NYC Comedy Picks for Week of October 24, 2016

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/24/16

Desi Lydic (star correspondent of The Daily Show), Ashley Nicole Black (writer/correspondent of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), and Joan Walsh (political analyst for The Nation and MSNBC) chug two beers on stage and talk politics for a live podcast taping hosted by Charlie Todd & Cody Lindquist: Two Beers In (9:30 pm, $5, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)

More 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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Free Monday

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): A dozen PIT comics—who in the past have included Katie Hartman, Keisha Zollar, Sarah Nowak, and many more—each have 5 minutes to perform a character solo at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The PIT Character Showcase Hour

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5: A musical about Autumn from Maude group Choir at the UCB Chelsea theatre: We Love the Fall: A Choir Musical

7:00 pm ($5): Springboarding off an audience suggestion, improvisors provide a close look at some exotic group or subculture at The PIT upstairs theatre: DocujProv

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-up Ray Marshall tries out new material every night through Wednesday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: Ray Marshall

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Monday

7:30 pm ($7): The best sketches from house groups at The Magnet theatre: Best of Magnet Sketch Teams

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, Chrissy Shackelford performs a (mostly) one-woman show as Diane Shangri-La, "legendary film star of the 60s and 70s who the world's most famous sex symbol until Hollywood kicked her to the curb for turning the ancient age of 35. Now she's back with original characters and impressions to prove that her career is Not Dry Yet...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a play directed by the wonderful Langan Kingsley, and written by & co-starring Matt Barats & John Reynolds, about "on the night when the girls ask the boys, it's finally the teacher's turn:" Sadie Hawkins Day: Love Knows No Bounds

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime) hosts a blow-out lineup of Judah Friedlander, Sean Patton, Mark Normand, Joe Machi, Liza Treyger, and Rory Albanese trying out fresh stand-up material at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): New Joke City

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($10): Aparna Nancherla (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There; opens for Tig Notaro; hosts top weekly NYC stand-up show Whiplash), Brandon Scott Wolf (contributor to SNL's Weekend Update), Casey Balsham, Tyler Richardson, LeClerc Darguin, and Misaki Nakamichi performing stand-up to improvised music at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted Yedoye Travis: Rent Party

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): Amy Marcs performs a one-woman show about her experiences with breast cancer at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Nice T!Ts

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1), Emmy Blotnick (worked as staff writer for Comedy Central's @midnight and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Petey Deabreu (host of Petey's World), Drew Michael, Sharron Paula, and Melissa Villasenor performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by the wonderful Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show; writer for South Park; albums Comedy Person and Brooklyn): Night Train

[$] 8:00 pm ($18): "When a washed-up reality TV producer is fresh out of ideas on how to get back in the game, he decides to reunite the horrible reality TV family that originally brought him fame and discover the secret that split them apart years ago. He decides to get them to confess the only way he knows how: under duress. After reuniting the family for what they think is a one-night special, the producer stages an attack on Beverly Hills by ISIS" at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Blatantly Blaine: A New "Family" Musical

8:00 pm ($5): Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It; opens for Amy Schumer), Boris Khaykin (Broad City, Amazon's Red Oaks, acclaimed improv hip-hop group North Coast), Jordan Temple (MTV), Lauren Vino (MTV), and Niles Tuner performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Fawkner (191 Smith Avenue) produced by Chris Distefano, Cipha Sounds, and Lukas Kaiser and hosted by Alex Fleming: Savage

8:00 pm ($5): Morgan Miller, Brian Mitchell, Alison Klemp, and more perform stand-up or sketch at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Jeremy Kaplowitz, Mike Amory, and/or Liam O'Malley: Lizard People Live

[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

8:30 pm ($6): A safe place to try out new material, with tonight's stand-ups Robby Slowik (writer for Jon Stewart's new HBO show), Leighann Lord (HBO, Comedy Central, Lifetime, author of Dict Jokes), Mark Douglas (host of Web hit The Key of Awesome), Charlie Pickering (host of Australian shows The Weekly and The Project), and Charles McBee performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Christian Finnegan (co-star of A&E's Black and White; Conan O'Brien; three Comedy Central specials, Netflix special The Fun Part; Chappelle's Show, The Today Show): New Release Day with Christian Finnegan

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It; opens for Amy Schumer), Tyler Richardson, Emily Lynne, and Lane Pieschel performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Local 61 (61 Bergen Street) hosted by Evan Rocha & Brian Enck: Evan & Brian Have Friends

9:00 pm ($5): "Pat hates many things. But he hates Halloween most of all. Tonight is the dreaded night, and three very different friends want him to go to three very different parties" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Pat Hates Halloween

9:00 pm ($7): Sketch comedy from a variety of comics at The Magnet theatre: Ringers

9:30 ($5): House sketch groups Monaco and Estevez perform their best bits at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Maude Night: Best Of Monaco and Estevez

9:30 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Valerie David about her bouts with lymphoma and breast cancer at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Pink Hulk: One Woman's Journey to Find the Superhero Within

[$] 9:30 pm ($15): "Dressed only from the waist up and ankles down, Adrienne Truscott undoes and does in the rules and rhetoric about rape, comedy, and the awkward laughs in between. With ‘appearances’ from George Carlin, Louis CK, Robert De Niro, ducks, whistles, and enough gin and tonics to get a girl in trouble, she lets her pussy do the talking. Set to pop music. Can you make jokes about rape? She plans to, all night long. Even if you tell her to stop" at The PIT upstairs theatre (for a London review, please click here): Adrienne Truscott's Asking For It

9:30 pm ($7): "Rob had always thought he was a nice guy who was inept with women. But, looking back on a life of Catholicism, very special episodes, and hitting puberty at sixteen, he's realized that he might not have been that inept or, unfortunately, particularly nice. He was just a little late" at The Magnet theatre: Late Bloomer

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Improvisors & stand-ups perform a show based entirely around the oddball Twitter comments of superstar musician Kanye West at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Brian Mitchell & Jose Acevedo: Kanye Confidential: Improvised Kanye Tweets

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Great lineup of Sean Patton, Dan Soder, Ari Shaffir, Joe List, Pete Lee, Luis J. Gomez, and Anthony Kapfer performing for this free weekly show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street) hosted by Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language): Frantic Mondays

10:30 pm ($7): Improv is performed as quietly as possible at The Magnet theatre: Silence, Please

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's usually a great lineup and often an extraordinary one—at UCB Chelsea typically hosted by Aparna Nancherla (one of the best stand-ups in the country; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There). Reservations go quickly, but you can probably get in if you arrive early and are okay with standing: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

