Please note that these listings are updated frequently. The best way to be instantly notified about new show postings is to subscribe to my BestNewYorkComedy.com blog and allow for email notifications, and/or to follow me on Twitter (@hybender) or Instagram (@hybenderny).
In addition, you can use the links below to explore the schedules of all the major comedy venues in NYC; and you can find excellent live comedy recommendations weekly via The New York Times.
That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for November 2018 include:
Saturday 11/3: A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with the lovely and quick-witted Lane Moore (middle; HBO's Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's; author of upcoming book How to be Alone) going on a live Tinder safari for guys while a packed audience watches her every choice with fascination. Offering comments and suggestions are guest comics Connor Ratliff (left; brilliant improvisor & character comic; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Orange is the New Black, Broad City, The Chris Gethard Show, The President Show; co-star of legendary improv group The Stepfathers; host of The George Lucas Talk Show), Michelle Collins (right; host of TLC's 90 Day Live and Sirius XM's The Michelle Collins Show; former co-host of ABC's The View and Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise), and Kyle Ayers (bottom; Fuse's Uproarious; written for CBS, Comedy Central, TBS, BBC, The New York Times). This show usually sells out, so I recommend nabbing tickets in advance online for Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 11/1-Monday 11/5: This annual East Village storytelling festival this year features tales about Tinder dating, schoolteaching, chronic illness, immigration, and more, all taking place at the Kraine Theatre. For show descriptions and showtimes, please click Seventh Annual Gotham Storytelling Festival ($20 per show, or significantly less if you buy 3 or more shows at a time; The Kraine Theatre at 85 East 4th Street off Second Avenue)
Monday 11/5-Sunday 11/11: Hundreds of comics perform in the annual New York Comedy Festival on November 5-11 in dozens of venues all over NYC. For the complete list of shows and to buy tickets, please click New York Comedy Festival 2018
Tuesday 11/6: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 audience members fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd: Punderdome 3000 (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street—take R subway to Union Street; show up early—doors open at 7:00—to nab a seat, or plan on standing)
Wednesday 11/7: The luminous and multi-talented Lane Moore (HBO's Girls, MTV, VHI; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's; host of smash hit show Tinder Live) has just released her first book, an instant bestseller titled How to be Alone. Come see Lane interviewed about it by Scott Rogowsky (NBC's The Voice; host of wildly popular trivia game app HQ Trivia) at one of NYC's most iconic bookstores, The Strand: Lane Moore's How to Be Alone Book Release Interview (7:00 pm; $15 to receive admission plus a $15 Stand gift card, or $16 for admission plus a signed copy of Lane's book; The Strand's Rare Book Room, 828 Broadway at corner of 12th Street, 3rd Floor)
Wednesday 11/7: Chris Gethard (comedy genius, above; star of HBO 90-minute special Career Suicide; star of TruTV's & Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; co-star of Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice; host of Webby-winning podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People; The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; author of A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Calise Hawkins (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, TruTV, Oxygen; writer for Comedy Central, Playboy.com), Chris Distefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), and Pat Brown (Stephen Colbert) perform stand-up while celebrating the One Year Anniversary of this free weekly LES show produced by Luisa Díez, and hosted by Samantha Ruddy, Luke Touma, JP McDade, Jordan Temple, and/or Dina Hashem: Too Many Cooks (9:00 pm, Free!, Lucky Jack's Pub at 129 Orchard Street between Rivington & Delancey Streets)
Thursday 11/8: 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; comedy album I Did It; webseries Teachers Lounge; has frequently opened for Louis C.K. and Jim Gaffigan), Phoebe Robinson (co-star of HBO's 2 Dope Queens; host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys; Seth Meyers, Conan O'Brien, Broad City, MTV’s Girl Code; feature films What Men Want and Ibiza; author of You Can't Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain), Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe), Nore Davis (HBO's Last Week Tonight, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime's Boardwalk Empire, MTV; album You Guys Are Dope), and Sam Taggart (Live on Broadgay, Lake Homo High) perform stand-up for this weekly show produced by Carol Hartsell and hosted by Sean Crespo & Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle (7:30 pm, $12, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Thursday 11/8: Enjoy a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) shared by their original