally quick, witty guy), Dan Mintz (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers; voice of Tina on FOX's Bob's Burgers; voices on Adult Swim's Adventure Time and The Awesomes; writer for FOX's Son of Zorn and Comedy Central's Nathan for You; husband of the spectacular Margie Mintz), visiting LA comics Danny Jolles, Chris Garcia, and Nina Daniels, plus singer Jes Hukak (FOX's American Idol), and more perform for Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
More 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 ($7): Comedic dance, musical improv, and more at The PIT Underground hosted by Michelle DiMartino & Maryclare DeMenna: Dance for Me, Clown
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Law Abiding Criminals
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, eight singing & dancing improv groups at The Magnet make up musicals based on audience suggestions: Magnet Musical Megawatt
[FREE] 7:00 pm: An Atlanta stand-up who appears in Hulu's Coming to the Stage tries out new material every night through Thursday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: Yedoye Travis
7:00 pm ($7): Improv and stand-up (details not announced) "dumped here for your pleasure" at The PIT Underground: Dump
7:00 pm ($7): Improv group On A Friday performs and hosts other indie groups at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): On A Friday and Friends
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Tuesday
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): A live-on-stage parody reading of The Godfather with new scenes added each month—tonight's episode is "Keep an Eye Out For Me Greene"—with Jim Norton, Rachel Feinstein, Jessica Kirson, Greg Rogell, Lenny Marcus, Matteo Lane, Dave Juskow, and more at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): The Year of The Godfather
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Extraordinary character comic and rising star Filip Jeremic (co-star of UCB's Characters Welcome) & Brittany Lee McDonald create a myriad of extreme characters tied to a theme—which this month is Around the World—at The PIT Mainstage: The Wigging Hour
8:00 pm ($7): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled" at Channel 101
8:00 pm ($5): UCB house groups Moose and Fluffty make up scenes using the long improv form called The Harold at the UCB Chelsea theatre (see also 9:30 pm): Harold Night, Part 1
[FREE; plus FREE DRAFT BEER 8:00-8:30!] 8:00 pm: Corinne Fisher (co-host of popular podcast Guys We Fucked), Scott Chaplain (Comedy Central Roast Battle), Brent Gill (Seeso's Hidden America), and Luke Mones (Funny Or Die) perform stand-up at Brooklyn's Two Boots Pizza Williamsburg (558 Driggs Avenue) hosted by Lucas Connolly, David Piccolomini, and Jake Fromm: Ambush Comedy
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Robert Kelly (Louie, HBO, CBS' upcoming The 2-2, two Comedy Central specials) hones a long stand-up set at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Robert Kelly Working Out
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Kate Willett (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, VICE's Flophouse), Brendan McLaughlin (VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV's Nikki and Sara Live), Jaboukie Young-White, and Brad Austin perform stand-up hosted by Joe Pera (hilarious and genius deadpan stand-up; killer set on Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Adult Swim; for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here; for Joe's Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Charles Gould (Comedy Central), and Dan Licata (The Chris Gethard Show) at Brooklyn's NY Distilling Company (79 Richardson Street; take L subway to Lorimer Street): Dan + Joe + Charles' Show
[FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (for the line-up, usually posted by 1:00 pm, please click here) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) produced every Tuesday by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup
8:30 pm ($7): In this unique show, improvisors make up a complete family & friends intervention based on an audience suggestion at The PIT Underground: Impro-vention
9:00 pm ($7): NYC stand-ups Mike Brown, Sharron Paul, Chloe LaBranche, Coree Spencer, and Will McNaull are challenged to make up self-important lectures based on topics provided to them on the spot—e.g., "If McDonalds can serve breakfast all day, then shouldn't I be able to own a gun?" and "‘Do iPhones fool the elderly into thinking they're living in the future?"—at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Ryan Stanisz: Stand-Ups Improvise TED Talks
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Ian Fidance, Ashley Bez, Adam Sokol, Daniel J Perafan, Will Carey, Sahar Adri perform after being introduced by "gloriously bad metalcore music" at Brooklyn's Tender Trap (66 Greenpoint Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Tim Unkenholz & Justin Hancock: Buttery Riffz
9:00 pm ($10): A two-person play by Courtney Ulrich & Ryan Wesley in which "five years after the fateful Ham Factory fire of 2012 that cut short her acting career, former Ham Factory owner turned Life Coach Jon Ham helps Courtney on her journey of redemption as she remounts her unauthorized one-woman adaptation of The Miracle Worker titled The Worker's Miracle" at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Courtney, Ryan, and The Great Ham Factory Fire of 2012
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($7): Comics (not announced this month) perform silly lectures at the UCB East theatre produced by Kara Klenk (writer for MTV's Girl Code & Guy Code and contributor to Broad City; producer of If You Build It) and hosted by Jim Tews (rising star; Louie, Last Comic Standing; co-host of Fresh Out; New York Times bestselling author of Felines of New York, comedy album I Was in Band): Homeschooled—A Comedic Lecture Series
9:30 pm ($7): Storytellers share tales "so horrible they are hilarious, all for your entertainment" at The PIT Mainstage hosted by Francisco Breton & Corey Easley (We're a Genius): Good, Bad Stories
9:30 pm ($5): UCB house groups Some Kid and Mermaids make up scenes using the long improv form called The Harold at the UCB Chelsea theatre (see also 8:00 pm): Harold Night, Part 2
9:30 pm ($5): Latino comics perform storytelling, improv, and/or more at The PIT Underground: Latinx
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) perform for this show that likes to brag about how great it is at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Brian Bahe & Stu Melton: Hyperbole
10:30 pm ($7): "All about the stuff THEY don't want you to know about. Explore the Dark Web! Meet alien abductees! See outtakes from the Zapruder film! Catch a bigfoot sighting!" at The PIT Underground: The Conspiracy Zone
