NYC Comedy Picks for Week of November 7, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/7/11

Star Amy Schumer (Comedy Central Corporate Retreat) and Colin Quinn (Whiplash)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): UCBT house sketch troupe Fambly (spearheaded by rising comedy star Mamrie Hart) performs a show at UCB Chelsea based around a Sting song: Brand New Day

7:00 pm ($5): Brandon Lee Harris performing a one-man storytelling show at The PIT for the purpose of Getting to Know Me

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Kate Berlant, Trey Galyon, Jermaine Fowler, Tom Dunlap, and Sean Wilkinson performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's Motel Luca

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A blow-out stand-up show courtesy of Comedy Central, with stars John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, Wyatt Cenac, Tom Papa, Kurt Metzger, and John Roberts performing at UCB East hosted by Dan Soder: Comedy Central Corporate Retreat: John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, Wyatt Cenac, and More

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious star improv duo that's become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Becky Yamamoto (Supercream Supreme), and Adam Lowitt (Producer for The Daily Show) performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The debut of a storytelling show at The PIT upstairs theatre about being in one's twenties, with tonight's young guests Rachel Bloom, Ilana Glazer, Aaron Kheifets, Nick Kocher, Brian Mcelhaney, and Emma Tattenbaum-Fine joined by host Emma Koenig (writer of blog Fuck! I'm In My Twenties!): Twenties!

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($18): The winning team that created Pope!: An Epic Musical (a big hit at last year's FringeNYC) and The Spidey Project (a media sensation) is now developing a pirate musical at The Magnet about "the dashing young hero Declan as he seeks out the vicious Martin La Foe, the second most famous pirate ever," with book and lyrics by Justin Moran & Jon Roufaeal, and music by Adam & Matt Podd: Nightfall on Mirango Island

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and razor-sharp PIT instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor

9:30 pm ($5): UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes Thunder Gulch (which includes performers Leslie Meisel and Amber Nelson) and Dweeb (which includes writer/performer Stephen Soroka) try out new bits at Maude Night

9:30 pm ($5): Buoyant all-new sketch at The PIT upstairs theatre from troupe Boat

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Mike Pomeranz, Eliza Faria Santos, Josh Homer, Matt Rohr, Kat Hershkovic, Brendan Fitzgibbons, Miguel Dalmau, and Jason Cross performing at Pat O'Shea's free biweekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Long-form improv from troupe Casual Sex Offenders at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: CSO Improv Comedy

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner & Chelsea Clarke hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Mario Joyner (Seinfeld, The Chris Rock Show, Everybody Hates Chris, Three Men and a Baby, Pootie Tang), Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), and John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling open mic Oh Hey Guys)—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 11/8/11

A new comedic play about reality TV from sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting; and
classical musicians from around the country compete to demonstrate a sense of humor 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 ($16.50 & 2-drink min.) Classical musicians with a funny side and comedians with a classical music side from all across the country submitted their classical comedy videos with the hope of being chosen for a spot among the finalists tonight performing before a panel of celebrity judges including Peter Schickele, Robert Klein, Charles Hamlen, and Deborah Voigt at the Carolines Comedy Club: WQXR Classical Comedy Contest

7:00 pm ($5): A one-man show from comic Matthew Robert Gehring (member of sketch troupe Political Subversions) at The PIT upstairs theatre: #GenericWhiteGuy

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean's List

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

8:00 pm ($8): At The PIT, the worlds of "magic, mind-reading, and mutilation" are explored by Matthew Holtzclaw and Prakash Puru: Strange Things

8:00 pm-11:00 pm ($5): Three full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Sandino, Creature, Dance Break, Very Good Kiss, and Mr. Crime—followed at 11:00 by advanced improv students (plus Pat Baer) making up The Lost Stories of Philip K. DIck: Harold Night

8:00 pm ($5): Ann Carr (Web series The Actress), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales), Danny Solomon (soon moving to LA; for stand-up video about the price of NYC drinks, please click here), and more performing stand-up at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran on behalf of a great late actor: After Hours with Gene Hackman and Friends

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

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Aquarius and BEEES!

