For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Brilliant comedy stars Janeane Garofalo and Todd Barry headline a superb lineup of comics at The 12th Night of Chanukah

Most comedy venues are dark tonight for Christmas Eve (or to celebrate Senate passage of the health bill); but here’s one show of special note:

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): Comedy stars Janeane Garofalo and Todd Barry, plus brilliant comics Sean Patton, Jon Glaser, Joe Mande, and Rob Paravonian, perform stand-up at 92Y Tribeca’s Comedy Below Canal for a show with a playful attitude: The 12th Night of Chanukah

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Brilliant character comic Kate McKinnon performs her one-woman show for the last time tonight at UCBT: Best Actress

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] [$] 7:00 pm ($15 ticket; plus $12 drink-food min. if you sit at a table): Tales of Jewishness from brilliant stand-up Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, Punch Up Your Life), Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling (Howard Stern), Jordan Carlos (Colbert Report), DC Benny (Comedy Central), Aaron Kheifets (The Onion), and Peter Hyman (The Reluctant Metrosexual) performing in Joe’s Pub at HEEB Storytelling

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday

8:00 pm ($5): One of NYC’s treasures, master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler, stretching himself by performing a one-man show that’s a mix of stand-up, storytelling, and—the highlight—interacting with the audience at Autumn at the Chuckle Shack

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Saturday Night Live’s Jenny Slate, Joe Mande, Claudia Cogan, and Colin Jost performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Brilliant character performer Kate McKinnon (co-star of Logo’s Big Gay Sketch Show) playing five very different actresses waiting to hear which of them won an Oscar (keep an eye out for the old lady, who’s one of the funniest characters you’ll see this year, anywhere); and Greg Tuculescu playing five very different immigrants, in the double-bill Best Actress and F@#&ing Foreigners!

[$] 9:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): Rich Vos starred on two seasons of Last Comic Standing; has performed a very popular Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; was a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; was the first white comic on Def Jam; wrote for Chris Rock; played Lenny Bruce on NBC’s American Dreams; was an unlikely guest on The View; is a regular on the Opie and Anthony radio show; and is headlining tonight at Carolines at Rich Vos & Friends

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

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

God's Pottery (Wilson Hall's & Krister Johnson's delightful parody of a Christian folk singing duo who were shining stars on Last Comic Standing) help Seth Herzog and friends celebrate the holidays tonight at Sweet

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:

7:00 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:” The Vigilante

7:00 pm ($5): John O’Donnell tells lots of comedic stories in his long-running one-man show The O’Donnellogues

[$] 8:00 pm ($20 & 2-item min.): Musical improv beatbox genius Reggie Watts is among the guests for this comedic holiday celebration at the elegant Comix Comedy Club hosted by a YouTube star who enjoys playing oddball characters: John Roberts’ Holiday Show

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Bastian, DeCoster, Badman, The Law Firm, and Penthouse Riot followed by UCBT troupe Wildhorn! improvising a musical—all at Harold Night

8:30 pm ($5): “Jon Bander has always believed himself great at something. These are the moments where he found out what that something wasn’t. A one-show about being comfortable in your own skin by a guy who, despite glaring flaws, has always loved himself:” Delusions of Bander

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Star pseudo Christian acoustic duo God’s Pottery (Last Comic Standing), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Nick Stevens (VH1, Bravo, AMC, E!), and “special surprise guests” performing at The Slipper Room for this LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightful stand-up comics Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, Jackie Monahan, and Gloria Bigelow performing and hosting guest comics Lisa Kaplan, Selena Coppock, Patricia Villetto, and Chewy in Ochi’s Lounge at Dykes on Mics

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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Colin Quinn headlines a star stand-up lineup tonight at Whiplash

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:

6:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jamie Lee, Mike Recine, TJ Del Reno, Danny Rouhier, and Simeon Goodson performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Tony Woods (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for SNL), Bobby Miyamoto (Comedy Central), Amanda Melson (Comedy Central), and guitar comic Rob Paravonian (recently opened for Lily Tomlin in Vegas) performing in the Lolita Bar with guest hosts Team Submarine and producer Liam McEneaney at Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Musical improv beatbox genius Reggie Watts, and conceptual comics Gabe Liedman and Rob Lathan, performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool for a new weekly comedy show hosted by Kurt Braunohler: The Inevitable

8:00 pm ($5): The talented young writer/performers of UCBT scripted comedy house troupes High Treason and Slow Burn trying out their newest sketch material at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($5 cover if you mention HyReviews.com [otherwise $10], plus $7 drink minimum; call 212.989.9319 to reserve seats): Superb stand-ups Hannibal Buress, Kumail Nanjiani, Moody McCarthy, Maureen Langan, Jared Logan, Dan St. Germain, Liam McEneaney, and Larry MacPhee performing at the Cornelia Street Cafe for the 6th year anniversary of John Morrison’s Morrison Motel

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): A celebration of a razor-sharp stand-up’s comedy album at Ochi’s Lounge: Joe DeRosa’s CD Release Party

9:30 pm ($5): Michael O’Brien (Saturday Night Live) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report) performing the latest version of their acclaimed 2-man sketch show: Misled

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Hilary Schwartz, Sheng Wang, Kate Riffey, Jason Verlaine, Dan Rouhier, and Kate Berlant performing at Pat O’Shea’s free weekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy’s Backroom: Ed Sullivan on Acid

