NYC Comedy Picks for Week of October 31, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/31/11

Improv witches compete against improv God-fearing townspeople at Cage Match...

...Chris Gethard performs at Wheelhouse; and the staff writers for Conan O'Brien do stand-up sets at Whiplash

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 ($5): In 1976, 1977, and 1978, Paul Lynde annually taped his zany Halloween show. Now, through the use of Doc Brown's time machine, Paul will travel to the future—all the way to the 25th Century—to bring his light-hearted satirical look at television variety specials with a new generation of celebrities at The Magnet. Join Paul and his guests Sammy Davis Jr., Vincent Price, Barry Lank, and more as they celebrate the Halloween season as only Paul can: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special in the 25th Century

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($16): My #1 pick for the 2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they've all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title's Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest & nuanced improvised shows you'll ever see. It's running every Monday at the elegant Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street, near the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop): Naked in a Fishbowl

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Ray Marshall, Harriet Halloway, Miguel Dalmau, Ben Walker, and Jayson Cross performing stand-up at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): God-fearing villagers versus Satan spawn competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB West's Halloween edition of its raucous improv contest: Cage Match: Townspeople vs. Witches

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake and UCBT's The Chris Gethard Show; Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York; winner of 2011 ECNY Award for Best Tweeter), Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo), Kara Klenk (co-host of If You Build It), David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup), Alice Wetterlund (improv troupe Garamond), and Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio) performing at UCB East hosted by ace improvisor and aspiring stand-up Will Hines: Wheelhouse

8:00 pm ($5): Improvised terror at The PIT upstairs theatre from a troupe performing a Halloween-themed musical made up on the spot: The Shady Bunch

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): UCB West house sketch troupe Thunder Gulch—which features such appealing talents as Shannon O'Neill, Leslie Meisel, and Ari Scott—puts on a Halloween show in the style of Saturday Night Live, but with monsters instead of comics: Monster Night Live

9:30 pm ($5): D&D-style epic fantasy improv—tonight with Halloween themes—at The PIT upstairs theatre led by a Dungeon Master

10:00 pm ($5): Improvisors Chelsea Clarke, Brandon Gardner, and Philip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guests: Improv Nerds

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Open-stage improv at The PIT downstairs lounge for any improv student seeking more experience, hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A special Conan O'Brien edition at UCB West featuring Conan staff writers Todd Levin, Laurie Kilmartin, Andres Du Bochet, and Jesse Pop, plus Eddie Pepitone (Conan O'Brien, The Sarah Silverman Program, Old School), hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central): Whiplash

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 11/1/11

Over 30 NYC comics gather to impersonate other comics at The 4th Annual Schtick or Treat ...

...a stand-up star practices a long set before taping it for his new Comedy Central special at An Hour with Todd Barry...

...and The Magnet kicks off the 2011 edition of its New York Musical Improv Festival

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[$] 7:00 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Hello and Mint Condition each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Hello and Mint Condition

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month's topic "Crime & Punishment"—e.g., why Shakespeare is the supreme crime writer; why we turn our criminals into heroes; how to stay legal in China; and The Evolution and Domestication of the Common Superhero—at Brooklyn's Union Hall for Charles Star's comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A brand new episode of a classic sitcom written (by Luke Ward) as if it was happening during the height of the show's popularity, with tonight's subject Three's Company performed at The PIT featuring wonderful comedic actresses Laura Grey (Horrorgasm, Klepper & Grey) as Janet and Lauren Olson (Our Condolences, Good Morning Ladies) as Chrissy: To Be Continued

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Billy Princell, and more performing stand-up at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran on behalf of a great late actor: After Hours with Gene Hackman and Friends

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15 plus 2-drink min.): Conan O'Brien staff writers—who may include Brian Kiley, Todd Levin, Laurie Kilmartin, Andres Du Bochet, Brian McCann, and/or Jesse Pop, plus host Jimmy Pardo—performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club while Conan spends a week in NYC. Please note a similar show happens tomorrow at UCBT West for just $5; but if you like prefer comedy clubs, this will probably be lots of fun: An Evening with The Conan Writers

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

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

[$] 8:30 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Aquarius and The Traveling Musical Medicine Show each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Aquarius and The Traveling Musical Medicine Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Come help one of the finest stand-ups in the biz, Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), as he performs at The PIT upstairs theatre to hone an hour-long special he'll soon be taping for Comedy Central: An Hour with Todd Barry