11:00 pm ($5): Going beyond the classic Harold, group Ice Cold Bev performs whatever type of long form improv it likes at the UCB East theatre: Harold on the Run
Tuesday Open Mics & Jams
5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic
6:00 pm ($3): A chance for gals to get on stage and improvise with veteran female comics at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Blair Silverman and friends: Lady Jam
6:00 pm ($5 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] 6:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Tim Unkenholz: Butt Factory
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge (it's usually upstairs; the location change is for this week only) hosted by Jake Hart and a guest co-host: The Dump
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Weekly open mic for any kind of act (with sign-up starting at 8:30) at Brooklyn's Little Skips (941 Willoughby Avenue) hosted by Joe Crow Ryan: Tuesday Night Open Mic
10:30 pm ($3): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Tuesday After Class: Slow Jam
11:00 pm ($5): Ten stand-ups whose names are drawn from a "golden bowl of destiny" will be given stage time, along with a few invited stand-ups, at The PIT Mainstage hosted by Will Purpura: Bring It
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly walk-in open mic stand-up providing 3 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from a bucket at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Slonim: Rapid Fire
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 5/10/17
Hasan Minhaj (correspondent for The Daily Show; breakthrough star performance at the recent White House Correspondents' Association Dinner; Netflix special Homecoming King) tries out stand-up jokes—and it's a fair bet he'll have some brand new material to play around with thanks to yesterday's White House homage to Dick Nixon: Hasan Minhaj: Experiment Time (8:30 pm, $5 plus 2-item food/drink min., The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm-midnight: Six hours of free improvisation—including musical improv from group Vern (which includes superb singer & comic Julie A. Feltman) at 7:15 pm, such stellar improvisors as Pat Swearingen and Langston Belton in Hero Complex at 8:30 pm, and star instructors such as Dana Shulman, Adrian Sexton, Chris Booth, and sometimes even PIT owner Ali Reza Farahnakian at The Faculty at 10:00 pm, all at The PIT Mainstage: Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Law Abiding Criminals
[FREE] 7:00 pm: An Atlanta stand-up who appears in Hulu's Coming to the Stage tries out new material tonight and Thursday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: Yedoye Travis
[$] 7:00 pm ($15): Peter Michael Marino improvises a soul-baring one-man show inspired by interactions with the audience (and with the help of stellar director Michole Biancosino) at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Show Up
7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): Four hours of improv from eight groups—plus a free improv jam at 6:00 pm—at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Wednesday
7:30 pm ($7): Comics Mamoudou N'Diaye and Krista Barnett prepare dishes while professional chef John Zervoulakos tries to be funny at this show mixing comedy and cooking at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Adrienne Cooper: The Food Funny
7:30 pm ($5): Extending the improv showcased at UCB Chelsea's Tuesday Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which features house groups Judy Big Mouth, Horse Girl, and Top Heavy also making up scenes via the long improv form called The Harold: Lloyd Night
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Breathtakingly subtle genius improvisor John Lutz (cast member of 30 Rock; six years as staff writer for Saturday Night Live; John and Scott) and veteran improvisor Peter Grosz (VP MIke Pence on Comedy Central's The President Show; Veep, Inside Amy Schumer, former writer for Seth Meyers and The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials) perform duo improv at UCB Chelsea as 2 Square
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12): In this live talk show, Dave Seever interviews phenom journalist & critic Jason Zinoman (covers comedy for The New York TImes; author of bestselling new book Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night), Maeve Higgins (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk, co-host of Cool Kids), and Ikechukwu Ufomadu (host of Ike at Night), plus theremin music by Cornelius Loy, all at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street): Deep Night with Dale
8:00 pm ($8): Israel Daramola, Ashley Fetters, and Larissa Pham "talk about weird stuff they care deeply about while extremely drunk—with PowerPoint" at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Drunk Education: Confessions
8:00 pm ($7): Sketch comedy and solo characters by Mike Brian, Chris Migliaccio, Paul Cohen, and guests at The PIT Underground: Backdoor Barbecue
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Young and/or struggling NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) produced by Meghan O'Malley, Adrian Davidson, and Erick Hellwig: Barely Making It
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Killer lineup of Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of bestselling cartoon book If the Raindrops United), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), Jena Friedman (wry dark political stand-up; former staff writer for David Letterman, former producer for The Daily Show), Django Gold (writer for Stephen Colbert; The New Yorker, The Onion), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC's The Unusuals), Danny Jolles (Tosh.O), and Meghan Hanley perform stand-up for this free weekly show at Lucky Jack's Pub (129 Orchard Street) produced by Lance Weiss & Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Sean Lynch (co-star of AMC's The Walking Dead; co-creator & writer for MTV's brilliant Celebrity Death Match), Ophira Eisenberg (NBC's The Today Show, CBS' The Late Late Show, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book Screw Everyone, comedy album Bangs!), Adam Sank (opens for Roseanne Barr; NBC's Last Comic Standing; comedy album Live From the Stonewall Inn), Rachael Burke (Jimmy Fallon), and Brian Jian (Last Comic Standing) perform long stand-up sets at Jimmy's No. 43 back room (43 East 7th Street) hosted by Ben Asher: Double Plus Good Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): After two years of producing this monthly show, Chris Gersbeck is calling it quits (so he can focus on his new job of handling PR for QED)—but first he's hosting this final edition featuring over a dozen comics, including such talents as David Feldman (Comedy Central Half Hour, co-creator of The Jack and Triumph Show), at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue): Everythign Is Dumbn: Last Show!
