NYC Comedy Picks for Week of May 9, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 5/9/11

Jason Mantzoukas & Ed Herbstman will perform breathtaking duo improv tonight in a rare appearance as The Mantzoukas Brothers

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] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Kevin McCaffrey (David Letterman, MTV), Jena Friedman (host of Entertaining the Bartender), Jason Good (Comedy Central), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing), Mike Recine, Meena Dimian, and Ed Galvez performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Brett Gelman (surreal comedy great temporarily back home from LA), Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (genius improv hip-hop sound machine; The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme), Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Liar Show), and Baratunde Thurston 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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Pamela Murphy's autobiographical show is written & performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing. For video samples of Pam's work, please click here; and for a plea for your patronage from Pam's pooch Sadie, please click here. Don't miss Jane Borden of Time Out New York's pick for Best Solo Show of 2010: Pamela Murphy: The C Word

...and in the other half of this double-bill, Laura Grey & Jordan Klepper "explore the inevitably rich moments leading up to the act of coupling, and the fallout that follows" in Key Party

8:00 pm ($5): A live show about Facebook pages: Philip Galinsky's Facebook Comes Alive

8:30 pm ($5): Young comic Cass Bugge performing a self-conscious one-woman show with the hopeful self-fulfilling title I Remember Edwina DeBooveman's One Woman Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Streeter Seidel (College Humor), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony), and Asie Mohtarez performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free weekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, blogger for trutV; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's fine house sketch comedy troupes, Gramp's (which includes sketch genius Kate McKinnon) and Onassis (which includes The Law Firm's Sue Galloway), trying out new bits at Maude Night

9:30 pm ($5): In this potentially fascinating experiment, a genuine NYC fashion model is interviewed about her experiences. Improvisors then make up scenes based on her true stories: Look Book

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Genius improvisors Jason Mantzoukas (We Used to Go Out, Mother, Baby Mama) and Ed Herbstman (co-founder of the Magnet Theater) show off how breathtakingly quick-witted and skillful they are at creating scenes from air. Time Out New York named these guys Best Improv Duo of 2006. Jason is briefly back in NYC from his work in film in LA; take advantage of this rare opportunity to see these improvisation comedy stars shine in an intimate setting (barring a last-minute mishap, I will): The Mantzoukas Brothers

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, comedy giant Eugene Mirman, and Robert Kelly (Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, 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 5/10/11

Watching & listening for answers: Ted Alexandro (Sweet) and Neil Innes (In Concert at Highline Ballroom)

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 ($27.25 & 2-item min.): Star stand-ups raise money for cancer research at the Carolines Comedy Club: John Oliver, Dave Attell, Judah Friedlander, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 & $10 food/drink min. at tables): The musical force behind songs from Monty Python and The Rutles, performing for one night only at the Highline Ballroom (431 West 16th Street, off Ninth Avenue): Neil Innes

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): All-music show, with Myq Kaplan & Micah Sherman, Yoni Brenner (The New Yorker, screenwriter of Ice Age) & Dave Luther (tours in Meat Loaf's band), Rob Paravonian (YouTube star), and an extra-special guest performing at the Lolita Bar for Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Cartoonist Jed Collins, plus lots of opinions about the movie Thor, as super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage engage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

[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

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Very Good Kiss, Badman, Grandma's Ashes, Sandino, and Dybbuk, and at 11:00 pm UCBT students on stage with improv veterans from troupe Badman—all at Harold Night

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: BEEES! and Tambourine

[FREE] 8:00 pm: At this unique show, stand-ups play videos they've made about themselves and then perform sets, with tonight's guests Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Todd Womack, Brad Steurnagel, and Justy Dodge: Anecdotal Evidence

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show; former co-host of Air America), Michael Apfel (visiting from the UK), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), and Mike Recine (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham) performing at the PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[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

[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 5/11/11

Razor-sharp & irresistible comics Arden Myrin and Erin Lennox perform at Erin's I Like You Too Show...