authors before total strangers at this popular monthly show—which is now also a six-part series titled The Mortified Guide on Netflix!: Mortified (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 11/8: A reverse roast battle, in which comics compete to deliver the best compliments to their opponent, with a stellar lineup of Jo Firestone, Josh Gondelman, Mike Drucker, Martha Kelly, and more hosted by Kyle Ayers: Boast Rattle: A Compliment Contest (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 11/9: One of the greatest stand-ups of all time performs for one night only at Town Hall. I'm a bit amazed there are even any tickets left, but there are indeed some single seats scattered about, so please consider taking advantage of this opportunity to enjoy comedy royalty: Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward (7:00 pm & 9:45 pm, $39.50-$51.50 depending on seat location, Town Hall at 123 West 43rd Street, between 6th Avenue & Broadway)
Friday 11/9: Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers) hosts a show that is purportedly from the UK but more likely from Jo's relentlessly inventive imagination, with contestants Conner O'Malley, Josh Sharp, Matt Barats, Joe Pera, Larry Owens, Sandy Honig, Patti Harrison, Edy Modica, and Bardia Salimi: Zingers: The UK Game Show (8:00 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 11/9 & Saturday 11/10: Do you miss seeing improv and sketch at the legendary UCB Chelsea theatre? Then you should know it's back...but under new management. Boston's Improv Asylum is branching out to NYC, and it's taken over the magical comedy basement under a Gristedes. Come reunite with this beloved venue, and enjoy a talented troupe of comics—which includes spectacular rising star Dana Shulman (third from right; host of Student Driver, half of wonderful improv duo Ouiser and Clairee, improv group Poor Melissa; winner of the 2017 PIT Teacher of the Year Award): Improv Asylum Main Stage Show (7:30 pm, $15, Improv Asylum at 307 West 26th Street)
Friday 11/9: A unique show based on the premise "Let's be honest, love doesn't exist, couples suck, and Valentine's Day is bullshit. We test real life couples to see if they are meant to be together (they aren't). The couple with the least amount of points at the end of the night will have to break up, because we all die alone anyway and what's the point of anything really? It'll be fun!" hosted by spectacular rising star Carly Ann Filbin (above; video correspondent for Cosmopolitan.com): Let Me Break You Up: An Anti-Dating Game Show (Midnight, $12, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Saturday 11/10: Sabrina Jalees (irresistible dynamo stand-up and red-hot rising star who could make reading a grocery list hilarious; staff writer for TBS' Search Party and FOX's upcoming Hanging On; Netflix's Comedy Lineup, Central's Nightly Show and Adam Devine's House Party, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV’s Failosophy, Amazon's Transparent; host of My Sexy Podcast) returns to us for NYCF to perform this solo show. Sabrina is one of my all-time favorites, and I've greatly missed her since her move to LA, so I'm especially looking forward to this: New York Comedy Festival Presents: Sabrina Jalees (8:30 pm; sold out of seats, but if you're okay with standing you might get in via the stand-by line; $15; UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Saturday 11/10: Comics write scripts for famous movies and TV series they've heard of but have never seen, and then other comics act out those scripts on stage, with tonight's performers Jean Grae (famed rapper and comic) and Lane Moore (HBO's Girls, MTV, VH1; author of new bestselling book How to be Alone; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's; host of smash hit show Tinder Live), plus scores played by Tommy McNamara, all hosted by Kyle Ayers (Fuse's Uproarious; written for CBS, Comedy Central, TBS, BBC, The New York Times): Never Seen It (7:30 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 11/10: Do you miss seeing improv and sketch at the legendary UCB Chelsea theatre? Then you should know it's back...but under new management. Boston's Improv Asylum is branching out to NYC, and it's taken over the magical comedy basement under a Gristedes. Come reunite with this beloved venue, and enjoy a talented troupe of comics—which includes spectacular rising star Dana Shulman (third from right; host of Student Driver, half of wonderful improv duo Ouiser and Clairee, improv group Poor Melissa; winner of the 2017 PIT Teacher of the Year Award): Improv Asylum Main Stage Show (7:30 pm, $15, Improv Asylum at 307 West 26th Street)
Saturday 11/10: The wonderful Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO's phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O'Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up album Physical Whisper) hosts this game show that rewards comics who "brighten the lives of the audience," with guests Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents; comedy albums No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot; podcasts Broccoli and Ice Cream), Julia Claire (NPR), and Joyelle Nicole (Comedy Cellar): Make My Day: A Comedy Game Show (10:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 11/11: It's the final day of the annual New York Comedy Festival! For the complete list of remaining shows and to buy tickets, please click New York Comedy Festival 2018
