NYC Comedy Picks for Week of September 16, 2013

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/16/13

Sharp, unique, and beloved comics Amber Nelson and Kate Berlant each perform 30 minutes of stand-up at Long Sets

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 at the door or $26.50 online using discount code DAISEY; no food/drink min.): MIke Daisey is one of the finest and most respected storytellers alive; and he's not resting on his prior achievements. Just within the past year Mike churned out an amazing nine new shows at Joe's Pub (including such instant classics as Fucking Fucking Fucking Ayn Rand and Five Technical Rehearsals in India)...and that was a mere prequel. Mike is now embarked on telling 29 new shows in a row in a 29-night, 44-hour monologue that's "a living theatrical novel." See it live at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street & Astor Place), or experience it at your convenience for FREE via iTunes (I'll be doing a mix of both): All the Faces of the Moon

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC) tries out new material every night this week at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Week at the Creek: Big Jay Oakerson

7:00 pm ($5): "Theatrical improv that blurs the boundaries between scenes, allowing for disparate characters to affect each other in unexpected ways" at The Magnet theatre: Crosstalk

7:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy set in the Old West at The PIT upstairs theatre: Outlaw, Kansas

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Great lineup of Josie Long (visiting UK star who's among my favorites; BBC New Comedy Award), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), and Tony Deyo performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, four-gal comedy group Georgie Aldaco, Danielle Gibson, Viviana Olen, and Katie Simon perform a series of surreal sketches that are both unsettling and charged with comedic energy. A long bit about a mother threatening to do something surprising to her husband and son is an instant classic (when you see it, you'll have no doubt what sketch I'm talking about...). The show could be greatly improved with periodic nuanced emotion to create a roller coaster effect—right now the audience is hit with surface shock after shock, which after a while desensitizes and loses impact—but if you're open to the purity of conceptual comedy that challenges your sanity, you'll enjoy Former Business Partners: Everything Must Go...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, a musical "based on the true history of the founding of America, in which Jesus Christ embarks on a journey to help build a country that's courageous, pious, and gun-crazy enough for his precious Constitution...as long as the evil King Barack Hussein George III doesn't get in the way," written by Eric Gersen and directed by John Flynn: Seventeen Seventy-Something

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo, co-host of Lasers in the Jungle), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, ABC), and Nate Fernald (Team Submarine) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV): Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central), and Jerrod Carmichael performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Colin Quinn, Hannibal Buress, Big Jay Oakerson, and More

[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

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Elana Fishbein performs an usual one-woman improv show at The Magnet theatre: Pepita; plus improv group Weekend of Regret

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupe The Prom) and Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair) each perform deliciously long 30-minute stand-up sets at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by John Early: Long Sets with Amber Nelson and Kate Berlant

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At this UCB Chelsea double-bill, first sketch troupe Boat performs 30 minutes of bits at Boat: Comedic Sketches; and then a legendary improv group that includes Gavin Speiller, Silvija Ozols, Jim Santangeli, and Eddie Dunn perform: Rogue Elephant

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

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

10:00 pm ($5): Duo improv from groups Megalou, Candy Van, MalBec, and McLarnon & Atwood at The Magnet theatre: The Duo Show

[$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle's Show, For the Love of the Game), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1), Andrew Schulz (MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), TuRae (Comedy Central), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), and Modi (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Dave Attell, Greer Barnes, Wil Sylvince, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central): Whiplash

Monday 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with names drawn out of a can at Tammany Hall (152 Orchard Street), hosted by Susan Kent & Victoria Scroggins: Tell It Manhattan Open-Mic Storytelling

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O'Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room"), hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

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 Monday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Tim Duffy: Comics Phoning It In

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 One and One Bar's Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint

10:30 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

[FREE] 10:30 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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night. 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 exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/17/13

UK star Josie Long performs at Hot Soup, and also with TV & movie star Amber Tamblyn at Sweet

