NYC Comedy Picks for Week of November 11, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/11/13

Rising star stand-up Michelle Wolf performs at UCB East's So Into It and The Stand's new free show Frantic Mondays;
the smartest & funniest comedy improv troupe in the world, tonight and Tuesday: The Improvised Shakespeare Company

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($25 with discount code IRCDEAL at the door or online): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. Tonight is the second of a three-night NYC run at at Theatre 80 St. Marks (80 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue), with every evening utterly different from the last. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Visiting UK sketch comics Hannah Croft & Fiona Pearce perform for one night only at The Magnet theatre: Croft & Pearce

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC comics Becky Yamamoto, Jenny Rubin, Todd Womack, Simeon Goodson, and Nathan Macintosh performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Mike Brown, Molly Austin, and/or Shakir Standley: Big Pony Show

[$] 7:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) The Andy Kaufman Award isn't nearly as prestigious as it should be due to incredibly poor choices by past judges—such as neglecting to even include Joe Pera as a contender for the past three years when he's clearly the most appropriate guy to win. (You can see Joe tonight for free, along with Michelle Wolf, who also deserves the award, 10:00 pm at The Stand's Frantic Mondays.) That said, there'll be some talented performers competing tonight for hopefully less than bone-headed judges at the Gotham Comedy Club: The Andy Kaufman Award Finals

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Great lineup of Jon Glaser, Myq Kaplan, SNL's Brooks Wheelan, Sasheer Zamata, Andy Haynes, and Barry Rothbart performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Rory Scovel (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central) performs stand-up at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Rory Scovel for the Hour

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The debut of a monthly show about obsessions over pop culture, with tonight's guests Michelle Wolf (super-likeable dark comic rising star; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), John Early (30 Rock), Mara Wilson, and more at UCB East hosted by Damian Bellino and Anne: So Into It: A Fanatic Variety Show

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($7.25 online using discount code NORTHERN; no min.): Julian McCullough (fiercely funny star; Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1, TBS, NPR's This American Life; for Julian's set on Fallon, please click here), Ari Shaffir (Conan O'Brien, HBO's Down and Dirty, Comedy Central, National Lampoon, hour-long set Passive Aggressive), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), and Paul Virzi performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Ray Devito & Josh Carter: Northern Discomfort

[$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and more performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Ali Wong, Big Jay Oakerson, Dan Soder, and More

[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

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Elana Fishbein performs an usual one-woman improv show at The Magnet theatre: Pepita; plus improv group Weekend of Regret

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Mara Herron (Web series That Chick Mara Herron), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), Andrew Short, Billy Prinsell, and Derek Phelps performing stand-up, plus music from Gillian Leigh Visco, all performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Meghan O'Keefe, Kat Burdick, Mary Houlihan, Sam Evans, Bryan Yang, and Evan Berke performing stand-up, sketch, storytelling, and/or music at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by Charla Lauriston, Sue Smith, and Liza Dye: Free Cable

9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch groups try out new material: Alamo (which includes Siobhan Thompson) and Moriarty (which includes Alexandra Kokesh and Kara Klenk): Maude Night: Alamo and Moriarty

9:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Phillip Jackson, and/or Steve Theiss hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Live stage readings of popular Saved By The Bell episodes, with each cast member allowed an optional 3-minute Zack Morris style "time out" for episode-specific stand-up or a fan fiction bonus scene at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Bayside Myself

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: The debut of a free Monday night stand-up show, with tonight's comics including Michelle Wolf (super-likeable dark comic rising star; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Joe Pera (hilarious deadpan Andy Kaufman-like stand-up; one time I saw Joe sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; another time he ended his set by slicing milk; and when headlining at Carolines he had a first date on stage with a random member of the audience; for Joe's latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), and many more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Frantic Mondays

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Strong lineup of Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle's Show, For the Love of the Game), Carmen Lynch (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Gina Yashere (Showtime 1-hour special, Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Dave Attell, Hannibal Buress, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Twelve improv comics who are "friends of Dorothy" perform at The Magnet hosted by Andrew Fafoutakis: There's No Place Like Home: A GLBTQ Event

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone wonderful: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O'Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room"), hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Monday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Tim Duffy: Comics Phoning It In

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar's Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Biweekly open mic for telling stories about sex, desire and romance at The Delancey (168 Delancey Street) hosted by Jefferson and tonight featuring special guest hosted by Julia Wiedeman (see 6:30 pm): Foreplay: A Sexy Storytelling Open Mic

10:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience...and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Langston Belton: Base Jam

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night. If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 11/12/13

Wryly dark stand-up Jena Friedman performs at UCB East's Topical Storm and The Tony Show;
it's your last chance to experience the sharpest & most hilarious improv troupe around: The Improvised Shakespeare Company

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

6:00 pm ($8, which includes 1 drink): Storytellers Paul Jones, Rebecca Mills, Eli Reiter, and Deni Robay tell tales about New York at the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) hosted by Thomas Pryor: City Stories

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($25 with discount code IRCDEAL at the door or online): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. Tonight is the conclusion of a three-night NYC run at at Theatre 80 St. Marks (80 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue), with every evening utterly different from the last. (The 9:30 show is sold out, but you can try for the stand-by list...) This is your last chance for a while to enjoy the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet's singing improv groups make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion, followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv group to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

7:00 pm ($8): Group Felix Culpa performs sketch comedy about America's Founding Fathers at The PIT upstairs theatre: Afterbirth of a Nation

7:00 pm ($5): Comedy groups Sandwich and Komono compete in the realms of sketch and improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: Sketchy Sketchy Prov Prov

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups GoodGirl, Big Margaret, and The Regulars at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Current events analyzed with a comedic twist from guests Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Sal Gentile (MSNBC's Up Late with Alec Baldwin), and Joe Burns (Weekend of Regret) at UCB East hosted by Zhubin Parang (The Daily Show, What I Did for Love) and Cody Lindquist (Improv Everywhere): Topical Storm

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Storytellers Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, host of Sideshow Goshko), Andy Christie (host of The Liar Show; The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court, VH1), and Ginny Leise telling true tales about this month's theme Passages at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Andrew Linderman: Local Stories: Passages

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): A sketch comedy group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, host of The Soul Glo Jam, Andy Kaufman Award finalist) at The PIT upstairs theatre: Slap Fight

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15; no drink min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Michelle Wolf (super-likeable dark comic rising star; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Jared Logan (rising star; Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, CNN, TBS), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Michelle Wolf, Jared Logan, and More

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

9:00 pm ($7): Andy Haynes (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour), Michael Weingartner (impressionist; Sirius XM Radio host, VH1, A&E), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) guest-hosted tonight by Nick Vatterott & Nick Stevens: Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups & sketch comics (not announced) performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Dean, and/or Steve O'Brien: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Sherlock & Cookies, Namaste, and Bucky at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) plays oddball characters in a mix of sketch and improv, tonight hosting as "Dylan Janks Jr. and his country superstars for a little Nashville entertainment in New York City; we'll have buxom babes, stupid bumpkins, and down-home tunes" (with help from producer Andy Rocco and Jesse VandenBergh); plus stand-up from Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Jared Logan (rising star; Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, CNN, TBS), and Dava Krause, all performing at the UCB East theatre: The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($8): NYC comics Emmy Blotnick, Lisa Kleinman, Melissa Caminecci, Andrea Macy, and Natalie Wall tell "hilarious, gross, awkward, and heartfelt stories of how they started out in NYC" at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Mallory Schlossberg: Real Girls: Lena Dunham Got It Wrong

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour; podcast You Had to Be There), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Gina Yashere (Showtime one-hour special, Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately), Roy Wood Jr. (David Letterman, HBO'S Def Comedy Jam,, Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), Andrew Schulz (MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX's Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Hannibal Buress, Nikki Glaser, Ryan Hamilton, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Chris Distefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Kevin McCaffrey (writer for David Letterman; TruTV), Josh Rabinowitz (Comedy Central), Simeon Goodson (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up 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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

Tuesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open-mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:15 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys Open MIc

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Weekly stand-up open mic (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Dustin Drury: This Is Happening Open MIc

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Tuesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open-mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge, with tonight's guest host Tim Warner (Modern Day Philosophers) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:15: Sign up at 9:30 pm for the opportunity to make up a musical on the spot with The Magnet improv group Legend: Magnet Musical Improv Mixer

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An improv jam for students at all levels to work on their skills at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Elke Reid and David Frasure: Study H all

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 11/13/13

Kevin Meaney (above), Dave Hill, and more perform stand-up at the 10:00 pm edition of The Stand;
rising star Sasheer Zamata debuts her one-woman show at UCB Chelsea: Letters to My Mother