4:30 pm-7:00 pm ($5 plus 1 drink min., with drinks as low as $2): Walk-in stand-up open mic with two rounds, the first providing 5-6 minutes per set and the second 2-3 minutes per set, at The Grisly Pear (107 MacDougal Street) hosted by Tuval Mor: Kickin It Open Mic

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] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer who shows up time on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Jacob Lie & Stu Melton: Raining Buckets

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

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 The Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston Street, off Avenue B) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint

[FREE] 10:30 pm: 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] 11:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 4 minutes on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Joseph Robert: PBR & Scrap Paper Open Mic Stand-Up

11:00 pm ($3): Open mic stand-up, with each comic getting 5 minutes and room for 15 comics who sign up per show, at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by John Field: The Power Exchange

[FREE] 11:00 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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/25/16

World-class singing improvisors Rebecca Vigil & Evan Kaufman interview an audience couple about their love life and then turn it into a musical—with breathtaking skill (see my review of their award-winning FringeNYC 2015 shows here)—for their phenomenal Your Love, Our Musical (9:30 pm; $10, which is super cheap; this show has regularly sold out at $18 at other venues; The PIT Upstairs Theatre at 123 East 24th Street)

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 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Ruined!

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, six singing & dancing improv groups at The Magnet make up musicals based on audience suggestions, followed at 10:15 pm by an improv jam open to the audience hosted by group Goats: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[FREE] 7:00 pm): NYC stand-ups Katie Halper, Margaret Champagne, Brandon Lott, Christopher Wagner, and Tara McGorry performing at Brooklyn's Tender Trap (66 Greenpoint Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Deepak Ananthapadmanabha: Eveningtime

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-up Ray Marshall tries out new material tonight and Wednesday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: Ray Marshall

7:00 pm ($5): Improv group Separate Checks and friends make up scenes at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Separate Checks

7:00 pm ($5): Indie improv groups Noice and The Wrasslers make up scenes at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Indie Takeover

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Tuesday

7:30 pm ($5): Terrific storytellers Shane Torres, Jake Hart, and Justin Hancock share on this month's theme "Shit Stories" at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Tim Unkenholz & Liz Phillips: The Rivalry

7:30 pm & 9:15 pm ($5 per show): House groups at UCB Chelsea perform the classic improv form The Harold at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At this monthly game show, comics—who tonight are Josh Patten, Ashley Brooke Roberts, Tim Dillon, and Jen Spyra—compete to see who can perform the best celebrity impressions at the UCB East theatre, judged by Geoff Garlock (Adult Swim) and hosted by Andy Beckerman (host of podcast Beginnings, co-host of Couples Therapy) & Ramsey Ess: Snap Impression Live

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

8:00 pm ($5): Stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre with twins Adam & Todd Stone: Stone and Stone Show

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of bestselling cartoon book If the Raindrops United) answers your questions for an hour at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Judah Friedlander

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Amber Nelson (dynamic stand-up & character comic; Comedy Central, TruTV's Almost Genius; sketch group Murderfist), Boris Khaykin (Broad City, Amazon's Red Oaks, acclaimed improv hip-hop group North Coast), Alison Leiby (VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story), Nimesh Patel (Comedy Central, co-host of Broken Comedy), Mike Recine (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour), and Pat Mcgann performing stand-up at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Stavros Halkias: Cakeshop Comedy

8:30 pm ($5): Superb improvisors and guest improv groups join host Skycopter (which includes the incredible David Carl) to make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

[FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (for the line-up, usually posted by 1:00 pm, please click here) performing 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] 9:00ish pm ($7): Melissa Villasenor (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Drew Michael (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Scout Durwood (cast member of Comedy Central's Mary & Jane), and Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 20-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas The Adam Wade Show and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?, and cast member of The Nights of Our Lives; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here) performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) guest-hosted by Nick Stevens (CBS Sports host): Sweet

9:00 pm ($7): A monthly stand-up & storytelling show in which comics Phil Stamato, Charles McBee, Ariel Elias, and Aimee Rose Ranger are encouraged to hold nothing back at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Caitlin Brodnick & May Wilkerson: Brutally Honest with Caitlin Brodnick

9:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): 301 Views

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB East, "James Dwyer is a comedian. James Dwyer is also a Canadian realtor, professional horseback rider, Irish Taekwondo master, among countless other things...becasue as James Dwyer the comedian discovered from a simple YouTube search of his name, there are a fuck ton of other James Dwyers out there. So each month James assembles a panel of comedians with the same problem as him—who tonight are Langan Kingsley (Laugh or Die), Becky Chicoine (Girls with Brown Hair), and Bardia Salimi—to showcase and discuss YouTube videos they've found of 'themselves' with the ultimate goal of clarifying This is Not Me

9:30 pm ($5): Comics perform scripted characters, then make up scenes with an improv group while still in character, at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Characters Unwelcome

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5; no min.): This super-affordable weekly club stand-up show features Sean Patton, Ari Shaffir, Monroe Martin, Bonnie McFarlane, Damien Lemon, and Giulio Gallarotti performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street): $5 Funnies

10:00 pm ($5): An autobiographical one-man show by Bill Santiago about the death of his father and birth of his daughter at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Immaculate Big Bang

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A monthly stand-up show that books comics from the same original area (i.e., outside of NYC) to perform long sets at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Trey Galyon: I'm Not From Here

11:00 pm ($5): Going beyond the classic Harold, improv group Some Kid performs different types of longform at the UCB East theatre: Harold on the Run

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

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): A chance for gals to get on stage and improvise with veteran female comics at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Blair Silverman and members of Ladies of the PIT: Lady Jam

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] 6:00 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 Tim Unkenholz: Butt Factory

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Walk-in open mic storytelling show, with each yarn-spinner (selected via names from a bucket) getting up to 8 minutes to tell a true and funny tale at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Vincent Chang: Flynn's Mic

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Weekly stand-up open mic, with walk-ins tossing names into a hat and set length determined by the number of comics who show up, at Bunga's Den (137 West 14th Street, between Sixth & Seventh Avenues) hosted by Jimmy LeChase and/or Justin Perez: Townies Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jake Hart and a guest co-host: The Dump

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Four booked NYC stand-ups, plus one open spot for an audience member whose name is pulled from a bucket, plus drop-in spots for up to five TV-credited comics who care to walk in! Spots are at least 5 minutes each, but go up by a minute per comic for every TV-credited drop-in spot that isn't filled (e.g., if no drop-ins appear, every comic will receive up to 10 minutes per set). It all happens at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Daniel Ahrens: Drop-In/The Bucket