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A blowout gathering of some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including star Colin Quinn, star Christian Finnegan, and acclaimed stand-up and Jimmy Fallon staff writer Morgan Murphy—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jamie Lee joins Rachel Feinstein, Sara Benincasa, and other sharp comics sharing personal holiday tales at Family Hour with Auntie Sara Christmas Spectacular

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] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Typically terrific stand-ups performing at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Stellar stand-ups Anthony Jeselnik (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), Leo Allen (SNL, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Whiplash), Kumail Nanjiani (David Letterman, Michael & Michael Have Issues), Liam McEneaney (VH1’s Best Week Ever), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report), Tim Molloy (TV Guide), and more performing at Lolita Bar—with 1950s live jazz music in the background!—at the NYC debut of Jamie Flam’s Be-Bop Jazz Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Victor Varnado, Jared Logan, Bobby Miyamoto, Barry Rothbart, Gilad Foss, and Shawn Pearlman performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sharp NYC comics—who tonight are Rachel Feinstein, Jamie Kilstein, Jamie Lee, Sean Donnelly, Pat Stango, Elon James White, and comedy’s finest cookie baker H. Alan Scott (who will likely be supplying free treats to the audience, which is reason to brave the snow all by itself)—telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at Ochi’s Lounge for a show hosted by gorgeous rising star Sara Benincasa (CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs): Family Hour with Auntie Sara Christmas Spectacular

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Comedy genius Dave Hill, plus stand-ups Chesley Calloway, Nick Turner, and Erik Bergstrom performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar guest-hosted tonight by Kenny Zimlinghaus (while Vince Averill & Jesse Popp are off for the holidays) at the free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Terrific gal stand-ups Jackie Monahan, Robin Fox, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Susan Alexander performing at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Movie star and hilarious comic Kevin Pollak tonight concludes his headlling run at Comix

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:

7:00 pm ($10): A musical about “a pious Pope framed for a crime he didn’t commit…betrayal, Holy War, foot-stompin’ musical numbers” and everything else it takes “to entertain the Hell right out of you” in Pope: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($37 & 2-item min.): A razor-sharp comic and impressionist who’s also a movie star in such classics as The Usual Suspects headlining tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club, plus opening sets by brilliant stand-up/storyteller Ophira Eisenberg and emcee Reese Waters: Kevin Pollak

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Very smart and very funny comics Jared Logan and Dan St. Germain teaming up to debut a two-man sketch show at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City about history’s most infamous rivalries: They Hated Each Other

8:00 pm ($10): Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell relating their YouTube-documented romantic adventures live on stage—possibly accompanied by visits from some of the gals—on Double Date Us

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein, who’ve formed the new troupe Trike

11:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from a troupe consisting of Walker & Cantrell, Black20.com performers, and a producer for The Daily Show: The Day Ryan

[TOP PICK] 12:00 am ($5): “It’s going to be a Festival of Fights as UCBW MegaStars do battle in Eight Crazy Matches at this annual holiday season spectacular! Featuring Bar Mitzvah Boy (with his Jewish Mother) vs. Adolf Hitler and special guest referee, the Birthday Boy himself, Jesus Christ!” As crazy as professional wrestling is, this takes things to a whole other level. Physical sketch comedy to the extreme, it’s UCBW: Hanukkaos

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Movie super-fan Kevin Maher delivers an unforgettable collection of hilarious film clips at Kevin Geeks Out: Holiday Grab Bag

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:

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Superb stand-ups Sara Schaefer, Reese Waters, Sean Donnelly, and Nick Cobb, and much more performing in Karma Lounge at this special holiday edition of occasionally uncomfortable comedy from beloved sketch & stand-up comedy hosts Blaine Perry & Pat Stango: Don’t Touch Me There

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A big show gets even bigger tonight when comedy giant Dave Hill debuts an expanded hour-long version of his charming and hilarious one-man show about a musical tour overseas: Dave Hill: Big in Japan

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A glorious collection of hilarious genre film clips from super-fan Kevin Maher and friends at 92 Y Tribeca, which tonight is focused on holiday-themed movies (e.g., a video tribute to tribute to Chanukah, “How He-Man Spent the Holidays”), plus an assortment of Kevin’s flat-out favorites covering such diverse topics as Shakespeare, Godzilla, The Smurfs, Kafka, cupcakes, Batman, and The Harlem Globetrotters, plus free holiday cupcakes and trivia prizes: Kevin Geeks Out: Holiday Grab Bag

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($37 & 2-item min.): A razor-sharp comic and impressionist who’s also a movie star in such classics as The Usual Suspects headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Kevin Pollak

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Terrific stand-ups & comedic storytellers Kevin Allison (MTV’s The State, RISK!), Sean Patton (Comedy Central, VH1), Barry Rothbart (MTV, Discovery Channel), Sean Lynch (MTV, Moon Over Oniontown), and more performing at Brooklyn’s Coco 66 for Nick Turner’s Too Cool for School

8:00 pm ($10): A beloved high-concept sketch troupe that delights in exploring silly ideas and wordplay (for example, demonstrating that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as “Me have problem with subject/verb placement…”) debuts its all-new show for the holidays: Elephant Larry’s Mandated Christmas Event