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-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet's singing improv groups make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion, followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv group to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Big Margaret, GoodGirl, and Grammer at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; head writer for Inside Amy Schumer,writer for Kroll Show, former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, VH1), and Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair) performing at Brooklyn's Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches and/or music from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, and Tim Skinner, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sketch from Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, storytelling from Malaika Gordon, and stand-up from Dear Georgiana and Guy Branum at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring the Shrink Dancers: The Big Shrink

8:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre from group National Scandal

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Josie Long (one of my favorite UK comics, briefly visiting NYC), star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller, host of Funny Story, albums Better Stronger Faster and Big Room; currently releasing a new storytelling album each month), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), and Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit) performing stand-up 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] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Amber Tamblyn, Josie Long (visiting UK star who's among my favorites; Skins, BBC New Comedy Award), 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; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Nore Davis (Inside Amy Schumer), Nate Fernald (Comedy Central's Up Next, Team Submarine), Tony Zaret, Justin Williams, and Doug Smith (host of See You in Hell) performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Kevin McCaffrey, Robert Dean, and/or Steve O'Brien: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Graceland, The Regulars, and Namaste at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) plays oddball characters in a mix of sketch and improv. Tonight "Tony has some of the legends of rock 'n roll grace his stage to tell stories and not play music." In between will be tonight's stand-up guests Dan St. Germain, Michelle Wolf, and Giulia Rozzi at the UCB East theatre: The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($5): Come experience the magic of improv transform The PIT downstairs lounge into a live radio show, with patter, call-ins, commercials, and songs all made up on the spot: WPIT-FM: Radioprov

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

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

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils

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] 6:15 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 Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys 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 Tuesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[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 downstairs lounge, with tonight's guest co-host Will Carey and host Jake Hart: The Dump

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:15: Sign up at 9:30 pm for the opportunity to make up a musical on the spot with members of some of The Magnet's finest singing improv groups: Magnet Musical Improv Mixer

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An improv jam for students at all levels to work on their skills at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Elke Reid and David Frasure: Study Hall

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/18/13

Robert Smigel and his pal Triumph the Insult Comic Dog are interviewed in Brooklyn at Employee of the Month

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): Mike Birbiglia's Dream is both a reference to Mike's hit play & film Sleepwalk With Me, and to the group of improvisors he's gathered being a "dream team" for making up scenes springboarding off his stories. Tonight at UCB Chelsea Mike spins tales for Chris Gethard, Aidy Bryant, Neil Casey, Christina Gausas, and Tami Sagher: Mike Birbiglia's Dream

7:00 pm ($5): Christine Holt & Mary Guiteras tend bar for a living, then let off steam by performing improv at The PIT downstairs lounge where they unleash the secrets they've heard, and also host storytelling from tonight's guests Casey Webb and Margaret Champaign: Bartenders

7:00 pm to 12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Five and a half hours of improv from eight groups at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm show ($10.35 in advance online, $15 at the door; price includes free slices of homemade ice cream cakes!): Brilliant storyteller Jim O'Grady (The New York Times, WNYC Radio, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Josh Ozersky (Time Magazine contributor, Founding Editor of New York Magazine's Grub Street blog), Laurie Segall (CNN reporter, Forbes' "30 under 30"), and Selena Coppock (author of The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation) tell tales on this month's theme Scoops: Stories From Journalists at the Le Poisson Rouge's The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Robin Gelfenbien (storyteller and singer/songwriter; VH1, AMC, Sirius Radio, acclaimed one-woman show at FringeNYC), plus free ice cream cakes made by Robin herself: Yum's the Word: Scoops—Stories From Journalists

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features house groups First Lady and Apollo: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20 at the door or $25.49 in advance online): Host Catie Lazarus interviews Robert Smigel & Triumph the Insult Dog, Mo Rocca, Danny Strong, Lady Rizo, and Lin-Manuel Miranda about what it's like to have a dreamy job, with music from house band The New Guys, at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street, between Second and Third Avenues): Employee of the Month

