NYC Comedy Picks for Week of November 12, 2012

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/12/12

Jonathan Ames, author & creator of HBO's Bored to Death, is among the luminaries raising post-Sandy funds
at Brooklyn Relief: A Night of Words, Music, and Comedy; a wryly brilliant silent comic performs as Billy the Mime

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: Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories) debuts this weekly hour-long open mic storytelling show, with 6 audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 6 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge. My note to PIT management: Please give Cammi 90 minutes for this show so she can provide a proper 8 minutes per storyteller, plus a guest-host each week, so it can be competitive with other offerings—even if that means changing the show's current name: Six By Six

6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics, no cover for audience with code HyReviews, plus 1-drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5.65 in advance online, $8 at the door): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), along with guest storyteller Steven Berkowitz (Moth StorySlam winner), at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

7:00 pm ($5): A variety show mixing sketch, stand-up, music, and improv (sadly, this month's guests haven't been announced) at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by all-gal improv troupe Gypsy: The Mélange

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A spectacular and unforgettable demonstration of the artful power of mime when combined with a wickedly sharp modern sensibility, executed with great wit and style. Street performers have given mime a bad rep; but if you think about it, what mime does is boil a situation down to its essential elements, and then express those elements in a manner that's instantly and universally understood. That's really what art is all about; and that's also what Billy the Mime does, often brilliantly. (For my review of his FringeNYC show in 2006, please click here.): Billy the Mime

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($20 at the door or $24 in advance online): Comics, storytellers, writers, and musicians—including Jonathan Ames, Amy Sohn, Elna Baker, and Dan Wilbur—gather for this fundraiser providing help to Hurricane Sandy victims at Brooklyn's Union Hall: Brooklyn Relief: A Night of Words, Music, and Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Jerrod Carmichael, Ron Funches, and Jean Grae performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent of The Daily Show): Night Train with Wyatt Cenac

8:00 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled" at Channel 101

[FREE—and FREE BEER!] 8:30 pm: Heineken sponsors this free beer event featuring NYC stand-ups Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Nimesh Patel (co-host of Broken Comedy), Josh Gondelman, Sean Mallory, and Matt Fullchiron at B Bar (40 East 4th Street) produced by Libby Phillips & hosted by Ray Devito: Recess Comedy

8:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet, Oscar Montoya (Midnight Movies, Aquarius) invites some of his favorite musical improvisors to perform songs made up on the spot with him: Musical Improv Spotlight

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX's Totally Biased), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Monroe Martin III, and Sean Keane performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway's Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che: Broken Comedy

9:00 pm ($8): A one-woman show at The PIT: "Becky Flaum thinks she's Julia Roberts. And Sandra Bullock, Meg Ryan, Drew Barrymore, even Katherine Heigel. But she isn't. Her high cinematic hopes for her love life start to get in the way of reality on her quest for the perfect co-star:" Hopeless Romantic Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up auditions for SXSW, which is likely to feature superb comics, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Maddog Mattern: SXSW Showcase

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor), Lil’ Rel, Jennifer Bartels, and Josh Rabinowitz performing stand-up at UCB East: Legion of Goons

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: The Prom (which includes such stellar talents as Sasheer Zamata, Amber Nelson, Stephen Soroka, Siobhan Thompson, and Ari Scott), and Onassis (which has seldom been strong on the writing side but includes superb actress Lauren Conlin Adams): Maude Night: The Prom & Onassis

[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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone wonderful (while Leo Allen is in LA): 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 exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 11/13/12

Andy Dick performs at ComedyJuice; Kyle Kinane performs at The Afterlife and Sweet

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, four of The Magnet's singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Montels and Legend (at 7:00) and Atticus and BEEES! (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe BEEES! to make up stories in song: Musical Magnet Mixer

7:00 pm ($5): A sketch show about NYC commuting written & produced by Michelle Francesca Thomas at The PIT downstairs lounge: Transit Stories

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year's FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse's upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 at the door or $7.63 online): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!, host of Nearly Naked Lady Comedy Hour), Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), and Michelle Wolf (adorable) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall for this show hosted by Calvin Cole & Sharron Paul that calls attention to its inexpensive price: Cheap Date