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Weekly open mic for any kind of act (with sign-up starting at 7:30) at Brooklyn's Goodbye Blue Monday (1087 Broadway) hosted by Joe Crow Ryan: Goodbye Blue Monday

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

[ALMOST FREE] 10:30 pm ($1): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Tuesday After Class Jam

11:00 pm ($3): A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly walk-in open mic stand-up providing 3 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from a bucket at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Slonim: Rapid Fire

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 10/26/16

Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teams up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live, and currently writes & performs for Seth Meyers) to form a breathtakingly super-smart, artful, and hilarious star duo that's become one of the finest teams in the history of improv. This occasional show—which should cost around $30, but is a mere $5—should not be missed: John & Scott (9:30 pm, $5; sold out of seats, but you can probably get in if you're okay with standing; UCB Chelsea at 307 West 26th Street)

More 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): Matteo Lane (Comedy Central, MTV's Guy Code & Girl Code,), Emmy Blotnick (worked as staff writer for Comedy Central's @midnight and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Alison Leiby (VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story), and Sarah Tollemache (Last Comic Standing) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Josh Gondelman (writer for HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The New Yorker): The Sensible Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Ruined!

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

7:00 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Valerie David about her bouts with lymphoma and breast cancer at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Pink Hulk: One Woman's Journey to Find the Superhero Within

7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): Four hours of improv from eight groups—plus a free improv jam at 6:00 pm—at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

[FREE] 7:00 pm-midnight: Five free hours of improvisation—including an open-to-all improv jam at 6:00 pm; group Lovers, which includes the spectacular Dana Krashin and Tracy Mull at 7:00 pm; and PIT owner Ali Farahnakian & friends at 10:25 pm—at The PIT downstairs lounge: Super Free Wednesday

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-up Ray Marshall tries out new material one last night at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: Ray Marshall

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Kirsten O'Brien & Evan Zelnick screen and comment on clips from terrible films with actors early in their careers who later became stars—and now wish these dreadful artifacts of their rise to fame didn't exist, including 1991's Cool as Ice, 2008's The Happening, and 2011's Love, Wedding, Marriage, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Straight to DVD

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which features three house groups making up scenes on the spot: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Comics perform their darkest, saddest, and most traumatically funny bits for this monthly catharsis machine—with tonight's stellar guests Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, Joe List, Jeffrey Joseph, Amber Nelson, and Tim Dillon at Brooklyn's Union Hall: hosted by Shane Torres, Nate Fridson, and Alison Zeidman: Dark Spots

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): Storytellers Charles Busch, Mark Pagan, and Samantha Ruddy tell tales revolving around a monthly theme at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) for one of the finest storytelling shows in the country hosted by Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, owner of The Story Studio): Risk!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sharp writer/performers—who tonight are Jeff Hiller, Adam Wade, Halle Kiefer, Matt Dennie, and wonderful host David Martin—tell comedic tales on this month's theme Nightmares at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives

8:00 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Alyssa Limperis about her father's year of brain cancer, which killed him on October 2015, at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): No Bad Days

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Young and/or struggling NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) produced by Meghan O'Malley, Adrian Davidson, and Erick Hellwig: Barely Making It

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): A star stand-up with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Louie who's also an Emmy-nominated comedy writer and talk show host headlines at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Nick DiPaolo

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), David Kibuuka (writer for The Daily Show), Sagar Bhatt (College Humor), Meghan Hanley, Dustin Chafin, and Ayanna Dookie performing stand-up for this free weekly show at Lucky Jack's Pub (129 Orchard Street) produced by Lance Weiss & Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Each of 27 comics tells a birthday story that's 2 minutes long at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Tracey Segarra (whose birthday is today): Birthday Tales

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC; stellar new comedy album Live at Webster Hall), Dave Smith, Luis J. Gomez, and other NYC comics "discussing the skankier sides of life, love, and stand-up comedy" for this weekly podcast taping at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Legion of Skanks

9:00 pm ($5): Drew Michael, Langston Kerman, Pat McGann, Abby Rosenquist, Saurin Choksi, and David Drake performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Gutter Bar (200 N 14th Street) produced by David Drake and hosted by Mike Lebovitz: Comedians You Should Know

9:00 pm ($5): Indie improv troupes perform, plus a final set by host group New Greta, at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): New Greta Has Friends: Indie Improv

[TOP PICK] 9:15 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East hosted by Doug Mo and/or Ben Rameaka: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

9:30 pm ($5): Willy Appelman co-wrote & performs in this show about diverse oddballs who come together to celebrate a wedding at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Characters From a Wedding

9:30 pm ($5): Sketches by writer/performers compete for audience laughs and votes at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Gabe Capone & Joanna Hausmann: Battle Sketch

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: For this unique interactive show in which comics must "kill or die," stand-ups Alex Fossella, Cathy Humes, Angela Cobb, Frank Terranova, Gene Getman, Irene Morales, Herbie Gill, and Amirah Imani perform—until the audience decides they're done!—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Mark Reiss: Slaughter House Live

[TOP PICK] 10:15 pm ($5): The UCB Touring Company consists of some of UCB's finest improvisors who show audiences beyond those visiting UCB's theatres in NYC and LA what improv is all about. For this monthly show, however, the traveling troupe will be strutting its stuff on the UCB East stage: UCB TourCo

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($5): Mike Cabellon, Adrien Pellerin, Katie Sicking have written and star in this musical about "three Millennial janitors who band together to launch a promising enterprise that breaks every promise from boom to bust; it's never about the product, it’s an excuse to give a TED Talk" at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Meet the CEOs: A Start-Up Musical

11:00 pm ($5): Frankie Grande (actor/dancer/singer who's been a cast member of Mama Mia and Rock of Ages on Broadway, and CBS' Big Brother) has an talk show built around him and his friends for one night only at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Night Late

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] 6:00 pm: Walk-in open mic storytelling show, with each yarn-spinner (selected via names from a bucket) getting up to 8 minutes to tell a true and funny tale at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Vincent Chang: Flynn's Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Kaity Neagle & Irene Hartmann: Ragtag Team Open Mic Stand-Up

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] 6:00 pm: Sign up at 5:45 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with veteran improvisors: Magnet Mixer Wednesday

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic stand-up providing 4 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com to sign up, or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45, at Brooklyn's Halyards Bar (406 Third Avenue) hosted by Lukas Kaiser: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly walk-in open mic stand-up providing 3 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from a bucket (but no actual punch or pie, that's just a lure to entice you to come) at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Matthew Tenenbaum: Punch & Pie

11:00 pm ($3): Open mic stand-up show, with each comic whose name is selected from a bucket getting on stage for 3-5 minutes (depending on the number of comics) at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Camel Butt

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

[FREE] 11:15 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans: The Improv Jam

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 10/27/16

A glorious collection of entertaining film clips and guest movie experts hosted by super-fan Kevin Maher and friends, with this month's Halloween theme focused on a major horror director: Kevin Geeks Out About Tobe Hooper (9:30 pm, $16 [buying in advance is highly recommended, as this show crammed with rich imagery and fascinating ideas typically sells out], Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema at 136 Metropolitan Avenue; take the L to Bedford)...