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a legendary improv group that includes Gavin Speiller, Silvija Ozols, Jim Santangeli, and Eddie Dunn perform as Rogue Elephant

[$] 8:00 pm ($15) Stand-up Jacqueline Novak performs a live recording of her debut comedy album Quality Notions at the Ars Nova Theatre (511 West 54th Street, off 10th Avenue): Jacqueline Novak Live Album Recording

[FREE] 8:00 pm: 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] 9:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), Adam Lowitt (Co-Executive Producer of The Daily Show), Rob Ryan, and Mick Diflo performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, Jim Santangeli and Nate Smith try to determine Who's More Awesome?...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, Dan Black (FUSE, Death by Roo Roo, Ripley) performs a one-man show "as a student of the dude game" in The Pageantry of Man

9:30 pm ($5): Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse) and Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV, host of Big Long Sets) are interviewed at The PIT downstairs lounge by host Katie Kester: The Later Show

[FREE] 10:00: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Adam Lash (HBO, Showtime, The Daily Show) and/or Nathan Anderson (Uncoolio): /r/standup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (rapidly rising star; Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, MTV's Hey Girl, FX's Totally Biased, Apple Computer commercials; improv groups Doppelganger and Bucky) and Charla Lauriston host 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; plus Sasheer is going to be a huge star, so catch her in this intimate setting while you can. (Tonight's scheduled guests include Claudia Cogan and Scott Rogowsky; for the complete list, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

11:00 pm ($8): "Come see New York improvisers Douglas Widick & Evan Kaufman reach deep into their sordid, shame-filled pasts for a night of musical improv that will have you asking 'Do they give refunds at the PIT?'" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Kaufman & Widick: A Night of Shame

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] 5:30 pm: A character-based open mic happening weekly at UCB East hosted by Sean Hart: Don't Be Yourself: Character Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 5 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Benel Germosen: Cracking It

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 Wednesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Lizzie Martinez: Comics Phoning It In

[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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your chance to perform on stage with experienced improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Lucas Hazlett: Improdome

[FREE] 11:30: Sign up at 11:00 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with group The Flood: Magnet Improv Mixer

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 9/19/13

The Daily Show's Zhubin Parang covers the news from a comedy perspective in new show Topical Storm;
Donnell Rawlings headlines through Sunday at Carolines

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

6:00 pm ($5): "Experts and historical figures discuss the most important topics of the day in this comedy panel show" at UCB East hosted by Erik Tanouye and/or Will Hines: What's All This Then, America?

7:30 pm ($5): Veronica Mosey (Comedy Central, Dr. Phil, FOX), Calise Hawkins (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Matt Wayne (co-host of See You in Hell), and Bill Stiteler performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and/or Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At the UCB Chelsea theatre, "Aaron & Brian lead their lonely friend Erik on a surreal, nightmarish odyssey to 'get his dick wet.' Elderly lesbians, impromptu Fosse numbers, dueling Katherine Hepburns, and the ominous Old Valley are all pit-stops on this journey to happiness, or at least maybe getting laid," written by and starring Aaron Jackson, Erik Dies, and Brian Glidewell: Erik Dies, You're Stupid and We Hate You...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, a one-man show by Arthur Meyer (writer for Jimmy Fallon and The Onion; sketch troupes Pangea 3000, Fambly, and Two Fun Men): Arthur Meyer: Rock and Roll

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Michael Che (hilarious rising star stand-up; David Letterman, Comedy Central, VH1), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central), and DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC's The Unusuals) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress, Michael Che, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups Junior Varsity and Hello Laser performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by Party Pooper (long form improv murder mystery in which "each performer will receive an envelope revealing exactly who he or she is, and whether or not he or she is the one who-done-it, followed by a 50-minute single-scene murder mystery made up on the spot," directed by Peter McNerney), and at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from storyteller Christine Gentry at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) pitting MalBec against Ghost Fight: The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): "Improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights and genres, spontaneously generating an original and hilarious work of instantly important theater right before your eyes" at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Play