9:30 pm ($5): Typically terrific stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($8; doors open at 9:30 pm): For the fourth year of this fabulous annual event, over 30 NYC comics get two minutes each to do a set as a famous comedian. This 2011 edition is slated to include impersonations of Anthony Jeselnik, Aziz Ansari, Bobcat Goldthwait, Colin Quinn, David Cross, Emo Phillips, Jerry Seinfeld, Judah Friedlander, Larry David, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, Richard Lewis, Rodney Dangerfield, Susie Essman, Todd Barry, Whitney Cummings, Zach Galifianakis, and more. It all takes place at the Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery, between Houston & Bleecker), hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand. For reservations please email schtickortreat@gmail.com, and then come enjoy The 4th Annual Schtick or Treat

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives), team up to create their own special version of a comedy variety show at UCB East. Tonight's guests are new mom Andrea Rosen (brilliant stand-up & storyteller; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central's Stella, Variety SHAC, The Nights of Our Lives, Ding Dong Meow, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), and Dave Thunder (Conan O'Brien, ESPN): The Tony and Johnny Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): A comedic freestyle rap contest that's a UCBT staple plays for one night only at The Magnet, featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—plus a volunteer from the audience!—hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central); and in the other half of this double-bill, musical improv troupe Rosencrantz: The BEATdown and Rosencrantz

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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 11/2/11

Mike Lawrence mixes a dash of nerd with lots of sharp wit headlining at Carolines;
Meghan O'Neill was a highlight at SketchFest NYC and shines her star even brighter performing at Ars Nova...

...New Yorker cartoonist Corey Pandolph is at Shrink...

...and NBA coach Stan Van Gundy appears at Get Loose

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's Super Free Wednesday

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

[$] 7:00 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Initial Public Offering and American Idlez each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: IPO and and American Idlez

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($16.50, plus 2-drink min.) A shrewdly funny curmudgeon and part-time nerd who's performed on Comedy Central and at the New York Comic Con headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Mike Lawrence

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Of all the superb comedic performers new to me at SketchFest NYC 2011, the one who most impressed was Meghan O'Neill. This exceptional actress has such a strong command of voice and movement that in one sketch she managed to convincingly evoke a dozen pop culture figures in under 30 seconds. O'Neill is also a sharp writer, bringing a groundedness and underlying meaning to even the silliest of scenarios. O'Neill is a member of the acclaimed Striking Viking Story Pirates, but is just starting to achieve the fame her talent deserves. If she's been under your radar too, please watch her promo video by clicking here, and then come check her out tonight at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street) performing a one-woman show with a title that belies O'Neill's star quality: 'Fraidy Cat

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The superb Ryan Karels (Conan O'Brien, Krompf) performs a sketch show I haven't yet seen titled Radio Rogue; and the debut of a sketch show directed by comedy genius Neil Casey, who is currently batting 1000% with his previous direction of stellar hit sketch shows by Kate McKinnon, Mike Still, and Stone Cold Fox, so this one is worth checking out for that reason alone: This Is Not a Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, Comedy Central, FOX), Nick Cobb (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriac drug user, please click here) performing stand-up at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City for this weekly show hosted by Nick Turner & Jason Sáenz: Too Cool for School

8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $6.84 online with discount code Supermango): Conan O'Brien writers Andrés du Bouchet and Josh Comers, Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1), Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio), and "a secret guest" performing at the Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery, off Bleecker Street) with host Dan Allen: Sacapuntas!

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stan Van Gundy (NBA coach), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), Jenny Jaffe (staff writer for College Humor), Kate Berlant (Crime & Punishment), Calvin Cato (host of The Pregame Show), J.F. Harris (Raw Guts), Aaron Eisenberg (MTV), and Josh Edelman (BET) performing at Brooklyn bowling alley The Gutter (200 North 14th Street) hosted by Aaron Glaser and guest host Ilana Glazer (Broad City): Get Loose

[FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Sean Crespo (Onion News Network, host of Lasers in the Jungle), Chris Thayer (The Purple Onion), John F. O'Donnell (College Humor), and Dave Lester performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

8:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Burnt Umber, Fuchsia, Grappler, Featherweight, Ocean, and Pea performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Corey Pandolph (cartoonist for The New Yorker), Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories), Kat Herskovic (NBC), Evan Morgenstern (co-producer of SNC and Call Us Crazy), and stellar musical guest The Pendulum Swings at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

9:00 pm ($7): Owen Smith (Everybody Hates Chris, TBS' Are We There Yet?), Louis Katz (HBO, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Kate Hendricks (VH1), and Akaash Singh (MTV) performing stand-up for this monthly show at Under St. Marks, with hosts Christian Polanco & Luke Younge: And Then What Happened?