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC; stellar new comedy album Live at Webster Hall), Dave Smith, Luis J. Gomez, and other NYC comics "discussing the skankier sides of life, love, and stand-up comedy" for this weekly podcast taping at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Legion of Skanks
9:00 pm ($7): Sketch comedy from husband & wife duo Nick Afka Thomas (Brit) and Sarah Ann Masse (Yank) at The PIT Underground: We Are Thomasse
[TOP PICK] 9:15 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 hosted by Doug Mo and/or Ben Rameaka: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show
9:30 pm ($7): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, a play about the minutiae of small town politics directed by the wonderful Leslie Meisel and featuring a seven-person cast: All in Favor...
...and in the second other of this double bill,Improv group Higgins looks at the Instagram photos of audience members and then uses them as springboards for comedy scenes: Higgins: The Instagram Show
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Satirical commentary on nerdy pop culture news by John Minus & Dillon Stevens at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue), with this month's theme SF/fantasy mass media genius Joss Whedon: The G.E.E.K. Show: All About Joss Whedon
10:00 pm ($7): Long form improv from gal trio Claire Yale (Gypsy Danger), Julie Rosing (Buzz Off Lucille), and Jenny Bareilles (BBC2) at The PIT Underground: Wrecked
10:00 pm ($5): Established sketch groups, and sketch writers, try out new material at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Sketch Debut
[TOP PICK] 10:15 pm ($5): Improvisors make up scenes about obsessions at the UCB East theatre: The Fix
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers) hosts this "anything might happen comedy chaos" monthly show. Tonight "a small focus group evaluates new products and concepts from some of the city's most brilliant minds. Products could range from 'glitter cereal' to 'opaque Sprite' to a TV pilot. Watch as one small focus group determines the fate of the free market" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Jo Firestone Presents The Unexpectashow: Focus Group
11:00 pm ($7): Comedy group Yes performs and hosts stand-ups, improvisors, and more at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): We Are Yes
Wednesday Open Mics & Jams
5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Kaity Neagle & Irene Hartmann: Ragtag Team Open Mic Stand-Up
6:00 pm ($5 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] 6:00 pm: Monthly open mic for stand-up, characters, storytelling, improv, music, or anything else, providing 4 minutes per person—and a extra minute beyond that if the performer pays a compliment to a fellow performer in the room. Sign up via email by noon today at thecomplimentarymic@gmail.com for one of the 9 reserved spots, or try to nab one of the 5 walk-in spots tonight at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Jenn Wehrung & Coree Spencer: The Complimentary Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Sign up at 5:45 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with veteran improvisors: Magnet Mixer Wednesday
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Your chance to improvise on stage at The PIT Mainstage hosted by Anthony Velez: Recess
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic stand-up providing 4 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com to sign up, or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45, at Brooklyn's Halyards Bar (406 Third Avenue) hosted by Lukas Kaiser: Comics Phoning It In
11:00 pm ($5): Weekly open mic that provides 5 minutes per comic, with sign-up at 10:00 pm (maximum of 12 comics, so arrive early), at The PIT Underground hosted by Max Halpert: Awkward High Five Open Mic
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your chance to perform on stage with experienced improvisors at The PIT Mainstage hosted by Bernard Maynore and/or Patrick Cucuta: Improdome
[FREE] 11:15 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East hosted by members of improv group Mermaids: Rotisserie Jam
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 5/11/17
Tonight is episode #3 of Anthony Atamanuik's The President Show, which has quickly become one of the finest series on TV. (I'll predict right now TPS will be nominated for at least one Emmy Award this year...) I don't know what Anthony will do with this week's Watergate-level news, but it's likely to be awesome. Set your recording device to 11:30 pm on Comedy Central...
...and during his brief return to NYC, enjoy Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star; staff writer for CBS' Superior Donuts) perform tonight at 7:30 pm & 9:00 pm at UCB East
More 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 ($7): Improv revolving around initiations, inceptions, inaugurations, and other first times at The PIT Mainstage: Kikiriki Kickoff
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm food, 7:30ish pm show ($5; if you show up around 7:00 pm, includes host Brian Parise's homemade Pasta e Ceci, which is pasta with a chickpea/tomato sauce): Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Unexpectashow and The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Emmy Blotnick (rising star; staff writer & warm-up comic for Comedy Central's spectacular The President Show; writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Kerry Coddett (The Nightly Show, MTV's Joking Off, TruTV), Petey Deabreu (host of Petey's World), and Alex English performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Frank's Cocktail Lounge (660 Fulton Street; take G to Fulton Street or A/C to Lafayette Avenue) hosted by Brian Parise & Courtney Fearrington: It's All Happening: Pasta e Ceci
[FREE] 7:00 pm: An Atlanta stand-up who appears in Hulu's Coming to the Stage tries out new material one last night at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: Yedoye Travis
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and 8:00 & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1; staff writer for CBS' Superior Donuts), Nore Davis (HBO's Last Week Tonight, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime's Boardwalk Empire, MTV), Eman El-Hussein, Nat Baimel, and Caitlin Peluffo perform stand-up at UCB East produced by Carol Hartsell and hosted by Sean Crespo & Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Improv group Crisis makes up a comic book story springboarding off an audience suggestion at The PIT Underground: Crisis: The Improvised Comic Book
7:30 pm ($7): After each stand-up performs, you and the rest of the audience get to ask them questions about their jokes, with tonight's comics Mike Guild, Daniel J. Perafan, John Rosenberger, Jacky Beren, and Momoh Pujeh at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Kevin Froleiks & Sam Bourne: Press Conference
7:30 pm ($7): Doug Mo reads from his parenting guide for dads, Man Vs. Child—until the show is rudely disrupted—at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Man Vs. Child: A Book Release Show Ruined by Jerks
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) are shared by their original authors before total strangers at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Mortified