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] [$] 8:00 pm, 8:05 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($10-$14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Michael Che at 8:05 (and maybe some cool drop-ins), Hannibal Buress at 9:45, and Nikki Glaser & Kurt Metzger at 11:30, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:05 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

7:00 pm ($5): NYC comics are panelists for this game show in which "four smart, funny people are quizzed on odd and obscure bits of trivia that just might save your life (probably not, though)" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by MIchael FIsher: Pop Quiz Hotshot

[FREE] 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm: Four free hours of improvisation at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm to 12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Five and a half hours of improv from eight groups at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features house groups First Lady and Apollo: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, Dan Black (FUSE, Death by Roo Roo, Ripley) performs a energetic one-man show playing a variety of extreme males in The Pageantry of Man...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, rapidly rising star Sasheer Zamata (ABC's Would You Fall for That?, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, MTV's Hey Girl, FX's Totally Biased, Apple Computer commercials; improv groups Doppelganger and Bucky, host of UCBT's School Night) debuts a one-woman show that's a mix of stand-up, sketch, and apologies: Letters to My Mother

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street), with Cipha Sounds laying down the soundtracks: The Two-Man Movie

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15; no drink min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Dave Siegel: Ted Alexandro, Christian Finnegan, Kurt Metzger, Gary VIder, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): The burning issue of "Which is better, being single or in a relationship?" is debated by comics Bridey Elliott, Simon Rich & Farley Katz (The New Yorker, The Married Kama Sutra), Bonnie McFarlane, Carolyn Castiglia, Josh Gondelman, and Eliza Skinner. For a sample of what goes on at this show, check out Michael Showalter making a case for cats vs. dogs here and Kristen Schaal making a case for old people vs. babies here. If you're amused, you can experience this concoction live tonight at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway, off 95th Street): Uptown Showdown: Single Vs. Relationship

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A hodgepodge of comedy hosted by the wonderful Amanda Duarte, with guests including Dana Rossi (host of The Soundtrack Series), Jenifer Bloodsworth (writer for WWE), Peter Michael Marino (Desperately Seeking the Exit), Mac Rogers (playwright), and celebrity bartender Paul Erik Davis, all at Judson Memorial Church (243 Thompson Street): Dead Darlings

8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-drink min.): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy), singer Chrissi Poland, and host Julian Velard performing at the Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen Street, near the F subway's Second Avenue stop): The Julian Velard Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

8:00 pm ($5): A comedic play in which "a popular TV show is auditioning for the perfect performing duo. Brownie and Lolli, two aspiring actresses living in New Orleans, think they're it. All the oddball song & dance pair needs is to get to Hollywood by tomorrow. But with no wheels or money between them, they soon discover that fame doesn't accept food stamps. To reach Hollywood and their ultimate dream, they'll first need to get a hold of some quick, hard cash—which isn't easy as it sounds..." at The PIT downstairs lounge: Brownie and Lolli Go to Hollywood

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully invent scenes (hopefully without any squabbling) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Jared Logan (rising star; Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, CNN, TBS), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Barry Sobel (Jay Leno), Meg Cupernall (Dr. Oz), Joseph Rocha, Vince Phillips, and Cristian Duran performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Antler Beer & Wine Dispensary (123 Allen Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Michelle Wolf (super-likeable dark comic rising star; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central), and Nate Fridson performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Legion Bar hosted by Tom Cowell & John Anderson: Heavy Metal Laser Plane

9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, first "Allie Kokesh and Matthew Brian Cohen dated for 18 months. Then they broke up. Maybe if they go through their relationship, scene by scene, they can figure out what happened. Or, it could just be a mess. Relationships are funny like that" (here's hoping): Why We Broke Up...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a musical "based on the true history of the founding of America, in which Jesus Christ embarks on a journey to help build a country that's courageous, pious, and gun-crazy enough for his precious Constitution...as long as the evil King Barrack Hussein George III doesn't get in the way," written by Eric Gersen and directed by John Flynn: Seventeen Seventy-Something

9:30 pm ($8): Sketch comedy from groups Business Computer, EveryDay Christmas, Hot Buffet, Grape Dutches of York, and UniSex at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Jimmy Viola: November Sketch Block

9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy group Awful DJ (Bill Grandberg, Cory Cavin, and Josh Lay) hosts this variety show at The PIT downstairs lounge: Awful DJ