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-up comics performing stand-up in Ochi’s Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

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

11:00 pm ($5): Ace sketch troupe Olde English, plus comedy guests who are asked to perform entirely new material—who tonight are stand-ups Jamie Kilstein and Roger Hailes, and cartoonist Emily Flake (Lulu Eightball)—at Very Fresh

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 12:20ish am: My favorite open-mic stand-up show, where odd things involving drunk audience members tend to happen at it heads towards 2:00 am, hosted by brilliant & lightning-quick Pete Holmes: Gutbucket

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Movie star and hilarious stand-up/improvisor Kevin Pollak headlines tonight through Saturday at Comix

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:25 pm & 9:20 pm ($11): Brilliant comedy trio Derrick (Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson) screen their feature film at NYC’s Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street) for the final night of its initial NYC run—and the gang promises to appear live at both of this evening’s playings of Mystery Team

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($37 & 2-item min.): A veteran stand-up called “The Pit Bull of Comedy,” and a hilarious comic and impressionist who’s also a movie star, sharing the headlining credits tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Bobby Slayton and Kevin Pollak

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($12 online, $15 at door): An annual gathering of top NYC comedy talent for a 3-hour holiday show, with tonight’s guests including Leo Allen, Andrea Rosen, Snakes, Elephant Larry, and many more at The 36th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular

8:00 pm ($5): Nick Ross performing a show about his combating cancer, with a deliciously vibrant and adorable performance by actress Leslie Meisel as a variety of secondary characters (including the cancer itself…); and an all-white musical about fast food that claims to “give new life to the most popular songs of Tupac Shakur. Join us for a romp through all the themes held most dear to Tupac’s heart: economic oppression, dreams deferred, and mall food courts” in the double-bill Highly Evolved Human and 2Pac: The Musical

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): A comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) as shared by their original authors before total strangers, produced in New York by Anne Altman and Julia Wright: Mortified

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Dynamite beatbox improv genius Reggie Watts tops off tonight’s show in which sharp comics Peter Aguero and John Knefel tell sexual tales revolving around tonight’s theme “Modes of Transportation” at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Margot Leitman’s & Giulia Rozzi’s Stripped Stories

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two of the finest improv troupes in the country, The Stepfathers and Hot Sauce, fiercely battling for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Magical comedic character performer Livia Scott headlines a line-up of deliciously fresh, razor-sharp comics tonight at Shrink

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:

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightfully quirky monthly storytelling show in which comics and comedic yarn-spinners are asked to reveal aspects of themselves that are odd and unusual—and that includes such carnival elements as an accordion player, and a challenging trivia contest for someone in the audience to win a bottle of wine. Tonight’s performers are Brad Lawrence (Moth Slam Champion, 2008 FringeNYC one-man show Monsters in the Wood), Dan St. Germain (razor-sharp stand-up), DJ Hazard (American Misfits, When Stand-Up Stood Out), Tracy Rowland (Moth Slam Champion), Evan Morgenstern (host of Swiss Neutral Comedy), and thoroughly charming and razor-sharp host Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Champion, UCBT): Sideshow Goshko

[$] 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm ($25 & 2-item min.): Called “The Pit Bull of Comedy,” a hyperactive stand-up who’s performed on HBO, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, and numerous feature films, and headlines tonight and Thursday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Bobby Slayton

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Deliciously original and superb comedic storytellers, character actresses, and stand-ups Livia Scott, Melanie Hamlett, John Flynn, Desiree Burch, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Trevor Williams performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

8:00 pm ($5): Sharp sketch troupe Pangea 3000 being ironically self-deprecating, and disarmingly charming comedy duo Mamrie Hart and Stephen Soroka performing silly skits and—most memorably—tackling the news on the fly based on audience requests, in the double-bill Pangea 3000 Sucks and BoF in This Old Thing

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Rising star Sean Patton, Chappelle’s Show writer Roger Hailes, Totally J/K’s co-host Noah Garfinkel, and more performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

9:30 pm ($5): Clever sketch troupe Sidecar performing bits about the end of the world, and a one-man show about extreme homophobia, in the double-bill SIDECARMAGEDDON and Brent Sullivan: Fag Life

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

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Standup snippets run this afternoon on Comedy Central:

Being a  geek, I always had trouble talking to girls, I’d always have more than one thing ready to say, then mix them up – like I’d be thinking, “Take it easy” and “See ya later”, and it would come out as “Take ya later…”

Then I’d especially have trouble when a girl would show interest in me…like out skiing, I’d be in the lodge sitting down, and a girl over at another table would beckon me to come on over, so then I’d get up and – [commences walking in ski boots in great galumphing, lumbering, Karloffian heel-over-toe thumping steps, then turns round in embarrassed dejection] – I’d be like, “Aww, see ya out on the slopes…”

I get a kick out of watching MTV Cribs where they’ll have some rock star giving a tour of his mansion – “Yo, yo, an’ here’s my party room, where me an’ my homies like to party down; an’ here’s my bedroom, where I make my love – an’ out back here, my collection of classic cars…” … I try to imagine them filming an episode back in my “crib”: “Yo, an’ here’s my kitchen [flourishes arm] – an’ my fridge, where I keep my antique milks…”

