NYC Comedy Picks for Week of September 26, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/26/11

Jackie Hoffman and Julie Sharbutt are among the luminous theatre stars at tonight's Gravid Water...

...the delightful Erin Lennox hosts her very special monthly stand-up show I Like You Too;
Leslie Goshko is among the wonderful storytellers at Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?...

...and Rory Scovel first does stand-up at Case of the Mondays Comedy, and then debuts
a promising oddball show at The Creek with Scott Moran: Memories From a Happy House

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] [$] 6:30 pm ($10): The 8th Annual NY Arab-American Comedy Festival kicks off its second night at The PIT with personal storytelling about being Arab-American in 2011—which is likely to be fascinating, despite the title some dunderhead gave the show: Tales From the Funnyside

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of The Adam Wade Show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) hosts a show at The Magnet that's "like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption," with tonight's guests Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; VH1, Showtime, host of TV pilot of The Liar Show), David Smithyman (Kids 'n Comedy), and Sasha Borovinsky: Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Rory Scovel (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; host of Monsters, co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It), Calvin Cato (host of The Pre-Game Show), Thomas Dale, and Michael Cho Young performing stand-up at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

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

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Film, and Broadway & off-Broadway stars Cristin Milioti (30 Rock; Coram Boy, Lieutenant of Inishmore on Broadway), Stephen Ruddy (Skype Duet, Chekhov's Gun), Sandy Rustin (Improv Everywhere; Fat Pig on Broadway), Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night, Maladies), and Amy Warren (Adding Machine, August Osage County on Broadway) mixing it up with some of the greatest improvisors in the world—Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel, John & Scott), Michael Delaney (Conan O'Brien, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Stepfathers), Jackie Hoffman (The Second City; Hairspray, Xanadu, The Addams Family on Broadway), and John Lutz (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, John & Scott)—as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Puppetry to Melt Your Face Off, Alie & Georgia (LA mixologists behind The McNuggetini), Jeff Kreisler, and musical guest Genghis Barbie performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): The 8th Annual NY Arab-American Comedy Festival continues its second night with sketch, both live and via film clips, from Arab-American actors who've appeared on HBO, NBC, MTV, and CNN, and in such films as The Visitor, House of Saddam, You Don't Mess with Zohan, The Interpreter, and Sex in the City 2, "bringing the comedy revolution from the Middle East to The PIT; it's actually more funny than sketchy:" Sketchy Arabs

8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Abbi Crutchfield (co-host of Positively Awesome and The Living Room), Adam Newman (College Humor), Trevor Williams (College Humor), Selena Coppock (FOX), and Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; host of Monsters, co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It) performing at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street) hosted by ace improvisor and aspiring stand-up Will Hines: Wheelhouse

8:30 pm ($5): A one-man show about "being part of a different world that has its own language and alphabet and style of beard...There are things I really need to show you, just so you know what's going on, or where I'm coming from, or where Armenia actually is" at The Magnet: Openly Armenian

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon), Sean Donnelly (host of Lil' Seany Boy), Alice Wetterlund, Kevin Barnett, and Andrew Short performing stand-up at the 11th Street Bar (510 East 11th Street, off Avenue A) 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), which includes customized songs about each performer: Erin Lennox's I Like You Too Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of UCBT's finest in-house sketch comedy troupes Fambly (spearheaded by rising star Mamrie Hart, who's snared nearly 185,000 visits to date with her Harry Potter YouTube viral video), plus in-house troupe Neighbor Boy (which isn't in the same league, but features such appealing performers as Kate Hess and Tim Dunn), trying out new bits at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rory Scovel (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central) and Scott Moran debut an hour-long show they describe as "PeeWee's Playhouse hosts stand-up on acid directed by David Lynch; step into a time machine that doesn't exist and be transported to a warehouse in the middle of your mind where escaped mental patients are putting on their hit TV special—except the patients are so mental, they aren't even mental patients at all" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Memories From a Happy House

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner & Chelsea Clarke hosting a show with guest improvisors at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street): Improv Nerds