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15; no drink min.): Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper, author of Tasteful Nudes), Janine Brito (staff writer/performer for FX's Totally Biased), Pete Davidson, Molly Austin, Ricky Velez, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Kevin Meaney, Dave Hill, Janine Brito, and More

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[FREE] 10:00: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Adam Lash (HBO, Showtime, The Daily Show) and/or Nathan Anderson (Uncoolio): /r/standup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (rapidly rising star; ABC's Would You Fall for That?, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, FX's Totally Biased, MTV's Hey Girl, Apple Computer commercials; improv groups Doppelganger and Bucky) and Charla Lauriston (host of Free Cable) host 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; plus Sasheer is going to be a huge star, so catch her in this intimate setting while you can. (Tonight's scheduled guests include Halle Kiefer and Frange & Stern; for the complete list, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

Wednesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[FREE] 5:30 pm: A character-based open-mic happening weekly at UCB East hosted by Sean Hart: Don't Be Yourself: Character Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open mic for both stand-up and sketch, with sign-up starting at 5:30 and ending at 5:55, at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Brian Frange & Rob Stern: Frange & Stern’s Stand-Up and Sketch Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up providing 5 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Benel Germosen: Cracking It

6:30 pm (no cover, $5 min. for both comics and audience members): Walk-in open mic stand-up at the Bamifyan Afghan Restaurant (358 Third Avenue at 26th Street) hosted by Lisa Harmon: Lisa's Clubhouse

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Wednesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Lizzie Martinez: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house group Bucky and DJ Cipha Sounds: The Improv Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your chance to perform on stage with experienced improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Bernard Maynore & Patrick Cucuta: Improdome

[FREE] 11:30: Sign up at 11:00 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with group Brick: Magnet Improv Mixer

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 11/14/13

Ali Wong performs stand-up at the 8:00 and 10:00 pm shows of Comedy Cellar, Pat Shay performs improv with The Jessicas

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

6:00 pm ($5): "Experts and historical figures discuss the most important topics of the day in this comedy panel show" at UCB East hosted by Erik Tanouye and/or Will Hines: What's All This Then, America?

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): "Musical sketch comedy that skewers and dissects pop culture one roll of the dice at at time"—for a sample, please click here—at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pop Roulette

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Improvisors aim for "the comedy, drama, and vocal juiciness of a Mozart masterpiece made up on the spot; come hear beautiful arias appear out of nowhere as someone's beloved is ravaged by a cheese monster, Gary Busey, or anything else the audience suggests" at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Improvised Opera

7:30 pm ($5): Anna Drezen (talented character comic blending words and movement; one-woman show Spooky Jerks), Mike Dobbins (unique stream-of-consciousness stand-up), Vladimir Caamano, Matt Maragno, and Warren Holstein performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and/or Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:45 pm, 8:00 pm, 10:00 pm, and midnight ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Hannibal Buress and Ali Wong at 8:00, and Ali Wong and Nikki Glaser at 10:00 pm, with three of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on the UCB West stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Improv troupe The Jessicas (which includes dynamic actress Jessica Sherr) makes stuff up with superb guest improvisor Pat Shay, plus opening improv group Kissing Disease and musical improv group Big D and the Closers, all at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Jessicas Have a Crush on Pat Shay

8:00 pm ($5): Two musical improv groups make up song-and-dance based stories on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Slick Zombie & Hemlock

8:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups Junior Varsity and Hello Laser performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by The Wake (long form improv inspired by the name of someone recently deceased that invokes the details and relationships of that person, bringing him or her to life for one last hurrah), at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from storyteller Robert Weinstein at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) pitting the previous week's winner against Mama Like: The Magnet's Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This monthly show features "a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and/or comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm ($10): Phoebe Robinson (TV Guide’s 100 TV Shows To See Before You Die and 25 Biggest Reality Star Blunders, Huffington Post), Rob O'Reilly, Chris Lamberth, Mark Chalifoux, Brian Moote, and Aaron Kominos-Smith performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Heller and/or Adam Conover: Fresh Out

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Andrew Schulz (MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, "a sketch show sensitive to audiences’ growing, extremely legitimate phobia of spoilers. These six ensemble sketches range from Jesus to Ghostbusters, but—don’t worry—these topics and any relevant references will be announced before the show, so no one has to hear anything they don’t want to. No spoilers!" written by Caitlin Bitzegaio, directed by Caitlin and Beth Appel, and starring Caitlin, Natasha Rothwell, Lauren Adams, Matt Fisher, Tim Dunn, Michael Hartney, and Dru Johnston: Spoiler Alert: This is a Sketch Show...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, a one-man show by Arthur Meyer (writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; David Letterman; sketch groups Pangea 3000, Fambly, Two Fun Men) that features some hilarious songs, especially the last one that's a show-stopper homage to what rock 'n roll is all about: Arthur Meyer: Rock and Roll

