NYC Comedy Picks for Week of November 18, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/18/13

Amber Nelson tells funny tales at the debut of Jake Hart's Antagonists Storytelling Series;
Brandon Gulya performs his surreal & fun one-man show Who Are You People and Why Are You Watching Me?

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 ($5): Comedy duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney perform new sketches at the UCB East theatre: BriTANicK

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Cammi Climaco (host of Ask Me Stories), Catie Lazarus (host of Employee of the Month), and Tyler Coates (Editor of Flavorwire) tell stories, plus three audience members who've dropped their names into a hat get selected to tell a How I Learned story for 5 minutes each and then receive friendly, constructive feedback from seasoned storytelling coaches Andy Christie (host of The Liar Show), Aaron Wolfe (Moth GrandSlam Champion), and Katherine Lanpher (journalist for Al Jazeera America) at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street) hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley & Brad Lawrence: How I Learned...Best Of Show & Fundraiser

7:00 pm ($5): Brothers Kevin & Will Hines perform sketches based on bits they've invented during their years of improvising together at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Kevin Hines and Will Hines Do A Sketch Show

7:00 pm ($8): Gal trio Lindsay Bracco, Michelle Petterson, and Katherine Korsak "once upon a time longed to be a part of the picture-perfect world of Disney movies. Then reality set in. Watch them unravel as their dreams turn into nightmares in a series of sketches, songs, and dance numbers designed to tickle, tease, and torment" at The PIT upstairs theatre: B.R.B. Presents Google That Sh*t

[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] [FREE] 7:30ish pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sasheer Zamata (rapidly rising star; 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), and Josh Rabinowitz (FX's Louie, MTV's I Just want My Pants Back), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Spike Hill (184 & 186 Bedford Avenue, off N 7th Street) hosted by Will WInners & Kyle Ayers: Game Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Comedic storytellers Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupe The Prom, co-host of The Dream Show), Lucas Connolly, MIke Guild, and Andrew Collin performing at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street) for the debut of this monthly show hosted by Jake Hart & Bodger Millerd: Antagonists Storytelling Series

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, unique comedy talent Brandon Gulya performs a witty and surreal one-man show: Who Are You People and Why Are You Watching Me?...

..and in the second half of this double-bill, a three-person mini-play that lets you know you're not in a great place in its first five minutes, when a real estate guy strangles an elderly Mayor and then gives himself ownership of the city by signing a document using the Mayor's dead hand—as if an elected Mayor had the power to hand over a city with a signature; or as if a dead hand would somehow replicate the Mayor's signature! Silly is wonderful element of comedy, but it's not a substitute for smart or funny; and this show simply lacks sufficient charms to merit spending time on Greasy Lake: Key to the City

8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Jean Grae, Billy Wayne David, Desiree Burch, John Roy, and Taylor Ketchum performing 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): Brooks Wheelan (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Raj Sivaramen, and David Smithyman performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Joe Zimmerman: Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

[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] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($15 if you mention HyReviews.com [otherwise $20], which includes one drink; calling 212.989.9319 to reserve seats is recommended): Stand-ups John Fugelsang, Ross Bennet, Liz Miele, and Sassi performing stand-up at the Cornelia Street Cafe for John Morrison's Morrison Motel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Brandon Scott Jones (top character comic; Stone Cold Fox, Gentrify), Rebecca Vigil (powerhouse improv singer The Vigilante), Pete Lee (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo), Ben Moskowitz, and Katie Hannigan 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch groups try out new material: Beige (which includes Dan Hodapp and Kelly Hudson) and (212) (which includes Tim Martin, Natasha Rothwell, Veronica Osorio, Eddie Dunn, Ari Scott, Erik Tanouye, and Achilles Stamatelaky): Maude Night: Beige and (212)

