text:
Best New York Comedy
The Best in NYC Live Comedy, Selected by Hy Bender; Most Shows $15, $10, or Free
Favorite Jokes
Favorite Comedy Videos
Comedy Club Discounts
NYC Top Comedy Choices for March 2020: Last Updated Wednesday 3/11
Please note that these listings are updated frequently. The best way to be instantly notified about new show postings is to subscribe to this BestNewYorkComedy.com blog and allow for email notifications.
In addition, you can use the links below to explore the schedules of all the major comedy venues in NYC; and you can find excellent live comedy recommendations weekly via The New York Times.
That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for March 2020 (with much more to come soon) include:
Wednesday 3/11: Host Molly Gaebe and guest humor magazine Reductress invites female storytellers, comics, and historians to share the tales of "some of the greatest women the world has ever known, but history erased" for this live-on-stage podcast recording, with this month's theme Hysterical—1,000 Years of Funny Women featuring Sarah Pappalardo, Shalewa Sharpe, Arti Gollapudi, Maya Deshmukh, and Kendra Singh: Nevertheless She Existed: 1,000 Years of Funny Women (7:00 pm, $20, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 3/11: The first of two character & sketch comedy UCB Theatre showcases for industry producers, casting directors, etc. featuring over a dozen talented comics including Jason Gore (solo show Jason Gore's Midlife Crisis) and Maude sketch group Grown Ass Women: UCBT's I'm Cool Showcase (7:30 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street; Part 2 of this industry event is tomorrow night, same time & place)
Wednesday 3/11: Ron Bennington (host of radio shows Bennington and Unmasked; Kreeps With Kids tour), Joe List (Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, James Corden, David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, Netflix's The StandUps, comedy albums So Far No Good and Are You Mad at Me?), Andrew Schulz (Amazon's Sneaky Pete, Hulu's There's…Johnny!, HBO's Crashing, Netflix, MTV, co-host of podcast The Brilliant Idiots), Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; AMC's Better Call Saul; HBO's Crashing, Bored to Death, Down and Dirty; Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, FX's Louie; E!'s Chelsea Lately, stand-up album The Depression Auction), Aminah Imani (host with Sydnee Washington & Marie Faustin of highly popular weekly Brooklyn stand-up showcase Comedy at The Knit; co-host of podcast Wine Before Nine) Carmen Morales, and Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; co-host of podcast History Hyenas) perform stand-up at an elegant Union Square comedy club: Wednesday Night Stand-Up at The Stand (9:00 pm, $15, The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Wednesday 3/11: The Lucas Bros (Jimmy Fallon, 22 Jump Street, Netflix's The Lucas Bros: On Drugs and Lady Dynamite, FOX's Lucas Bros Moving Company and Arrested Development, HBO's Crashing), Chanel Ali (MTV's Girl Code, STARZ, TruTV), Ray DeVito (The Jim Gaffigan Show, MTV; co-host of podcast The Ghole), and Savannah Deso perform stand-up for hosts Kate Robards (writer/actress) & Betsy Carroll (software engineer/rapper): Peach Pit Comedy (9:30 pm, $15 cover and no min., The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Wednesday 3/11: Stavros Halkias (Comedy Central Stand-Up, IFC; co-host of podcast Cum Town; host of Fat Tuesdays), Francis Ellis (co-host of Oops the Podcast), Emma Willmann (Stephen Colbert, Netflix's The Comedy Lineup, @midnight; regular on WB's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Kim Congdon (writer for Impractical Jokers; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV; host of podcast Broad Topix), Jeff Leach (BBC; host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), and Tom Cassidy perform stand-up at an elegant Union Square comedy club: Late Night Stand-Up at The Stand (11:00 pm, $15, The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Thursday 3/12: Comedy dynamo Meg Stalter (National Lampoon Radio Hour, The Chris Gethard Show) performs her unique format-mocking brand of stand-up, with guests Sandy Honig (one-third of sketch group Three Busy Debras; host of Pig and The Bongo Hour), Joe Castle Baker (host of Get Reel), and RIchie Owens (Meg's husband in this): Meg Stalter and her Brats! (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 3/12: Open mic walk-in storytelling show, with each yarn-spinner whose name is picked from a basket receiving 5 minutes on stage to tell a true personal tale, hosted by David Lawson (Comedy Central; solo shows include The Flyer Guy, No Oddjob, The Prequels, and The 2020 Book Report): The Astoria Bookshop Storytelling Show: 6th Year Anniversary! (7:00 pm, Free!, Queens' Astoria Bookshop at 31-29 31st Street—take the N/W subway to Broadway Station)