[$] 8:00 pm ($15; no drink min.): Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Jesse Joyce (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, FOX, AMC), Jessimae Peluso (MTV's Girl Code, Failosophy; Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, Tyra Banks, TruTV), and Maddog Mattern (Sirius Radio, Howard Stern TV; to see Maddog handle a heckler, please click here) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Paul Mecurio, Sean Patton, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), Ashley Brooke Roberts (host of The Dream Show), Joe Zimmerman, and Sandy Danto performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Emily Heller and/or Adam Conover: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 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): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour; podcast You Had to Be There), Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on the UCB Chelsea stage—along with stand-ups Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Barry Rothbart (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV's Punk'd, IFC's Do Whatever),Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Susanna Wolff, Jeff Rosenberg, Brian Murphy, and more—at CollegeHumor Live

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Comic, cancer survivor, and struggling single Mara Marek is interviewed by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Mara Marek

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): Comedy sketches and videos written by Tim Eberle performed at The PIT upstairs theatre: Sad Men and the People Who Love Them

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a genre feature film—with tonight's victim the 1976 homage to brother & sister serial killer duos Island of Death, which a critic described as "one of the most perverse exploitation films released to the public, a laundry list of outrages that will cause the viewer to wonder what kind of mind could conceive such a monstrosity" (for the trailer—but be warned, it's seriously disturbing—please click here) at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Upstart improv group Namaste crushed What I Did For Love two weeks ago, then did the same against The Brothers Hines, and pulverized Never Never with an overwhelming 70 votes to 17. Tonight this champion will face UCBT East group Improv Nerds at UCB Chelsea when these teams compete for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Current events analyzed with a comedic twist from guests Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere, The Curfew), Christine Nangle (Inside Amy Schumer, Kroll Show), and Michael Kayne (What I Did for Love) at UCB East hosted by Zhubin Parang (The Daily Show, What I Did for Love) and Cody Lindquist (Improv Everywhere): Topical Storm

[$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Jesse Joyce (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, FOX, AMC), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and TuRae (Comedy Central) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC): The Nasty Show: Paul Mecurio, Big Jay Oakerson, Jesse Joyce, and More

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] 5:30 pm: All-gal open mic at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Anna Drezen & Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic

[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

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 (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

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

9:00 pm (free for audience members, $5 or 1 drink min. for stand-ups wanting to perform): Open mic stand-up providing 7 minutes per comic (and a free recording of your set!), with order determined raffle-style. Sign up by emailing info@oldmanhustle.com or calling (212) 253-7747, or just walk in and supply your name, to perform at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Solomon Chehebar: Peep Show Comedy Open Mic

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An open stage for indie improv groups—and if you're not in a group, that's also fine, you'll simply be added to one—at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Darcy Burke & Donna Lobello: New Team Lunacy

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/20/13

Newest SNL cast member Brooks Wheelan performs 30 minutes of stand-up at Big Long Sets;
UK comics, including the wonderful Josie Long, perform at Gentrify

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 at the door or $26.50 online using discount code DAISEY; no food/drink min.): Why is genius yarn-spinner Mike Daisey telling 29 new stories in a row (working off mere one-page outlines) in a 29-night, 44-hour monologue? Part of the answer appears near the start of Show #10 (yes, I'm getting caught up...): "I've always been willing to throw myself right off a cliff. It's a beautiful feeling to know that below awaits the water or the rocks. When you're suspended in that high arc above the brilliant blue, for a moment you are released, you are free...because you could live or die. I crave that." If you crave seeing that, catch Mike live at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street & Astor Place); or experience this epic adventure at your convenience for FREE via iTunes: All the Faces of the Moon