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Kyle Kinane (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, opens for Patton Oswalt), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Miguel Dalmau, Nate Craig, Sean Keane, and Ron Funches performing stand-up on this week's topic Suicide Note at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by Emily Heller: The Afterlife: Suicide Note

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) through November 26th: The Old Man and the Moon

8:00 pm ($5): Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up Show), Adam Lowitt (The Daily Show), J. R. Havlan (The Daily Show), and Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Dan McCoy (writer for The Daily Show) & Matt Koff (Time Out NY Joke of the Year): Dan & Matt's Stand-Up Show

8:00 pm ($5): Four sketch comics (not announced) each show off his or her best solo character work for this unique show at The PIT upstairs theatre, hosted by Sam Martin & Matthew Robert Gehring: Comedy Expo

8:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre from troupe National Scandal

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 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), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Emmy Blotnick (staff blogger for Jimmy Fallon), and Sean Donnelly (host of many shows) performing stand-up at the debut of this show not especially easy to get to at Brooklyn's The Woods (48 S 4th Street; take the J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue and walk around 5 minutes) hosted by Alexis Guerreros & Joseph Klein: Petrified

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Kyle Kinane (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, opens for Patton Oswalt), "a special guest" for DJ, and more performing stand-up at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV's Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Josh Rabinowitz, and Nore Davis performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Steve O'Brien, Robert Dean, and/or Kevin McCaffrey: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes The Regulars, GoodGirl, and Salmon Diane—plus advanced improv students "strips the Harold down to its component parts and rearranges them into a rhythmically complex, mashup-inspired performance piece" for a form called Scramble NYC—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliant dark improv/sketch comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) does oddball stuff and hosts tonight's guests Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, MTV), Tim Dimond (VH1, History Channel), and Sean Donnelly (host of many shows), plus producer Andy Rocco, at UCB East building upon the mythology that is The Tony Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): Comics who are making their reps on YouTube—with tonight's guests Emotistyle’s Molly Austin and Shamikah Martinez; Chescaleigh’s Franchesca Ramsey; Barely Political's Todd Womack, Mark Douglas, and Anastacia Douglas; and Jermaine Fowler (FOX's new In Living Color)—at The PIT upstairs theatre: Face Time: YouTube Live

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): TV & movie star Andy Dick, Kyle Dunningham (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, The Sarah Silverman Program), Eric Schwartz (Jay Leno, BET, YouTube star), Ron Funches (Conan O'Brien), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing dirty, smutty, filthy jokes at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jefferson: Blue

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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 11/14/12

John Lutz (above) makes up scenes with Scott Adsit as genius improv duo John & Scott;
rising stand-up star Dan St. Germain headlines for one night only 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] 6:00 pm ($5): Author Pete Hamill and sex writer Tristan Taormino are interviewed at UCB Chelsea for this live taping of Ken Freedman's & Andy Breckman's radio show WFMU's 7 Second Delay Live

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5 at the door or $6.17 online): TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a brand new show looking at US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

7:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from Jared Logan, Dan Hodapp, Cathleen Carr, Micah Sherman, Michelle Wolf, and Erick Hellwig performing at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Micah Sherman: Old School Sketch Comedy Show

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Flower Girl, Dr. Champagne, Bloomer, Brick, Horses, Chet Watkins, Nintendo, and Featherweight performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Nintendo at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), Nore Davis (MTV, Comedy Central's The Ruckus), Calvin Cato, Alyssa Wolff, and Chris Garner & Brian Fiddyment performing at Birch Coffee upper library (5 East 27th Street) hosted by Daniel Kurland: Freshly Brewed Coffee-edy

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($7.37 if you use code BREAKOUT online or by phone, plus 2-drink min.) A quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star who's performed on Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, and VH1 headlines tonight, with openers Eli Sairs and Taylor Ketchum, for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Dan St. Germain

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

8:00 pm ($5): Brent Sullivan presents fake profiles he used to communicate via social networks with people he'd normally be terrified to contact at Profiles in Cowardice

...and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, a sketch show about one of the sadder aspects of the human condition: Lonely People

8:00 pm ($5): Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!, host of Nearly Naked Lady Comedy Hour), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award), and more performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge: Brian and Joe's Power Hour