I quit smoking recently, and gained eighteen pounds, and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to lose these eighteen pounds – I tried everything short of diet and exercise…

I was in the checkout line at the supermarket, and the guy behind me just had spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, so I looked at my two full carts then turned to him and said, “Look, if that’s all you have – you better go and shop some more, because it’s gonna take me a while – plus I need to write a check, and I have a lot of coupons, if I can just find some scissors to cut them out…”

You women are lucky, you can talk during sex and sound halfway normal, unlike us men [in Homer Simpson/Marvin Martian voice] – “Oh, gosh, Honey, that is good…Hold on to your luggage, Early Departure!…Jiminy Christmas, here I go!…Clean-Up on Aisle Six!…”

Then my girlfriend got me into trying phone sex and that went well for a while – until one day I got the phone stuck up my butt…So I call the phone company, and they’re like, “Sir, we can’t help you with that, stop bothering us – call the plumber!”…So I call the plumber and he’s like, “I can’t hear you, you sound all muffled”…So the plumber shows up, and I can’t get to the door ‘cos I’ve only got like four feet of cord…I told that story to my grandma and she says, “You need to get a CELLULAR phone…”

From an e-mail thread from this afternoon, Already in Infantile Regress:

From: Mark M.

Imagine that.  Hoodathunkit?

——————————–

From: DSL.

Hoodathunkit – would make a good name for a band…

Hoodawiseguy who just said that?

———-

From: Mark M.

If your local WalMart is out of hoodathunks, you can make your own, with a do-it-yourself hoodathunkit.

———-

From: DSL.

That explains all the sweatshirted gangsta wannabes, or hoodathugs, on my block, keepin’ it real with they punkass IDs, like Trevor-1, Busta Brown and DJ Skippy Remington III…

———-
From: Mark M.

Hoodat who say hoodat who say hoodat?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036441/

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Janeane Garofalo will bewitch audience members with laughter tonight at the final 2009 edition of superb free comedy show Punch Up Your Life

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] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics creator Greg Pak (The Incredible Hulk) and Fred Van Lente (The Incredible Herc) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture—which tonight is the show’s third anniversary, and promises lots of surprises and prizes—at Comic Book Club

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Five full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring every single Harold UCBT house troupe: Scootch, DeCoster, Robber Baron, Ragnaröck, Penthouse Riot, Bastian, People People, Badman, The Law Firm, and The Bishop—all at The Longest Harold Night of the Year

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: TV & movie comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, Joe DeRosa (Comedy Central, Carson Daly), Andrea Rosen (Stella, Variety SHAC), and Chris Fleming (HBO Comedy Fest) performing stand-up at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for a free weekly show typically hosted by brilliant stand-ups Pete Holmes and Jessi Klein—and which is the last edition for 2009: Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5; plus 2-item min. if you sit): A musical improv comedy genius (2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon) performing tonight at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street): Reggie Watts

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Stellar stand-ups Leo Allen, Jeff Ross, and Craig Baldo; circus acrobat Rudi MacAggi; and lots of surprises at The Slipper Room for this special holiday edition of the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro and other world-class stand-ups perform tonight at Whiplash

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:

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Thoroughly wonderful stand-ups Pete Holmes, Sara Schaefer, and Kumail Nanjiani performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool for a new weekly comedy show hosted by Kurt Braunohler: The Inevitable

8:00 pm ($5): The talented young writer/performers of UCBT scripted comedy house troupes Gramp’s and Thunder Gulch trying out their newest sketch material at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5; plus 2-item min. if you sit): A musical improv comedy genius (2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon) performing tonight and Tuesday at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street): Reggie Watts

9:30 pm ($5): Michael O’Brien (Saturday Night Live) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report) performing the latest version of their acclaimed 2-man sketch show: Misled

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A blowout gathering of some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including Elna Baker (genius storyteller and bestselling author), Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent on The Daily Show), Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Awkward Kings of Comedy), and Costaki Economopoulos (The Bob and Tom Show)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Stellar storyteller Mike Daisey concludes the run of his one-man show at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm: The Last Cargo Cult

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] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm ($25 online using discount code CARGO, otherwise $40): Superb storyteller Mike Daisey is back with a one-man show about “his journey to a remote South Pacific island whose people worship America and its cargo. This narrative is woven against a searing examination of the international financial crisis that gripped the globe at the same moment. Confronting the financial system that dominates our world, Daisey wrestles with the largest questions of what the collapse means, and what it can tell us about our deepest values. Part adventure story and part memoir, he explores each culture to unearth a human truth between the seemingly primitive and achingly modern.” For a New York Times review, please click here. Running tonight through Sunday at The Public Theatre: Mike Daisey: The Last Cargo Cult

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX’s Til Death headlining one final night at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smoove

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Sharp stand-ups Roger Hailes (Comedy Central, Chappelle’s Show), Steve Hely (30 Rock, How I Became a Famous Novelist), Adam Lowitt (Emmy-winning producer of The Daily Show), and Neal Stastny (New Orleans Comedy Festival) performing at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[$] 8:00 pm ($35.50 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining one final night at Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC comics Dan Allen, Jamie Lee, Phoebe Robinson, Joe List, Dan Soder, and Karl Hess performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Ophira Eisenberg (who’s also a world-class storyteller), RG Daniels, Jay Bois, Laura Prangley, and Ryan Conner performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar hosted solo tonight by Vince Averill (while Jesse Popp’s on the road) at the free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-ups Allison Castillo, Sherry Davey, Edison Apple, and Dave Rubin performing at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