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: NYC stand-ups Evon Campbell, Calvin S. Cato, Samantha SJ Bednarz, Kyle Daniel Bostic, Hilary Schwartz and Dee Jay Dangler performing at Pat O'Shea's free biweekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Ari Shaffir (Conan O'Brien, HBO's Down and Dirty, Comedy Central, National Lampoon, hour-long set Passive Aggressive), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Kyle Ploof, Matteo Lane, Chris Lamberth, JF Harris, Alexis Guerreros, Crystian Ramirez, and more performing for this free weekly stand-up show 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), 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), 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), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle's Show, For the Love of the Game), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Andrew Schulz (MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), and Rondell Sheridan (Jay Leno, MTV, That's So Raven) 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, Todd Barry, Mark Normand, and More

[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 11/19/13

Anthony Atamanuik reveals the truth about the JFK assassination at The Tony Show

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[TOP PICK] 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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): In this one-woman show, "Lyssa Mandel wrote a lot of stuff when she was 14: the purplest prose, the greatest expectations, the highest stakes, the desire to run screaming from suburbia. Sixteen years older, possibly wiser, certainly more shameless, she shares the genuine article. And nothing's as genuine as adolescent desires. She guarantees you'll recognize the sentiment...and nearly die laughing" at The PIT downstairs lounge: A View From the Bitch Seat

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): 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), Anna Drezen (talented character comic blending words and movement; one-woman show Spooky Jerks), Todd Dakotah Briscoe (How May We Hate You?), Charla Lauriston (MTV, host of Free Cable), GrumpyFilms, and more performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell: The Big Shrink

8:00 pm ($5): Seaton Smith, Jim Tews, the Cocoon Central Dance Team, sketch duo Boat, and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, and Tim Skinner, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre, directed by Holden McNeely (Murderfist): National Scandal

8:00 pm ($5): Trio gal sketch comedy from Martha Cipolla, Frankie Johnson, and Amanda Nicastro at The PIT downstairs lounge: Dolphin Attack

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Ari Shaffir (Conan O'Brien, HBO's Down and Dirty, Comedy Central, National Lampoon, hour-long set Passive Aggressive), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Alex Koll, 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: 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), Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central, VH1), and more performing stand-up with composer Matt Garrisona's four-piece jazz band playing in the background!—at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Mike Finoia: Code Name: Comedy and Jazz

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Ari Shaffir (Conan O'Brien, HBO's Down and Dirty, Comedy Central, National Lampoon, hour-long set Passive Aggressive), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon long-time staff comic, VH1, Nat Geo): 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 Namaste, Grammer, and Bucky at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8; SOLD OUT!): Comedy giant John Mulaney (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; star of upcoming FOX sitcom Mulaney; former long-time 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), plus Bridey Elliott (razor-sharp rising star; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Witstream, Fambly), and Russ Armstrong (30 Rock) performing stand-up at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Griffin Newman & Andrew Tavin. This is SOLD OUT, though there might be a very tiny chance of getting in via a standby line: The Awooga Comedy Hour

[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 "Tony explores the mysteries surrounding the JFK assassination of 50 years ago. Was the umbrella man simply concerned about rain? Did Jackie want to marry LBJ so she could continue to be First Lady? Plus the truth about the Second Gunman;" as well as stand-up from guests (not announced), all at the UCB East theatre with Andy Rocco: The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($5): Comedic musical duets at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Shamikah Martinez: Emotistyle

[$] 9:30 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: ComedyJuice

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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), 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), James Smith (Australian comic; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central; for stand-up video on what it's like to be Australian in New York, please click here), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno) 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): Dave Attell, Nikki Glaser, James Smith, and More

[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 open-mic storytelling show, with tonight's abbrieviated one-hour edition allowing each performer 6 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge, features guest host Mike Finoia (Code Name) 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 Mint Condition: 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 11/20/13

Rap giant Raekwon, Artie Lang, and more are interviewed at Running Late With Scott Rogowsky;
Kate Berlant performs stand-up at Broad City 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:

[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 Detroit and Hotspur: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: 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.), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, VHI, FX's Totally Biased, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Miguel Dalmau, and Dee Jay Dangler performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by comic Liz Miele and singer/songwriter Emily Miele: The Miele Sisters Variety Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $11.78 online): Rap giant Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Artie Lange, Andrew Jenks, Julie Alexandria, and Max Silvestri being interviewed at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Running Late With Scott Rogowsky

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Stand-up from Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Eliot Glazer (It Gets Betterish, author of My Parents Were Awesome), and more hosted by Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer (Broad City) at UCB Chelsea for this "delicately crafted hour of fun:" Broad City Live

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($7.25 online using discount code TODD; no min.): 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), 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), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Monroe Martin, and Claire Titelman performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Todd Barry, Christian Finnegan, Jermaine Fowler, and More

[$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($10-$14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, and James Smith at 9:45, and Ari Shaffir, Kurt Metzger, and Big Jay Oakerson at 11:30, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Stand-up from Jermaine Fowler, Erin Lennox, and Greg Stone, sketch from Kingmaker, Mark Vigeant, and Dan Kenkel, and music from The Reformed Whores, Katy Frame, and Marie Cecile Anderson, all performing at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by hosted by Peggy O'Leary & Yoni Lotan: The Big Chew

[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

[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: Seaton Smith, Alex Koll, Kevin McCaffrey, Alli Breen, Brian Parise, Mike Lebovitz, Alexis Guerreros, Erika Storm Wasser, and Aldo Marachlian 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?

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Ophira Eisenberg, Adam Wade, Christian Capozzoli, Halle Keifer, and wonderful host Dave Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's topic Failure, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives

9:30 pm ($5): Each booked performer has 10 minutes to do whatever he or she chooses—stand-up, sketch, improv, music, dance, or something beyond categorization. "It's simple, it's fun, and it might get crazy" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Guerrilla Theatre

[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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Charla Lauriston (MTV) wrangles as many as a dozen comics 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 at UCB Chelsea (tonight's scheduled guests include Selena Coppock, please click here): 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with 5 minutes per storyteller and names drawn out of a can starting at 7:30, at Fifth Estate (444 Seventh Avenue) hosted by Susan Kent & Victoria Scroggins: Tell It Brooklyn Open-Mic Storytelling

[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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): Biweekly open mic stand-up, with each comic getting an unusually long 6-10 minutes, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by James III & Jamie LeeLo: Hump Day

[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 11/21/13

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/22/13

Comedy genius Daniel Kitson begins a month-long run of a new theatrical production in Brooklyn: Analog.Ue...

...star Jon Benjamin is a guest of Dave Hill's MMITB, and star Judah Friedlander headlines 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, 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 Michael Che and Australian comedy star Eddie Ifft at the 8:00, 8:45, 10:30, and 12:15 shows, and Kevin Meaney at the 10:30 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): 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), 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), Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:00 pm ($5): "Theatrical improv that blurs the boundaries between scenes, allowing for disparate characters to affect each other in unexpected ways" at The Magnet theatre: Crosstalk

[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

7:30 pm ($5): Lauren Adams, Laura Wilcox, Michael Antonucci, and more performing character bits at UCB East hosted by Justin Tyler and Michael Hartney: Characters Welcome

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $12.62 online): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country) hosts this monthly show, tonight featuring Jon Benjamin (unique off-the-wall comedy genius; FOX's Bob's Burgers, FX's Archer, Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, Adult Swim, MTV's Human Giant), singer Bridget Everett (At Least It's Pink), Patrick Salt Ryan ("troubled troubadour"), and Mike Bocchetti performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall: Meet Me in the Bathroom and Tell Me All Your Secrets