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Josh Charles (Emmy-nominated actor for CBS' The Good Wife; Sports Night, Dead Poets), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Matt McCarthy (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC's Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys, host of Marking Out), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Rose Surnow, Steve Lipman, Ruhbin Mehta, and Ken Schultz performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by twins Adam & Todd Stone, who for this weekly show leave behind their trademark suits: Jackets Off

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Terrific comedy duo Leah Rudick & Katie Hartman, back from their second year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they were proclaimed "biggest revelation" by the Guardian, performing a brand new sketch show about reality TV: Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting: The Underdeveloped and Overexposed Life and Death of Deena Domino

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Robert Kelly (Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives), team up to create their own special version of a comedy variety show at UCB East. Tonight's guests are James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing), John Frusciante (UCBT Artistic Associate Director), and Ann Carr (Web series The Actress): The Tony and Johnny Show

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe BEEES! to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

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

[FREE] 11:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 11/9/11

Tonight kicks off the 2011 New York Comedy Festival ; and among its wonderful events are
over 30 NYC stand-ups telling the filthiest jokes they know at The Dirty 30

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] November 9th-13th: Among the stellar events at this year's New York Comedy Festival—which begins tonight—are shows by comedy titans Louis C.K. (11/10 and 11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Tracy Morgan (11/11 at the Beacon Theatre), Bill Burr (11/11 at Carnegie Hall), and Sarah Silverman (11/12 at BAM); shows by comedy stars Wanda Sykes (11/10 at Town Hall), Michael Ian Black (11/10 at Bowery Ballroom), Glenn Wool (11/10 at UCB East), Kumail Nanjiani (11/11 at UCB East), Bill Maher (11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Norm MacDonald (11/12 at Town Hall), and Kathy Griffin (11/12 at Carnegie Hall); three panels on the art of comedy writing & performing (11/12 at UCB East), plus a panel discussion with the writers of Saturday Night Live (11/13 at the Paley Center); and a leisurely chat with Ricky Gervais (11/13 at the 92nd Street Y). For the complete massive schedule, please click: New York Comedy Festival

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with "15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($13): The Story Pirates take stories written by New York City elementary schoolchildren, "enhance" them with adult language and themes, and them perform the heck out of them using music, puppets, and "a David Bowie-style tribute to a good Hebrew School education." With tales ranging from the shame of chronic bedwetting, to the tender love between the Devil and some guy she met at Starbucks, the Story Pirates have blown the minds of over 100,000 second graders (sans the narrative enhancements), and lots of adults in their "After Dark" version—which is what they'll be performing tonight at 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street): Story Pirates After Dark

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Grappler, Horses, Leviathan, The Wrath, Featherweight, Brick, Dunk, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Dunk at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[$] 7:00 pm ($16.50 plus 2-drink min.) Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Sam Morril, Michael Che, Josh Rabinowitz, Daryl Wright, and Kevin Bigginson are among the NYC stand-ups slated to perform tonight, with host Jeffrey Ross, at the Carolines Comedy Club: Comics to Watch

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are first up as the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger; and then genius improvisors Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform as Outlook of the Poet

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 in advance online): Top comics and writers sharing memorable tales of their material being turned down—with tonight's guests Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), and Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer (Web series Broad City)—at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) for Jon Friedman's wonderful The Rejection Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Some of the finest sketch troupes in NYC—Pangea 3000, Murderfist, Stone Cold Fox, BriTANick, and more—perform at UCB Chelsea hosted by BoF: Best of NY Sketch

[TOP PICK] [FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: Mindy Raf (brilliant singer/songwriter/character actress; VH1); Livia Scott (comedic chameleon; Conan O'Brien, Law & Order, beloved sketch troupe Meat), Matt Graham (Conan O'Brien, World Champion Scrabble Player), Nimesh Patel, and musical guests Channing & Quinn performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Ryan Hamilton (Last Comic Standing), Phil Hanley performing stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this weekly show hosted by Nick Turner & tonight's special co-host (and birthday boy) Matt McCarthy: Too Cool for School

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and then UCBT Harold Night house troupes Deckard and Still Mike make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form "Harold" rules at Cheating on Harold

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!), Joe Garden (Features Editor of The Onion; co-author of The New Vampire's Handbook), Keith Albertsadt (David Letterman; contributing writer to SNL), Bridget O'Neill (Purge, Moth Slam Winner), and musical guest The Pendulum Swings performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

9:00 pm ($5 if you mention code Vintage, otherwise $8): Fine sketch duo Chris & Paul, musical comedy troupe People with Teeth, sketch troupe City Hall, and more at Under St. Marks: Sketch Block

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brandy Barber (Bust Magazine, Late Night Republic) and Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com, co-host of Dive Comedy) in telling sexy true tales at UCB Chelsea for tonight's special "Best Of" event—plus hot songs from Thin Skin Jonny—at the finest sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories: Best Of Edition