...and Anthony Atamanuik, Connor Ratliff, Shannon O'Neill, James Dwyer, Morgan Grace Jarrett, and more promise "ALL OF YOUR FEARS ARE INSIDE OF THIS HOUSE!" These top improvisors are putting on a semi-scripted interactive audience show for Halloween they're describing as a "Chamber of Modern Terrors and Social Anxieties that you will consume through an immersive theatre experience:" Fear Bazaar (2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 10:00 pm, and midnight; $5, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Storytellers Selena Coppock (Amazon's Red Oaks, VH1, author of book The New Rules for Blondes), Caitlin Brodnick (co-host of Brutally Honest, writer for Glamour.com, docu-series Screw You Cancer), Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSlam finalist), Danny Artese (Moth StorySlam winner) and irresistibly charming host Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic/pianist; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, Internet Action Force) performing at this wonderful monthly oddball storytelling show at the KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue) featuring such magic as a trivia contest with alcoholic prizes: Sideshow Goshko

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($12, plus 2-item minimum if you purchase a seat; no min. if you buy a standing room ticket): Improvisors make up a religion based on an audience suggestion—e.g., The Church of the Carrot, The Church of Crime—and then make up hymns, readings, sermons, sacraments, and more on the spot at the The Gallery of Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Geoff Grimwood: Fake Church

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): The greatest science fiction anthology radio show of all time was X Minus One. Improvisors who know their genre history created this show in which they make up scenes of awe, mystery, and wonder at The PIT upstairs theatre—with an opening act from Brian Hansbury (Title of Team) improvising 1940's-style tunes based on your suggestions: X Plus One

7:00 pm ($5): Improvisors make up scenes with the lights turned off, using everyday objects to add layers of sound—like a radio play created on the spot—at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) : Dim-Prov: Improv in the Dark

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and an 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Storytellers Sandi Marx (six-time Moth GrandSlam champion), Mary Regan (Talk Therapy), and Maggie Maxwell (Reductress) share tales of courage and/or cowardice at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Mara Wilson (former iconic child star of Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire; author of Where Am I Now?; cast member of podcast Welcome to Night Vale): What Are You Afraid Of?

7:30 pm ($5): An improv duo from Charleston, South Carolina makes up scenes at The PIT downstairs lounge: Moral Fixation

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, a sketch show based on the experiences of comedy couple John Murray & Silvija Ozols as Silvija tried to get pregnant: Infertile...

...and in the second half of this double bill, brilliant improvisors Langan Kingsley, Aaron Jackson, and Josh Sharp make up scenes while being unusually thin: Big Fat Fatties

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): Amy Marcs performs a one-woman show about her experiences with breast cancer at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Nice T!Ts

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-Midnight ($10 for the entire evening): Four veteran house improv groups, themed improv show The Costume (for this Halloween month, improvisors have fun with fantasy costumes), and improv competition Inspirado, all for just $10 at The Magnet theatre: The Magnet's Thursday Night Out

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Norwegian-American sketch comedy duo Zach & Viggo perform as part of their world tour at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Zach & Viggo: Thunderflop

[FREE—plus FREE CAKE for Four-Year Anniversary] 8:00 pm: Emily Galati (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing), Amber Nelson (dynamic stand-up & character comic; Comedy Central, TruTV's Almost Genius; sketch group Murderfist), Eli Sairs, and Frank Nelson, plus music from Amelita AL, all at Brooklyn's Local 61 (61 Bergen Street) hosted by Emily Winter, John Payne, and Larry Mancini: BackFat Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up from Joe Dixon, Emily Lynne, Mary Beth Barone, Jamie Lerner, Eric Wood, and Sallie Smith-Fitcher, plus sketch from Knightly Nudes and improv from Wuce Billis, all performing at Bunga's Den (137 West 14th Street, between Sixth & Seventh Avenues) hosted by Kate Conners: Comedy is Sweet

[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Comics compete with on-the-spot tweets...and you decide the winner in real time using your smart phone" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Shelby Taylor: Like Me

8:00 pm ($5): Two improv house groups make up scenes for an hour at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Detention + Gun Club

8:30 pm ($10): 75 minutes of sketch comedy from group Teen Radio, plus an opening set from stand-up Boris Khaykin, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Teen Radio

9:00 pm ($10): "In the magical town of Sparkleberry, everyone’s an artist, writer, and creative spirit. Citizens of Sparkleberry are kind, compassionate creatures, with hearts of gold, but they’re also total idiots. But that hasn't stopped them from writing and performing their hearts out. Join me and my theater troupe as we show you select scenes from some of their greatest works" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Snippets From Sparkleberry

9:00 pm ($5): Similar to The Dating Game, comics May Wilkerson, Alex Engelbert, and Angela Cobb compete for the affections of an audience member at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Joe Welkie: Dating is Hard in NYC

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jordan Raybould, Andrew Schiavone, Russ Hamilton, Pete Mutino, and Jonathan Ziegel performing at the Revision Lounge (219 Avenue B, between 13th & 14th Streets) hosted by Josh Roen: Revision Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The writers of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert gather on the UCB Chelsea stage to perform an all-improvised Alfredo: Late Show Writers Improv

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An all-gal lineup of stand-ups, storytellers, character comics, and improvisors perform at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by group Darling Satan: She Makes Me Laugh

9:30 pm ($5): Lani Harms hosts interviews, sketch, characters, improv, and/or more at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Late Night with Lani

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Dan King: Swamp Thing

[FREE] 10:30 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Chris Gersbeck, Lauren Hope Krass, and/or Peter Bandyk: Casual Sets

[FREE] 10:30 pm: "A curated hour of eclectic comedic material written in a week with no rehearsals" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Holy Fuck Comedy Hour