Monday 11/12: This weekly stand-up show's hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO's Crashing, Netflix's Master of None, and Comedy Central's Corporate), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk) celebrate their One Year Anniversary with guests Jacqueline Novak, Janelle James, Joel Kim Booster, Violet Gray, and more: Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
RIP Stan Lee
Tuesday 11/13: Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up who's performed on Stephen Colbert and stars in an upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Stephen Colbert; Head Writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV, VH1), Rachel Feinstein (HBO's Crashing, Netflix's The Standups, Comedy Central special Only Whores Wear Purple; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Inside Amy Schumer, The View; films include Trainwreck and Top Five), Matthew Broussard (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour), Damien Lemon (host of TruTV's Comedy Knockout; Comedy Central Half Hour; MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Guy Court), Harris Stanton (SNL, BET; opened for Tracey Morgan), and Marc Theobald (Chappelle’s Show) perform stand-up hosted by Jordan Carlos: Comedy Co-Op (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 11/13: 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; comedy album I Did It; webseries Teachers Lounge; frequently opens for Louis C.K. and Jim Gaffigan), Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO's phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O'Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up album Physical Whisper), Joel Kim Booster (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special, Billy on the Street; for Joel's Conan set, please click here), and more perform stand-up for host Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1): Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Thursday 11/13: Deliciously long 30-minute stand-up sets from the fabulous Christi Chiello (above; Comedy Central's Roast Battle, MTV's Girl Code, TruTV, PBSKids, stellar solo show It's Christi, B*tch!, co-host of Battle of the Divas and White Chocolate) and Carmen Christopher (Comedy Central, The Chris Gethard Show) hosted by Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up who's performed on Stephen Colbert and stars in an upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Stephen Colbert; Head Writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV, VH1): Big Long Sets (10:30 pm, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Thursday 11/15-Sunday 11/18: It's the sixth year of this annual 4-day PIT festival devoted to over 100 new comedic solo shows. (The fest was originally created by Peter Michael Marino & co-produced by Ronny Pascale, both giants in PIT history, but they've moved on to let others curate & run the extravaganza.) The only requirements for any production are that it's a one-person show that's funny and has never been performed in public before. The types of entertainment are therefore wide-ranging, encompassing sketch, characters, storytelling, stand-up, cabaret, music, dance, puppetry, magic, clowning, multimedia, and more. Based on the descriptions, shows that sound promising include Matt Zambrano's Invisible Idiot Friday at 7:00 pm; Adrian Sexton's BeatleMania Friday at 8:00 pm; David Frasure's Erdnase Friday at 9:30 pm; Kevin McNair's Community Theatre Master Class Saturday at 4:00 pm; Ghostboy and Parker Denton's Occult-Themed Spook Show Saturday at 5:30 pm; Mike Zakarian's Christ Kid: A Journey Through Snow Camp Saturday at 7:00 pm; Daniela Jones' “What Are You?” Sunday at 2:00 pm; Zach Zimmerman's New Stuff Sunday at 3:00 pm; Reilly Willson's Frederich Nietzsche Is A F**Kboi Sunday at 8:30 pm; and Brittany Halls' I'll Be There For You: The Courteney Cox Story Sunday at 9:00 pm: Solocom 2018 ($10 per show, or $30 for an all-you-can-see festival pass (a great deal for a vibrant, fun festival with scores of shows): The PIT Upstairs, Downstairs, and Attic Theatres at 123 East 24th Street and The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Sunday 11/18: Jon Glaser (HBO's Girls, NBC's Parks and Recreation, star of Adult Swim's Delocated and TruTV's Jon Glaser Loves Gear; long-time writer/performer and 5-time Emmy nominee for Conan O'Brien) tries out new stand-up material. Be a part of Jon's process at Jon Glaser: Come See If This Works Or Not (7:30 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
The PIT's 4-day Solocom festival, which happened this past Thursday through Sunday, has become one of NYC's most fun annual comedy events. Among this year's highlights were the nine writer/actors above (based mostly on the shows I caught, and some recommendations from folks I trust). You can feel pretty confident of having a good time attending a performance by any of these superb comics; and if you're a casting director seeking sharp talent, you'd do well to give each of them a look.
Huge kudos to everyone involved in making Solocom happen. I'm already looking forward to next November.