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 75 minutes with a true genius of comedy. I haven't seen this yet, but it's probably a sprawling, detail-packed theatrical show, not stand-up. If you're up for something different, though, any performance by Daniel is not to be missed. And beyond the script, it's always worth experiencing his lightning-quick flashes of humor. For example, at a performance of a different show in 2011, a woman sitting in the front row had the incredible gall to start reading. Daniel sweetly responded, "Ooh, that's a subtle yet effective form of criticism. I'm certainly not cross with you, just too nosy about what you're reading to plow on. Look, you're still reading. What a lack of faith you have in live entertainment..." Place your faith in Daniel and nab tickets before they sell out for this production running every day except Mondays from November 22nd through December 21st at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (29 Jay Street): Analog,Ue

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody) headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): "Be prepared for anything to happen as this dangerous and seductive comedy monster leads you through an unforgettable night of risk and reward. After 5-star reviews and sold-out shows across North America, Europe, and Australia, Red Bastard returns to New York City for three performances only" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Red Bastard

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus

[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: Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Jason Zimbler (Clarissa Explains It All), and Sari Botton performing stand-up at Brooklyn;s Pine Box Rock Shop (12 Grattan Street) hosted by Chris Rose with DJ Allison Pacelli: Late Night Basement

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: 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), Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), and Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit) performing stand at Brooklyn's Community Bookstore (143 7th Avenue) hosted by Dan Wilbur (author of How Not to Read) and Ross Hyzer (The New Yorker): 2-Book Minimum

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

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($8): Using real horror films purchased in local gas stations and bodegas, the hosts select specific clips to play for 30 seconds, pause, and then ask the improvisers to finish the scene. Will anyone survive at The PIT downstairs lounge? Attend at your own peril with hosts J. W. Crump and Jordan Hirsch: Gas Station Horror

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

10:00 pm ($10): Dan Koren (PBS), Ramy Youseff (Nick), Jon Tyler (The Moth), and PRISM performing at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Veteran improvisors reunite, new improvisors perform, and then old and new merge to create a one-nigh-only team at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Nick Arret: Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

[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

11:00 pm ($5): Screenings of short films that won't appear on the Web for at least three months, making this show a series of sneaks previews, at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Internot Film Festival

[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): UCB East house manager and tech guy supreme Pat Baer hosts a show about the very medium you're using to read this, with tonight's guests Mary Lordes (Unlimited Lives podcast), Jon Gutierrez (FUSE), and Josh Ruben (College Humor): 404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet

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 11/23/13

I'm not saying you should stay home tonight; but if you have a recording device, consider
setting it to Comedy Central at 8:00 pm for Bill Cosby's first stand-up special in 30 years, Far From Finished,
and to HBO at 10:00 pm for Sarah Silverman's first filmed stand-up show in eight years, We Are Miracles.
(I had the pleasure of seeing Sarah discuss the latter Wednesday at the 92nd Street Y. Expect good stuff...)

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, 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), Judy Gold (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, The View), Dean Edwards (Saturday Night Live, MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch, HBO's The Sopranos, feature film Scared Shrekless), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Kambri Crews (author of Burn Down the Ground), Jenny Rubin )host of The Jenny Rubin Show), and Calvin Cato (Game Show Network) performing at this unique oddball storytelling show at the KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue) hosted by the lovely Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post) that features such charms as a trivia contest with an alcoholic prize: Sideshow Goshko

[$] 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 Australian comedy star Eddie Ifft at the 7:15, 8:45, 9:15, 10:30, and 12:15 shows, 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

7:00 pm ($5): All-female character & sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Carly Ann Filbin & Kiki Mikkelsen: Lady Parts

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] 8:30 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 ($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 is the last night of this 15th edition of the series (begun in 2011), focusing on Fame at the LES' COW Theatre (21-A Clinton Street): Blogologues: Fame – Show Us Your Tweets. #twerkingtothetop

[$] 9:30 pm ($20): "Be prepared for anything to happen as this dangerous and seductive comedy monster leads you through an unforgettable night of risk and reward. After 5-star reviews and sold-out shows across North America, Europe, and Australia, Red Bastard returns to New York City for three performances only" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Red Bastard

9:30 pm ($8): Improvisors make up new episodes of a TV classic at The PIT downstairs lounge: Saved by the Bell: The Lost Episodes