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Last week musical improv group Rumpleteaser demolished Rizzo, winning 138 votes to 20. The singing & dancing champion tonight faces team Fancy Man, competing for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea's raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Improv with feedback at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Matthew Woods & Dan Miller: Improv MD

Thursday Open Mics & Jams

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

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per comic (sign-up starts at 5:30 pm) at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Jake Vevera & Amy Liszka: The QED Thursday Mic

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

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): A weekly improv jam for which the number of participants on stage is determined by a roll of the dice at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Jon Monje, Glorillis Tavarez, Trumane Alston, and Julien Darmon: Chance Encounters Jam

6:30 pm ($3): If you're a gal who'd like to try stand-up but are wary of being vulnerable in a tough male-dominated room, this show may be the perfect opportunity for you—an all-female open mic, with the first 15 comics to sign up (starting at 5:50 pm) getting 3 minutes each on stage at The PIT downstairs lounge: Ladies Night 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 Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (34 Pell Street, 2nd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 7:00 pm: A weekly improv jam hosted by group Salt at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Blender

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Walk-in open mic (with names selected from a bucket) to do anything you want for 5 minutes—"chat, rant, plug, tell a story, be a character, play a game, review a new religion"—for a podcast recorded at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Mike Guild & Mike Mercadal: The Open Mic Podcast

[ALMOST FREE] 10:30 pm ($1): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Thursdays After Class Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3 minutes on stage at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Matt Anderson: Barf Up the Jokes

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 10/28/16

The lovely Natalie Wall hosts the best sexy storytelling show in NYC, with tonight's comics Meghan O'Malley, Carly Ann Filbin, Emmy Harrington, Bobby Hankinson, and Anita Flores telling tales of erotic encounters gone awry: Awkward Sex...and the City (8:00 pm $20—which includes free beer, wine, and condoms!—at The Pleasure Chest at 1150 Second Avenue, between 60th & 61st Streets)

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Saturday

7:00 pm ($10): A play co-written & performed by Elana Fishbein & Elena Skopetosunique, and co-written & directed by Peter McNerney, about a family’s reluctant reunion at the Magnet theatre: Sisters Three

7:00 pm ($10): A comedic play with bite about the Hollywood experience for minorities, in which "four black actors in Room 4 have just realized they’re stuck in a time loop, auditioning for the same role of 'Drug Dealer #2' over and over. What once felt like a messed-up metaphor has become a literal existential nightmare. Get them out of there" at The PIT upstairs theatre written by Marina & Nicco, and with an eight-man cast...one of whom plays a literal Magical Negro: Room 4

7:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from group Scorpion Bowl revolving around a competition for love at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Scorpion Bowl: Last Character Standing

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, a sketch show written by Zack Philips that includes such superb comics as Langan Kingsley and Jim Santangeli: Fuck Nostalgia...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, a mini-play "exploring everything you love about karaoke: mediocre singing, friendship, Tsing-Tao, accidental meet cutes, homicidal Korean women, and of course your favorite 90's jams!": Let's Check Out That Karaoke Spot!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Stand-up & storytelling springboarding off topics tackled by The Ricki Lake Show—fat friends, two-timing traitorous tramps, and so on. Tonight's theme is "I'm Sick Of Being Taunted; They Think I'm Crazy, But My House Is Haunted!"with Micah Sherman (brilliant improvisor; half of musical duo Myq & Micah), Andy Beckerman (host of podcast Beginnings, The Pete Holmes Show, co-host of Couples THerapy), Brooke Arnold (one-person show Growing Up Fundie), and Marla Schultz at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Matt Smith: Go Ricki!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Brian McCann (writer for 17 years for Emmy-winning Conan O'Brien; 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation) & Patrick McCartney (Second City, SNL Digital Shorts, TV Funhouse) perform duo improv at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): McCann and McCartney

7:30 pm ($10): Two PIT downstairs lounge improv groups making up a musical on the spot. Dagger includes Abby Holland (VH1's Best Night Ever, musical improv groups Aquarius and Veal), and Hello includes Lorraine Cink (especially lovely singing voice; host & writer of Marvel Comics' The Watcher): Dagger and Hello

7:30 pm ($10): Improv group Bucky makes up one long scene in the same location (a winning form that's helped such teams as Death by Roo Roo win a whole lot of Cage Match victories)—and, when SNL is on break, sometimes includes star Sasheer Zamata (whenever that happens, consider this a TOP PICK)—at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Thank F#@% It's Friday!

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics, following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now returning to The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities: Vote or Whatever

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): For an interactive theatre experience, "Come and haunt the wonderful Williamsburg basement of The Annoyance. Along the way you'll scare the living shit out of our cast, experience the intense climate of the Ghost justice system, and contact forces from beyond in a spectacular seance finale" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): You Haunt Our House

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe Pera (hilarious and genius deadpan stand-up; killer set on Seth Meyers; Comedy Central, Adult Swim; for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here; for Joe's latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here; co-host of the Dan + Joe + Charles Show), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City), Clark Jones (co-host of Comedy Night at the Knit), Justin Williams, and Rosebud Baker performing stand-up at the HiFi Bar (169 Avenue A) produced by Gary Levitt & Matt Schwartzer and guest-hosted by Graham VanBach: I Don't Get It Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): A 90-minute variety show featuring stand-up, sketch, improv, and music at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Tom Brink & Keele Howard-Stone: Wolf Spirit with Tom and Keele

[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 Sebastian Conelli (2014 Cage Match Champion The Enemy): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10; includes free pizza if you arrive before 9:00 pm): North Coast (superb hip-hop musical improv group), plus stand-up from Sam Morril (Comedy Central Half Hour), Christi Chiello (Comedy Central's Roast Battle), Brandon Scott Wolf (Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, SNL), Krystyna Hutchinson (Guys We Fucked podcast), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Marisa Douenias (Louie), and Brett Davis (character comic; co-host of The Macaulay Culkin Show), all performing in Brooklyn at a secret location (RSVP here to learn where) hosted by Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central) and followed by a free dance party with DJ Clamr: The Secret Loft Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in the country from brilliant comics Connor Ratliff, Silvija Ozols, Shannon O'Neill, Don Fanelli, Alexandra Dickson, and/or Michael Delaney forming a seamless and hilarious group mind at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): 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, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

9:00 pm ($5): An improvised game of Dungeons & Dragons at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Campaign

9:00 pm ($10): In this semi-scripted play, Adrian Sexton (Dark Matter) and Parker Denton (National Scandal) are "two washed-up film actors remembering their sordid past from Hollywood’s Golden Age—spurred by guest improvisors as ghosts from their memories" at The PIT downstairs lounge: All About Whatever Happened to that Old Decaying Mansion On Sunset Blvd