[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

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically terrific NYC comics (not announced) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) typically hosted by Gabe Liedman and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[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 fighting) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), David Foster (MTV’s Boiling Points), Cory Jarvis , and Jono Zalay performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups ------------------------Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), Nore Davis (MTV, Comedy Central's The Ruckus), Calvin Cato, Alyssa Wolff, and Chris Garner & Brian Fiddyment performing at Birch Coffee upper library (5 East 27th Street) hosted by Daniel Kurland: Freshly Brewed Coffee-edy

9:15 pm ($5 if you say Let's Eat Dead Bird, otherwise $8): Music from the charming Reformed Whores, stand-up from Jason Salmon, and sketch from City Hall, Marina & Nicco, and Sleepy Dr. Dre, all performing at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Mike Feeney: November Sketch Block

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and cowriter-director-producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious star improv duo that's become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): "It’s Judgment Day, and Chuck Black can’t wait to meet Jesus! But things seem to go terribly awry when he has a crisis of faith. Who can blame him? All his pals seem a bit more interested in getting presents from ChristCo than trying to save their souls. And don’t even get Chuck started on Mocha Mint Mel, the know-it-all atheist with two moms." This mini-play by Matt Fried is at The PIT downstairs lounge: A Charlie Brown Apocalypse

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regular Suspects

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: As many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight's scheduled performers include Matt Koff, Julia Wiedeman, Adam Conover, and guest host Charla Lauriston; for the complete lineup, 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

11:00 pm ($5): "All the precious post-election information you’ve already heard. Watch as your favorite news stories and pieces of politico come to life all over again, a full week after the Presidential Election" at The PIT downstairs lounge: An Hour of Hindsight

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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 11/15/12

Stars Michael Showalter and Todd Barry are tonight's guests at Running Late with Scott Rogowsky...

...UK star Simon Amstell launches a six night run at Theatre 80 of his one-man show Numb; and
nerd comics Kevin Maher & Mark Douglas tape bits for their new Web series Andrew 12-Sided Dice Clay

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: Kate Tellers (Producer and Corporate Trainer for The Moth) is tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): A comedic mini-play written by Gavin Speiller (Death by Roo Roo, Rogue Elephant) and directed by Christine Nangle (staff writer for SNL) with a superb cast—Gavin Speiller, D'Arcy Carden, Sue Galloway, Jim Santangeli, Frank Hejl, and Samantha Warnick—auditioning for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: The Last Double Date

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punchbowl and THEM

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Typically sharp comics (not announced) are guests at this monthly open mic storytelling show at UCB East hosted by Todd Bieber (Commercial Interruption, Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com) that at the end selects a favorite from the audience tales to be turned into an animated short film premiering the following month (for hilarious samples, please click here): Animated Stories

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($26): Brilliant and exceptionally skinny UK star Simon Amstell (BBC's Do Nothing, Grandma's House) performs a one-man show for six nights only in NYC (through November 21st) "skewering his insecurities with a sharp wit and hopeful optimism, confronting the anxieties of modern life" at Theatre 80 (80 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): Simon Amstell: Numb

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August's FringeNYC it's been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Kevin Maher (creator of the smash hit Kevin Geeks Out shows; HBO, Comedy Central, AMC) and Web superstar Mark Douglas (The Key of Awesome) team up to tape material for their new Web series Andrew 12 Sided Dice Clay, plus stand-up from Casey Jost, Adam Conover, Rusty Ward, Ritch Duncan, and Matt Wilson, all performing at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): Andrew 12-Sided Dice Clay Live Taping

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who's a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who's performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted and Knights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's The West Wing and ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Maz Jobrani

[$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, is a cast member of the NBC sitcom Whitney (starring the wonderful Whitney Cummings), and has performed on Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy (to view his set, please click here) and TBS’ Glory Daze, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Chris D'Elia

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Team Black and Team White

8:00 pm ($5): Wonderful improvisor Ellena Chmielewski co-wrote and directed this comedy mini-play about modern romance at UCB Chelsea co-written & co-starring John Zachary Townsend: Standards & Practices...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, frankly, the worst scripted show I've seen all year on the UCBT schedule—terrible writing, acting, direction, a perfect storm of bad—but the folks involved are very nice (sometimes things just don't work out...): The State vs. Josh: The Trial of the Millennials