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner) performs a one-man show at UCB East about his dating experiences: The Amish Guide to Fucking

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups have been instructed to tell the filthiest jokes they know. The 30+ scheduled participants include Sean Patton, Tom Shillue, Elna Baker, Murderfist, Adira Amram, James Adomian, Glenn Wool, Sara Schaefer, Brooke Van Poppelen, Joe DeRosa, Matt McCarthy (on his birthday!), and lots more (for the complete list, please click here). Comics aren't always known for following orders, so it's anybody's guess how consistently filthy the show will be; but whatever happens, it oughta be interesting. This special event at UCB Chelsea is hosted by John F. O'Donnell: The Dirty 30

[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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 11/10/11

Comedy gets hot tonight with rising stars Rachel Bloom (Triple Threat)
and Mamrie Hart & Stephen Soroka (BoF: Friends Without Benefits)...

...Wyatt Cenac & Donwill comment on a classic blaxploitation film at Shouting at the Screen,
and a UK stand-up star performs for an hour at UCB East: Glenn Wool

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[MEGA-TOP PICK] November 10th-13th: Among the stellar events at this year's New York Comedy Festival are shows by comedy titans Louis C.K. (11/10 and 11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Tracy Morgan (11/11 at the Beacon Theatre), Bill Burr (11/11 at Carnegie Hall), and Sarah Silverman (11/12 at BAM); shows by comedy stars Wanda Sykes (11/10 at Town Hall), Michael Ian Black (11/10 at Bowery Ballroom), Glenn Wool (11/10 at UCB East), Kumail Nanjiani (11/11 at UCB East), Bill Maher (11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Norm MacDonald (11/12 at Town Hall), and Kathy Griffin (11/12 at Carnegie Hall); three panels on the art of comedy writing & performing (11/12 at UCB East), plus a panel discussion with the writers of Saturday Night Live (11/13 at the Paley Center); and a leisurely chat with Ricky Gervais (11/13 at the 92nd Street Y). For the complete massive schedule, please click: New York Comedy Festival

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn and tonight's stellar guest host Melanie Hamlett (brilliant storyteller/writer; Moth Grandslam Champion, Marie Claire Magazine, amazing blog, roving adventurer): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics drawing names from a bucket, with each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Charming sketch duo BoF (Mamrie Hart & Steve Soroka) audition their latest sketch show Friends Without Benefits, plus UCBT star writer/director Caitlin Tegart auditions a sketch show titled Caitlin Wins the Crop, all at this fun UCB Chelsea showcase: Spank

[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Junior Varsity to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics" following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and a long (and ongoing) run Saturdays at The PIT, doing a special extended show for one night only at 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street): Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): The comics who train, teach, and perform at UCBT are among the finest improvisors in the world. The UCB Touring Company consists of the cream of the crop, with the mission of showing audiences beyond those visiting UCB's theatres in NYC and LA what improv is all about. For just this evening, however, the traveling troupe—which includes brilliant comics Gavin Speiller, Neil Casey, Shannon O'Neill, Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, and Brandon Gardner—will be strutting its stuff on the UCB East stage: UCB TourCo All-Stars

7:30 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, The Boss, and Phooka, performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with Friday Night Sh*w pitted against Aquarius at 11:00 pm: The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): YouTube sensation Rachel Bloom performs a one-woman "musical theatre industry showcase for you that is sure to make you feel terrible about your own abilities" at UCB Chelsea to build on her cult following from such video hits as F*ck Me, Ray Bradbury and I Steal Pets: Rachel Bloom is a Triple Threat

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): This show begins with a delightful concept—Top Gun performed as if written by William Shakespeare—and then executes it with the joyful craft only a sharp, tight theatrical ensemble can create. Everyone in the cast is terrific, but especially memorable are Kate Turnbull as the love interest, Dan Hartley as Maverick, and Vayu O'Donnell who steals every scene he appears in with his hilariously deadpan delivery as Iceman. While this is playing at The PIT for a mere $10, it's really legit Fringe theatre, and I hope it eventually makes its way to FringeNYC or Edinburgh—or better yet, develops more songs and gets a commercial run as a musical. Meanwhile, don't miss this opportunity to see a way fun parody of a cult classic for about half of what you oughta be paying: Jester's Dead