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

9:30 pm ($8): A two-gal sketch show about dating from Angela Spera & Laura Lane at The PIT upstairs theatre directed by Keisha Zollar: This Is Why You're Single

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (lineup not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Justin Williams: Death Comedy Jam

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stand-up, storytelling, and carny join forces to bring the blog And I Am Not Lying to life on stage, with storytelling from stellar host Jeff Simmermon (NPR's This American Life) and Dana Rossi (host of The Soundtrack Series), stand-up from Eliza Skinner (writer for Totally Biased) and George Gordon, and burlesque from Corvette LeFace and Kinky Demure, all at the UCB East theatre: And I Am Not Lying

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): The second round of a beloved annual November tradition at UCB Chelsea hosted by Pat Baer: 3-on-3 Improv Tournament

11:00 pm ($5): Sean Donnelly (David Letterman, MTV) performs stand-up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Sean Donnelly for the Hour

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] 5:30 pm: All-gal open-mic at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Anna Drezen & Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv veterans mix with musical improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving 2 minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

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

9:30 pm (free for audience members, $5 or 1 drink min. for stand-ups wanting to perform): Open mic stand-up providing 7 minutes per comic (and a free recording of your set!), with order determined raffle-style. Sign up by emailing info@oldmanhustle.com or calling (212) 253-7747, or just walk in and supply your name, to perform at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Solomon Chehebar: Peep Show Comedy Open Mic

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An open stage for indie improv groups—and if you're not in a group, that's also fine, you'll simply be added to one—at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Darcy Burke & Donna Lobello: New Team Lunacy

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/15/13

A stage recreation of a Keanu Reeves / Gary Busey / Patrick Swayze movie classic: Point Break Live

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include SNL's Darrell Hammond at the 7:00 and 8:00 shows, and Dave Attell and Kurt Metzger at the 12:15 am show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): 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.), Andrew Schulz (MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:00 pm ($8): An audience suggestion is turned into singing and dancing scenes on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge by musical improv group Good Catch

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30ish pm: Strong lineup for this Second Anniversary show consisting of Chris Gethard (comedy genius; Conan O'Brien, The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Mark Normand (hilarious red-hot rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Kevin Barnett (MTV's Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), and Jonathan Morvay performing stand-up at the One and One Bar (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Ben Conrad & Lucas Connolly: Cranky Pants Comedy Hour: Chris Gethard, Mark Normand, Kate Berlant, Nick Vatterott, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($15): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch group (vs. improv group) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its writers (who include stellar comics Brandon Gulya and Silvija Ozols) are terrific, and its cast is superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, John Murray, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez. Tonight is the kick-off of a collection of the very best sketches the team has performed since it began in 2011: Stone Cold Fox: The Best of 75 Years

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($26): The Keanu Reeves / Gary Busey / Patrick Swayze 1991 film classic Point Break is brought to vibrant & violent life on stage by a very sharp & talented group of comedic writer/performers at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street, between Second and Third Avenues): Point Break Live

7:30 ($5): Damien Lemon (MTV2's Guy Code, Comedy Central) and Jim Tews ("clawing his way to the middle for nearly a decade") each perform 30-minute sets at UCB East hosted by Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV: Big Long Sets

8:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre from Hot Buffet

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups aiming to slay audiences at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Destroy All Humans

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): 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, Neil Casey, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Phil Jackson, Christian Capozzoli, and/or Abra Tabak at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Jacqueline Novak, Matteo Lane, Mike Recine, and Adam Mamawala performing long stand-up sets at Jimmy's No. 43 back room (43 East 7th Street) hosted by Ben Asher: Nasal Fisting Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($19.62 in advance online, $25 at the door): A top-notch theatrical troupe that's equally fine at compelling acting and split-second comedy uses actual material on the Web, performed verbatim, to craft laugh-out-loud scenes. This 15th edition of the series (begun in 2011) focuses on Fame at the LES' COW Theatre (21-A Clinton Street): Blogologues: Fame – Show Us Your Tweets. #twerkingtothetop