Thursday 3/12: The second of two character & sketch comedy UCB Theatre showcases for industry producers, casting directors, etc. featuring some of UCB's best comics performing their best material: UCBT's I'm Cool Showcase (7:30 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Thursday 3/12: A one-of-a-kind treasure of a comedy star, whose scores of credits include numerous appearances on David Letterman, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Howard Stern, @midnight, and Comedy Central Roasts—and who's acted in the Robert DeNiro film The Comedian, such animated features as Aladdin and Lego Batman 3, Showtime's Episodes, Comedy Central's The Jim Gaffigan Show, classic documentary The Aristocrats, and documentary Gilbert—headlines for one night only at Carolines: Gilbert Gottfried (7:30 pm, $27.25 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)
Thursday 3/12: Enjoy a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) shared by their original authors before total strangers at this popular monthly show: Mortified (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 3/13: A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with the lovely and quick-witted Lane Moore (above middle; author of bestselling book How to Be Alone; HBO's Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's) going on a live Tinder safari for guys while a packed audience watches her every choice with fascination. Offering comments and suggestions are the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (left; one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another, author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Hari Kondabolu (right; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents; fascinating TruTV documentary The Problem with Apu; Netflix special Warn Your Relatives), and Stacy London (pundit for NBC's Today Show; former co-host of TLC's What Not to Wear; former Senior Fashion Editor for Mademoiselle): Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $18 at the door or $19.51-$22.76 online; Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street)
Friday 3/13: Comics share their observations, fears, dreams, and insanities growing up by reading from their childhood diaries hosted by Maggie Lalley: Dear Diary: Comics Read Their Weird Childhood Journals (9:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Saturday 3/14: Friends Who Folk—i.e., delightful singing duo Rachel Wenitsky (writer for Jimmy Fallon, freelance writer for SNL; Deputy Editor of Reductress; co-host of Mouth Time! podcast; Head Writer of The Story Pirates podcast) & Ned Riseley; TheNewYorker.com—host guests Gabe Gonzalez (host for MTV News and ScruffApp), Rebecca O'Neal (Netflix's Easy; Vanity Fair, Gawker, Vulture; former host of local Chicago TV show One Night Stand-Up), and Lily Marotta (HBO's High Maintenance): Friends Who Folk & Friends (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 3/14: A sketch group that's achieved national fame via several appearances on NBC's Bring the Funny performs new material every month at The PIT that includes stage, digital, and musical sketches: Kids These Days (8:00 pm, $15, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Saturday 3/14: Acclaimed groundbreaking improvisors Patrick McCartney, Matt Higgins, Jay Rhoderick, and Kevin Scott make up scenes that often have a theatrical quality: Centralia (8:00 pm; $15, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Saturday 3/14: Every Saturday night, a highly talented freestyle rapping long form improv group takes the stage for an hour to make up scenes, songs, and witty wordplay: North Coast (9:00 pm, $15, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Saturday 12/14: Using low-brow horror films often purchased in local gas stations and bodegas, host J.W. Crump plays select clips for 30 seconds (via ace tech booth operator Christine Pynn), then asks his talented cast of improvisers—Sean Reidy, Connor McClure, B. J. Thorne, Josh Krebs, Kaitlin Fontana, Sam Jackel, Tim Mele, Ali Gordon, Jordan Hirsch, Alyson Cripps, Táhlia Robinson, and/or Alyssa Lott—to complete the scene: Gas Station Horror (10:30 pm, $15, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 3/15: Jordan Klepper (star of docuseries Klepper; former star of Comedy Central's The Opposition and correspondent for The Daily Show) has had a busy few years: "Just recently he shared a falafel with the Clintons, got arrested in Georgia, and ran away to the woods to deal with the inevitability of the aging process, only to come back three days later because a rat ate his turkey sausage. He's got some stories, and he's working some things out. He's doing some of that on stage with a microphone. He's also invited some of his talented friends to share their existential dread and, you know, stand-up jokes so we can feel a bit less alone together," with guests TBA: Jordan Klepper's Productive Existential Crisis, with Friends (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 3/15: Seven comics—Matt Brooks, Woody Fu, Mary Nepi, Lynsey Burnell, Nathan Pearson, Delaney Sweet, and Lauren Garniet—each performs original solo characers in this showcase: Character? I Hardly Know'er (10:00 pm, $15, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Monday 3/16: This show is about "the science of astrology, which is very real and definitely not fake. Each month, hosts Melissa Stokoski, Karolena Theresa, and Brian Bahe (all Virgos) along with resident Astrologist Lizzie Martinez (Taurus) welcome a lineup of comedians all born under the current zodiac." This month's group of Pisces stand-ups are TBA: Star F*ckers: Astrology, But Make It Comedy (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 3/17: Samantha Ruddy (above left; Stephen Colbert; warm-up comic for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee; written for College Humor, Reductress, Someecards) hosts stellar stand-ups Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow; live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; comedy album The Hits), Karen Chee (staff writer for Seth Meyers; The New Yorker, McSweeney's), Megan Stalter (star of webseries The Megan Stalter Show; member of National Lampoon Radio Hour), Joe Pera (star of Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks With You; Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central), Napoleon Emill (Carolines' Comedy Madness 2018 champion), and Luke Mones (Comedy Central, Inside Edition, Funny Or Die, College Humor, Howard Stern Show): Samantha Ruddy Has Guests (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 3/17: Every Tuesday at 7:00, comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture, with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club (7:00 pm, Free!, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Tuesday 3/17: Stand-up from Dulcé Sloan (powerhouse comic and correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O'Brien, @midnight), Devon Walker (Comedy Central), Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1; host of Right Now; for sample of Carolyn as white rapper, please click here), and Amy Shanker hosted by Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show) and produced by the Abortion Access Front: Feminist Buzzkills of Comedy (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 3/17: Sal Vulcano (co-star of TruTV's Impractical Jokers), Tim Dillon (Comedy Central Half Hour, Netflix's The Comedy Lineup, Last Comic Standing; podcast The Tim Dillon Show), Griffin Newman (brilliant character/improv comic; Arthur on Amazon's The Tick, Jared Kushner on Showtime's Our Cartoon President, HBO, CBS, MTV, TBS; feature films Draft Day, Fort Tilden, Night Moves; co-host of podcast Blank Check), Nore Davis (HBO's Last Week Tonight, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime's Boardwalk Empire, MTV; album You Guys Are Dope), and more perform stand-up and/or music hosted by Seth Herzog (above; long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1): Sweet (9:00 pm, $16.80 online [all tickets sold via DICE app], Chelsea Music Hall at 407 West 15th Street)
Wednesday 3/18: A typically great alt comedy lineup (TBA) hosted by Stavros Halkias (Comedy Central Stand-Up, IFC; co-host of podcast Cum Town; host of Fat Tuesdays): Pantheon with Stavros Halkias (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 3/18: Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic; author of How to Write Cheesy Movies) hosts an open mic for MST3K-style riffing on film clips of awful movies. Sign-up is open to all, and riffing happens in randomly assigned groups of three, with no advance knowledge of what's going to be screened. At the end, whoever Frank decides is best will get to riff with him: Frank Conniff's Open Riff Night (9:00 pm, $5 to riff or $8 to just watch, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Thursday 3/19-Saturday 3/21: The PIT's 9th Annual NYC Improvfest is a showcase for over 70 improv groups performing Thursday-Saturday at all three PIT theatres. Most shows feature one or two groups and cost $5-$15: The PIT's 9th Annual ImprovFest: Improv Festivale (Thursday 6:00 pm-Midnight; Friday 6:00 pm-1:00 am; Saturday 2:00 pm-12:30 am; prices range from free to $15 per show; running at all three PIT theatres, i.e., The PIT Mainstage (Striker) and PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street and The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Thursday 3/19: Chris Gethard (star of HBO 90-minute special Career Suicide; star of TruTV's & Fusion's The Chris Gethard Show; host of Webby-winning podcast Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People; producer of fresh comedy webseries Chris Gethard Presents) hosts superb comics (TBA) who have performed on his MNN cable access show Chris Gethard Presents: Chris Gethard Presents All-Stars (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 3/19: Debra Messing (Emmy Award-winning star role of Grace in NBC's Will & Grace; upcoming Broadway play Birthday Candles) and Emily Nussbaum (Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic for the New Yorker; author of I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through The TV Revolution) are tonight's guest of this NPR comedy trivia show taped live in Brooklyn hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) with music by Jonathan Coulton: Ask Me Another (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 3/20: Comics dub—i.e., provide a verbal soundtrack—by making up narration and dialogue on the spot for silly video and film clips, with this month's theme Technically Speaking, starring Josh Sharp & Aaron Jackson, Julia Shiplett, Shalewa Sharpe, Mary