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20; no drink min.): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Jim Florentine (Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately), and Paul Virzi (FOX, Spike TV) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Wyatt Cenac, Nick DiPaolo, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 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): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour; podcast You Had to Be There), Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ted Alexandro at the 7:00 show, Tom Papa at the 7:00, 8:00, 8:45 shows, and 10:30 pm shows, and Michael Che at the 7:00, 8:00, 8:45, 10:30, and 12:15 am shows, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

7:00 pm ($8): Lindsay Bracco, Michelle Petterson, and Katherine Korsak perform a sketch comedy show written by Kate Knowles and directed by Rachael Harrington at The PIT upstairs theatre: Google That Sh*T

7:00 pm ($8): Amanda Nicastro & Matthew K. Sears perform duo sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge: Mashmaw 2: Two

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its writers (who include Brandon Gulya and Silvija Ozols, each of whom briefly pop up on stage) are terrific, and its cast is superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez. This all-new sketch show is pretty much hilarious from beginning to end. Part of the fun is the room the script gives Brandon Scott Jones and Molly Lloyd to shine as two of NYC's finest comedic performers (if you're in the biz, for goodness sakes hire them; they can do anything...). Plus Leslie Meisel almost steals the show when playing a tough broad ready to drag any guy into the sack. This is as great a sketch show as you're likely to see this summer. If you feel like laughing, kick off your evening right with Stone Cold Fox: A Triumph... Channing Tatum is Electric!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 ($5): Comedy club headliner depth for just $5: Brooks Wheelan (writer for & newest cast member of Saturday Night Live) and Kevin Barnett (MTV's Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me) each perform 30-minute sets at UCB East hosted by Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV: Big Long Sets

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Josh Gondelman, Taylor Clark, and Andrew Collin performing stand-up at the One and One Bar (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) produced by Lukas Kaiser & Ben Conrad: Cranky Pants Comedy Hour

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

8:00 pm ($10): "In November 2011, Michelle Ward (@WhenIGroUpCoach) was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. She took to her pink ukulele, Lucille, and broke the news on the Interwebs with an original titty ditty. Join us for a night of show tunes, boob tunes, raffles, and more as we raise money for her Avon Walk for Breast Cancer team" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Boob Cancer & Show Tunes

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Chelsea White, Maddog Mattern, Nhan Du, and Stephanie Holmes performing at Mr. Dennehy’s Irish Pub (63 Carmine Street) hosted by Troy Bynum & Carrie Gravenson: The Tomfoolery Hour

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups aiming to slay audiences at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Destroy All Humans

[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 Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's starred in his own Comedy Central hour-long special The Things We Do For Love, and performed on David Letterman and Jay Leno, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Pete Correale

[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 Chris Gethard, Anthony Atamanuik, Brandon Gardner, Phil Jackson, and Abra Tabak at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($10): Two PIT upstairs theatre improv groups making up a musical on the spot, one with sharpness and the other with a friendly greeting: Dagger and Hello

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: A "competitive talk show" to determine the best talk show guest in "a hybrid of two of America’s least respected television genres, talks shows and games show," at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Guy Branum: Talk Show: The Game Show

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Josie Long (one of my favorite UK comics, briefly visiting NYC), John-Luke Roberts (Spats, BBC7), Nadia Kamil (Edinburgh Fringe), and Alex Edelman (Edinburgh Fringe) performing at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O'Malley—who this year defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($20; no drink min.): Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Michael Che (hilarious rising star stand-up; David Letterman, Comedy Central, VH1), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Jim Florentine (Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately), and Paul Virzi (FOX, Spike TV) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Wyatt Cenac, Michael Che, and More

11:00 pm ($5) Mike Kelton & Douglas Widick lead a team of improvisors making up scenes based on streaming comments via the Vine app at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Vine Show