9:30 pm ($10): Two PIT upstairs theatre improv groups making up a musical on the spot, one with sharpness and the other with a friendly greeting: Dagger and Hello

9:30 pm ($8): Comics and political pundits (not announced) gather to make fun of politics at The PIT downstairs lounge: Electoral Dysfunction

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC comics performing stand-up at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Justin Grace, Mike Pullan and James Ferrarella, who also promise "skits, arm wrestling, jeopardy, contests, drinking, and everything else you would do on an" Almost Saturday Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; who's performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who recently killed on Comedy Central's roast of James Franco with her witty, biting writing. Moshe Kasher has performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye. Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O'Malley—who this year defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[$] 10:30 pm ($15): Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Jon Braylock (host of The Lockdown), Langan Kingsley (McSweeneys), and Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks; co-host of The Living Room) performing at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

11:00 pm ($8): A book release party for Comedy Under Attack: The Golden Age and the Headwinds by Carl Unegbu, with stand-up from Aparna Nancherla (delightfully wry stand-up; Conan O'Brien; writer for FX's Totally Biased), Greg Warren (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing), and Josh Rabinowitz (Comedy Central) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Dean Masello: Comedy Under Attack Book Release Party

11:00 pm ($10): Singer/songwriter Jaime Cepero (NBC's Smash), fashion designer & blogger Taylor Morgan, and stand-up Mike O"Gorman (VH1's Best Week Ever) at a late night talk show hosted by Jamie LeeLo at The PIT upstairs theatre: Brunch Night

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): A rotating cast drawing from over a dozen of the talented gal improvisors and sketch comics at The Magnet—including Artistic Director Megan Gray, Lauren Olson, Elena Fishbein, Kimberly Ferguson, and Beth Newell—aim to "give you a dark and twisted late night explosion:" The Clubhouse

Midnight ($5): A variety of oddball comedy acts, with tonight's theme The Thanksgiving Day Parade, at UCB East hosted by sketch duo Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp: Cool Shit / Weird Shit

Friday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

5:45 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 1 hour. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and/or Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Attend to perform improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge, with a weekly rotating selection of formats and hosts: Happy Hour

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Sarah Tollemache and/or Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage hosted by members of Maude troupe Moriarty: Liquid Courage

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/16/13

The gorgeous Natasha Leggero is one of the sharpest and funniest stand-ups in the biz—plus she has one of the
very best laughs in the universe. Catch Tasha, along with co-headliner Moshe Kasher, tonight and Sunday at Carolines

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include SNL's Darrell Hammond at the 7:00 and 7:15 shows, Ali Wong at the 7:00, 7:15, 8:45, 9:15, and 10:30 shows, and Dave Attell at the 12:15 am show, with four of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 7:15 pm and 9:15 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): 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.), Marc Theobald (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:00 pm ($8): A sketch comedy group performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Bridge & Tunnel

7:30 pm ($10): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, and more at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here

7:30 pm ($10): Sharp Magnet improvisors "perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:" The Weave

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; has performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who recently killed on Comedy Central's roast of James Franco with her witty, biting writing. Tasha's co-headliner this weekend is Moshe Kasher, who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye. Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Improvisors make up a religion based on an audience suggestion—e.g., The Church of the Carrot, The Church of Crime—and then make up hymns, readings, sermons, sacraments, and more on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Fake Church

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($20; no drink min.): Wyatt Cenac, Kevin Meaney, Nikki Glaser, and more at the 8:00 and 10:00 pm shows of The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Wyatt Cenac, Kevin Meaney, Nikki Glaser, and More at The Stand

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

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and last year crushed 15 improv groups in Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) hosted by Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here): Comedy at Irish Exit

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($10): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): Aparna Nancherla (delightfully wry stand-up; Conan O'Brien; FX's Totally Biased), Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show), and guest host David Carl (hilarious rising star; Point Break Live, Gary Busey's Hamlet) performing and/or being interviewed at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Last Show

9:30 pm ($11.34 online, $15 at the door; SOLD OUT, but there might be a standby line): A sketch comedy group that includes writers for College Humor, The Late Show, and ESPN at The PIT upstairs theatre: Garlic Jackson

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Aaron Jackson (Newsadoozies), and more form an improv troupe at UCB East that won this year's prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at the West Village's Soho Playhouse: The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma's Ashes: We Won't Tell