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-Midnight ($10 for the entire evening): Four veteran house improv groups, themed improv show Hero (making up a brand new superhero...played by eight improvisors exploring such questions as "What does it mean to be a hero? What does it mean to be human?"), and improv competition Inspirado, all for just $10 at The Magnet theatre: The Magnet's Thursday Night Out
[TOP PICK] [FREE; plus FREE BEER!] 8:00 pm: Becky Yamamoto (Web series Uninspired), Tracy Soren, Neil Bardhan, and Gregory W. Hall share their shit stories—needing to go at the worst moments, major accidents in pants, and so on—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by the lovely Natalie Wall (also host of Awkward Sex and the City): Awkward Poop and the City
8:00 pm ($7): A comedic political talk show with a Middle East slant at The PIT Mainstage hosted by "a real live brown person," Mehdi Barakchian (co-host of Brunch Night, improv group Kibbles and Bits): Passport Control
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime) hosts Sean Patton, Josh Gondelman, Ari Shaffir, Lynne Koplitz, Adrienne Iapalucci, and more trying out fresh stand-up material at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): New Joke Night
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several TV shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1; staff writer for CBS' Superior Donuts), Chris Duffy (staff writer for NatGeo Explorer, host of You're the Expert), Danny Jolles (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Chris Garcia (@midnight), Rebecca Leib (Reductress), and Ed Galvez (SF Sketchfest) perform stand-up at UCB East hosted by rising stars Jim Tews (Louie, Last Comic Standing, host of Homeschooled, New York Times bestselling author of Felines of New York) and/or Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable rising stand-up; writer for Nat Geo and MTV's Guy Code blog): Fresh Out
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($8): Stand-up & storytelling springboarding off topics tackled by The Ricki Lake Show—this month's topic is "Mom, If You Didn't Want Me, Then Why Did You Have Me?"—with guests Naomi Ekperigin (dynamite rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Comedy Central's Broad City and Hulu's Difficult People; MTV, VH1, FX), Kendall Ketchum (opens for Darrell Hammond), Brantley Brice, Gregory W. Hall, and Walker Hayes performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Matt Smith McCormick: Go Ricki!
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A show hosted by the lovely Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Katy Frame & Marie Cecile Anderson), with guests Krystyna Hutchinson (co-host of popular Guys We Fucked podcast, Carson Daly), Matt Wayne (Adam Devine's House Party, co-host of See You in Hell), and Nina Daniels (IFC's Maron, Showtime's Master of Sex, Funny or Die), all at Brooklyn's The Cobra Club (6 Wyckoff Avenue: Up N' Coming
9:00 pm ($7): Two stand-up comedy teams—who include Gary Richardson and John Reynolds—compete at The PIT Underground: Please Don't Destroy My Raymour and Flanigan
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($7): Kate Willett (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, VICE's Flophouse, comedy album Glass Gutter), Marcia Belsky (Reductress; lead singer of band Free the Mind), Suni Reyes, and Anna Dindin perform stand-up at this show sponsored by satirical women's magazine Reductress at the UCB Chelsea theatre hosted by Taryn Englehart and Jasmine Pierce: Haha, Wow! by Reductress
9:30 pm ($10): Improv groups from around the city compete at The PIT Mainstage: Battle of the Boroughs
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Justin Williams & Akash Bhasin: Death Comedy Jam
10:30 pm ($7): Improv group Doorman makes up scenes at The PIT Underground: Ding Dong
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($7): Last week was another upset, with indie improv group Funky Hard Beats smashing UCB weekend improv group Higgins into the dust by a vote count of 104-54. Tonight champion FHB competes with group By the Book for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea's raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($7): A talk show whose guests are comics playing characters at The PIT Mainstage: Long Time First Time
Thursday Open Mics & Jams
5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Stand-up open mic in which 15 walk-ins whose names are drawn from a bucket get to tell jokes on stage for 4 minutes each at UCB East hosted Brandon Scott Wolf & Paul Oddo: Thursday Night Open Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving 2 minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek's downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per comic (sign-up starts at 5:30 pm) at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Jake Vevera & Amy Liszka: The QED Thursday Mic
6:00 pm ($5 for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic
6:00 pm ($3): A weekly improv jam open to the audience in which the number of participants on stage is determined by a roll of the dice at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Jon Monje, Glorillis Tavarez, Trumane Alston, and Julien Darmon: Chance Encounters Jam
6:30 pm ($5): If you're a gal who'd like to try stand-up but are wary of being vulnerable in a tough male-dominated room, this show may be the perfect opportunity for you—an all-female open mic, with the first 15 comics to sign up (starting at 5:50 pm) getting 3 minutes each on stage at The PIT Underground: Ladies Night Open Mic
7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (34 Pell Street, 2nd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In
[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with a veteran improv group to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer Thursday
[FREE] 8:00 pm: A recorded-for-podcast walk-in open mic providing 5 minutes on stage for whatever you want to perform—stand-up, sketch, song—with names drawn from a bucket at The Creek's downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Mike Mercadal & Will Watkins: Unsung Heroes
[FREE] 10:30 pm: Walk-in stand-up open mic (signup at 10:00 pm) at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Chelsea Condren, Kate Moran, and Kristin Seltman: Late Night Snack Open Mic
10:30 pm ($3): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Thursdays After Class Jam
[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3 minutes on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Matt Anderson: Barf Up the Jokes
[FREE] 11:00 pm: All-gal stand-up open mic at UCB East hosted by Anna Drezen (writer for Saturday Night Live) and/or Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 5/12/17
Super-quick, razor-sharp, hilarious Mark Normand is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country—and on the path to major stardom. Mark's credits include Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; and comedy album Still Got It; plus he regularly opens for Amy Schumer on tour. Mark's hour-long special—introduced by Amy—debuts at midnight on Comedy Central: Don't Be Yourself...