JB Smoove headlines tonight (sold out!) and Sunday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club

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] [$] 7:00 pm ($40; $25 for students): Superb storyteller Mike Daisey is back with a one-man show about “his journey to a remote South Pacific island whose people worship America and its cargo. This narrative is woven against a searing examination of the international financial crisis that gripped the globe at the same moment. Confronting the financial system that dominates our world, Daisey wrestles with the largest questions of what the collapse means, and what it can tell us about our deepest values. Part adventure story and part memoir, he explores each culture to unearth a human truth between the seemingly primitive and achingly modern.” For a New York Times review, please click here. Running tonight through Sunday at The Public Theatre: Mike Daisey: The Last Cargo Cult

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Joe Derosa (Comedy Central Presents; HBO’s Down & Dirty), Rachel Feinstein (Comedy Central Presents), Jared Logan (Comedy Central), Streeter Seidell, Sean Crespo, Dan Cartwright, John F. O’Donnell, and Brendan McLaughlin performing in Ochi’s Lounge for host Sean Donnelly’s last 2009 edition of Lil’ Seany Boy

7:00 pm ($10): A musical about “a pious Pope framed for a crime he didn’t commit…betrayal, Holy War, foot-stompin’ musical numbers” and everything else it takes “to entertain the Hell right out of you” in Pope: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX’s Til Death headlining tonight and Sunday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smoove

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($20): Superb comics Reggie Watts, Ophira Eisenberg, Tom Shillue, Tom Allen, Katina Corrao, and Craig Baldo—and free beer!—at acclaimed monthly comedy showcase Moonwork

9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:30 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code BECKYD, otherwise $20): A Chicago-based troupe that’s wowed audiences around the world with their skill at creating a completely improvised hour-long musical. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment; even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are made up on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award this August for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event at this final night of the 2009 run of the magical Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein, who’ve formed the new troupe Trike

[TOP PICK] 12:00 am ($5): One of the most fascinating performers in comedy hosting his own comedy extravaganza, with guests Shannon O’Neill, Zach Woods, Neil Casey, Will Hines, and musical group The Kung Fu Monkeys: The Chris Gethard Show

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

A film loosely based on NYC alt comedy & music venue Mo Pitkins debuts tonight at 92Tribeca: House of Satisfaction

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] 7:25 pm & 9:20 pm ($11): Brilliant comedy trio Derrick (Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson) screen their first feature film at NYC’s Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street) through December 17th—and the gang promises to appear live at each evening’s playing of Mystery Team

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Adam Lustick and Billy Scafuri are two of the stellar members of world-class sketch troupe The Harvard Sailing Team; and they’ve now branched out to form a two-man comedic rap group called Snakes. Their just-released debut album can be downloaded from BillyandAdam.com; and you can experience the magic live tonight at Snakes: The Record Release Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A beloved high-concept sketch troupe that delights in exploring silly ideas and wordplay (for example, demonstrating that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as “Me have problem with subject/verb placement…”) debuts its all-new show for the holidays: Elephant Larry’s Mandated Christmas Event

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp stand-ups Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, Verizon FIOS star), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), J-L Cauvin (Craig Ferguson), Adam Newman (MTV), Tim Miller (visiting from DC), Karl Hess (visiting from LA), and “a very special guest” performing at Brooklyn’s Coco 66 for Nick Turner’s Too Cool for School

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX’s Til Death headlining tonight through Sunday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smooth

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35.50 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-up comics performing stand-up in Ochi’s Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room

9:15 pm ($12): Mo Pitkins’ House of Satisfaction was one of the prime venues for alternative comedy and music in the East Village until it closed on October 15, 2007. I wish someone had filmed its spectacular last show, which included such talents as Moby and top NYC comics; but at least we have this movie, which mixes fiction and fact, and debuts tonight at 92YTribeca: House of Satisfaction

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($10): Two-man improvisation from the duo acclaimed for their previous Project: Project shows: The Nathan & Joe Show

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Top UCBT talents—tonight featuring Jeff Hiller, Fran Gillespie, Nate Lang, Jim Santangeli, Mike Still, and Andree Vermeulen as the performers, and Neil Casey, John Frusciante, Dan Gregor, Dan Gurewitch, Anthony King, Craig Rowin, Eric Scott, Nate Smith, Caitlin Tegart, and Greg Tuculescu as the writers—creating a one-night-only sketch comedy show directed by Will Hines, with musical guest Conversion Party: Beneath Gristedes

[FREE] 12:20ish am: A free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

World-class storyteller Mike Daisey performs his new one-man show through Sunday: The Last Cargo Cult

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] [$] 7:00 pm ($40; $25 for students): Superb storyteller Mike Daisey is back with a one-man show about “his journey to a remote South Pacific island whose people worship America and its cargo. This narrative is woven against a searing examination of the international financial crisis that gripped the globe at the same moment. Confronting the financial system that dominates our world, Daisey wrestles with the largest questions of what the collapse means, and what it can tell us about our deepest values. Part adventure story and part memoir, he explores each culture to unearth a human truth between the seemingly primitive and achingly modern.” For a New York Times review, please click here. Running tonight through Sunday at The Public Theatre: Mike Daisey: The Last Cargo Cult