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform sharp improv at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($10): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and in 2011 won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—performing at The PIT downstairs lounge, with all new sketches, plus guest performer the lovely & equally fearless Amber Nelson: Murderfist

11:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college and tonight performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:30 pm: Sketch comedy that aims to have you "laughing until blood pours out of your throat and eyes and you die and you go to hell and you're like 'god damn that was worth it!' to Satan and he'll be like 'Yeah, I know, I was there, it was dope'" at UCB East with writer/performers including the wonderful Riley Soloner: O.S.F.U.G. A Fast Fuckin' Sketch Show

11:30 pm ($8.72 in advance online, $12 at the door): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Justy Dodge (co-host of Married to Comedy podcast and Too Much Information on comicalradio.com; "I was kind of a tomboy growing up. Like, I had Barbies, but only because my Ninja Turtles needed bitches;" for dark bio video, please click here), Robert Dean, Subhah Agarwal, David Smithyman, and Brian Parise performing stand-up at the City Winery (155 Varick Street) hosted by Laura Prangley: Late Night Uncorked Comedy

[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. This monthly UCB Chelsea event is helmed by Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night): The Lady Jam

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) joking about their culture—Jewish, African-American, Asian, geek, whatever—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Shak Standley & Paul Higbie: The Black Bar Mitzvah

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Walk-in open mic comedy show—stand-up, character, or funny story—providing 5 minutes per comic at The Fifth Estate Bar (506 5th Avenue, off 12th Street) hosted by Meghan O'Keefe: Open Mic-hael Douglas

5:30 pm ($5): Walk-in open mic, with sign-up at 5:15 pm and each stand-up performing for 5 minutes, at the Comedy Village Comedy Club (107 MacDougal Street): Comedy Village

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 11/17/13

The glamorous Natasha Leggero graces NYC for just one more night at Carolines;
sunny bestselling author Ophira Eisenberg performs at If You Build It

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] 5:00 pm: A smorgasbord of of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Chris O'Neil: Mishmash Variety Hour (and a Half)

[DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($7.25 online using discount code FUNDAY; no min.): Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Paul Virzi, Jimmy Dunn, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe Matarese and More

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Damien Lemon (MTV2's Guy Code, Comedy Central) tries out new material every night this week at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Week At the Creek: Damien Lemon

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; has performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who recently killed on Comedy Central's roast of James Franco with her witty, biting writing. Tasha's co-headliner this weekend is Moshe Kasher, who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye. Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes superstars in the improv world such as Chris Gethard, and occasionally network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($7): New groups American Wormholes and Cash perform sketch comedy at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Ari Shaffir (Conan O'Brien, HBO's Down and Dirty, Comedy Central, National Lampoon, hour-long set Passive Aggressive), Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Today Show, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book being made into movie Screw Everyone), Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo), Mike Lebovitz, Jeremy Essig, and Jake Young performing at UCB East with host Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Andy Haynes (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour), Greg Warren (Comedy Central Presents), Kevin McCaffrey (writer for David Letterman; TruTV), Nick Naney, and Claire Titelman performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Improv troupe Punctual Drunks interviews an audience member about his or her favorite fairy tale, and then picks up the story where it left off so you can find out how it really ended, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punctual Drunks & Friends

[$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Mark Normand and Greer Barnes at the 9:45 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Sunday

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central Presents, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Marc Theobald (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

8:00 pm ($7): Andy Haynes (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour), Doug Smith, and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead: Creaghead & Company

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Erin Lennox (co-host of The Orphanage), Paul Hooper, Eli Yudin, Aaron Hertzog, and Courtney Fearrington performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at Beauty Bar

9:00 pm ($5): "Jamaal is inviting a few friends to sing songs for you. Armed with an iPhone camera, Jamaal will also show some low production-value videos that you might like" at The Magnet theatre: Born to Karaoke

9:30 pm ($8): A veteran sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: City Hall

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket at 3:45), providing 3 minutes or more per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 5:00 pm ($1): Sign up at 4:30 pm to do improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sasha Capelli, Eitan Levine, and Shaina Stigler: 10K Jam Jam

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

[ALMOST FREE] 9:30 pm ($1): Open-mic comedy, with 4 minutes per performer, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Child Support

[FREE] 10:00 pm: The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

[FREE] 10:15 pm: Open-mic show for sketch and character bits running 3-5 minutes at The Magnet hosted by Sebastian Conelli. Everyone who signs up—at 9:45 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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