...and it's your last chance until the Fall (while the gals spend some time glamming up LA) to enjoy dynamite comedy duo Jen Jamula & Allison Goldberg (producers & stars of Blogologues) share audience break-up texts, plus screen shots of their favorite relationship dumps found on the Net, in this fast-paced and hilarious interactive show: How to Break Up By Text (8:00 pm, $15, The PIT Mainstage at 123 East 24th Street)
More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($15 cover for FBPL shows, $24 cover for CC & VU shows, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Friday
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): A sketch comedy double-bill from Dinosaur Jones, a group that's "part adventure, part absurdity, and all comedy" and The Executives, a tie-wearing group that leverages physical comedy, all at The Magnet theatre: Dinosaur Jones and The Executives
7:00 pm ($7): Beth Slack & Brian Hansbury interview an audience member about a key life moment and then use the details to improvise a musical about relationships at The PIT Underground: Hansbury & Slack's The Moment: An Improvised Musical Play
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($12): Top improvisors Connor Ratliff, Shannon O'Neill, Brandon Scott Jones, and Shaun Diston "talk to one person for less than 10 minutes and let them know how they die 45 minutes later" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: We Know How You Die
7:30 pm ($10): A house sketch group that includes the wonderful Sarah Nowak and is directed by Holden McNeely (Murderfist) performs at The PIT Underground: National Scandal
[$] 7:30 pm ($12): Improv group Bucky makes up one long scene in the same location (a winning form that's helped such teams as Death by Roo Roo win a whole lot of Cage Match victories)—and, when SNL is on break, sometimes includes star Sasheer Zamata (whenever that happens, consider this a TOP PICK)—at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Thank F#@% It's Friday!
7:30 pm ($10): NYC stand-ups Lauren Hope Krass, Mike Guild, Rob Shapiro, Matthew Azark, Max Cohen, Ed Galvez, Rebecca Leib, and Jason Scott perform at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Cindee Weiss & Angela Cobb: Fun Size and Venti
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CDs No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Clark Jones (co-host of Comedy Night at the Knit), Venessa Peruda (Funny or Die), Ray DeVito, Courtney Fearrington, Robert Dean, and Ian Fidance perform stand-up at the HiFi Bar (169 Avenue A) produced by Gary Levitt & Matt Schwartzer and hosted by Ayanna Dookie: I Don't Get It Stand-Up
[$] 8:00 pm ($12): "Chris Barlow is the internet's foremost self-proclaimed Amateur Wine Expert, and after spending a year in the wilderness of the Trader Joe's Wine Shop he's back to teach you how to bullshit with the best of them" at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Chris Tries to Review Wine Live
8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($5): Anthony DeVito (Adam Devine's House Party, This American Life) records his first comedy album—twice, at 8 and 10—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Anthony Devito Comedy Central Album Recording
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Phoebe Tyers and Sebastian Conelli: The Friday Night Sh*w
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): Some of the finest improv in the country from brilliant comics Connor Ratliff, Shannon O'Neill, Alexandra Dickson, Silvija Ozols, and/or Michael Delaney forming a seamless and hilarious group mind at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): Cipha Sounds (Hot 97, Chappelle's Show) thought it would be cool if a hip-hop star told tales and then improvisors made up scenes based on them. This monthly show is the result, with a "secret" music celebrity "mesmerizing the crowd with amazing stories and linguistic darts to spark the creativity of some of the best improvisers in NYC," the latter being Anthony Atamanuik, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show
9:00 pm ($10): NYC sketch comedy groups American Danger and Café con Sketché perform at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Boogie Manja
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15): Highly talented hip-hop improv group North Coast attempts to create a Hamilton on the spot by making up a musical based on an audience suggestion of a famous historical figure at The PIT Mainstage: Anybody: An Improvised Historical Hip-Hopera
9:30 pm ($10): Storytellers share tales of relationships in front of a panel of comics and therapy experts, who then give advice, with tonight's guests Liz Miele (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged, comedy album Mind Over Melee), Sam Grittner, Lux Alptraum, and Marc Gerber at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Lynn Bixenspan & Morgan Pielli: Relationshit
9:30 pm ($10): Not a show, but an actual prom that allows audiences and performers to mingle—and dance— in a party setting at The PIT Underground: PIT Prom
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Musical improv group Premiere—which features the best improv piano player in the biz, Frank Spitznagel—springboards off an audience suggestion to create a complete story with song and dance at The Magnet theatre: Premiere: The Improvised Musical
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($12): Superb improvisors James Dwyer, Craig Rowin, Connor O'Malley, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and Shaun Diston make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($12): Nat Towsen (VICE, College Humor, host of Downtown Variety), Michael Hartney (School of Rock; co-host of Characters Welcome), Natasha Vaynblat (improv group What I Did For Love, sketch group Absolutely, one-woman show United Federation of Teachers), Doug Smith (Conan O'Brien, co-host of See You In Hell), and Tim Platt (Story Pirates)) perform at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, Justin Tyler, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify
11:00 pm ($7): Sketch comedy from New York University students performing at The PIT Mainstage: Hammerkatz NYU
