NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/29/12
Hurricane Sandy
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
are to stay home.
Because of the hurricane heading our way, mass transit has been shut down.
Stay home, and be warm and safe.
Comedy listings will resume here once NYC subways and buses are moving again.
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/30/12
Hurricane Sandy
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
are still suspended.
Because of the severe damage wreaked by Hurricane Sandy,
mass
transit continues to be shut down.
I hope you survived yesterday with minimal damage,
and are warm, dry, and safe.
Comedy listings will resume here once NYC subways and buses are
moving again
—probably on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, here's the hot-off-the-presses debut of a Web series by the unique & beloved Jawnee Conroy and Tony Camin: Adult Roommates.
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 10/31/12
Laugh at Sandy and other disasters via Halloween-themed
shows tonight, including
Monster
Night (sketch), Ghoul
Night (sketch/improv), and
Matt & Meg's HaLOLween Party (stand-up)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up hosted by Cody Hess at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Listen! The Open Mic
7:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Nintendo, Bloomer, Horses, Dr. Champagne, The Wrath, Featherweight, Flower Girl, Chet Watkins, and Brick performing improv: The Magnet's Megawatt
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Frank Conniff (Frank from MST3K), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Michael Che (IFC's Bunk, Comedy Central), and Dan McCoy (The Daily Show) performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream) & Meghan O'Neill (The Story Pirates): Matt & Meg's HaLOLween Party
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of UCB Chelsea's best sketch troupes, Thunder Gulch, performs a special show for Halloween: Monster Night Live
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Murderfist (NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), The Cowmen (hilarious dark comedy singer/songwriters who include members of Murderfist), and stand-ups Joe Machi and Jesse Joyce performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ben Kissel & Ed Larson: Bag of Flaming Dog Shit
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) through November 26th: The Old Man and the Moon
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically terrific NYC comics (not announced) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) typically hosted by Gabe Liedman and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups perform along with side-show attractions such as jugglers, contortionists, and fire eaters at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this unusual carny experience: Abigoliah's Bizarre Bazaar
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Doppelganger, Livia Scott, Mindy Raf, Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, and more will perform scary & hilarious sketch and/or improv at UCB Chelsea for Halloween's Ghoul Night
[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 11/1/12
Comedy genius Chris Gethard hosts a night of oddball music in Brooklyn at The Weirdest Bands We Know
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving two minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies
[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Brandon Gulya auditions his new one-man show Tom Cruise World and Other Novels, and a whole bunch of folks audition The 2017 Tony Awards, hoping for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank
[FREE] 7:00 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] 8:00 pm ($7 at the door or $8.44 in advance online): Comedy genius Chris Gethard hosts a musical show with bands Big Digits, Stumblebum Brass Band, The Naked Heroes, and Mindtroll. Says Chris, "While the bands on this bill might not share commonalities regarding genre, approach, or tone, they do all have one thing in common—each has been a standout musical guest on the public access comedy cult hit known as The Chris Gethard Show. Come celebrate the strange musical underbelly of New York as curated by the same weirdos who transform TCGS from a poorly made comedy show into a poorly made comedy show that features some of the weirdest, best, and most interesting music NYC has to offer. This event will be hosted by Chris Gethard along with many of the oddballs who appear on the show, and will feature not just music but ill-advised crowd participation, stunts, and prize giveaways. Come take a ride with the weirdest bands we know." It's all happening at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): The Chris Gethard Show Presents: Come Take A Ride With The Weirdest Bands We Know
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August's FringeNYC it's been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Debuting at UCB Chelsea is a one-woman show by superb sketch comic Pam Murphy about characters who "lead terrible lives:" Pam Murphy: Like Me...
...and in the other half of this double-bill, a two-man sketch show by Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp that very loosely springs off the real events of the title but is mostly meta-comedy. I would've preferred something meatier, especially given the fascinating subject—436 people killed by a tiger whose damaged teeth made it difficult to eat anything other than humans—but there's lots of energy and performance talent here, making this a solid first-time effort: Maneater: The True Story of the Champawat Tigress
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) through November 26th: The Old Man and the Moon
8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Featherweight, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Hello Laser performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Medusa (all improvisers stay on stage at all times, and alternate between speaking roles and playing inanimate objects), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) featuring Horses vs. Orange Augustus: The Magnet's Night Out
[FREE] 8:00 pm: "A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete" at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess: Cookies!
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway: Comedy as a Second Language
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): The first round of a beloved annual November tradition at UCB Chelsea—Pat Baer's 3-on-3 Improv Tournament
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/2/12
Stellar stand-up (and rock god) Dave Hill performs at Brooklyn's
Pirate
Party;
comedy goddess Shannon O'Neill interviews
audience members—probably about Sandy—at
Strangers Wanted, then performs improv with Chris Gethard at The
Stepfathers
Please note: The East Village was pummeled by Sandy, and
so most comedy venues in that area are dark
until power is restored. These include UCB East, The PIT, Under St.
Marks, and the Eastville Comedy Club.
But comedy on the West side, and in Brooklyn and LIC, goes on...