10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors "for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens," hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O'Brien's Legally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please click here), Anthony Jeselnik (one of my all-time favorite stand-ups; former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents; debut comedy CD Shakespeare), Eddie Pepitone (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Nate Bargatze (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) at UCB West's 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 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 9/27/11

Red-hot stand-up Sean Patton performs at After Hours, and comedy legend Horatio Sanz co-hosts 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 ($5): A one-man show by Justin Peters about—wait for it—condiments. "Mitch 'Packets' Franco has demonstrated condiments at groceries, farmers' markets, superstores, and gas stations in all 50 states; over the course of 25 minutes, he'll give you the inside squeeze on how all your favorite condiments are marketed, shipped, distributed, and sold; how to seduce a checkout girl; how to tell a supermarket by its odor; and other lessons learned during his wild life in America's grocery aisles:" Confessions of a Condiment Hustler

[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): 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), Rory Scovel (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central), and Chris Garcia 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

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB West for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Very Good Kiss, Mr. Crime, Grandma's Ashes, Sandino, and Dance Break—and at 11:00 pm improv veterans blended into never before seen one-night-only teams—all at Harold Night

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Comedy legend Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, ABC, Comedy Central's Big Lake, Jimmy Fallon), Eddie Pepitone (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents): Righteous Kill

9:30 pm ($5): This showcase for the wonderful Jen Nails' Do It Yourself class tonight features debuts of the one-person shows at The PIT: Niki Hart reveals the secret world of spa life in Spa!, and "a hopeless romantic tries to find love in NYC: in The Animal Takes Manhattan

10:00 pm ($5): Gary Gulman (HBO, Comedy Central), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien), Mike Lawrence (Comedy Central), and Jim Tews (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show): It Is It

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

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

[FREE] MIdnight: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin: Tuesdays at Midnight

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/28/11

Molly Knefel hosts such top comics as Kurt Braunohler at her monthly extravaganza John and Molly Get Along...

...and Mike Still plays out his desire to rule the world in Dictator for Life

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Mike Still (Death by Roo Roo, Diamond Lion) pulls out all the stops at UCB West for a dynamic one-man show packed with comedic ideas revolving around a tyrant so evil that he machine-guns the audience (twice!), with direction by fellow Roo Roo star Neil Casey: Dictator For Life

[$] 7:00 pm ($16.50, plus 2-drink min.): Sharp NYC stand-ups audition to be cast for Comedy Central's Comics to Watch show at the upcoming New York Comedy Festival by performing their best stuff tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club: Comics to Watch Auditions

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and another genius improv troupe consisting of trio Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) performs as Outlook of the Poet

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Chicago-based Sean Flannery John Hartman (called "a master storyteller" and "Best Stand-Up 2010" by The Chicago Reader) performs a one-man show at UCB West for one night only "about the last dozen or so times he nearly killed himself by drinking, partying, or flat-out not paying attention:" Never Been to Paris

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: 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), 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), Murderfist (NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Kara Klenk (co-host of If You Build It), and David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup) performing stand-up at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street) hosted by Molly Knefel (member of superb improv troupe Naked in a Fishbowl) and her brother John Knefel (veteran stand-up): John and Molly Get Along

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Allison Castillo (Comedy Central, VH1), Jermaine Fowler (Comedy Central, TBS), and John F. O'Donnell (College Humor) performing stand-up at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 10:00 pm ($7): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free drink!): NYC stand-ups including Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories) performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Nick Turner: Monsters

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Open mic stand-up (with sign-up starting at 8:00) at Brooklyn's Belleville (330 5th Street) hosted by Josh Guarino: The Belleville Mic

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, brilliant improvisors (and real-life couple) Laura Grey & Jordan Klepper make up a 1970s swingers party coupling and its aftermath at Key Party; and then UCBT Harold Night house troupes Dance Break and Very Good Kiss make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form "Harold" rules at Cheating on Harold

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: 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), Jen Kwok (MTV, Role Call), Luke Thayer (Tyra, Food Network, co-host of The Living Room), Katrin Hier (Oxygen, Ladies Who Punch), and more performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Jon Gabrus, Juliet Hope Wayne, and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious at UCB West, with tonight's highly promising theme Addiction: The \ Lives