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Conan O'Brien staff writers Brian Kiley, Todd Levin, Laurie Kilmartin, Andrés du Bouchet, Brian McCann, and Jesse Pop performing stand-up at UCB West while Conan spends a week in NYC: An Evening with The Conan Writers

[$] 9:30 pm ($22, plus 2-drink min.) A veteran stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Last Comic Standing, and Comedy Central headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Eddie Pepitone

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: As many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB West makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam

[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 11/3/11

Mark Douglas, Todd Womack, and Anastasia Douglas, the creators of Web phenom Key of Awesome, are at 92Y Tribeca;
Christy Karacas, the co-creator of Adult Swim's Superjail!, performs at Variety SHAC...

...and Lauren Conlin Adams tackles a dazzling array of characters in
writer Leila Cohan-Miccio's comedic one-woman play Pig: A Restaurant

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

6:30 pm ($5): The appealing Veronica Osorio makes her first attempt to fly solo by performing as five gals who win a chance to be The First Woman on the Moon; plus for the other half of this double-bill, a show hoping to join the UCB West schedule via the audition series Spank

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives) and tonight's guest-host Eric Bernat (improv troupe Creep, FringeNYC): Oh, Hey Guys!

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12): Mark Douglas, Todd Womack, and Anastasia Douglas, the creators of one of the Web's most successful series ever (over 250 million visits on YouTube), perform some of their greatest hits live on stage at 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street): Key of Awesome

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Sharp NYC comics Giulia Rozzi, Becky Yamamoto, and Keisha Zollar talk about "the role that got away" in these behind-the-scenes tales of broken dreams at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok: Role Call

[$] 7:00 pm ($15): In this triple-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Wilder and Wilder, VEAL, and Vox Pop each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Wilder and Wilder, VEAL, and Vox Pop

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): "If you were alive in the 70's, you may have attended some 'Key Parties' where you were randomly paired with someone to go home with and engage in free spirited coitus. (Today we either stay at home alone or congregate at an improv theater.) Key Party combines the 70's arrangement with modern anxiety, exploring the rich moments leading up to that act of coupling and the fallout that follows" at UCB East with stellar comics Laura Grey, Jordan Klepper, and guest improvisors: Key Party; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv troupe Thank You, Robot

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A smart troupe consisting of writers for The Onion perform their best sketches: Pangea 3000: 12 Years of Hard Work; and in the other half of this UCB West double-bill, a sketch play about the opening of a trendy restaurant that serves nothing but raw pig, written with wit and bite by Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox), directed with style by Caitlin Tegart (MTV, PBS, ESPN), and performed superbly by hot comedic actress Lauren Conlin Adams (and special thanks to Sarah Gainer for the photos above): Pig: A Restaurant

[$] 8:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who's a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who's performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted and Knights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's The West Wing and ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Maz Jobrani

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Helen Hong (host of Logo's Setup Squad), David Wiswell (MTV's Yo Mama), Leah Bonnema, and Douglas Smith performing at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman: Happy Sounds Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Greg Johnson (Sirius XM Radio host), Aaron Walker, and more performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): Ann Carr hosts the debut of the second season of her Web series The Actress, joined by comedic guests relating their own horrible experiences in the biz, along with music from Alana Amram, all at 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street): Ann Carr's The Actress: Season 2 Premiere

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

9:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, The Boss, Phooka, and Junior Varsity performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), tonight with musical improv troupes battling it out at 11:00 pm: The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, TruTV; co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), and Christy Karacas (co-creator of Superjail!) performing at UCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik and new mom Andrea Rosen: Variety SHAC

9:30 pm ($8): "A 17-person middle school talent show created and performed by two people—Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron—who like themselves more now that they're older. A comedic tribute to the best three years of our lives, and a comedic play for anyone who ever thought it couldn't get any better than prank calls and slow-dancing" at The PIT: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Murderfist (NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing), R.G. Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), and Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio) performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Sean Crespo's & Carol Hartsell's weekly comedy show Lasers in the Jungle

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Round 1 of a beloved annual November tradition at UCB West—Pat Baer's 3-on-3 Improv Tournament

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open mic stand-up show at UCB East, with each comic given five minutes, hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/4/11

The Magnet showcases top comedy troupes tonight at its New York Musical Improv Festival ...