[$] 7:30 pm ($30 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX’s Til Death headlining tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smooth

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5) : One of the funniest singer/songwriters in NYC, Shayna Ferm, and her band tear up the stage tonight at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup): Shayna Ferm and the Upper Decks

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The debut of a new comedy show from razor-sharp female musical comics Mindy Raf, Becky Yamamoto, and Glennis McMurray, with tonight’s comedy guests Matt McCarthy, Katina Corrao, Vince Averill, and Jamie Lee performing at Brooklyn’s Legion Bar: Supercream Supreme

8:00 pm ($5):Nick Ross performing a show about his combating cancer, with a deliciously vibrant and adorable performance by actress Leslie Meisel as a variety of secondary characters (including the cancer itself…); and all-white musical about fast food that claims to “give new life to the most popular songs of Tupac Shakur. Join us for a romp through all the themes held most dear to Tupac’s heart: economic oppression, dreams deferred, and mall food courts” in the double-bill Highly Evolved Human and 2Pac: The Musical

8:00 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces” in The Deconstruction

[$] 8:00 pm ($35.50 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, VH1’s Best Week Ever, The New Yorker, co-host of hit show Punch Up Your Life), Anthony Atamanuik (brilliant storyteller; member of champion improv troupe Death by Roo Roo), Morgan Murphy (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), and Gabe Liedman (co-host of hit comedy show Big Terrific) joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety SHAC

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes Classic Masculinity and Bangs battling for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

The Varsity Interpretive Dance Squad attempts to save the world through choreography in Faster Than the Speed of Night

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] [$] 7:30 pm ($10 & 2-item min.): Star stand-ups Ted Alexandro, Amy Schumer, Joe Mande, and more in a bargain-priced, slapped-together show that’ll probably be better than the one scheduled for Jackie Mason, who had to bail on tonight’s sold out performance: The Replacements

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Top writers and comedians—who tonight include Jane Borden (stellar Comedy Editor for Time Out New York), Jenn Dodd, and Vito Lantz—join hosts Jake Goldman and world-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here) in Ochi’s Lounge to share their favorite personal campus anecdotes at True Tales of College

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of NYC’s treasures, master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler, debuting a one-man show: Autumn at the Chuckle Shack

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): The Audience Favorite winner of the just-completed ANT Festival at Ars Nova returns to again ask the theatrical question, “Can the world be changed by dances choreographed in your childhood basement? Yes. Stretch, hydrate, prepare for Whole World Dance, a concept so revolutionary, it’s stupid:” The Varsity Interpretive Dance Squad in Faster Than the Speed of Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC comics Robin Gelfenbien, Carmen Lynch, Keith Alberstadt, Dan Hirshon, Nate Min, Garry Hannon, and dance group Cocoon performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: UK comedy star Tom Allen, red-hot rising star Baron Vaughn, Jordan Rubin (Conan O’Brien, Our Massive Planet with Jim Gaffigan), and Gabriel Delahaye performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Unique, hilarious, and endearing Melanie Hamlett (Moth GrandSlam Champion) spent this summer traveling cross-country in her barely functioning truck to have adventures only she could have. Come tonight to experience her tales of the Testicle Festival (no foolin’), complete with photos. Plus joining Melanie will be four of the finest storytellers in NYC: Kevin Allison (brilliant sketch comic of The State, host of Risk!), Andy Christie (Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion, host of The Liar Show), Seth Lind (TOLD, This American Life), and Giulia Rozzi (co-host of Stripped Stories) at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City: The Hobo Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas

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

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog joins forces with such comedy giants as John Oliver, Kristen Schaal and Todd Barry for a charity fundraiser: We'll Kick Cancer's Butt!

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] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class musical improvisor Eliza Skinner debuting a one-woman show making fun of the musical Cats, plus a comedy group auditioning a sketch show, in the double-bill Eliza Skinner: Jellicle Balls and Deceptively Chubby: The TiVo is Full

7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Hilary Schwartz and Rachael Parenta hosting an intriguing show at Ochi’s Lounge described as “emotionally inappropriate comedy:” Please, Someone Kill Me

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics creator Jesse Blaze Snider (Dead Romeo) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Scootch, Bastian, People People, The Law Firm, and Penthouse Riot
followed by UCBT advanced students improvising a musical—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($30 & 2-item min.) Stand-up comedy geniuses John Oliver (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Kristen Schaal (also a shining star on The Daily Show) Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (oughta be on The Daily Show), Todd Barry (makes even Triumph tremble), Caroline Rhea, and Eddie Brill perform at this gala charity fundraiser hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends: We’ll Kick Cancer’s Butt!