Beth Barone, and Sam Taggart hosted by Max Wittert & Joe Castle Baker: Get Reel (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 3/20: Stand-up and/or music from Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow; comedy album The Hits), Lauren Servideo (character comic Instagram star), Aminah Imani (host with Sydnee Washington & Marie Faustin of highly popular weekly Brooklyn stand-up showcase Comedy at The Knit; co-host of podcast Wine Before Nine), and Pat Regan (The Eric Andre Show, Last Comic Standing, co-host of Seek Treatment podcast) hosted by Benito Skinner (YouTube star) & Mary Beth Barone (Viceland; host of podcast Mildly Offensive): Cruel Intentions (7:30 pm, $18, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 3/20: Storytellers Lindsay Goldwert (middle left; author of new book Bow Down: Lessons From Dominatrixes On How to Get Everything You Want, host of podcast Spent), Wilson McDermut (middle right; BBC America's Crash Course in Comedy), and more TBA share tales of relationships in front of a panel of comics and bona fide therapists who then provide their professional advice, hosted by Lynn Bixenspan (far right; Comedy Central, MTV; former writer for Fuse TV) & Morgan Pielli (far left; cartoonist): Relationshit (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Friday 3/20: Storytellers Meghan Walsh, Jared Waters, Bob Hansen, and Justin Auslaender share cringe-worthy experiences from their pasts hosted by Brendan Busee & Ron Raganella: Shame!: The Not-So-Honorable Comedy Show (9:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Saturday 3/21: In this unique show, animators (TBA) spontaneously bring the jokes of stand-ups (TBA) to visual life with lightning speed & wit. Part of the fun is that the comics don't know what the animators will draw and the animators don't know how the comics will react. Produced by Sam Varela & Brandie Posey and hosted by Ian Fidance (regular on SiriusXM's You Up? with Nikki Glaser, Comedy Central Radio): Picture This! (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 3/21: A subversive and award-winning Brooklyn drag & burlesque collective performs a tribute to The Addams Family, exploring "the queer resonance of America's most iconic and beloved spooky family…emphasizing themes of resistance, the celebration of difference, and the power of chosen family," with Switch n' Play members Divina GranSparkle, K.James, Miss Malice, Nyx Nocturne, Vigor Mortis, and Zoe Ziegfeld, plus guest artists West Dakota, Fem Appeal, Hystée Lauder, MiscAllaneous and DomTop, all promising you "an evening of performances that will ready you for a queer revolution that is creepy, spooky, kooky, and altogether ooky:" Switch n' Play's Family Values (8:00 pm, $23-$31—which includes post-show dance party; Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 3/21: Stand-ups TBA perform by sandwiching new jokes in between time-tested opening and closing material for hosts Gastor Almonte (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, host of Stoops2Stages, co-host of I'm Dead Comedy, comedy album Immigrant Made) & Jess Salomon (former UN war crimes attorney turned comic; Jimmy Fallon, CBS, Sirius XM): Sandwich (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 3/21: A top musical improv troupe that has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure, by ace improvisors TBA, plus stellar improv musicians who are typically Dan Reitz (keyboards) & Sarah Mullins (drums/percussion). Come see why this show won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy (10:30 pm, $14, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Sunday 3/22: Red-hot stand-up Rachel Feinstein (HBO's Crashing, Amazon's Red Oaks, Netflix's The Standups, Comedy Central special Only Whores Wear Purple; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Inside Amy Schumer, The View, Adult Swim; films include Trainwreck and Top Five) performs a deliciously long set at an intimate venue: Rachel Feinstein (5:00 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 3/22: A solo show by Tiff Stevenson (UK comic/actress; numerous UK/US TV show appearances include The Office, Drunk History, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Mock the Week) about which one reviewer said, "It's jaw-droppingly remarkable how much ground she covers, how funny she is, how intelligent her attacks are:" Tiff Stevenson: Mother (7:30 pm, $11.55-$15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 3/22: Every month, Emma Shoemaker interviews a guest who she once had a crush on. They'll discuss the crush, and Emma will try to figure out if it was/is mutual. "We'll be silly, we'll be vulnerable and if we're lucky we might even get closure:" The Crush Project (6:00 pm, $9, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Sunday 3/22: One of the top highlights of last year's Solocom was Jack Blankenship sharing how he used his ability to make an extreme face to become a world-famous Internet meme. Jack's charming, down-to-earth style and sly sense of humor make for a delightful time, and this show is happily recommended: Jack Blankenship: A Funeral for My Face (8:00 pm, $9, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Monday 