Monday 11/19: The wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (above; one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another, author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Beth Stelling (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central; comedy album Sweet Beth), Dan Wilbur (author of How Not to Read; website Better Book Titles; writer for The Onion, College Humor, McSweeney’s), Mamoudou N'Diaye (MTV's Decoded), and Jess Salomon (former war crimes lawyer; host of Dirty Laundry) perform stand-up for stellar hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO's Crashing, Netflix's Master of None, and Comedy Central's Corporate), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk): Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 11/19: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 people fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd. Tonight's special edition pits college improv group members from Columbia, NYU, and Fordham vs. corporate execs from Google, OKCupid, and West Wing Writers vs. former Punderdome champions: Punderdome 3000 (8:00 pm, $20, Chelsea's Highline Ballroom at 431 West 16th Street)
If you're spending today with loved ones:
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Or if you're by your lonesome, consider spending today with Lane Moore's How to Be Alone, which Lane has described as "the holiday book for the rest of us." You can find my review, and ordering info for the instant-access audiobook, here:
Either way, sending you much love, warmth, joy, and virtual gourds.—Love, Hy
Friday 11/23: Highly talented hip-hop improv group North Coast attempts to create a Hamilton on the spot by making up a musical based on an audience suggestion of a famous historical figure: Anybody: An Improvised Historical Hip-Hopera (9:30 pm, $16.89 online or $20 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 11/24: Gary DeNoia plays movie icon Nic Cage delivering a lecture about physical intimacy: Nic Cage Teaches Sex To Adults (7:00 pm, $8, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 11/25: Storytellers TBA tell DIY healthcare tales, which in the past have ranged from homeopathic cures for yeast infections to at-home surgery, hosted by Allie Kokesh and Sarah Burton: I'm a Doctor Now: Stories About Self-Diagnosis (7:00 pm, $9.47 online or $10 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 11/24: If, like me, you miss the characters of Stars Hollow, come experience a lost episode of the classic series...made up on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Improvised Gilmore Girls (8:00 pm, $8, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) Theatre at 123 East 24th Street)
Saturday 11/24: A highly talented freestyle rapping long form improv group takes the stage for an hour: North Coast (9:00 pm, $12, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Monday 11/26: Dulcé Sloan (above; powerhouse comic and correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O'Brien, @midnight), Joe Rumrill (The Chris Gethard Show; co-host of Cartoon Monsoon), Jacob Williams (America's Got Talent), Sara Hennessey (comedy albums They Know Too Much and Trouble in Paradise), Chris Daniels, and Negin Farsad perform stand-up for stellar hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO's Crashing, Netflix's Master of None, and Comedy Central's Corporate), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's StarTalk): Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 11/26: Four of the most brilliant improvisors alive—Scott Adsit, Adam Pally, Brian Stack, and Becky Drysdale—stumble into theatre scenes of plays they've never seen that are performed by superb Broadway, TV, and/or film stars TBA. The improvisors make up their dialogue, while the actors commit to staying in character and on book. The result is amazingly fun, hosted by actor/director Stephen Ruddy: Gravid Water (8:00 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Monday 11/26: Gary Richardson (writer for Saturday Night Live; brilliant improvisor; Comedy Central), David Angelo (David Letterman, The Daily Show), Sam Corbin (The New Yorker, Buzzfeed), Ryan Haddad (Dark Disabled Stories), and more are scheduled to perform stand-up for this free weekly show hosted by Jess Salomon (former UN war crimes lawyer turned comic; CBS, Sirius XM): Dirty Laundry (11:00 pm, Free! (make reservation here), UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Tuesday 11/27: Iranian comic Mehdi Barakchian (host of Passport Control, co-host of Brunch Night, improv group Kibbles and Bits) and writer Kylie Holloway will answer your questions about the relationship between the US and the Middle East—"Why are we still hanging out with Saudi Arabia?', "Why is Iran is so mad at America?", and "What the heck is an Aleppo, and is it bigger or smaller than a Venti?": It's Complicated: How the U.S. Shaped the Middle East (9:30 pm, $17 online or $20 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 11/28: The sultry Karen Chee (above; Stephen Colbert, The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney's), Ryan Beck, and Benito Skinner get drunk and present comedic dissertations about sex, with science judge Dr. Zhana Vrangalova PhD and hosts Joanna Rothkopf (Deputy Editor of Esquire), Shannon Odell (neuroscience PhD student at Weill Cornell), and Jordan Mendoza (once played doctor in webseries): Drunk Science Presents Sex (8:00 pm, $8, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 11/28: Storytelling, sketches, and more about sex, including "practical takeaways for the audience," from Keisha Zollar, Emmett