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from friends Matt B. Weir and Matt J. Weir who, by total coincidence, have the same last names at The Magnet theatre: Weird Tales With We're Matt Weir

Midnight ($5): UCB East house manager and tech guy supreme Pat Baer hosts a show about the very medium you're using to read this, with tonight's guests Shalyah Evans (MTV's Girl Code), Kirk Damato, and Michael Hartney: 404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet

Friday Open Mics

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

[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 with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Attend to perform improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge, with a weekly rotating selection of formats and hosts: Happy Hour

[FREE] 7:00 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 Nate Dern, Sarah Tollemache, and/or Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude group Moriarty: Liquid Courage

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/21/13

Brooke Van Poppelen performs a 30-minute stand-up set in Brooklyn at Give 'Em 30;
Pete Correale headlines at the Gotham Comedy Club

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 at the door or $26.50 online using discount code DAISEY; no food/drink min.): Why is genius yarn-spinner Mike Daisey telling 29 new stories in a row (working off mere one-page outlines) in a 29-night, 44-hour monologue? Part of the answer appears near the start of Show #10: "I've always been willing to throw myself right off a cliff. It's a beautiful feeling to know that below awaits the water or the rocks. When you're suspended in that high arc above the brilliant blue, for a moment you are released, you are free...because you could live or die. I crave that." If you crave seeing that, catch Mike live at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street & Astor Place); or experience this epic adventure at your convenience for FREE via iTunes: All the Faces of the Moon

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Gary DeNoia & Langston Belton perform a two-man sketch show that's a homage to video games ("from Mario and Luigi to Zelda and Link") at The PIT downstairs lounge: TechnoBros Present: Insert Coin

7:00 pm ($8): A sketch show written & co-starring Suni Reyes & Erock, plus a half dozen other performers who include Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger), at The PIT upstairs theatre: You Gotta Be F-ing Kidding Me!

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:00 pm, 11:00 pm, and 12:45 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include SNL's Darrell Hammond at 7:30 and 8:00, SNL's Michael Che at every show, and MTV's Nikki Glaser at 9:15 and 11:00, with four of the 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 Saturday

7:30 pm ($10): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, and more 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

7:30 pm ($10): Sharp Magnet improvisors "perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:" The Weave

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Deliciously long stand-up from Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), and Joe Zimmerman, each of whom perform 30-minute sets at Brooklyn's Union Hall: The Afterlife: Give 'Em 30

8:00 pm ($8): Robert A. George (New York Post), Lucas Zachary Hazlett (MTV), Mary Phillips-Sandy (Comedy Central Digital), and more gather to make fun of politics at The PIT downstairs lounge: Electoral Dysfunction

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's starred in his own Comedy Central hour-long special The Things We Do For Love, and performed on David Letterman and Jay Leno, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Pete Correale

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and last year crushed 15 improv groups in Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) hosted by Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here): Comedy at Irish Exit

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

9:00 pm ($10): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($11.34 online or $15 at the door): "Musical sketch comedy that skewers and dissects pop culture one roll of the dice at at time"—for a sample, please click here—at The PIT upstairs theatre: Pop Roulette

9:30 pm ($8): Chris Griggs (Bravo, IFC, TV Land) performs a live taping of his first stand-up comedy album Pieces of Memphis at The PIT downstairs lounge: Chris Griggs Live Comedy Album Taping

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups take a comedic look at the world's problems at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Tom Dillon: Love, Poverty, and War

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Aaron Jackson (Newsadoozies), and more form an improv troupe at UCB East that won this year's prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[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): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform sharp improv at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] 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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($10): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and in 2011 won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Murderfist

11:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college and tonight performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:30 pm: Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents) and Rebecca Vigil (powerhouse singing solo improvisor) are tonight's guests at this free monthly variety show at UCB East that's hosted by Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger) and Poupak Sepehri, and features improv jams led by Merry Scholl, Kik, and Linds: The Soul Glo Jam