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rob Cantrell is an organic and delightful pothead stand-up who's performed on Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, and VH1, and written for High Times. This is his weekly show featuring all-new material, with tonight's guest stand-up Jeffrey Joseph, and featuring Rob playing Sgt. Rock, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Rob Cantrell: All In

[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. Tonight Mike Still—who'll soon be moving to LA—gathers some of the performers he's most enjoyed while in NYC, including John Gemberling, The Two-Man Movie, Gramp's, Murderfist, UCB Tourco, Rory and Craig, Jim Santangeli, As the Diamond Burns, Twelve Thousand Dollars, Bangs, Badman, and more. 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 9/29/11

It's a night crammed with top storytellers, including Aasif Mandvi at Tom Shillue's FunnyStory.biz,
Beowulf Jones debuting his one-man show Disconnected...

...Leslie Goshko hosting her monthly extravaganza Sideshow Goshko, and Christian Finnegan at Risk!

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): The auditions of three comedic one-act plays hoping to get on the UCBT schedule, and about which I know nothing except the final one is titled Red Vag of Courage. For five bucks ($1.66 per show), how can you resist this UCB West showcase?: 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: 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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Beowulf Jones is best known in the comedy community as a beloved sound tech guy at The PIT, but he's also a superb storyteller who stole the show at a Risk! appearance earlier this year. Tonight Jones performs an extended version of that winning monologue about his feelings of emotional distance, which is likely to be fascinating and memorable: Beowulf Jones: Disconnected

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Leslie Goshko (delightful storyteller/stand-up; Sirius XM, Manhattan Monologue champion) hosts this monthly storytelling show at the KGB Bar (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue), with tonight's stellar guests Rob Lathan (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, ABC), Cammi Climaco (Ask Me Stories), and Nisse Greenberg (Drawn Out Storytelling), plus accordion playing by Dr. Michelle-Leona Godin: Sideshow Goshko

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Terrific sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (Leah Rudick and Katie Hartman) host a comedy variety show, with tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests Andrea Alton (coming off her triumphant FringeNYC 2011 show The F*cking World According To Molly; for my review, please click here), Mike Dobbins (unique stream of consciousness comic), Mindy Raf (brilliant singer/songwriter and character actress), and John Flynn (superb storyteller; core member of acclaimed The Nights of Our Lives; host of Hey, You Guys at UCB East) all performing at The PIT basement lounge: Daddy's Basement: A Comedy Variety Freakshow

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) hosts this new monthly show at UCB East, with tonight's guests Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Anton Shuford (Philly stand-up), and more: Tom Shillue's FunnyStory.biz

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): A rotating cast of veteran improvisors make up scenes based on the improvised monologues of the co-owner of the Magnet Theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Nate Bargatze (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), Tom Kelly (warm-up Comic for The View and The Newlywed Game), Matt Koff (The Onion), Subhah Agarwal, and Carolina Hidalgo 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): Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys), Emily Heller (staff writer at Rooftop Comedy), Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific), and "a special guest" performing UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on the UCB West stage—along with stand-ups Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1, host of Sweet), and Adam Conover, plus hilarious video clips from the Found Footage Festival—at CollegeHumor Live

9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Ben Walker (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Nate Bargatze (Comedy Central Presents), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, host of Monsters, co-host of If You Build It and Too Cool for School), and Jim Tews performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Sean Crespo's & Carol Hartsell's weekly comedy show Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are Christian Finnegan, Ophira Eisenberg, Corey Pandolph, and Dana Rossi—joining brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) at The PIT to share tales on tonight's theme Innocence at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT's downstairs lounge for The Scene

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stellar improv troupe Rogue Elephant competing with challenger Weekend of Regret for audience laughs and votes at UCB West (307 West 26th Street) for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Magnet improv troupes Swartzlander and Phooka competing for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component—at Inspirado

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open mic stand-up show, with each comic given five minutes, at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A and B) hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/30/11

One of the greatest stand-ups of all time, Anthony Jeselnik, headlines tonight through Sunday at Carolines...