[FREE] 11:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) produced & hosted by Chris Gersbeck, Lauren Hope Krass, and/or Peter Bandyk: Casual Sets
11:00 pm ($7): Comics are asked to perform their favorite bits at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Best of Show
11:15 pm ($7): Improv groups The Mannequin Room and Mixtape make up scenes at The Magnet theatre: The Mannequin Room and MixTape
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($7): This monthly storytelling, stand-up, and carny show brings the blog And I Am Not Lying to life on stage, with storytelling from host Jeff Simmermon (NPR's This American Life, Moth GrandSlam Champion) and Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Half Hour), stand-up from Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, VHI, FX's Totally Biased, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times) and Kendra Cunningham (SNL, Jimmy Fallon, The Tyra Banks Show, Law & Order), and burlesque from Rosie Cheeks and GoGo Incognito, all performing at the UCB East theatre: And I Am Not Lying
[FREE] Midnight: "A new game show where three contestants get quizzed on random topics; raps, video games, different types of soda. We'll even have a few comics drop by" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Marvin Lattimore: A Night of Thrill-Via
Friday Open Mics & Jams
[FREE] 5:00 pm: Walk-in open mic (signup at 4:30 pm), with 5 minutes per comic, storyteller, poet, or singer, at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Davey Melch & Sydney Beveridge: Queens Free Mic Fridays
5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic
6:00 pm ($5): A weekly walk-in stand-up open mic at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Friday Night Mics
[FREE] 6:00 pm: A weekly walk-in stand-up open mic (drop your name in the bucket by 6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by James Hamilton: Scatterbrain
6:30 pm ($3): PIT improv veterans mix with improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Happy Hour
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-up starts at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Seena Jon: Mic and Cheese
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Improv is dominated by guys...and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one, which is an open improv jam for any gal wanting to participate, at any experience level, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Lady Jam
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 5/13/17
A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with guests Hari Kondabolu (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents; former writer & correspondent for FX's Totally Biased) and Matt Bellassai (Buzzfeed) hosted by Lane Moore (HBO's Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeneys): Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 622 Degraw Street—take R subway to Union Street)
More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[$] 1:00 pm ($20): A kid-friendly musical that "promotes positive messages of creativity, niceness, acceptance, and frivolity" by Lard Dog and his 6-piece Band of Shy at The PIT Mainstage: Life's a Real Dream
6:00 pm ($7): One storyteller tells the unvarnished truth, while three others tell carefully-crafted little white lies. You and the audience then get to question the yarn-spinners and determine who the one honest person is at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Jude Treder-Wolff: (mostly) True Things Storytelling Show
6:00 pm ($5): Four Indie improv troupes performing at The Magnet theatre: The Rundown
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($12): Improv group Women and Men interview audience members about a weird and/or wild birthday, wedding, bar mitzvah, or other social gathering and then make up scenes based on those anecdotes at the UCB East theatre: Women and Men: Party Jumpin'
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:15, 9:15, and 11:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Saturday
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Improv group Big Black Car 2, plus improv group The Quitters, make up scenes at The PIT Mainstage: BBC2 and The Quitters
7:00 pm ($5): Sketch comics and stand-ups share clips from fake shows that never actually happened at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Clip Show: A Sketch Show
7:00 pm ($7): Improv group That's Dinner! performs and hosts other indie groups at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($12): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jeff Hiller, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Kevin Hines, Erik Tanouye, and John Timothy at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): A sketch comedy group that includes Kristen Bartlett & Jason Gore—with guest sketch duo Coker & Stratton—performs at The PIT Underground: Bridge & Tunnel
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "Created in 1995 at the iO Theater in Chicago, The Armando Diaz Experience is the longest running improv show ever. A guest monologist—who this week is Matt Koff (staff writer for The Daily Show)—takes a suggestion from the audience and shares true personal tales. These stories are then brought to life by a rotating cast of improv all-stars—and occasionally Armando himself" at The Magnet theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience
7:30 pm ($10): Female and/or LGBTQ stand-ups Angel Yau, Becky Yamamoto, Chewy May, Anna Suzuki, Jes Tom, Sooyah Jun, Srilatha Rajamani, and Sandy Chansamone perform at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Kate Moran: The Revolution
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Gypsy Danger (which includes brilliant comics Katie Hartman and Evan Kaufman, and which will make up a feature film on the spot) and The Baldwins (which includes brilliant comics Micah Sherman and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT Mainstage: Gypsy Danger: The Improvised Movie and The Baldwins
8:00 pm ($10): Yedoye Travis (Stephen Colbert, Hulu's Coming to the Stage), Jono Zelay (comedy album Snake Oil), Ali Kolbert (The Onion), and Amy Buchwald performing stand-up at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Will Abeles: Hey Guys!