...mega-selling author R. L. Stine is at 100 Interviews Live, and Top Gun goes Shakespearean in the cleverly executed Jester's Dead

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 start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Choral Rage (NYC) and Hidden Falls (Boston) each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage and Hidden Falls

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): This isn't really a comedy show, but it's at The PIT and is pretty cool, so what the heck: authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps), Julia Segal (comic), and Mark Malkoff (My Damn Channel) discuss the creative process at 100 Interviews Live

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): In one of the best scripted ensemble shows to grace UCB West for some time, troupe Stone Cold Fox performs hilarious parodies of off-off-Broadway theatre, as well as some of the very best sketches it's crafted over the years, in a tight hour-long show directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (who, after also recently directing stellar one-person shows by Kate McKinnon and Mike Still, apparently can do no wrong), featuring delightful performances by Fran Gillespie, Molly Lloyd, D'Arcy Carden (watch for these three gals playing existential Truth or Dare), John Murray, Nate Smith, Brandon Scott Jones, and Jonathan Fernandez, and the writing of Leila Cohan-Miccio, Evan Greenspoon, Brandon Gulya, Matt Hunziker, Owen Parsons, and Michael Trapp: Stone Cold Fox: This Is Not Art

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—tonight featuring guests Abra Tabak (Grandma's Ashes), Dan Klein (The Law Firm), and Ari Scott (Thunder Gulch)—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Eight small improv teams compete as part of a 32-team tournament starting tonight at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena Small Team Tournament, Round 4

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes The Made-Up Musical (NYC) and Happy Karaoke Fun Time (Chicago's Annoyance Theatre) each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Made-Up Musical and Happy Karaoke Fun Time

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, and has performed on Conan O'Brien, ABC, VH1, FOX, CNN, and MSNBC, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Paul Mecurio

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A half-hour stand-up set from one of the most beloved comics in NYC, who's performed on Comedy Central, created and hosts the IFC game show Pointless, co-hosts Hot Tub Variety, and is a triple 2011 ECNY Award winner: Kurt Braunohler: 30 Minutes; and in the second half of this UCB East double-bill, sketch comedy from duo Two Fun Men

[$] [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): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central Presents), Aaron Berg, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Improv comedy that's all like, 'Have you been drinking tonight, sir?' but then is all like, 'Lemme get a sip'" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Teenage Cop

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Diamond Lion (NYC) and Stacked (Chicago) each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Diamond Lion and Stacked

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

11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): This show begins with a delightful concept—Top Gun performed as if written by William Shakespeare—and then executes it with the joyful craft only a sharp, tight theatrical ensemble can create. Everyone in the cast is terrific, but especially memorable are Kate Turnbull as the love interest, Dan Hartley as Maverick, and Vayu O'Donnell who steals every scene he appears in with his hilariously deadpan delivery as Iceman. While this is playing at The PIT for a mere $10, it's really legit Fringe theatre, and I hope it eventually makes its way to FringeNYC or Edinburgh—or better yet, develops more songs and gets a commercial run as a musical. Meanwhile, don't miss this opportunity to see a way fun parody of a cult classic for about half of what you oughta be paying: Jester's Dead

[FREE] 11:45 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with improv veterans to make up musicals on the spot: Magnet Mixer

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

[FREE] Midnight: This show typically isn't much fun for audience members—which is why it hasn't been on the UCB West schedule for a long time—but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCBT stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/5/11

Brilliant & hilarious comics Mindy Raf (above), Myq Kaplan, and more compete on
phenom human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan's midnight rap contest The BEATdown

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

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

[$] 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 11:00 pm ($15 per show): Double-bills at The Magnet for singing improv troupes making up a musical on the spot based on audience suggestions, including Reset List (Chicago) & Proverbial Loons (NYC), Girls Girls Girls (Austin) & Mansical (Chicago), Jill Bernard's Drum Machine (Minneapolis) & A Tale of Two Genres (San Francisco), and McMurray's Dream Machine (NYC) & A/C (NYC), : The 2011 New York Musical Improv Festival

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are David Dickerson (NPR's This American Life, The Atlantic), Lisa Kirchner (Washington Post, Salon.com), Robin Gelfenbien (Sirius Radio, FringeNYC), and Joey Novick (Politics Unusual). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion, exceptionally nice guy) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): "Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe," hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), and featuring storytellers Dave Martin, Diana Spechler, and Seth Lind, plus musical guest Shonali Bhowmik (Variety SHAC): Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PIT upstairs theatre that answer such questions as "Why can't you touch a black girl's hair? Why do some of us burn our cheating man's clothes in his car and can't wait to exhale? How did Foxy Brown know how to get down? Why can two play that game? Why do mad black women write so many diaries?" and more: Mrs Jones