...and comedy giants John Gemberling, Arden Myrin, and more join Rob Lathan in analyzing
film classic Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at Stinson's Awesome Movie Night

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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing), and Yannis Pappas (VH1) performing at Beauty Bar (231 East 14th Street) at the debut of this new biweekly stand-up show hosted by Peter Ostrovski & Ilya Gofshteyn: Beautiful Comedy

7:00 pm ($5): Alexis Lambright performing a one-woman show at The Magnet about her quest to pop her cherry: Combating Adult Virginity

[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 Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers) and Ben Rameaka (Airwolf)—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 online or at the box office using discount code TMAN): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. This marvelous event recently received a 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy and 2011 MAC Award for Special Production. Please read my review by clicking here, watch Faye make a pecan pie by clicking here, see Faye be a Green Bean by clicking here, and then take advantage of this revival running Friday nights to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

8:00 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O'Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Anthony is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club along with guitar comic Nick Thune: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[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 & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Winner of the second season of Last Comic Standing, a frequent performer on Jay Leno and VH1, and star of two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials and an hour-long Comedy Central special, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: John Heffron

8:30 pm ($7): Sketch comedy, sometimes interwoven with a live band: Citizen Models

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Rob Lathan (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, ABC) as his cinema connoisseur character Stinson screens the notoriously awful film Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at UCB East along with top comics John Gemberling, Arden Myrin, James Adomian, and more: Stinson's Awesome Movie Night

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): 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), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on this summer's Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1), and Aaron Berg performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:30 pm ($10): All-gal improv at The PIT, first from Brigid Boyle, Lorraine Cink, Leslie Collins, Danielia Donohue, and Ariel Karlin; and then from Lee Eddy, Meg Griffiths, Julia Morales, Sarah Nowak, and Mandy Schmieder, at Lucy

9:30 pm ($5): "Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack" at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

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

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

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

11:00 pm ($5): NYC comics The Brothers Hines, CJ Toledano, and Lance & Ray performing at UCB East: Gentrify

11:00 pm ($5): A comedy tribute at The PIT downstairs lounge to a gal on her 26th birthday: The PIT Roast of Corinne Fisher

11:00 pm ($5): All-gal improv at The PIT from troupe Goldie and the Hawns (Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell), plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy

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

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

[FREE] Midnight: This show typically isn't much fun for audience members—which is why it hasn't been on the 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 UCB West stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/1/11

Stand-up giants: Anthony Jeselnik headlines at Carolines, and Todd Barry headlines at Eastville...

...while warrior comics battle at Gleason's boxing ring to determine the superior outer borough: Brooklyn Vs. Queens

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] 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

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Honey and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening at The Rundown

7:00 pm ($5): A Chicago-trained improv troupe now at the The PIT known for "nitty-gritty, character driven improv" and its "unique form 'The Camera,' which uses the style of famous documentary films such as Grey Gardens and The Salesman to explore the private and public worlds of four unique characters:" Sand

7:00 pm ($5): Madmen meets improv in this show at The PIT downstairs lounge in which scenes are made up by Jonathan Desley & Yang Miller based around an advertising agency: Desley-Miller

[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

7:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O'Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Anthony is headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club along with guitar comic Nick Thune: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: 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), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Ray Marshall, Vinny Fallon, and "a super secret special guest!" performing stand-up at One and One (76 East 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) at Sean Donnelly's Lil' Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Winner of the second season of Last Comic Standing, a frequent performer on Jay Leno and VH1, and star of two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials and an hour-long Comedy Central special, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: John Heffron

8:00 pm ($7): White rapping from Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1), sharp storytelling from Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and stand-up from Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV) and Hari Kondabolu (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central), and "a surprise guest" performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Laura Prangley: Too Soon

[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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10—includes one free drink): NYC comics from Brooklyn and Queens do comedic battle to determine the superior outer borough in a boxing ring at Brooklyn's Gleason's Gym (77 Front Street, 2nd Floor; take the F subway to York Street or the 2/3 to Clark Street). The warriors include Ophira Eisenberg (Brooklyn), Adam Lehman (Queens), Selena Coppock (Brooklyn), Keith Alberstadt (Queens), Kendra Cunningham (Brooklyn), Leah Bonnema (Queens), and more (including "special secret guests"), hosted/refereed by the adorable Sue Funke: Brooklyn Vs. Queens: A Comedy Throwdown