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: UK comedy stars Maeve Higgins and Tom Allen, Ryan Hamilton (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and David Cope performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for a free weekly show hosted by brilliant stand-ups Pete Holmes (Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever, ComedyJuice, The New Yorker) and Sean Patton (standing in for Jessi Klein tonight): Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, Irish comedy star Maeve Higgins, stand-up Michelle Collins (who recently won the UCBT BEATdown contest by rapping about her hemorrhoids), and Bryan Callen (former cast member on Mad TV) performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightful stand-ups Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, Jackie Monahan, and Gloria Bigelow in Ochi’s Lounge hosting guest comics Sharon Spell, Kara Klenk, and Cory Davis at Dykes on Mics

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Kurt Braunohler kicks off a new Brooklyn comedy show tonight with the help of sketch partner Kristen Schaal: The Inevitable

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:

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-ups Ben Kissel, Jamie Roberts, Amy Carlson, Robert Dean, and Miguel Dalmau performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The debut of a new weekly comedy show from Kurt Braunohler that tonight includes wonderful comics Kristen Schaal, Leo Allen, Max Silvestri, and Chris Hauselt performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool: The Inevitable

8:00 pm ($5): The talented young writer/performers of top UCBT scripted comedy house troupes Stone Cold Fox and Gorilla Gorilla try out their newest sketch material at Maude Night

9:30 pm ($5): Michael O’Brien (Saturday Night Live) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report) debut at UCBT the latest version of their acclaimed 2-man sketch show: Misled

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Andrea Rosen, Adam Newman, Sharon Spell, Luke Cunningham, Andy Haynes, Jordon Ferber, and Alex Grubard performing at Pat O’Shea’s free weekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy’s Backroom: Ed Sullivan on Acid

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A blowout gathering of some of the most hilarious stand-up comics in the country—tonight including Hannibal Burress, Tom Shillue, Maeve Higgins, and Myq Kaplan—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

That’s right, people. I did Standup… AGAIN! And it was awesome. I took the Standup 201 class at the DSI Comedy Theater with rockstar comedian, John Betz Jr. I had such a blast and I can’t wait to get on stage again. Standup is a form of comedy that is totally new to me and I am loving it.

I cut up some clips of my set for you to peruse at will. I have two short “Molly Quick Bits” and I have also included the entire set which you can watch below! I hope you enjoy! And please watch, comment, rate, and laugh! You’re awesome.

A Molly Quick Bit: “Working from Home”

A Molly Quick Bit: “My Name is Molly”

Molly Tells Jokes (My Entire Standup 201 Set)

All for now.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

Superb female comics relate their hilarious and unforgettable tales of erotic disappointment in Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex

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] 7:00 pm ($10): Comedic storytellers—including star Casey Wilson (Saturday Night Live)—relate their thoroughly hilarious experiences of erotic disappointment in Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex

7:00 pm ($10): A musical about “a pious Pope framed for a crime he didn’t commit…betrayal, Holy War, foot-stompin’ musical numbers” and everything else it takes “to entertain the Hell right out of you” in Pope: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): A small army of superb stand-up comics—Leo Allen, Christian Finnegan, Kumail Nanjiani, Baron Vaughn, Sara Schaeffer, Brooke Van Poppelen, Sara Benincasa, Blaine Perry & Pat Stango, Claudia Cogan, Jared Logan, Roger Hailes, Dan St. Germain, Kevin McCaffrey, Chelsea White, Tom McCaffrey, Hari Kondabolu, Team Submarine, Jesse Popp, Mark Normand, and more—performing in a show running at least four hours in Ochi’s Lounge at host Sean Donnelly’s Lil’ Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 ($34 & 2-item min.) A former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and performer on Saturday Night Live, The Office, Arrested Development, and Human Giant who has now become one of the most respected and sought-after stand-up comics in the country—and recently shot his first Comedy Central Presents special—headlining tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Rob Riggle

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up veteran who’s appeared on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Last Comic Standing; hosted the HBO stand-up showcase Down and Dirty; was a cast member of the wonderful though short-lived HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, and did his own HBO half-hour One Night Stand special; has appeared in such hit films as Spider-Man; is a regular on XM Satellite Radio’s The Opie & Anthony Show; and is the author of the book Happy Endings, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jim Norton

8:00 pm ($10): In this unique monthly show, stand-up comics perform in the buff. A reviewer from The Boston Globe observed, “The dynamic of nude comedian and clothed audience added an extra dimension to self-deprecating material.” For a New York Magazine review, please click here; or simply come see for yourself The Naked Comedy Showcase

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:30 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code BECKYD, otherwise $20): A Chicago-based troupe that’s wowed audiences around the world with their skill at creating a completely improvised hour-long musical. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment; even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are made up on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award this August for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event at the magical Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein, who’ve formed the new troupe Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch comedy troupe, performing scenes that are dark and surreal: Murderfist: Late and Dirty

[TOP PICK] 12:00 am ($5): Andy Rocco’s extravaganza of sketch comedy, music, dancing, free t-shirts, and special guests—who tonight include brilliant red-hot rising stars DC Pierson (Derrick, Mystery Team) and Baron Vaughn (Awkward Kings of Comedy): The Hipster Show

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

To vote charity money to the wonderful FringeNYC, please click here.