...and Becky Drysdale shows off her improv brilliance as half of duo Drysdale & Gausas

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 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 a highly acclaimed 2006 drama from Thailand about life in a hospital (don't know why Chris is picking dramas, but he's going for quality...): Syndromes and a Century

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in New York—Kate McKinnon, Rachel Feinstein, Harry Terjanian, and more—preview scenes from shows they'll be performing on the prestigious UCBT schedule over the coming weeks at UCBT'S Spring Showcase

[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): Three NYC sketch troupes—BriTANick, Hammerkatz, and Klepper & Grey—each performing one of their most popular bits and one of their personal favorites in a sketch revue hosted by Aaron Kheifets: A-Side/B-Side

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free drink!): "A very special secret guest," plus Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central, VH1), and Billy Wayne Davis (Rooftop Comedy) performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Nick Turner: Monsters

[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), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Dan Soder, Mike Recine, Micheal Che, and thoroughly adorable all-gal trio band The Bandana Splits performing at the 11th Street Bar (510 East 11th Street, off Avenue A) for this monthly extravaganza hosted by the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here) who notes "AND FREE DRINKS! If you are very pretty and make someone think you're going to sleep with them. Otherwise there are reasonably priced drinks that you can buy yourself:" Erin Lennox's I Like You Too Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Leslie Goshko (stellar & utterly charming storyteller; Sirius XM, Sideshow Goshko, The Liar Show), Matt Rohr, Subhah Agarwal, Michael Fisher, Ed Galvez, Kendra Cunningham, and musical group The Reformed Whores 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: Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Adam Lehman (Here-TV's Hot Gay Comics), and Leah Bonnema performing at the Bar-Tini Ultra Lounge (542 Tenth Avenue, between 45th & 46th Streets) for a gay-themed show guest-hosted by Brad Loekle (Adam Sank will be back next week): 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

11:00 pm (no cover, 1-drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street)—at John Morrison's Motel Luca

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 5/12/11

A FringeNYC hit previews its updated version, hopefully to be followed by a smash commercial run: The Fartiste...

...while Abbi Jacobson is delightful in her one-woman show Welcome to Camp!, and Jim Jefferies headlines 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] [FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC treasure Kurt Braunohler is the producer and host of a new comedic "anti-game-show" game show that's slated to run on IFC. In this free event, "three contestants battle it out for such lovely prizes as dinette sets, putting greens and jet skis! Owls will be insulted, injured people will be mocked, and minds will be blown! The New York Times says: "We haven't even heard of this show! Please stop calling us!" So come on down for the most dysfunctional game show you will ever see!" Pointless!

7:00 pm ($5): "A sketch comedy show that takes an inside look at both the crazy and the sane to see if there's really all that much of a difference:" Standing Reason

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Young Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) has the makings of a new UCBT star performing a one-woman show in which she engagingly plays a variety of oddball characters you might encounter at summer camp, while Paul Welsh debuts a one-man show about a hall of portraits, in the double-bill Welcome to Camp! and Men in Paintings

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Will Nunziata and Jerry Miller performing a two-man sketch show designed as a love letter to the dystopian films of the 70s, 80s, and 90s:" Dystopia Gardens

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who's been a regular on Opie & Anthony and who performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Jim Jefferies

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

[$] 8:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed on Jay Leno, VH1, E!, UPN, and her own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Loni Love

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): 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 Mortified

[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 ($20 plus $15 food/drink min.): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is having a preview in hopes of soon achieving a long-awaited smash commercial run. Based on the incredible true story of a man who become the most celebrated performer in 1880s Paris by singing through his rear end is happening for one night only—as part of the gala FringeNYC 15th Anniversary All-Star Series—at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, inside the West Bank Cafe (407 West 42nd Street, off Ninth Avenue): The Fartiste

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard

9:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot in The Scene

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Nikki Glaser (Last Comic Standing, Jay Leno), Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing), and Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents) performing stand-up at The Pit for this comedy club-style (i.e., long set) weekly show hosted by Harrison Greenbaum: The Big One

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes CAPTCHA and Jump on Three competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 5/13/11

Brilliant comedic actresses Kate McKinnon and Leslie Meisel are among the talents performing at midnight as Tremendous Machine...

...and hosts Blaine Perry & Pat Stango bid a fond farewell to their long-running show Don't Touch Me There

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Sharp NYC comics who perform as characters audition for participation in the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival: Just For Laughs Character Showcase

7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: The final installment of this show running strong for five years—so that beloved hosts Pat Stango & Blaine Perry can focus on other creative activities such as screenwriting—tonight featuring Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Shayna Ferm (brilliant, sexy, hilarious singer/songwriter and brand new mom), Nick Turner (host of Too Cool for School), and the usual sketch comedy gang, plus musical band Fortress of Solitude, all performing at Karma Lounge for this bittersweet farewell to Don't Touch Me There

7:30 pm ($5): Monologues and improvisation about moustaches and the people who wear them at If I Were a Moustache

[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), Nick Vatterot (Jimmy Fallon), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Cameron Esposito (visiting from Chicago), Beth Stelling (also visiting from Chicago), and Tim Dimond 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who's been a regular on Opie & Anthony and who performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Jim Jefferies