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, The Wrath, and The Boss performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Medusa (all improvisers stay on stage at all times, and alternate between speaking roles and playing inanimate objects), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) featuring last week's winner vs. Featherweight: The Magnet's Night Out

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

9:00 pm ($5): Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1; for sample of Carolyn as white rapper, please click here), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Kyle Dunnigan, Billy Wayne Davis, and Trevor Williams performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover and/or Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10 at the door, $11.34 in advance online): Killer lineup of Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central's Michael & MIchael Have Issues; author of bestselling book Mr. Funny Pants), Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), and Andrew Gregory (The Gregory Brothers, Auto-Tune the News) with the Color Red Band performing and sharing insider stories at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Scott R.: Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Shannon O'Neill (comedy genius), Morgan Grace Jarrett (wonderful comedic actress), Lydia Hensler (member of red-hot improv troupe Grandma's Ashes), and/or Brandon Scott Jones (top sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox, red-hot improv troupe Grandma's Ashes, top comedic play Death Wears Stilettos) host a showcase of female comics at UCB East who tonight are Katey Healy-Wurzburg (stand-up), JiJi Lee (storytelling), Cocoon Central Dance Team (dance), and Summer and Eve (musical performance): Ladies Night: Men Welcome

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): The quarter-finals of a beloved annual November tradition at UCB Chelsea—Pat Baer's 3-on-3 Improv Tournament

11:00 pm ($5): Stand-ups Danny Jolles and Aaron Glaser each perform 30-minute sets at The PIT downstairs lounge: Glaser & Jolles Split the Hour

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/16/12

Simon Amstell delivers a bravura one-man show about anxiety and the meaning of life at Numb;
ace Iranian-American stand-up Maz Jobrani headlines through 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:

[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 Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a brand new show exploring US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

7:00 pm ($5): Improv at The Magnet that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—"each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:" Scoresby

7:00 pm ($5): Two improv troupes perform in this Magnet double-bill: Eaglefox and Human Pyramid

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "For over a year, Patrick Waldo scrawled his moustache tag on countless advertisements around New York City, entertaining commuters and causing thousands of dollars in damage. After a three month investigation, the NYPD put an end to his spree when they arrested Waldo under felony charges of graffiti, criminal mischief, and fucking shit up," written & starring Patrick Waldo, and directed by Nate Dern & John Flynn: Moustache Man: Confessions of a NYC Graffiti Artist...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, UCBT star & Chris Gethard Show icon Vacation Jason (a.k.a. Riley Soloner) debuts his own show: Vacation Jason's Island Flavors

[TOP PICK] 7:30 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), and more perform improv at UCB East springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; I recently saw him sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1), Morgan Miller, Tony Zaret, and Mike Brown performing stand-up at One and One (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) produced by Ben Conrad, and hosted by Ryan Sorenson & Scott Nossen: Cranky Pants Comedy Hour

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: The lovely Jamie Lee (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, MTV's Ridiculousness, VH1), the lovely Chelsea White (MTV, VH1, co-host of Call Us Crazy), Paul Murdock, Mike Cannon, Kaytlin Bailey, and more performing stand-up at Mr. Dennehy’s Irish Pub (63 Carmine Street) hosted by Troy Bynum & Carrie Gravenson—who plead "This pub was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, losing a ton of inventory and revenue during the days without power. Please come out to support a wonderful venue that desperately needs it. Come laugh and order some food and drinks and tip generously. We can help them bounce back:" The Tomfoolery Hour

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($26 via the box office or $30 online): UK TV star Simon Amstell (BBC's Do Nothing, Grandma's House) performs a brilliant one-man show about the anxieties of success and the meaning of life—and yes, he will tell you the meaning of life before the evening ends (worth the price of admission right there...). While the show is tightly scripted, Simon is one of the most lightning-quick wits in comedy, and at the performance I attended reminded me of Daniel Kitson by crafting many of the best moments on the fly from responses to the audience. (For example, when a woman in the first row abruptly got up to leave Simon did several minutes on that; and when she returned from the bathroom and explained she hadn't missed anything because she'd seen Numb before, Simon replied, "I don't know whether that makes it better or worse. Does that mean you waited until the part of the show you liked the least?") Take advantage of this too-brief six-night run in NYC (through November 21st) and nab tickets at the lovely Theatre 80 St. Marks (80 St. Marks Place, between First and Second Avenues) for Simon Amstell: Numb