Jack Lundberg, Selena Coppock, Joanna Hausmann, Anna Suzuki, and Eman El-Hussein hosted by Dani Faith Leonard: Adult Sex Ed (9:30 pm; $16.89 online, $20 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 11/28: Storytellers Olga Namer (host of Ghosted podcast), Lorena Russi (Comedy Central), Sam Corbin (Buzzfeed), Ethan Herschenfeld (Sirius XM), and Florence Friebe share tales about how faith has affected their lives hosted by Ian Goldstein (above): All Is Forgiven: A Non-Religious Comedy Show About Religion (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Wednesday 11/28: A guest comic, two audience members selected on the spot, and hosts Glen & Wade play a game of Dungeons & Dragons "as a multimedia epic, with music, visual guides, drinking games, and a stand-up comedy set that will be woven into the story:" Q.E.D&D (9:00 pm, $8, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Thursday 11/29: This live-on-stage edition of Lifehacker podcast The Upgrade is devoted to the theme of failure, with hosts Melissa Kirsch & Alice Bradley interviewing Chris Gethard (comedy genius; star of HBO 90-minute special Career Suicide; star of TruTV's & Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; co-star of Mike Birbiglia film Don't Think Twice; host of Webby-winning podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People; The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; author of A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Akilah Hughes (Fusion's Pop and Culture), and Brittany Luse & Eric Eddings (co-hosts of Gimlet’s The Nod): The Upgrade: How to Fail (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Thursday 11/29: KIcking off this double-bill is a musical sketch show exploring Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and many more cultural icons written and co-starring Eliza Kingsbury and directed by Michael Hartney: Pop Stars Are Dumb (But We Love Them); and then the spectacular Carly Ann Filbin (luminous & delightful sketch comic/comedic actress/writer; on-camera correspondent for Cosmopolitan.com; host of Let Me Break You Up: An Anti-Dating Game Show) performs a solo show that "looks back at relationships that defined her, men who refused her, and one very expensive hand job:" This Doesn't Mean I'm Your Boyfriend (8:00 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Thursday 11/29: Learn the history of the MTA via fun lectures, sketches, and more at this ongoing comedic history series about NYC transit, with guest Sarah Meyer (Chief Customer Officer of MTA New York City Transit), hosted by Meg Pierson (TEDx, Alchemy Comedy) and Justin Williams (Comedy Central; host of Death Comedy Jam): Why Your Train is F*cked: Trash, Rats and Track Fires (7:00 pm; $16.89 online, $20 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Thursday 11/29: Muslim-Canadian Eman El-Husseini (Sirius XM; comedy album Unveiled) and Muslim-American Fareeha Khan (MTV) each perform a 30-minute stand-up set hosted by Usama Siddiquee: Eman and Fareeha Do an Hour (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 11/30: In this energetic, silly, and way fun show, 50 comics gather to each share a minute's worth of observations about a bit of pop culture with which he or she can’t be bothered, with hosts Matt Rogers & Bowen Yang (above; hosts of the acclaimed Las Culturistas podcast): Las Culturistas Live: I Don't Think So, Honey (8:30 pm, $20, Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 11/30: The wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another, author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) and Emily Winter (writer for Fusion’s Come Here and Say That, TVLand, and The New Yorker; co-host of The BackFatlorette, Backfat Variety, and Side Ponytail) each perform a 30-minute stand-up set that'll be taped as submissions for Comedy Central. Come lend your laughter to QED Presents: Ophira Eisenberg & Emily Winter (9:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Friday 11/30: Stellar comics share their love for the weirdest animals on the planet, with tonight's zoologists Aaron Jackson, Jes Tom, Lorelei Ramirez, Peter Smith, Arti Gollapudi, and Mike Ross hosted by Karen Chee (The New Yorker, McSweeney's): The Biodiversity Jam (9:30 pm, $11.59 online or $12 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Friday 11/30: In this acclaimed monthly show, stand-ups Myka Fox, Clark Jones, Greg Stone, and Anthony DeVito each perform a 10-minute set while they "risk getting slapped by Satan himself. Actually, he hosts only bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne & Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man's shoes and put NYC's finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls?f" For a sample torture set with the delightful Christi Chiello, please click here; and if you'd then like more, Matt & Doug will See You in Hell (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 11/30: Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers) asks comics how they make their everyday decisions, this month featuring Starlee Kine (This American Life, The New York Times Magazine, host of podcast Mystery Show), Jermaine Fowler (star of CBS sitcom Superior Donuts; star of Showtime special Give 'Em Hell, Kid; MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Tim Dillon (Comedy Central, Netflix, Last Comic Standing; co-host of podcast Stewed), and Joyelle Nicole: Everyday Decisions with Jo Firestone (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Copyright © 2018 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
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