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage
7:00 pm ($7): A one-woman show by Jenice Matias that "includes original songs and dance, and fictional scenarios of politicians exploiting women: prostitution being legalized, the enforcement of ex-gay camps, mandatory registration of genitals at a government agency, and prosthetic vaginas"at The Magnet; plus a second show that from a comedy troupe whose name will make you hungry and want to dance at the same time: Pussinomics and The Rolling Scones
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion) does a monthly show at UCB Chelsea based on nothing but interviews with the audience and sheer guts: Strangers Wanted with Shannon O'Neill
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Nick Cobb (NBC, Comedy Central, Super Bowl commercials), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Ray Devito (E!), and Vladimir Caamano (Carolines) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Postmark Cafe (326 6th Street) hosted by Abbi Crutchfield & Luke Thayer: The Living Room
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A comic who's a cast member of MTV's Guy Code headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Lil Duval
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City downstairs lounge: Mic and Cheese
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A comic who's co-starred in TBS' Are We There Yet?, starred in three Comedy Central specials, and performed on performed on Conan O'Brien, MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, and The Today Show headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Christian Finnegan
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper; new book Tasteful Nudes), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Annie Lederman, followed by wild Karaoke: Pirate Party
8:30 pm ($7): Five veteran improvisors make stuff up at The Magnet as troupe Lead McEnroe
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O'Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Long-form improv from troupe CSO at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Casual Sex Offenders
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before the show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/3/12
...enjoy Marina Franklin at the reopening of Eastville; or catch Christian Finnegan headlining at Gotham
Please note: The East Village is up and running again: UCB East, The PIT, and the Eastville Comedy Club all have shows tonight. Also, the Lexington Avenue 4/5/6 subways are now providing full service. Comedy is back on both sides of NYC.
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) through November 26th: The Old Man and the Moon
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour
[FREE] 6:00 pm: "A monthly show that you control. Your suggestions, blurt-outs, and whatever else you feel like doing or saying will guide us through an hour of good times" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: YBTHR
6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Frosting Hangover, Wando, and Johnny Velvet & the Moonbeams at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown
7:00 pm ($5): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell "bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure" as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Sharp improvisors—including improv master Ed Herbstman—"perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules" at The Magnet theatre: The Weave
7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A comic who's co-starred in TBS' Are We There Yet?, starred in three Comedy Central specials, and performed on performed on Conan O'Brien, MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, and The Today Show headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Christian Finnegan
[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man's shoes and put NYC's finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell
8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing upstairs on this weekly double-bill: Big Black Car and The Baldwins
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on 30 Rock and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Mark Viera
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Zoe Coombs Marr (visiting from Australia; for a love letter to a dinosaur, please click here), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), and Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] [$] [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 (9:00 pm only), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem
9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year's FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse's upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which tonight's stand-ups Erik Bergstrom, James Harris, Mike Cronin, Jason Burke, Jono Zalay, Eli Sairs, and Dan Kilpatrick perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can't even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Reid Faylor, Kelly Fastuca, and/or Andrew Short: Underbelly
[TOP PICK] [$] 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] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:" Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford—makes stuff up at UCB East based on hellish experiences of audience members: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike
11:00 pm ($8): A young all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Sketch comedy in the form of crazy ass wrestling, with main events including "Christians vs. Mormons: Father Nelson & Altar Boy vs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—winner gets their own planet" at UCB Chelsea; :Hilarious real wrestling matches live! Get your tickets NOW! Only 14,000 seats available!:" UCBW Electiongeddon
[FREE] Midnight: 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
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 11/4/12
Delayed by Sandy but still a great event, dozens of NYC comics gather tonight to impersonate other comics (Groucho Marx, Ricky Gervais, Lisa Lampanelli, Maria Bamford, and lots more) at The 5th Annual Schtick or Treat
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 3:00 pm ($65): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) through November 26th: The Old Man and the Moon
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase
[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year's FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse's upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & R an Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce
[$] 7:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on 30 Rock and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Mark Viera
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at door, $11.78 in advance online): For the fifth year of this fabulous annual event, dozens of NYC comics get two minutes each to do a set as a famous comedian. This 2012 edition is slated to include impersonations of Ricky Gervais, Maria Bamford, Mike Birbiglia, Wanda Sykes, Chelsea Handler, Flight of the Conchords, Lisa Lampanelli, Pete Holmes, Reggie Watts, and lots more. It all takes place at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand. Please note that N subway service hasn't yet been restored in Brooklyn, but taking the 2/4/5 to Atlantic Avenue and then walking around 8 blocks along 4th Avenue to Degraw Street will get you to The 5th Annual Schtick or Treat
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Zoe Coombs Marr (visiting from Australia; for a love letter to a dinosaur, please click here), Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific), and Kendra Cunnigham performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall guest-hosted tonight by Caroline Creaghead: Pretty Good Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Kevin Allison, Dan St. Germain, The Reformed Whores, and more tell stories about sex and romance at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street, between Second and Third Avenues) with host Jefferson: Bare: True Stories of Sex, Desire, and Romance
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): From Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman (producers of The Scene), improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight's groups including Pumpkin, Maybe Sherman, and The Lottery: Act One
8:00 pm ($5): A weekly show at The Magnet featuring sketches, jokes, interviews, and more focused on the upcoming Presidential election: The Great American Sketch Show
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm (no cover if you reserve at (212) 367-9000 using code POWER, but 2-drink min.): Typically sharp NYC comics, such as Vic Henley and Ophira Eisenberg, performing at the Gotham Comedy Club: Gotham All-Stars
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Michael Kupperman, Aparna Nancherla, Mike Recine, Ryan McKee, and Jaqi Furback performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the L'asso East Village lounge (107 First Avenue, off 7th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up
9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Nick Hart, Jono Zalay, Emmy Blotnik, and Josh Rabinowitz performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar
9:30 pm ($8): Improvisors and more gather to make fun of the Presidential election at The PIT upstairs theatre: Electoral Dysfunction 2012
9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy teams Risky Bottom and Jacktown try out new material at this show with the on-the-nose title Magnet Sketch Teams
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle
10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience...and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam
Copyright © 2012 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