Hilarious and acclaimed stand-up star Rob Riggle headlines tonight and Saturday at the Comix Comedy Club

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] 7:00 pm ($10): Comedic storytellers—including comedy star Casey Wilson (Saturday Night Live)—relate their experiences of erotic dissapointment in Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex

7:00 pm ($10): A sketch show from Chris & Rebecca Smith, two members of world-class sketch troupe The Harvard Sailing Team who are married to each other: The New York Smiths

7:30 pm ($10): Raunchy comedic singer/songwriter Cock Lorge and friends performing his last monthly show this year at Pianos in Thank Cock It’s Friday

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 ($34 & 2-item min.) A former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and performer on Saturday Night Live, The Office, Arrested Development, and Human Giant who has now become one of the most respected and sought-after stand-up comics in the country—and recently shot his first Comedy Central Presents special—headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Rob Riggle

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up veteran who’s appeared on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Last Comic Standing; hosted the HBO stand-up showcase Down and Dirty; was a cast member of the wonderful though short-lived HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, and did his own HBO half-hour One Night Stand special; has appeared in such hit films as Spider-Man; is a regular on XM Satellite Radio’s The Opie & Anthony Show; and is the author of the book Happy Endings, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jim Norton

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A beloved high-concept sketch troupe that delights in exploring silly ideas and wordplay (for example, demonstrating that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as “Me have problem with subject/verb placement…”) debuts its all-new show for the holidays: Elephant Larry’s Mandated Christmas Event

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Former co-host Ross Hyzer returns to celebrate his birthday, and is joined by sharp stand-up Pat Stango, Vince Averill, Tom McCaffrey, and George Gordon performing at Brooklyn’s Coco 66 for Nick Turner’s Too Cool for School

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-up comics performing stand-up in Ochi’s Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight are genuinely skilled rapper Carolyn Castiglia, brilliant improvisor & sketch comic Gil Ozeri, stand-up Myka Fox, Chaz Kangas, and Luke Meginsky—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas), all at The BEATdown

[FREE] 12:20ish am: A free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage

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Comedy superstar Robin Williams concludes his US tour tonight at Town Hall (with the show airing this Sunday night on HBO): Weapons of Self-Destruction

and

Star stand-up Jim Norton headlines tonight through Sunday at Carolines

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] [$] 8:00 pm ($70-$150): A comedy superstar concluding his nationwide tour tonight at Town Hall, performing the last live version before the show airs this Saturday night on HBO: Robin Williams: Weapons of Self-Destruction

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up veteran who’s appeared on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Last Comic Standing; hosted the HBO stand-up showcase Down and Dirty; was a cast member of the wonderful though short-lived HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, and did his own HBO half-hour One Night Stand special; has appeared in such hit films as Spider-Man; is a regular on XM Satellite Radio’s The Opie & Anthony Show; and is the author of the book Happy Endings, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jim Norton

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A stand-up visitor from Ireland bringing her special brand of comedy to UCBT for one night only: Maeve Higgins: Stop the Lights!

8:00 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces” in The Deconstruction

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC comics Mike Vecchione, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Mike Destefano performing at Brooklyn’s Building on Bond for a free stand-up show hosted by Yannis Pappas: A Very Good Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): Four world-class writer/performers tell personal stories. Three of them are true…but one is a pack of lies. Then the audience asks questions to try to figure out who’s fibbing. Tonight’s yarn-spinners are Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Kevin Allison (sketch comedy icon, and host of superb storytelling show Risk!), Faye Lane (delightful storyteller, and host of Beauty Shop Stories), and Seth Line (NPR’s This American Life). They’ll all be performing at 92Y Tribeca for host Andy Christie’s The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A stand-up visitor from England bringing his special brand of comedy to UCBT for one night only: Tom Allen: Women!

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Champion improv troupe Death by Roo Roo going up against improv troupe Rogue Elephant in a battle for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of Natasha Leggero, please click here.

Brilliant comedy trio DC Pierson, Donald Glover, and Dominic Dierkes return to NYC tonight to promote their first feature film, which debuts in NYC this weekend: Derrick Presents Mystery Team Live!

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:

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Carl Arnheiter interviewing the editors and staff writers who create a beloved pseudo newspaper: Inside Joke with The Onion

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Emily Epstein, Ali Wong, Billy Reno, Matt Little, Bruce Cherry, and Jermaine Fowler performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Wonderful comics Reggie Watts, Joe Mande, Adam Lowitt, and Maeve Higgins performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): One of the sharpest and most talented comedy groups to ever grace UCBT returns to plug its feature film Mystery Team, which is enjoying its NYC debut this weekend: Derrick Presents Mystery Team Live!

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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Deliciously sharp and vibrant writer/improvisor/actress Katherine Heller...

...lectures about sex & death tonight at Adult Education

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] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully silly lectures about “Death” (e.g., Le Petit Mort: Death as a Metaphor for Orgasm in Popular Culture and Literature and Everyone Is Trying To Kill You: Analyzing Homicidal Tendencies In Electronic Information Networks) at Charles Star’s Brooklyn comedic extravaganza Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics creators Zelda Devon and Kurt Huggins (Teetering Bulb) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Robber Baron, Badman, DeCoster, Ragnaröck, and The Bishop
followed by UCBT advanced students improvising a musical—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb stand-ups Christian Finnegan, Kumail Nanjiani, Erik Weiner, Allison Becker—and possibly some happy surprises—performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sharp NYC stand-ups Erin Judge, Hilary Schwartz, Mike Lawrence, Alexis Guerreros, Alexandra Kahanim, James J. Oakes, Devin Sanchez, and Jay Hoskins telling tales about their first time doing something (subject is up to them) performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Rachel Axelrod’s & Evan Morgenstern’s SNC: The Virgin Chronicles

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.