3/23: Star Phoebe Robinson (co-star of HBO's 2 Dope Queens; host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys; Seth Meyers, Conan O'Brien, Broad City, MTV's Girl Code; feature films What Men Want and Netflix's Ibiza; author of Everything's Trash, But It's Okay and You Can't Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain) performs and hosts some of her stand-up friends. This will probably be awesome and almost certainly sell out in advance: Phoebe Robinson and Friends (8:00 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Tuesday 3/24: Comics TBA perform for this monthly stand-up showcase named after Stevie Nicks and hosted by Marcia Belsky, Sam Taggart, and Drew Anderson: Stevie (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 3/25: A live-on-stage recording of Willem Brian Smith's podcast interviewing fellow comics about uncomfortable topics such as mental illness: Getting Uncomfortable with Willem Brian Smith (7:00 pm, $9, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Wednesday 3/25: Bardia Salimi (Stephen Colbert, CBS' Madam Secretary, TBS' Search Party, Comedy Central, MTV) spearheads a sketch show about the Presidential race featuring Annie Donley, Drennen Quinn, Carmen Christopher, Brian Fiddyment, and Tony Zaret, and with an opening set by Mike Hanford: Bardia Salimi: Race To The Nut House (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 3/25: An untold episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone created on the spot by improv group SkyRats Comedy: Another Dimension (8:00 pm, $11, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Thursday 3/26: In this quick-paced show, 64 comics each perform a one-line joke for the sake of winning audience laughs and applause (for samples, please click here). This bracket-style competition is designed to produce a single champion in under two hours, hosted by Emily Winter and Larry Mancini: The 5th Annual One Liner Madness (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Thursday 3/26: Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for Showtime's Desus & Mero, and previously for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe) hosts an extravaganza of jokes, song, and dance with stellar comics TBA performing pop songs preceded by comedic presentations: Pop Show (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 3/26: Adrian Frimpong & Scott Hercman (NBC's Bring the Funny) host an eclectic group of weird and hopefully hilarious talents—including Jack Blankenship ("the Face" above) playing a melodica out of his nose: Adrian & Scott Present Showcase Night (8:00 pm, $11, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Thursday 3/26: Madeline Mahoney & Matt Stango produce and host this bracket-based competition of scripted shows. Six teams each perform the first 10 minutes of its mini-play, and audience applause then determines which shows will be allowed to move on to subsequent rounds. Tonight kicks off this 2020 competition running for eight episodes on Thursdays-Saturdays through May 2nd: Show of Shows (9:00 pm; $15.25 online or $16 at the door; The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Thursday 3/26: A sketch group that's done some notable work, such as this video sung & co-starring Larry Owens, performs and hosts sketch, music, and stand-up: Straw Man Collective (9:00 pm, $11, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Thursday 3/26: Character comic Michael Galligan performs a solo show as "beefcake bodybuilder and empathy expert Tortle Tolini, who will give the Tortle Talk to change your life. Armed with the wisdom of Brené Brown, his signature Vulnerability Juice™, and only 2% body fat, there's no chance Tortle will fail. Especially since his dad's got front row seats:" Tortle Sheds No Tears (9:30 pm, $11, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Thursday 3/26: John Reynolds (co-star of Search Party, cast member of Stranger Things; previously writer for The President Show, Craig Ferguson, and Celebrity Deathmatch) & Matt Barats (HBO's High Maintenance, Seth Meyers, The New Yorker) perform duo comedy: John Reynolds & Matt Barats (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 3/26: This storytelling show created by PIT owner Ali Faranakian is based on the following concept: "We all have unfinished business. Sometimes it's a person to whom you should have said, 'I love you,' or a second grade teacher who told you, 'You can't sing!,' or a cancer that took a loved one's 's life. We talk to those people, places, or things and settle the score. Our top performers have a cathartic experience, and we invite the audience to do the same:" Unfinished Business (11:00 pm, $11, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Friday 3/27: Stellar talents Sydnee Washington & Marie Faustin (above middle; co-hosts of podcast The Unofficial Expert and popular weekly Brooklyn stand-up showcase Comedy at The Knit) host this showcase of stand-up by Neko White (right; MTV, TruTV, Vice; Carolines' March Madness 2016 champion) and Aminah Imani (left; producer of this show; host with Sydnee & Marie of Comedy at The Knit; co-host of podcast Wine Before Nine): Just