[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 at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop) for Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

8:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from TV comics duo Ithamar Enriquez & Brian Shortall, and from fun-loving duo John Haskell & Arthur Meyer, in the double-bill Delicious Moments and Two Fun Men

[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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Ben Kronberg, Rose Sunrow, Team Submarine, George Gordon, and Brendan McLaughlin performing on this weekly show at Brooklyn's Fort Useless (36 Ditmars Street) hosted by George Flanagan: Spit Take Friday

[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

11:30 pm ($5): One of the oddest ideas for a themed improv show I've ever come across, this is the debut of improvisors Bianca Casusöl, Nina Klemow, and Jolene Turner as—get this—"three struggling burlesque beauties on the stage and in the dressing room of Larry Lazlo’s Lamplighter Lounge:" Go Kitty: A Burlesque Improv Revue

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): The second show of an exciting new sketch troupe, with brilliantly talented comedic performers including Kate McKinnon, Leslie Meisel, and Fran Gillespie, and steered by superb writer/director Caitlin Tegart—as well as writers Beth Appel, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Matt Fisher, Frank Hejl, Chris Schell, Alex Scordelis, and Michael Trapp—that I'll be going out of my way to catch tonight: Tremendous Machine

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 5/14/11

Chris Gethard laughed...he managed...he chewed...

...he listened...he loved...he fought...

...and he made a dream come true. But tonight the UCBT stage version ends at The Chris Gethard 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:

[TOP PICK] 2:00 pm ($5): Jan Warner performing a one-woman show about love and life after death, followed by a Q&A with Kevin Allison and Jen Nails: Pull Me Back

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 4:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($35.50 with discount code BOX): Mike Birbiglia performing a unique blend of stand-up and storytelling that's one of the best theatrical shows in NYC. For my more detailed write-up, please click here; and then grab tickets at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop) for Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Comedy veterans Laura Grey (Second City, Baggage with Jordan Klepper at UCBT), Jodi Lennon (Second City, Annoyance Theatre, iO, Exit 57), and Ari Voukydis (Conan O'Brien, VH1) performing an improvised play in What a Year!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Joe Bill, 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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Molly Knefel, Will Hines, Nick Cobb, Nikki Glaser, Sam Morril, Cameron Esposito, and Calvin Cato performing at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

[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

[$] 8:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed on Jay Leno, VH1, E!, UPN, and her own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Loni Love

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

[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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Sketch troupe Pangea 3000 and other comics performing at the The Brooklyn Lyceum (227 Fourth Avenue) hosted by all-gal sketch troupe M.A.D. and all-guy sketch group Sidecar: Gentrify Brooklyn

[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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Sketch duo Chris O'Neill and Paul Valenti describe themselves as "vaudeville gold for a 2011 crowd." Whatever. They're funny. Especially the bit with the nose. Come catch their latest material tonight at The Chris and Paul Show

[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

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): One of the most fascinating performers in comedy (star of Comedy Central's Big Lake, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our LIves, Weird New York) hosting his own extravaganza—which goes beyond a stage show to have the makings of a hit MTV series—with guests probably including Shannon O'Neill, Will Hines, Bethany Hall, Don Fanelli, Fran Gillespie, and Chris' parents Ken & Sally Gethard—for the final installment of this run of one of the most popular and original shows to ever grace the UCBT stage (because it'll be evolving into an extravaganza likely to blow the roof off public access TV): The Chris Gethard Show

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 5/15/11

Jenny Slate and Kumail Nanjiani are focused at making you laugh tonight at Pretty Good 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:

[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 June to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

[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): Jenny Slate (SNL, HBO), Kumail Nanjiani (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel, writer/performer for Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up), John Roberts (YouTube star), and Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Thomas Dale, Mad Dog Mattern, Nick Maritato, and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): "Strange, mysterious, beautiful, and disgusting, this show will dazzle you with sketch comedy... and magic!" from The Weird Sisters; plus for the other half of this double-bill, the Old Timey Radio Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at The PIT's downstairs lounge for a free weekly show: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Stand-ups Rob Cantrell, Owen Smith, Cameron Esposito, and Brian Babylon performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by Damien Lemon: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Nick Vatterott, Andy Haynes, Michael Terry, and George Flanagan performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Adam Sank, Paul Case, Chris Doucette, Brian Barry, Shawn Hollenbach, and Jessimae gather to roast the host of this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy on Brad Loekle's 33rd birthday: 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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