8:00 pm ($5): A frat-themed comedy show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Carmen Lagala, Billy Prinsell, and Samantha Ruddy: Creek Bros
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($12): Improv group Airwolf—with big talents Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, Achilles Stamatelaky, Eddie Dunn, Ben Rameaka, and Adam Fruccie—make up scenes about terrible audience experiences related to a home at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A highly talented freestyle rapping long form improv group takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT Underground: North Coast
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): An improvised apocalypse from sharp comics John Murray, Sean Casey, Jackie Jennings, Caroline Cotter, Joanna Bradley, David Bluvband, and Zach Cherry at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Goat
9:00 pm ($10): Improvisors Nick Kanellis & Jamie Rivera make up scenes at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Comedy duo Sarah Khasrovi & Nina Grollman, who have been touring the country as The Hopeful Dads, perform sketches and songs at The PIT Mainstage: The Hopeful Dads Show
9:30 pm ($7): Four comics discuss the past week's weirdest events at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Jarret Berenstein: Live Clickbait
9:30 pm ($8): Stand-ups Jess Salomon, James Hamilton, Jason Toledano, and Royce Wynn perform at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) produced by Patrick Holbert and guest-hosted by Emily Winter & Lauren Hope Krass: End of the Line Comedy
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12): A powerhouse group of improvisors—Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Natasha Vaynblat (one-woman show United Federation of Teachers), Casey Jost (former writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and TruTV's Impractical Jokers), and Lui Vega—springboard scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life at the UCB East theatre: What I Did For Love
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): "Starting in 1982, the city of Atlanta threw an annual party called Freaknik which essentially became the largest black spring break party in the country. The party became so big and wild that the city shut it down for good in 1996. But comedians Andy Sandford and Noah Gardenswartz are bringing Freaknik back...to Long Island City. 'Comedy Freaknik' will be a lot like the original Freaknik, except it’s going to happen once a month, and it will be a comedy show hosted by three white guys. That’s basically the only difference" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Freaknik
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Long form improv about the behavior of a theatrical troupe both on-stage and off-stage, revolving around a different show biz theme—which this week is Shakespeare—at The Magnet theatre: The Cast: Shakespeare Edition
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($12): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma's Ashes: We Won't Tell
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Using real horror films purchased in local gas stations and bodegas, the hosts select specific clips to play for 30 seconds, pause, and then ask the improvisers to finish the scene. Will anyone survive at The PIT Underground? Attend at your own peril, with hosts J. W. Crump: Gas Station Horror
10:30 pm ($7): Food-related stand-up and storytelling at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): This Tastes Funny
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($7): Jillian Vitko & Maggie Lalley perform duo musical improv based on audience suggestions, as do guest groups Olivia Benson and Mom's in Town, mightily aided by top improv pianist Frank Spitznagel, all at The PIT Mainstage: Beautiful Dreamers and Friends
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) produced by Fredric Goldstein: Last Stop Laughs
11:30 ($7): "Matt Radlow & Betsy Kenney are not musicians, and neither are their friends. But that won't keep them from delivering one hour of non-stop music-themed comedy directly to your brains" at the UCB East theatre: Matt and Betsy Do Music
Midnight ($7): "Real-life lovers Diana Kolsky & Murf Meyer bring you the live counterpart to their saucy podcast, a fun, ballsy, raucous variety show about the audience" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Menage a Trois Radio After Dark
[FREE] Midnight: "Every month comedian Dan King writes a pilot script for a new sitcom and hosts a live table read of the script. It’s important that you come see these live because these ideas will never, ever make it to television" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Test Pilots
Saturday Open Mics & Jams
4:00 pm ($5; your ticket provides $3 off a drink at nearby Pioneers Bar): Walk-in lottery style open mic (sign-up starting at 2:45 pm) at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Swing Riders Open Mic
[FREE] 5:00 pm-7:00 pm: Walk-in comedy open mic (lottery system, with sign-up starting at 4:30 pm) providing each selected comic 4 minutes on stage at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Chris Gersbeck & Veronica Garza: Murray Povich Mic
6:00 pm ($3): Experienced hip-hop improvisers perform scenes with "anyone willing to stretch that hip-hop improv muscle; it's a fun supportive environment where scenes turn into a rap song, beatbox, freestyle, or rap battle" at The PIT Underground hosted by Raymond Morency & Richie Alfson: Off Top!: A Hip Hop Mixer
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Walk-in open mic, with names drawn from a bucket (sign-up starts at 6:50 pm), and a designated beer drinker on stage who might chime in at any moment to riff with you during your set, at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Amy Shanker, Brett Hiker, and Cameron Ford: Power Hour Open Mic
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Walk-in open mic for character bits, stand-up, etc. at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Elise Edwards: Discount Disco
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 5/14/17
On this Mother's Day, Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live) hosts her real-life mom Ivory Steward, plus stand-up from Michelle Wolf (star stand-up who's also a star writer/correspondent for The Daily Show; previously staff writer & performer for Seth Meyers) and Molly Austin (TruTV's Late Night Snack), character comedy from Bob the Drag Queen, and music from DJ Zephyr Ann, all at Sasheer Zamata Party Time (8:00 pm, $10—which includes a free scoop of Enlightened Ice Cream before the show begins, Brooklyn;s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[$] 2:00 pm ($20): This musical with puppets is a family-friendly and interactive reinvention of the fairy tale The Three Billy Goats that urges the audience to work at improving the environment. Today's performance at The PIT Mainstage is the NYC premiere of Gruff!
4:30 pm & 6:00 pm ($10 per show): Comics share their no-holds-barred insights about motherhood at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Laura Michelle & Thomas F. Ray: Mother May I?