7:00 pm ($5): In-house The PIT sketch comedy troupes show off the videos they've created (in the downstairs lounge) for the theatre's new online TV showcase: The PIT TV Show

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic solo performances—storytelling, sketch, and whatever else isn't stand-up or improv—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Bill Stiteler & Adam Schwartz: Wank

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

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

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who's a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who's performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted and Knights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's The West Wing and ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Maz Jobrani

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, and has performed on Conan O'Brien, ABC, VH1, FOX, CNN, and MSNBC, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Paul Mecurio

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Star storyteller Tom Shillue, and fine stand-ups Helen Hong, Dan Soder, and Dean Obeidallagh, performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for a podcast that's a free way to get therapy for host Joe Matarese: Fixing Joe

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

8:00 pm ($5): A YouTube star tries out an hour's worth of new material at The PIT downstairs lounge: John Roberts

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Sabrina Jalees (Last Comic Standing, Logo's Year End Review), and Jeff Wesselschmidt performing stand-up at UCB East, hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

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

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

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A sketch & interview show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Zach Sims: Too Late With Zachary Sims

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

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

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

11:00 pm ($8): An improv troupe that's performed with Cirque de Soleil and appeared in the film Mystery Team performing at The PIT upstairs theatre, opening with a blind date with a member of our audience and then making up scenes based on what they've learned: Gentleman Party

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes superb NYC comics—who tonight are brilliant singer/songwriter Mindy Raf, brilliant stand-up Myq Kaplan, Joyelle Johnson, Luke Meginsky, and Mr. Dead—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

[FREE] Midnight: Along the lines of Mystery Science Theater 3000, NYC comics make comments about a terrible movie at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Big Fat Scary Saturday

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 11/6/11

Erin Lennox and guests Arden Myrin, The Bandana Splits, and more perform at the delightfully quirky I Like You Too Show...

...and genius musical improvisors Tara Copeland, Baby Wants Candy, and more perform at Gilda's Club Benefit

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] 4:00 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Initial Public Offering and Hit 'N Run Musical Improv each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: IPO and and Hit "N Run

[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

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Comedy geniuses Dave Hill (HBO, This American Life) and Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, plus Philip Jackson (Dance Beast, Johnny Tables) participate in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15): In this double-bill at The Magnet, singing improv troupes BEEES!!! and North Coast each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES!!! and North Coast

[FREE] 6:00 pm: At this monthly show, "three improv teams swap two performers each, pick a long-form style out of a hat, and then perform with their new rosters" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Yankee Swap

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00ish pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, Chelsea Lately, host of The Party Machine; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; host of Monsters, co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It), and Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, VH1) performing stand-up at at Brooklyn's Belleville (330 5th Street) for this monthly extravaganza hosted by the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here) and tonight's guest host Mike Recine (Comedy Central), plus customized songs about each performer from adorable gal trio The Bandana Splits: Erin Lennox's I Like You Too Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBwest'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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 at the door, $29 online): An amazing comedic freestyle hip-hop group—including genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan—using audience suggestions as a springboard for creating improvised music inspired by jazz, rap, and comedy, performing at the Gramercy Theater (127 East 23rd Street): Freestyle Love Supreme

7:30 pm ($5): Non-UCB improv troupes CSO and Beatloaf compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB East for Indie Cage Match

[$] 7:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who's a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who's performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted and Knights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's The West Wing and ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Maz Jobrani

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25): In this fund-raising super-show at The Magnet, singing improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Jill Bernard's Drum Machine, improv genius Tara Copeland, and singer/songwriter Mikki Hommel each make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Gilda's Club Benefit: Closing Show of the 2011 New York Musical Improv Festival

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), and Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall for comedy giant Eugene Mirman's Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Danny Solomon (soon moving to LA), Chris Thayer, and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

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

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

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents), Glenn Wool (UK comedy star), Ross Hyzer, Danny Solomon, and Anthony Devito performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Andy Haynes, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious singer/songwriters Mel & El (monthly show at 92Y Tribeca), Maureen Langan (Jay Leno, Joy Behar, Comedy Central, Howard Stern), and Mark Maietta (HereTV’s Hot Gay Comics) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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