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[FREE] 8:30ish pm: Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Erin Lennox (host of DTF, co-host of The Orphanage; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), and Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central) performing at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Annie Lederman and followed by wild Karaoke: Pirate Party

8:30 pm ($7): Chicago-style long form improv interspersed with character monologues at The Magnet that includes such talents as Peter McNerney & Nick Kanellis and directed by Neil McNamara: Deep Dish

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Fran Gillespie, Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Tim Martin, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot (formerly named Diamond Lion): KOSMOS Musical Improv

[TOP PICK] [$] [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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, 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), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): "Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack"—quite beautifully, in fact, as Rebecca is not only a sharp improvisor but a powerhouse singer—at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and/or other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($10): Kara Klenk (Spike TV, host of If You Build It), Katey Healy-Wurzburg (beloved UCBT stand-up/improvisor; host of The Fascinator), Trevor Williams (College Humor), Ben Kissel, and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Phoebe Robinson (TV Guide’s 100 TV Shows To See Before You Die and 25 Biggest Reality Star Blunders), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award), and more performing stand-up, plus other comics doing sketch, improv, and who knows what else, at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, top Maude sketch troupe Gramp's, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

Midnight ($5): Comics (not announced) are talk show guests at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Paul Gutkowski (for a brief video promo, please click here): Sex in the Late Night Air

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it's hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

Midnight ($5): Screenings at UCB East (which used to be an indie film theatre) of brand new comedy videos that haven't yet been released: Test Screening

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/17/12

There are just four more chances to catch Simon Amstell's superb one-man show Numb;
Maz Jobrani jokes about the Middle East and more 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:

Noon, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:00 pm ($10, or $5 for students with college IDs): A New York State college improv competition featuring Cornell University, Manhattan College, and Rutgers University at The Magnet Theatre: College Improv Tournament

[TOP PICK] [$] 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) in the West Village: The Old Man and the Moon

[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] 6:00 pm: Improv that travels back and forth in time at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Land Before Timecop

[TOP PICK] 7:00 ($5): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Janine Brito (writer for FX's Totally Biased), Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out), and Seth Joseph performing stand-up at UCB East as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Adam Lash (The Daily Show, HBO, Showtime): /r/standup

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who's a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who's performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted and Knights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's The West Wing and ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Maz Jobrani

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups take a comedic look at the world's problems at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Tom Dillon: Love, Poverty, and War

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A series regular on Mad TV who's also performed on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, WB, and such movies as The Hangover, Old School, and Bad Santa headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club: Bryan Callen

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill at the upstairs theatre: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

8:00 pm ($5): Improvisors take established characters and make up melodramatic stories about them with song and dance at The PIT upstairs theatre: Clocks: The Musical Soap Opera

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10 at the door or $12.70 online): Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1), musical guest Shonali Bhomik, comedic movement guest Cocoon Central Dance Team, and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall for a show hosted by Greg Barris: Heart of Darkness

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV's Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Damien Lemon (Comedy Central's Russell Simmons Presents the Ruckus, MTV2's Guy Code), Rojo Perez (Keith and the Girl), and Trevor Williams (MTV, College Humor) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 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): 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), Dean Edwards (Saturday Night Live, MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch, HBO's The Sopranos, feature film Scared Shrekless), Andrew Schulz (MTV 2's Guy Code), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

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 and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year's FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse's upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): A small army of comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[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

10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney performing at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): NYC stand-ups tell an astonishing number of jokes about defecation to raise funds for Crohn's and colitis research at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Greg Stone & Anthony DeVito: 50 Best Poop Jokes

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter" at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot: Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and this year crushed 12 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

11:00 pm ($5): A sketch/variety show at The PIT upstairs theatre operating from a fun dark premise: "When Vincent Welles died and went to Hell, he soon found out his punishment was to host a variety talk show for all eternity in the fiery underworld. Join Vincent as he, along with his demonic producers and werewolf sidekick Warren Talbot, host special guests and surprises:" Welcome to Hell with Vincent Welles