5:00 pm-7:00 pm (no cover charge, but 1-drink min.): In two back-to-back live podcast recordings, comics Nigel Fullerton (film Roxanne Roxanne, TruTV's Hack My Life) and Maribeth Mooney (Funny or Die) share tales of their "first time" (e.g., first job, first time on stage, first time getting drunk, first kiss) at Brooklyn's Salzy (506 Fifth Avenue) hosted by Evan Morgenstern & Darin Patterson: The Virgin Chronicles
6:00 pm ($5): Three NYC improv groups that are independent (i.e., not a house team of any particular improv school/theatre) compete for audience member laughs and votes at UCB East hosted by Lou Gonzalez, Chrissie Gruebel, and Brian Urreta of improv group The Mannequin Room: Indie Cage Match
6:00 pm ($7): Improv group Frog Basket performs and hosts other indie groups, each of which will pull a a slip of paper from a bowl and then make up scenes springboarding off the bit written on the selection at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Alpha Bit Soup
6:00 pm ($7): Two guests bring and talk about their personal treasures, and then improv group Trophy Wives springboards off those memories to make up scenes at The PIT Mainstage: Show & Tell Show
7:00 pm ($7): Mike Sause & Stephen Thornton make up short plays as improv duo Geisha Gravy at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Geisha Gravy
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Long-form improv group Distance performs and hosts other groups making up extended scenes via the improv form called "Harold" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Harold Night at The Creek
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among five shows, with three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Sunday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($12) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes superstars in the improv world such as Shannon O'Neill and Anthony Atamanuik, and sometimes network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Six improvisors make up scenes—paired with their mothers! The duos will be Jennette & Madeleine Cronk, Lorena & Erika & Nora Russi Serna, Liz Migliaccio & Paula Kelly, Eleanor Lewis & Anne Field, Justin & Christine Anderson, and Hannah & Carola Chase, all performing for this special annual Mother's Day show at The Magnet theatre: I Love You, Mom
7:30 pm ($7): All-gal stand-up, this month featuring Vanetta Schoefield, Maria Wojciechowski, Jenn Welch, Jordana Jason, Katrina Goodlett, and Orli Matlow performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Jourdain Searles: Madams of the Universe
7:30 pm ($5): Dana Shulman and friends are improv group Student Driver, which hosts two indie improv troupes making up scenes and then performs itself, all at The PIT Underground: Student Driver: Indie Road
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Musical improv from Rebecca Vigil (powerhouse improv singer; Your Love Our Musical, The Vigilante), plus stand-up from Emmy Blotnick (rising star; staff writer & warm-up comic for Comedy Central's spectacular The President Show; writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Half Hour), Mike Recine (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour), Sam Evans, and Sara Armour perform stand-up at UCB East produced by Kara Klenk (writer for MTV's Girl Code & Guy Code and contributor to Broad City) and hosted by Robert Dean: If You Build It
[$] 8:00 pm ($15): In this musical written & directed by Elias Rubin, the 3rd graders of TV series The Magic Schoolbus have grown up and are enjoying their last day of high school...when their former teacher Ms. Frizzle abruptly reappears to take them on an out-of-this-world adventure at The PIT Mainstage: The Edge of the Universe: A Magic School Bus Musical Parody
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($14.80 online using discount code BOX12, otherwise $18): My favorite FringeNYC 2016 show (out of over 60 seen) was a production taking place entirely inside a box, written & performed by breathtakingly talented sketch comic/actress/writer/singer Dominique Salerno (for my review, please click here). This amazing production is now enjoying a revival running Sundays at 8:30 pm at The PIT Mainstage through June 11th. Take advantage of this wonderful chance to experience The Box Show
8:30 pm ($7): Students of Gary Austin, the founder of The Groundlings, performing improv at The PIT Underground: Gary Austin's The Classroom
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Duo improv from Louis Kornfeld & Rick Andrews at The Magnet theatre: Kornfeld & Andrews
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Matt Ruby (MTV; sharp co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, award-winning blog Sandpaper Suit, new comedy album Hot Flashes), Kerry Coddett (The Nightly Show, MTV's Joking Off, TruTV), Blair Socci (MTV's Ladylike), Mike Recine (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour), Nick Chambers, and Mookie THompson perform stand-up at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Will Miles, Clark Jones, and/or Kenny DeForest: Comedy Night at the Knit
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Group Medusa turns a calamity selected by the an audience member into an improvised documentary live on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Medusa Presents Improv Against Humanity
9:30 pm ($5): Improv group Higgins looks at the Instagram photos of audience members and then uses them as springboards for comedy scenes at the UCB East theatre: Higgins: The Instagram Show
[ALMOST FREE] 10:00 pm ($1): This improv show is based on a Mullaney Chain (pioneered by Kevin Mullaney) in which the host invites a guest to improvise with him or her, then the guest independently invites a third person, who then invites a fourth person, and so on, creating a one-time-only lineup that will be a surprise to everyone involved at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Kurt Guenther: The Telephone Show
Sunday Open Mics, Open Stages, and Jams
[FREE] 3:00 pm: Walk-in storytelling lottery style open mic that provides 6-8 minutes per yarn-spinner at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted monthly by Julie Polk: Story Social: Open Mic Storytelling
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket) at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Sam Rose: Bucket! We'll Do it Live!
5:30 pm ($3): Email Michelle Thomas at improv10000hrs@gmail.com to improvise with experienced PIT performers at The PIT Underground: 10K Jam Jam
9:30 pm ($5): Open-mic comedy, with 3-5 minutes per walk-in performer who signs up (first come, first serve) at The PIT Underground, hosted by Will Neville: Amateur Night at the Gemini
[FREE] 10:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show (sign up is at 9:45 pm) providing 5 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from the bucket at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Ian Kitchen: The Grandstand
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): After the audience provides a year and a global disaster, The Apocalypse Players will make up the carnage that follows at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): DOOMSDAY: End-of-the-World Improv
[FREE] 11:00 pm: The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam
Copyright © 2017 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