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Norwegian-American sketch comedy duo Zach & Viggo perform as part of their world tour at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Zach & Viggo: Thunderflop

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Adam Rubin will attempt to mystify and amaze you with not quite half a dozen illusions at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Six and a Half Magic Tricks in a Basement

9:30 pm ($5): Myka Fox (SNL freelance contributor; host of Myka Fox & Friends podcast on Keith and The Girl Network), Clark Jones, Sean P. McCarthy, and Sydnee Washington performing stand-up at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Jessica Watkins: Homespun Comedy

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Musical improv group Premiere—which features the best improv piano player in the biz, Frank Spitznagel—springboards off an audience suggestion to create a complete story with song and dance at The Magnet theatre: Premiere: The Improvised Musical

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Peggy O'Leary: Creek Cave Live

10:00 pm ($10): "A show about five women proving they can have it all—except for the jobs, lives, and experiences typically reserved for men" with Allyson Barkan, Ashley Sather, Hannah VanderPoel, Molly Barrett, and Andrea Romano at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Late Night Audition

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors James Dwyer, Craig Rowin, Connor O'Malley, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and Shaun Diston make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($10): Drew Michael (SNL), Tyler Fischer, Taneal Joachim, and Alex Ptak performing stand-up, storytelling, sketch, and/or improv at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, Justin Tyler, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

10:30 pm ($5): Improv group Business Kiss and frineds perform at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Business Kiss: Monthly Meeting

10:30 pm ($5): A mix of stand-up, music, and improv at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Carmen Christopher: The Juice: Halloween Edition

[$] 11:00 pm ($18): "When a washed-up reality TV producer is fresh out of ideas on how to get back in the game, he decides to reunite the horrible reality TV family that originally brought him fame and discover the secret that split them apart years ago. He decides to get them to confess the only way he knows how: under duress. After reuniting the family for what they think is a one-night special, the producer stages an attack on Beverly Hills by ISIS" at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Blatantly Blaine: A New "Family" Musical

11:00 pm ($5): Brandon Scott Wolf (contributor to SNL's Weekend Update; Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris), Ronan Babbitt (Mr. Robot), Lucas Kaiser, James III, and many more comics performing a variety of comedy forms at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Anne Victoria Clark (freelance contributor to SNL's Weekend Update): The Pretty Late Show: Stranger Things Edition

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Four scary stories, told by Natasha Vyanblat, Three Dogs (Ken Beck, Alex French, and Cory Palmer), Peter Smith, and Matt Dennie at UCB East hosted by Matt Denne & Josh Sharp: Cool Shit / Weird Shit: Treehouse of Terror

[FREE] Midnight: Comics present "sure-fire, can’t miss, get-in-on-the-ground-floor, knock your socks off ideas that will not only make a lot of money but will make lives better across the board" and then request your money (whether you give is entirely up to you) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Dan King & Ben Conrad: Snake Oil

Midnight ($50): Contestants get 3 minutes to compete with their nastiest sketch, character, or bit at UCB Chelsea hosted by Matthew Cutler, Molly Gaebe, and Allie Kokesh: Satan's Christmas

Friday Open Mics & Jams

[FREE] 5:00 pm: Walk-in open mic (signup at 4:30 pm), with 5 minutes per comic, storyteller, poet, or singer, at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Davey Melch & Sydney Beveridge: Queens Free Mic Fridays

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

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Walk-in open mic that allows everyone to get on stage at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): $1 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 hosted by Shalewa Sharpe & Courtney Fearrington: Thug Passion

[ALMOST FREE] 6:30 pm ($1): PIT improv veterans mix with improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Happy Hour

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Show up at 6:45 pm to place your name in a dog bowl for the chance to get called up on stage and jam with veteran improvisors at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Dog Fight

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-up starts at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Seena Jon: Mic and Cheese

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/29/16

One of the greatest treats at FringeNYC 2016 was a one-man show in which Evan Zes described, in gripping detail, how he managed to survive in NYC as a struggling actor by illegally subletting a rent-controlled apartment using Airbnb. Zes' adventures are hilarious...and will ring painfully true to any New Yorker. The show is now enjoying an extension in SoHo, running tonight and November 3rd, 5th, 10th, and 12th: Rent Control (9:00 pm, $20.75 online using discount code RENT, otherwise $27.75; Soho Playhouse downstairs Huron Club at 15 Vandam Street)

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

2:00 pm ($5): A showcase of comedic one-act plays and musicals at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) produced by Adam Chisnall & Yue Liu: One Act Comedy Fest

[$] 3:00 pm ($18): "When a washed-up reality TV producer is fresh out of ideas on how to get back in the game, he decides to reunite the horrible reality TV family that originally brought him fame and discover the secret that split them apart years ago. He decides to get them to confess the only way he knows how: under duress. After reuniting the family for what they think is a one-night special, the producer stages an attack on Beverly Hills by ISIS" at The PIT upstairs theatre (123 East 24th Street): Blatantly Blaine: A New "Family" Musical

[FREE] 6:00 pm: A staged reading of a new musical about Lewis & Clark, with book & songs by Kevin Froleiks & Patrick J. Reilly, at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Lewis and Clark Expedition Musical Stage Reading

6:00 pm ($5): Four Indie improv troupes performing at The Magnet theatre: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Musical improv duo Jordan Hirsch & Kathleen Armenti interview an audience member—possibly you—"about your routine, your habits, their whys and wherefores, all of that gives us a window into your soul. And then we'll make up funny songs about it. If Alexander Hamilton gets a show all about him, why not you? You’re just as interesting and twice as alive as that guy" at The PIT downstairs lounge: You: The Musical

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Saturday

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A mix of characters and improv in which anyone might stop by when the doorbell rings—surprising both the audience and hosts Brian Faas & Dom Manzolillo—at the UCB East theatre: Ding Dong!