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, and Marcus Parks of Cave Comedy Radio's Last Podcast On The Left "explore the dark recesses of humanity, both real and imagined, via short films, clips from favorite features, and audio spookiness" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Last Podcast on the Left Live

[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

[$] 11:00 pm ($20): A homage to sitcom Arrested Development via sketch-based burlesque comedy ("Just remember, no touching!") at The PIT upstairs theatre: Bluth Company Burlesque: An Arrested Development Tribute Show

11:00 ($5): Sketch comics throw a show together in two weeks at The PIT downstairs lounge: Two Weeks Notice

[TOP PICK] 11:30 ($5): Myka Fox, Jim Tews, John Early, Mike Cannon share true-life longish funny tales at this UCB East mashup of stand-up and storytelling hosted by Alison Leiby: It's a Long Story

Midnight ($5): Indie sketch troupes compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

[FREE] Midnight: NYC comics & storytellers (not announced) share holiday-themed tales of love and/or horror at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Brandon Wetherbee: You, Me, Them, Everybody Live

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 11/24/13

"Greatest Crack-Smoking Mayor: Rob Ford or Marion Barry?" and other vital questions will be debated
by witty stand-ups in Queens' Long Island City at Michael Shawki's & Tim Dimond's The Great Debate...

...and if you want to avoid getting beat up, don't skip this last chance to see Judah Friedlander headlining 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:

6:00 pm ($5): A two-gal sketch show about dating from Angela Spera & Laura Lane at The Magnet directed by Keisha Zollar: This Is Why You’re Single

[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 Baby Shoes and The Misses perform sketch comedy at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Sketch Teams

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up from Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), Dan Licata, and Kenny Deforest, plus Mike Cody vs. Pete Bladel debating "Rob Ford vs. Marion Barry: Who's the Best Crack-Smoking Mayor?", Chris Laker vs. Maddog Mattern debating "Bill Hicks: Great or Not That Great?", and Justy Dodge vs. J.F. Harris as the first stand-up couple debating on this show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Michael Shawki & Tim Dimond: The Great Debate

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show); for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Ramy Youssef, Jake Weisman, and Jeff Maurer performing stand-up at UCB East with host Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody) headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): From the producers of The Scene, improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at Act One

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Kevin Meaney and Michael Che at the 8:00 pm show, Eddie Ifft and Nick Griffin at the 9:45 pm show, and Mark Normand and Nikki Glaser at the 11:30 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Sunday

8:00 pm ($7): Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), Jason Saenz (sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Zach Hanes, and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead: Creaghead & Company

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Anna Drezen (talented character comic blending words and movement; one-woman show Spooky Jerks), Nate Fernald (writer for The Pete Holmes Show), Jim Tews, Billy Wayne, Jason Burke, and Nathan Macintoh performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($15; no min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up that rips something or someone deserving to shreds at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Invitation to a Beheading: Mike Lawrence, Kurt Metzger, Jermaine Fowler, and More

[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): 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), 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 stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[FREE] 9:00 pm: 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), Neal Stastny, Shalewa Sharpe, Nate Fernald, and Matt Wayne 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): "It's important to stay informed. That's why we bring you all the news that happened this month, at the end of this month. Just your average news show, keeping you up to date with your world one month at a time" at The Magnet theatre written & performed by Jarret Berenstein: Current Events

[$] 9:30 pm ($20): "Be prepared for anything to happen as this dangerous and seductive comedy monster leads you through an unforgettable night of risk and reward. After 5-star reviews and sold-out shows across North America, Europe, and Australia, Red Bastard returns to New York City" for one last performance at The PIT upstairs theatre: Red Bastard

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 4:00 pm: A unique open mic for comedic musicians/singers, with signup at 3:30 pm, and a maximum of two songs & 10 minutes per performer, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City (which offers a keyboard, guitar plug-ins, and an iPod plug-in) hosted by Susan Kaessinger: Express Yourself: Musical Open Mic

[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.)

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