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), Todd Barry (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), and Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, MTV, VH1) performing UCB East, plus videos from Oren Brimmer starring Pete Holmes and Matt McCarthy, all hosted by best bud Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Comedy duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney perform new sketches at UCB Chelsea, as well as host stand-up and improv guests: BriTANicK: The Monthly Mankerthon

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre use an audience suggestion to make up a rockin' musical on the spot: (Title from Audience): A Rock Opera

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($7; or FREE COVER if you show up 30-60 minutes early and buy $7 worth of snacks/drinks): Mystery Science Theater 3000 goes blaxploitation in this delightful new series by Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show) and Donwill (hip-hop group Tanya Morgan) in which the boys watch a black cinema cult classic and yell comments at it throughout. It all happens at Brooklyn's reRun (147 Front Street, between Pearl & Jay Streets), with tonight's film a happy surprise: Shouting at the Screen

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A sharp, thoughtful, and silly stand-up who's Canadian, is a star in the UK, and is currently visiting NYC to entertain us performs tonight for an hour at UCB East: Glenn Wool

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Round 2 of a beloved annual November tradition at UCB Chelsea—Pat Baer's 3-on-3 Improv Tournament

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/11/11

Two of the best: Kumail Nanjiani (Just Me Talking) and Janeane Garofalo (headlining at Eastville)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] November 11th-13th: Among the stellar events at this year's New York Comedy Festival are shows by comedy titans Tracy Morgan (11/11 at the Beacon Theatre), Bill Burr (11/11 at Carnegie Hall), Louis C.K. (11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), and Sarah Silverman (11/12 at BAM); shows by comedy stars Kumail Nanjiani (11/11 at UCB East), Bill Maher (11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Norm MacDonald (11/12 at Town Hall), and Kathy Griffin (11/12 at Carnegie Hall); three panels on the art of comedy writing & performing (11/12 at UCB East), plus a panel discussion with the writers of Saturday Night Live (11/13 at the Paley Center); and a leisurely chat with Ricky Gervais (11/13 at the 92nd Street Y). For the complete massive schedule, please click: New York Comedy Festival

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Some of The Magnet's finest comics—including the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year's FringeNYC)—team up with Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz to deliver comedy as sketch troupe Good Morning, Ladies in this show charmingly titled Fuck You, I'm Reasonable

7:00 pm ($5): At this PIT double-bill, award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Roger Hailes, Matt Ruby, Liam McEneany, Leah Bonnema, Jason Saenz, and Carolina Hidalgo performing at Beauty Bar (231 East 14th Street) at this biweekly show hosted by Peter Ostrovski & Ilya Gofshteyn: Beautiful Comedy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): In one of the finest scripted shows to ever grace UCB Chelsea, troupe Stone Cold Fox performs hilarious parodies of off-off-Broadway theatre, as well as some of the very best sketches it's crafted over the years, in a tight hour-long production directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (who, after also recently directing stellar one-person shows by Kate McKinnon and Mike Still, apparently can do no wrong), featuring delightful performances by Fran Gillespie, Molly Lloyd, D'Arcy Carden (watch for these three gals playing existential Truth or Dare), John Murray, Nate Smith, Brandon Scott Jones, and Jonathan Fernandez, and the writing of Leila Cohan-Miccio, Evan Greenspoon, Brandon Gulya, Matt Hunziker, Owen Parsons, and Michael Trapp. Don't miss one of the sharpest and funniest comedy shows of the year from the first sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCBT weekend schedule: Stone Cold Fox: This Is Not Art

7:30 pm ($10): NYC comics that Time Out New York selected to showcase—Kurt Braunohler, Eliza Skinner, Adrienne Lapalucci, BriTANick, Damien Lemon, Sean Donnelly, and Gabe Liedman—performing at UCB East: Time Out Live

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15): This acclaimed 10-year-and-counting sketch troupe has "amassed a cultish following and a cast who blindly throw themselves into the most questionable of onstage situations, bless their black little hearts....join them for a hilariously unsettling look at growing older, having children, killing your dreams, and settling." For examples of the troupe's work, please click here and here, and then come to The PIT downstairs lounge to see Spurn

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

8:00 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello; plus in the other half of this double-bill, troupe Epic Beards

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($14): A red-hot rising star who's one of the most thoughtful stand-ups in the biz, has appeared on David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel, and Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues, and won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up performs a solo show at UCB East for one night only: Kumail Nanjiani: Just Me Talking