7:00 pm ($5): Mary Houlihan & Sam Taggart perform duo improv, and group Monogamous performs one long 30-minute scene, all at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Mary & Sam Do Two-Prov and Monogamous

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Improv group Big Black Car 2, plus improv group Ladies of The PIT (Dana Krashin, Tracy Mull, Sarah Nowak, and more) make up scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: BBC2 and Ladies of The PIT

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "Created in 1995 at the iO Theater in Chicago, The Armando Diaz Experience is the longest running improv show ever. A guest monologist—who tonight is Armando Diaz himself!—takes a suggestion from the audience and shares true personal tales. These stories are then brought to life by a rotating cast of improv all-stars" at The Magnet theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience

7:30 pm ($7): Political activists and pundits mix with comics at this political comedy show that makes fun of the news at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Electoral Dysfunction

7:30 pm ($10): Comedic storytellers Erik Bransteen, Leland Cheuk, Jennifer Gable, Cory Jarvis, Terri Mintz, and Gahl Shottan tell tales about losing their virginity at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) produced by Angela Cobb and guest-hosted by Kristin Seltman: My First Time: A Stand-Up and Storytelling Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: In this annual Halloween tradition, NYC stand-ups impersonate other stand-ups at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Invasion of the Bawdy Snatchers

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Gypsy Danger (which includes brilliant comics Katie Hartman and Evan Kaufman, and which will make up a feature film on the spot) and The Baldwins (which includes brilliant comics Micah Sherman and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gypsy Danger: The Improvised Movie and The Baldwins

8:00 pm ($10): "The government has declared an acid rain day, so the Siblings are stuck in their dark cellar and forced to use their imaginations to create friends and play games. But once their imaginations are let loose, there’s not much they can do to stop it: Toys, monsters, and ghosts all come to life before their eyes and yours. Can the Siblings make friends? Or will their imaginations get the best of them?" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): The Siblings Halloween Special

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Improv group Airwolf—with big talents Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, Achilles Stamatelaky, Eddie Dunn, Ben Rameaka, and Adam Fruccie—make up scenes about terrible audience experiences related to a home at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), Seaton Smith (rising star stand-up; HBO's Girls, FOX's Mulaney, Seth Meyers, Inside Amy Schumer, The Nightly Show), Liza Treyger (Comedy Central Half Hour, Chelsea Lately), and Ariel Elias (Jezebel) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Industry City Distillery (33 35th Street, 6th Floor) hosted by Lukas Kaiser & Rojo Perez; to ensure you'll get in, reserve your spot by emailing britpackrentals@gmail.com with the subject line Captains October: Captains of Industry

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A freestyle rapping long-form improv group that includes such talents as Evan Kaufman (Your Love Our Musical) takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT downstairs lounge: North Coast

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): An improvised apocalypse from sharp comics John Murray, Sean Casey, Jackie Jennings, Glenn Boozan, Joanna Bradley, Chad Carter, and Caroline Cotter at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Goat

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney make up scenes at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

9:00 pm ($10): A showcase of comedic one-act plays and musicals at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) produced by Adam Chisnall & Yue Liu: One Act Comedy Fest

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): A sketch/variety show at The PIT upstairs theatre operating from a fun dark premise: "When Vincent Welles died and went to Hell, he soon found out his punishment was to host a variety talk show for all eternity in the fiery underworld. Join Vincent as he, along with his demonic producers and werewolf sidekick Warren Talbot, host special guests and surprises" starring BJ Thorne: Welcome to Hell with Vincent Welles: Helloween Spooktacular

9:30 pm ($5): Long-form improv with a playful title directed by Conner O'Malley at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Michael Jordan Steakhouse

9:30 pm ($8): Each stand-up screens a movie clip he or she loves before performing a set—with tonight's comics Kara Buller, Andrea Ilene Shapiro, Davey Melch, and Alex Fossella—at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Justin Angermeyer & Caitlin Mckee: Roll Credits

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): A powerhouse group of improvisors—Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Langan Kingsley (rising star; sketch group Beige, one-woman show The Dicewoman Cometh), Aaron Jackson (Fuck That Shit, Newsadoozies), Natasha Vaynblat (one-woman show United Federation of Teachers), and Nate Dern (News Editor for Funny or Die)—springboard scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life at the UCB East theatre: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: A sketch show about the degrading lives of NYC movers ("Warning: Furniture will be smashed with extreme prejudice during the show; eye protection is encouraged") at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Cruz Smash

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Long form improv about the behavior of a theatrical troupe both on-stage and off-stage, revolving around a different show biz theme each week—which tonight, for Halloween, is Hell House—at The Magnet theatre: The Cast: Hell House

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): 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: Gas Station Horror

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Mike Cabellon, Adrien Pellerin, Katie Sicking have written and star in this musical about "three Millennial janitors who band together to launch a promising enterprise that breaks every promise from boom to bust; it's never about the product, it’s an excuse to give a TED Talk" at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Meet the CEOs: A Start-Up Musical

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

10:30 pm ($5): "A teen drama in which everyone has a secret. (hint: they’re all gay). On the outside it’s a typical high school with science fairs, basketball games, and homecoming dances, but below the surface it’s filled with secrets, betrayal, and most importantly drama...with a new episode each week!" at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Lake Homo High

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Stand-ups performing at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Freddy Goldstein: Last Stop Laughs

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($10): Pre-Halloween, a small army of comics pay homage to the cult classic film Rocky Horror Picture Show at The PIT upstairs theatre: Rocky Whorer PIT-ure Show

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): A gay-themed variety show at the UCB East theatre hosted by Timothy Dunn: Queerball

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Couples selected from the audience are tested to determine whether they belong together: "The couples with the least amount of points will have to break up, because we all die alone and what's the point of anything, really? It'll be fun!" at UCB Chelsea hosted by Carly Ann Filbin: Let Me Break You Up: An Anti-Dating Game Show

[FREE] Midnight: "A new game show where three contestants get quizzed on random topics; raps, video games, different types of soda. We'll even have a few comics drop by" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Marvin Lattimore: A Night of Thrill-Via

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show, with names drawn out of a bucket, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Rachel Coleman: Let's Be Friends

4:00 pm ($5; your ticket provides $3 off a drink at nearby Pioneers Bar): Walk-in lottery style open mic (sign-up starting at 3:45 pm) at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Swing Riders Open Mic

[FREE] 5:00 pm: Walk-in comedy open mic (lottery system, with sign-up starting at 4:30 pm) providing each selected comic 4 minutes on stage at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Chris Gersbeck & Veronica Garza: Murray Povich Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Put your name in a bucket for this open mic for stand-up, sketch, music, or anything else you want to work out on stage at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street) hosted by Josh Bates & Brian Pisano: Make Out Party: An Open Mic

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Walk-in open mic, with names drawn from a bucket (sign-up starts at 6:50 pm), and a designated beer drinker on stage who might chime in at any moment to riff with you during your set, at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Amy Shanker, Brett Hiker, and Cameron Ford: Power Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Walk-in open mic for character bits, stand-up, etc. at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Elise Edwards: Discount Disco