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys...and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one at UCB Chelsea, which is a monthly open improv jam for any female wanting to participate, at any experience level—and which has a very special and communal "gal energy" you're unlikely to find anywhere else. The show's creator, the wonderful Shannon O'Neill, is out of town this weekend, but it's still likely to be good thanks to the participation of other top UCBT gal improv stars: The Lady Jam

Midnight ($5): A sneak preview screening of an upcoming Web series in which friends discuss bizarre relationship mishaps over brunch at UCB East featuring UCBT stars: Cardian Does Brunch

Midnight ($5—or free if you show up in a costume): "A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv at The PIT downstairs lounge. Incorrigible performers team up to turn down the lights, slip into something a little more comfortable, and spend the good part of an hour tickling your funny boners. Beware of partial nudity, strong sexual themes, and the possibility to be dragged on stage for a not-so-wholesome game of Truth or Dare:" Yes, Yes, Yes...And

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 11/18/12

John Hodgman headlines at Pretty Good Friends; Colin Quinn stars in free one-man show Unconstitutional...

...and Saturday Night Live stars including John Mulaney and Vanessa Bayer raise funds at Comic Strip 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] 2:00 pm doors, 2:15ish show ($8): Select clips of Muppets in tribute to the late Jerry Nelson, who over six decades performed hundreds of characters including The Count, Herry Monster, Camilla the Chicken, Kermit's nephew Robin, and Gobo Fraggle, screened at Brooklyn's Union Hall, plus Muppet-themed drink specials, cool giveaways, sing-along fun, and more: The Muppet Vault: The Man of a Thousand Muppets

[TOP PICK] [$] 3:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) in the West Village: The Old Man and the Moon

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: A smorgasbord of of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Mishmash Variety Hour (and a Half)

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows audition for a spot on The Magnet schedule: A Child's Garden of Maritime Disasters and The Jen Sanders' Show

[FREE] 6:30 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

7:00 pm ($8): An all-gal sketch troupe performs "prank calls, girl talk, Bloody Mary, makeovers, light to moderate bulimia, games, murder, gossip, giggles, and some completely natural and healthy experimentation" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Doctors Quinn Medicine Women's Super Cute Sleepover

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea'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] [$] 7:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who's a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who's performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted and Knights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's The West Wing and ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Maz Jobrani

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & R an Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): John Hodgman (The Daily Show, PC vs. Mac commercials, bestselling author), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall guest-hosted tonight by Nick Turner: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($50, plus 2-drink min. or $20 unlimited nonalcoholic drinks): Cast members and writers of Saturday Night LIve—John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Colin Jost (Head Writer of SNL), Jay Pharoah, Vanessa Bayer, Tim Robinson, and Mike O'Brien—plus Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody) performing stand-up to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief at the Comic Strip Live Comedy Club (1568 2nd Avenue off 81st Street): Saturday Night Live Cast plus 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Maddog Mattern (to see Maddog handle a heckler, please click here), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), Nimesh Patel, Liam McEneany, Jude Destin, Upa, and Steve Carr performing stand-up for this monthly show at Brooklyn's Way Station (683 Washington Avenue) hosted by Jordon Ferber and Sarah Shanok: I Got a Bad Feeling About This

8:00 pm ($5): A mini-play at The Magnet in which Robert Weinstein and friends present a horror/comedy: Smooching & Slashing: Anatomy of a First Kiss

8:00 pm ($8): Three improv troupes make up scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: Martha, Kissing Disease, and Flip Flops and Socks

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Al Jackson, Leonard Robinson, David Huntsberger, and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show; one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central; host of many shows), Michelle Wolf (IFC's Bunk), and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the L'asso East Village lounge (107 First Avenue, off 7th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Abigoliah Schamaun, Mike Cody, Sam Morrill, and Diana Da Luna performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): All-gal storytelling show of "true tales with feelings; so many feelings...," tonight starring Elna Baker (genius storyteller, and bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance; writer for Glamour, Elle; NPR's This American Life; co-host of red-hot The Talent Show; for sample tales, please click here), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Anna Roisman at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Lisa Kleinman: Shut Up: An All-Female Storytelling Show

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy teams Jacktown and Risky Bottom try out new material at this show with the on-the-nose title Magnet Sketch Teams

9:30 pm ($1): Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

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

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