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) joking about their culture—Jewish, African-American, Asian, geek, whatever—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City : The Black Bar Mitzvah

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Improv is dominated by guys...and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one, which is an open improv jam for any gal wanting to participate, at any experience level. This monthly UCB Chelsea event is helmed by Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night): The Lady Jam

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/22/13

In Show #10, storytelling genius Mike Daisey says, "I've always been willing to throw myself right off a cliff.
It's a beautiful feeling to know that below awaits the water or the rocks. When you're suspended
in that high arc above the brilliant blue, for a moment you are released, you are free...
because you could live or die. I crave that:" If you crave seeing that, catch Mike live
at Joe's Pub; or experience this 29-night epic for free via iTunes: All the Faces of the Moon

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] Noon-5:00 pm: A picnic and series of silly contests at this 10th Annual celebration of The PIT community taking place at Brooklyn's 95 Prospect Park West: PITnic

[FREE] 5:00 pm: A smorgasbord of of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Chris O'Neil: Mishmash Variety Hour (and a Half)

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): At The Magnet theatre, Elana Fishbein performs a one-woman show about the characters in her life in Pepita, plus an audition for sketch show This One Time at Jew Camp...

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 at the door or $26.50 online using discount code DAISEY; no food/drink min.): Why is genius yarn-spinner Mike Daisey telling 29 new stories in a row (working off mere one-page outlines) in a 29-night, 44-hour monologue? Part of the answer appears near the start of Show #10: "I've always been willing to throw myself right off a cliff. It's a beautiful feeling to know that below awaits the water or the rocks. When you're suspended in that high arc above the brilliant blue, for a moment you are released, you are free...because you could live or die. I crave that." If you crave seeing that, catch Mike live at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between East 4th Street & Astor Place); or experience this epic adventure at your convenience for FREE via iTunes: All the Faces of the Moon

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15; no drink min.): 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, author of Tasteful Nudes), Mark Douglas (Key of Awesome), Todd Womack, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Dave Hill, Mark Douglas, and More

[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 Chris Gethard, and occasionally network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000

[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

7:30 pm ($5): A one-woman sketch comedy show by Emily Shapiro at The Magnet theatre: Emily is a Character

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Readings from comedic authors Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Today Show, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book being made into movie Screw Everyone), Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor; author of YA novel The Symptoms of My Insanity; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), and Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation) at Brooklyn's Union Hall: Blondes, Screwing, and Insanity: Readings from Ophira Eisenberg, Mindy Raf, and Selena Coppock

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include SNL writer Michael Che and NBC host Tom Papa at 8:00 pm and Ted Alexandro at 9:45 pm performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Sunday

[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: Act One

8:00 pm ($5): Luke Cunningham (Jimmy Fallon, The Colbert Report), Roger Hailes Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Roger Hailes (Jimmy Fallon, Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spins; Web series Mansome), (Fuse, MTV, VH1), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), Paul Oddo (co-host of The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic), and Doug Smith performing stand-up at UCB East with host Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Neal Stasny, Harry Terjanian, J.F. Harris, Jayson Cross, and Merrill Davis performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-ups attempt to perform tight sets—"no fat, no filler, just funny"—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Mike Speirs: Trim the Fat

9:00 pm ($5): At The Magnet theatre, Brian Frange & Rob Stern perform sketches as Frange & Stern, plus Kaitlin Fontana & Gretchen Poole perform in Cagey Sketch

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), Robbie Collier, Sandy Danto, and Subhah Agarwal performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at Beauty Bar

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket at 3:45), providing 3 minutes or more per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open Mic

[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

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

[ALMOST FREE] 9:30 pm ($1): Open-mic comedy, with 4 minutes per performer, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Child Support

[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

[FREE] 10:15 pm: Open-mic show for sketch and character bits running 3-5 minutes at The Magnet hosted by Sebastian Conelli. Everyone who signs up—at 9:45 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

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