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, and more (but do you even need more?) performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): "Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura is on the ground in New York City, and he's assembled a team of investigative experts to uncover the biggest conspiracy yet. The New World Order might keep Conspiracy Theory off the air, but we take the action outside the ring and straight to the people...because they can cancel a TV show, but they can't cancel the truth," with James Adomian as Jesse Ventura, Anthony Atamanuik as David Icke, John Gemberling as Sirhan Sirhan, plus Rob Lathan (Conan O'Brien), Ron Krasnow, Brad Steuernagel, and Todd Womack doing crazy shit at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Conspiracy Theory Live with Jesse Ventura

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: An all-musical comedy night with Camille Harris, David Smithyman, Glennis McMurray, and Hardcore Boris performing at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ben Lerman and Tim Dimond: Now That's What I Call Musical Comedy

9:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from hosts Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team) Clayton Early (Harvard Sailing Team), and Chris Roberti (New Excitement), plus guests The Chris & Paul Show, Adrienne Iapalucci, Only Son, and—via Skype—the Harvard Sailing Team at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Monster Show

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

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Three of the finest improvisors alive—Chris Gethard, John Gemberling, and Anthony Atamanuik—plus stellar improvisors John Frusciante, Silvija Ozols, Chelsea Clarke, and D'Arcy Carden make stuff up to delight you at UCB East for one night only: UCB NYC Improv All-Stars

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Smart, fun sketch comedy & talk show that's happening at The PIT upstairs theatre but is actually a TV series in development from host/creator Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central, IFC, Hot Tub Variety), with tonight's guests including Jon Benjamin (star/creator of Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van; FOX, Adult Swim, MTV's Human Giant) and "a secret awesome guy," plus phenom house band Adira Amram and the Experience: Night of the Living with Kurt Braunohler

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet event, 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, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

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

[FREE] Midnight: This show typically isn't much fun for audience members—which is why it hasn't been on the UCBT schedule for a long time—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 Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/12/11

UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Magnet Artistic Director Megan Gray, and PIT Artistic Director Jeff Lepine
have a semi-serious discussion about the state of comedy beyond stand-up at Inside NYC Improv and Sketch

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] November 12th-13th: Among the stellar events at this year's New York Comedy Festival are shows by Louis C.K. (11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Sarah Silverman (11/12 at BAM), Bill Maher (11/12 at the Beacon Theatre), Norm MacDonald (11/12 at Town Hall), and Kathy Griffin (11/12 at Carnegie Hall); three panels on the art of comedy writing & performing (11/12 at UCB East), plus a panel discussion with the writers of Saturday Night Live (11/13 at the Paley Center); and a leisurely chat with Ricky Gervais (11/13 at the 92nd Street Y). For the complete massive schedule, please click: New York Comedy Festival

[TOP PICK] 1:30 pm ($5): As part of the New York Comedy Festival, a panel discussion at UCB East about comedy on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and more, with the superb participants including Mark Douglas (creator & star of The Key of Awesome) and Julie Klausner (host of How Was Your Week): Comedy in the Digital Space

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste

[TOP PICK] 3:00 pm ($5): As part of the New York Comedy Festival, a panel discussion at UCB East about the current state of improv & sketch, with the star participants including new UCBT artistic director Nate Dern, new Magnet artistic director Megan Gray, PIT artistic director Jeff Lepine, and thoroughly original & wonderful writer/performer Shannon O'Neill : Inside NYC Improv and Sketch

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

[TOP PICK] 4:30 pm ($5): As part of the New York Comedy Festival, a panel discussion at UCB East about the craft of comedic storytelling, with stellar participants including Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Catherine Burns (Artistic Director of The Moth), Jane Borden (treasured Comedy Editor of Time Out New York), John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling show Oh, Hey Guys!), Seth Lind (NPR's This American Life, Told), and Todd Bieber (host of Animated Stories—which comes on following this show at 7:00 pm): The Craft of Comedy Storytelling

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes The Storks, Swartzlander, and Scoresby at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[FREE] 6:00 pm: A "sacrificial" improv team performs a quick set, then is split up among three other waiting improv troupes, each of which then performs a full set. This ritual letting go for the good of the whole takes place at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Sacrifice

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives) headlines at this monthly UCB East show that also lets audience members tell their stories, with the best tale turned into an animated short film premiering the following month. Hosted by Todd Bieber, it's Animated Stories

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Drawing from his ongoing series of podcasts, Sam Dingman performs a one-man storytelling show at The PIT downstairs lounge offering "true tales from his days as a taxi driver in New York City, complete with toothless convicts, frozen embryos, murderous city buses, mobbed-up body shops, and much more. Along the way, he finds that no matter how many insane things he sees on the pothole-ridden streets of New York, the craziest one of all may be himself:" The Taxi Tapes