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV), and Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City) performing stand-up at UCB East, hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

9:00 pm ($10): NYC sketch comedy duo Jamaal Sedayao and Brian Lisi at The Magnet providing "unfamiliar, often absurd stories full of unexpected laughs:" Turboner Bigoté

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

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) bringing their A-game—because their sets are captured at this new monthly show as audition tapes—performing at The PIT basement lounge: The Grass Route: Built from the Underground Up

[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): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and 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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): A sharp musical improv troupe at The Magnet making up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage

11:00 pm ($5): Sharp sketch troupe The Whitest Kids U' Know capped their fifth and final season on IFC with a series of pothead shows set during the Civil War. They've constructed a low-budget movie from these episodes that's screening tonight at UCB East. Frankly, it lacks many of the key structural elements that make a genuine movie work—and when this debuted at SketchFest NYC 2011, a lot of audience members left or started wandering around the theatre within 30 minutes. But if you're patient—and/or stoned—and accept this is really a series of sketches loosely tied together rather than the feature film it's pretending to be, there are fun scenes scattered throughout. Plus the troupe, which is genuinely personable and entertaining, is performing live right before the screening. By far the best bit: The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, which hopefully the guys will do for you on stage—and which otherwise you can watch by clicking here: The Civil War on Drugs

Midnight ($5): Improv troupes Deckard and Creature at UCB West making stuff up past their bedtime: Saturday Night Slumber Party

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 10/2/11

Genius performer Ed Herbstman and much more at Melanie Hoopes' rare gem of a show: Laurie Stanton's Sound Diet

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] 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): Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion), Will Hines (The Stepfathers, host of Wheelhouse), and James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on Last Comic Standing) participate in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[FREE] 6:00 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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): An extraordinary event that happens only once every few months, this Magnet show mixes the style of live radio with the depth of classic theatre and the energy of stage comedy to create something unique and unforgettable. It's written and produced by Melanie Hoopes, and stars Melanie, her husband Ed Herbstman (genius comedic actor & improvisor, and co-owner of the Magnet), and Broadway-caliber actors Arthur Aulisi, Jenny Bacon, Eli Janney, and Kelly Park, plus musical guest Teddy Goldstein, with tonight's theme Mommy's Gone. Priced at an absurdly low $7 this may well sell out, so reserving tickets is highly recommended by clicking Laurie Stanton's Sound Diet

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: The top improvisors of UCB West make up scenes based on the tales of a guest monologist at this signature comedy extravaganza, which sometimes includes TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($5): A UCB East double-bill consisting of sketch duo Two Fun Men, and Ray Munoz telling true stories about growing up in NYC: Two Fun Men and Off the Cuff

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O'Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Anthony is headlining this one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club along with guitar comic Nick Thune: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($7): Typically stellar stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall for comedy giant Eugene Mirman's Pretty Good Friends

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): Winner of the second season of Last Comic Standing, a frequent performer on Jay Leno and VH1, and star of two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials and an hour-long Comedy Central special, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: John Heffron

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Emily Heller, William Stephenson, Miguel Dalmau, and Rae Sanni performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central): Comedy Night

9:00 pm ($5): Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Erik Bergstrom (author of Grimmer Tales), Greg Johnson (Sirius Radio), and Ross Hyzer performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Andy Haynes, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups perform sets at The PIT, and then improv troupe Before the Accident makes up scenes springboarding off the material: Daws of Death

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Michelle Buteau (Jay Leno, George Lopez, VH1), Justy Dodge, and Neil Thornton performing stand-up at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT's downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle

[TOP PICK] 11:00 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) and Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys), plus Alice Wetterlund, Tony Zaret, Charles Gould, and Gonzalo Cordova, at this UCB East show that mixes veteran and up-and-coming stand-ups hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out

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