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 10/30/16

Halloween-themed shows tonight include The Halloween Get Down at Brooklyn's Littlefield and Hall-Oh!-Ween at Brooklyn's Union Hall

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

4:00 pm ($10): Peter Michael Marino improvises a soul-baring one-man show inspired by interactions with the audience (and with the help of stellar director Michole Biancosino) at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Show Up

5:30 pm ($5): Improvisors who cut across all regions and schools come together for one evening at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Supernova

6:00 pm ($7): Eight comics improvise a high school prom at the Magnet theatre: Prom Night

6:30 pm ($5): Three NYC improv groups that are independent (i.e., not a house team of any particular improv school/theatre) compete for audience member laughs and votes at UCB East hosted by superb improvisors Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (half of revered improv group Krompf): Indie Cage Match

7:00 pm-Midnight ($8): Michelle Buteau (VH1's Morning Buzz and Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Key & Peele, FOX's Enlisted, Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, comedy album Shut Up), Giulia Rozzi (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening and The Jim Gaffigan Show, Chelsea Lately, writer for MTV's Girl Code, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories, comedy album True Love), and Emily Tarver performing stand-up and hosting "a good ol' fashion funky Halloween party, with a DJ, a costume contest, drink specials, pizza, and more" at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): The Halloween Get Down

7:00 pm ($5): Three scripted shows for the price of one at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Triple Feature

7:00 pm ($5): Halloween-inspired Improv from group Family Haircut at The PIT downstairs lounge: Family Haircut: Cabbage Night

[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 Shannon O'Neill and Anthony Atamanuik, and sometimes network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stand-up from Lane Moore (HBO's Girls; host of Tinder Live; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo, writer for The Onion, McSweeney's), Roy Wood Jr. (correspondent for The Daily Show; David Letterman, HBO'S Def Comedy Jam, TBS' Sullivan & Son, Comedy Central), Liza Treyger (Comedy Central Half Hour, Chelsea Lately), Ike Ufomadu, and Matt Barats; music from The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; albums Ladies Don't Spit and Don't Beat Around the Bush; CBS’ The Doctors); and sketch from Brett Davis (character comic; co-host of The Macaulay Culkin Show) and groups The Hubbies, Blaze & Alex, and New Greta, all performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street) hosted by Ethan Beach (MTV): Oh, Such a Good Show, Oh: Hall-Oh!-Ween

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among five shows, with three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Sunday

7:30 pm ($7): "Who knew that the nerd you were casual acquaintances with in high school was secretly a famous elf warrior? Or that the quiet girl in math class was a 1,000-year-old witch? In fact, all those weirdoes you never talked to were secretly battling the forces of darkness in their mother's basement. This show flips back and forth between fantasy and reality, magic spells and homework anxiety, the bravest campaign against evil ever fought and the hopes and dreams of the kids who imagine it all" at The Magnet theatre: Dragons & Dungeons

7:30 pm ($5): Chris Booth and friends perform sketch comedy at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Haunted House of Tards

7:30 pm ($5): Dana Krashin and friends are improv group Student Driver, which hosts two indie improv troupes making up scenes and then performs itself, all at The PIT downstairs lounge: Student Driver Indie Road

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Joe Zimmerman (Conan O'Brien, John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing), Doug Smith (Conan O'Brien, co-host of See You In Hell), Alison Leiby (VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story), Brendan Eyre (Seth Meyers, Comedy Central), Drew Anderson, and Carmen Lagala performing stand-up at UCB East guest-hosted by Jo Firestone (exceptionally inventive and irresistible rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Unexpectashow and The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers): If You Build It

8:00 pm ($6): Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), Roy Wood Jr. (correspondent for The Daily Show; David Letterman, HBO'S Def Comedy Jam, TBS' Sullivan & Son, Comedy Central), Drew Michael (writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Half Hour), Blair Socci (MTV's Ladylike), Tim Dillon (Last Comic Standing), and Steven Markow performing at Brooklyn's Sunnyvale (1031 Grand Street) hosted by Harris Mayersohn (Stephen Colbert): Just a Show

8:00 pm ($5): Halloween-inspired Improv from Zac Brown, Mike Brown, and Ben Jones, plus free candy and a costume contest, at The PIT upstairs theatre: Family Haircut: Cabbage Night

8:30 pm ($5): Improvisors give up specific bad habits for seven days, with half of this week's comics giving up sugar while the other half stay up for 36 hours straight, at Brooklyn's The Annoyance Theatre (367 Bedford Avenue; take J/M/Z to Marcy Avenue or L to Lorimer Street): Bad Habits: Sugar and Sleep

8:30 pm ($5): A variety of comics (not announced) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Will Cheng: Wildcard Comedy Hour

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Duo improv from Louis Kornfeld & Rick Andrews at The Magnet theatre: Kornfeld & Andrews

9:00 pm ($7): Typically solid stand-ups perform at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Will Miles, Clark Jones, and/or Kenny DeForest: Comedy Night at the Knit

9:00 pm ($5): Tracy Mull hosts a halloween-inspired evening of short form Improv at The PIT upstairs theatre: Family Monster Mash-Up: A Short Form Show

9:00 pm ($5): Indie improv groups make up scenes at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Ian Herrin: The Ian Herrin Improv Hour

[ALMOST FREE] 10:30 pm ($1): This improv show is based on a Mullaney Chain (pioneered by Kevin Mullaney) in which the host invites a guest to improvise with him or her, then the guest independently invites a third person, who then invites a fourth person, and so on, creating a one-time-only lineup that will be a surprise to everyone involved at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street) hosted by Kurt Guenther: The Telephone Show

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 3:30 pm: An improv jam celebrating diversity in comedy that lets audience members—whose names are drawn from a bucket—perform with sharp improv/sketch group Astronomy Club (which includes Keisha Zollar and Jonathan Braylock) at the UCB East theatre: Diversity Improv Jam

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket, drawings every half hour), providing 4 minutes per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Intestinal Fortitude

[FREE] 5:00 pm: Walk-in stand-up lottery style open mic that provides 4 minutes per comic at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Andrea Shapiro & Chris Gersbeck: Bunk Bed Time Open Mic

5:30ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Weekly open mic stand-up, with comics selected from names tossed into a bucket starting at 5:00ish pm, at Brooklyn's Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue): Sunday 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] 10:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show (sign up is at 9:45 pm) providing 5 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from the bucket at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Ian Kitchen: The Grandstand

9:30 pm ($3): Open-mic comedy, with 3-5 minutes per walk-in performer who signs up (first come, first serve) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Will Neville: Amateur Night at the Gemini

[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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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