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and/or other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions, at UCB Chelsea all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnet making up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 in advance online, $15 at the door): Christian Finnegan, Victor Varnado, Mike Lawrence, Lauren Hennessy, Yannis Pappas, and more participate in a live version of Match Game at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Keith and the Girl and Ben Lerman: Keith and the Girl: Match Game Live

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: From the producers of The Scene, improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up one-act plays on the spot: Act One

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony), and Danny Solomon (soon moving to LA; for stand-up video about the price of NYC drinks, please click here), performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

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

9:00 pm ($7): A young improv troupe that includes the wonderful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year's FringeNYC; sketch troupe Good Morning, Ladies) performs at The Magnet in a show whose title promises playfulness: The Messaround

9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Stand-up and burlesque are weirdly blended together—with scheduled guests including Jared Logan, Mark Normand, Matt McCarthy, Matt Ruby, Nick Turner, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): Pat Dixon's (Nearly) Naked Lady Hour: Now with Bacon Bar

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($8): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won last year's ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—performing this monthly show at The PIT downstairs lounge: Murderfist

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike

11:00 pm ($8): NYC stand-ups Bonnie McFarlane, DC Benny, Ray Ellen, and Katy Olson performing at The PIT upstairs theatre for a podcast that's designed to provide free therapy for host Joe Matarese: Fixing Joe

Midnight ($5): Writers & performers at UCB East—tonight including stellar talents Ben Rodgers, Violet Krumbein, and John Frusciante—attempt to combine the organic energy of improv with the consistency of scripted comedy by putting on a sketch show written & rehearsed in a single day: Sketch Cram

Midnight ($5): Young improvisors at UCB Chelsea make up scenes about Armageddon with the stellar directorial help of Will Hines: End of the World

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups in a late-night talk show format at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Michael Che: Michael Che's Community Service

Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 11/13/11

Sara Schaefer and Jenny Slate are among the comics performing at SXSW Stand-Up Showcase

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] Among the stellar events on this final day of the New York Comedy Festival are a panel discussion with the writers of Saturday Night Live (at the Paley Center) and a leisurely chat with Ricky Gervais (at the 92nd Street Y). For the complete massive schedule, please click: New York Comedy Festival

[FREE] 2:00 pm: The students of David Fino's latest improvisational puppetry graduating class show off their skills at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Puppetry for Improv

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 3:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste

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

[FREE] 5:30 pm: "Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges," at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Scrimmage

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere, The Curfew), and Dan Chamberlain (sketch troupe Fambly) participate in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphyiscal Graffiti, High Times), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), and "a special guest" performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing), Damien Lemon (Carolines, Radio City Music Hall), John F. O'Donnell, hilarious dark comedy singers The Cowmen, and more performing at the Third Anniversary of RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): A troupe that performs a sketch show with an improv segment at the end directed by Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz: Dumbrowsky

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Stellar NYC comics—Chris Gethard, Jenny Slate & Gabe Liedman, Sara Schaefer, Streeter Seidell, Nikki Glaser, and more—performing at UCB East with host Aaron Glaser: SXSW Stand-Up Showcase

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($6.17 in advance online, $5 at the door): "A panel of comedians give their hilarious takes on the more grim/sensational crime stories taken from NYC's daily newspapers. It's live comedy with a streak of yellow journalism and dark New York flavor"—not to mention a monthly podcast—with tonight's guests Jared Logan, Big Jay Oakerson, and Chemda at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), NYPD Detective Reynolds, Chris Laker, and Marcus Parks: The New York City Crime Report

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two productions audition for a spot on The Magnet's schedule. First, a one-man show about "being part of a different world that has its own language and alphabet and style of beard...There are things I really need to show you, just so you know what's going on, or where I'm coming from, or where Armenia actually is:" Openly Armenian; and then sketch troupe Reply All performs a show about "self-discovery, loneliness, the social pressures of growing up in this modern age, and sexually ambiguous talking cats that rape people:" The Day Terrors

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Helen Hong (Comedy Central, TLC), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), and Jessie Geller performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy guest-hosted tonight by the show's founder Adam Sank: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-up Adam Newman (College Humor), Emmy Blotnick (Jimmy Fallon), Matt Koff (The Onion), Michelle Wolf (co-host of Fresh), and more performing at UCB East with host Andy Rocco at Underground Americana

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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