For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
Legends in the making: Watch The Jeselnik Offensive Tuesdays and Kroll Show Wednesdays at 10:30 on Comedy Central.
Brilliant storyteller Elna Baker and other stars celebrate Andy Rocco’s birthday at Underground Americana…
…and the wonderful Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay (whose b-day is also today) perform improv at The Mamas & The Papas
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; please note the show is now performing twice, at both 4 and 6, thanks to selling out so often; calling for a reservation at 212.989.9319 is highly recommended): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life), Micaela Blei (Moth GrandSlam Champion), Rory Scholl (BTK Band, ArtProv), and Aaron Wolfe (filmmaker, TV editor). Come to the West Village’s Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam champion, exceptionally nice guy) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show
[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
6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Monsieur Schmaltz, The Brawlers, and Big Fat Liars at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown
[FREE] 6:00 pm: “A monthly show that you control. Your suggestions, blurt-outs, and whatever else you feel like doing or saying will guide us through an hour of good times” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: YBTHR
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): The return of gal sketch duo Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree, who are reuniting to celebrate their 10th Year Anniversary at The PIT upstairs theatre, and accurately point out “before Two Broke Girls and Two Girls One Cup, there was us:” Two Girls for Five Bucks
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: A sketch show about the wrecking of comedy duo Tanisha Long (MTV, Fuse, CollegeHumor) and Becky Yamamoto (rave reviews from The New York Times and The New Yorker), directed by Katie Hartman (Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting), at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: You’ve Ruined My LIfe
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Joe Veix, Eric Feldman, and Josh Sharp tell “stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe” at UCB East hosted by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas The Adam Wade Show and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam’s award-winning tales, please click here): Tales of the Cosmos
[FREE] 7:00 pm: The debut of this musical improv open-mic show that lets both beginners and veterans get on stage and belt one out accompanied by brilliant improv pianist Frank Spitznagel at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street) hosted by Douglas Widick: Spot Song
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know’s Best, IFC’s Z Rock, host of WB’s Life & Style), Ben Bailey (Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab; Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), and Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Colin Quinn, Lynne Koplitz, Ben Bailey, and More
7:30 pm ($7): Sharp Magnet improvisors “perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:” The Weave
7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then “turn that town’s tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:” The Curfew: Not From Around Here
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Judy Gold (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, The View), Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1′s Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Yannis Pappas performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Judy Gold, Christian Finnegan, and More
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm: NYC stand-up comics do their best to impress at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City in these auditions to perform in the most prestigious comedy festival in Canada: Just for Laughs Stand-Up Auditions
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35, plus 2-drink minimum): A co-star of Real Husbands of Hollywood headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Faizon Love
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A co-host of ABC’s The View headlining for one night only at the Gotham Comedy Club: Sherri Shepherd
8:30 pm ($10): Sasheer Zamata (highly charming, innovative rising star; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, FX’s Totally Biased; host of UCBT’s School Night, member of red-hot improv troupe Doppelganger, sketch troupe The Prom, and Harold Night troupe Bucky), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson), Kenny Zimlinghaus (Sirius XM Radio), Jacqueline Novak, and Kenny DeForest performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea’s genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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 stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:15 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Colin Quinn (SNL, Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO, NBC, Broadway), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know’s Best, IFC’s Z Rock, host of WB’s Life & Style), Ben Bailey (Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab; Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Colin Quinn, Lynne Koplitz, Ben Bailey, and More
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Veteran improvisors who’ve had children—including wonderful couple Mary Archbold and Pay Shay—make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Mamas and the Papas
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Dean Edwards (SNL, MTV’s The Guy Code), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), and Yannis Pappas performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Dean Edwards, Adrienne Iapalucci, and More
[TOP PICK] [$] 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
10:00 pm ($8): Improvisors make up a Quentin Tarantino movie at The PIT downstairs lounge—”If you like Grindhouse, Kung Fu, Spaghetti Western, Noir, and the entire 1970s, you’ll want to check out:” The Tarantino
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:” Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and has so far crushed 10 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place
10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike
[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 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), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know’s Best, IFC’s Z Rock, host of WB’s Life & Style), Ben Bailey (Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab; Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Lynne Koplitz, Ben Bailey, Nick Griffin, and More
11:00 pm ($8): A sketch/variety show at The PIT upstairs theatre operating from a fun dark premise: “When Vincent Welles died and went to Hell, he soon found out his punishment was to host a variety talk show for all eternity in the fiery underworld. Join Vincent as he, along with his demonic producers and werewolf sidekick Warren Talbot, host special guests and surprises:” Welcome to Hell with Vincent Welles
[MEGA-TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Killer lineup of Elna Baker (genius storyteller; NPR’s This American LIfe, bestselling author of The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance), Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Emmy Blotnick (staff blogger for Jimmy Fallon) performing at UCB Chelsea hosted by birthday boy Andy Rocco with Steven Slate: Underground Americana: It’s Andy’s Birthday
[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Midnight Run
Midnight ($5): Six improvisors make up scenes about the end of the world at The Magnet theatre: A Show at the End of the World
Midnight ($5): Sharp improv troupes not affiliated with any school/theatre performing at UCB East for Indie Improv Showcase
[TOP PICK] [$] 12:45 am ($20 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), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), and Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Jay Oakerson, Nikki Glaser, Kurt Metzger, and More
From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.