Run It: Neko White & Aminah Imani Hosted by Sydnee Washington & Marie Faustin (7:30 pm, $11.55-$15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 3/27: Madeline Mahoney & Matt Stango produce and host this bracket-based competition of scripted shows. Six teams each perform the first 10 minutes of its mini-play, and audience applause then determines which shows will be allowed to move on to subsequent rounds. Tonight is Round #2 of this competition running for eight episodes on Thursdays-Saturdays through May 2nd: Show of Shows (8:00 pm; $15.25 online or $16 at the door; The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Friday 3/27: Sherrod Small (Jimmy Kimmel, A&E's Black & White, TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of podcast Race Wars) headlines for one night only at Carolines: Sherrod Small (9:30 pm, $24.50 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)
Friday 3/27: Taylor Garron (editor for Reductress) hosts an evening of comics "who all have roots in beautiful, historic Massachusetts," including Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; writer/producer for Showtime's Desus & Mero; previously Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO's phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O'Brien, The New Yorker; author of book Nice Try; stand-up albums Dancing On a Weeknight and Physical Whisper), Kyle Harris (writer for NPR's Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me), and Julia Claire (NPR, Nerdist): Critical Mass with Taylor Garron & Friends (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 3/28: A unique game show in which an oddball Internet video is screened, and then over a dozen contestants have three minutes to prepare a dance routine inspired by what everyone just experienced. The winners of each round are then selected by typically cool comic judges (TBA): Dancify That! (7:00 pm, $15, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Saturday 3/28: A solo show by Sarah Ann Houghton (host of Scrapped Comedy, head writer & director of PIT house sketch group The Ruse) that sold out its debut at last year's Solocom (for a video teaser, please click here) and describes itself as "a short tragicomedy of a single woman's uninhibited imagination:" Sex, Robots, and Mysterious Shadows (7:00 pm, $13, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Saturday 3/28: Sydnee Washington & Marie Faustin (co-hosts of highly popular weekly Brooklyn stand-up showcase Comedy at The Knit) host this live-on-stage recording of their podcast that tests stand-ups (TBA) on their masterful knowledge of an intriguing subject (also TBA): The Unofficial Expert Live (7:30 pm; $11.55-$15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street; part of the Brooklyn Podcast Festival)
Saturday 3/28: Seven comics who weren't born here—tentatively including this show's charming producer Katie Boyle (above left; from Ireland; co-host of podcast The Shift), Lucie Pohl (above middle; from Germany; voice of Mercy in Overwatch and Harmony in Red Dwarf XI; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), and Norlex Belma (above right; from Pittsburgh; PBS doc The Comedy Confluence)—perform stand-up that might include material about where they came from and the journey that led them to NYC: Transplants (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Saturday 3/28: Sketch comedy from an all-gal group consisting of Micaela Fagan, Sam Speedy, Serah Bennet, and Becca Marcus (for sample videos, please click here): Rachel Sketch (7:00 pm, $13, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Saturday 3/28: Ben Tomassetti & Kevin C. Hill play rock duo Tips Moncrief & Gary Van Patten, a band named Jeez "known for its pedestrian 'hits' in the 80's such as 'Teen Crocodile,' '96 Olympics in Cincinatti,' and 'Talk to Me (You Dirty Dirty Dirty Computer).' The guys are hitting the road again in support of a Greatest Hits album—as bands do. Tonight they discuss their songs Storyteller's style—or at least that's what their tour manager told them they were doing. Come see your oddball uncle's second favorite band:" Jeez! The "Greatest Hits of 1979-1992" Tour (9:30 pm, $13, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Saturday 3/28: Stand-up from comics TBA (above left was last month's lineup) hosted by Jonathan Cohall & Christine Kim: Street Cred Comedy (10:30 pm; $13—which includes free street food; The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Sunday 3/29: Stand-ups TBA produced by Saurin Choksi, David Drake, Mike Lebovitz, and Jeff Steinbrunner: Comedians You Should Know (7:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 3/29: Indie character group Poughkeepsie—which consists of Johnathan Appel (above left; writer for The New Yorker, McSweeney's, and PIT sketch group Boogiemanja; Producer & Teaching Artist for Story Pirates; host of Some Fun Lines, the only NYC open mic for satire & humor writing), Marina di Marzo (above right; Producer for CNN's Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter; previously Associate Producer for MSNBC's The Beat with Ari Melber), Hugh Hobbs, Rafael Rautha, Kevin Necciai, Mary Nepi, Julia Ogilvie, and Kathleen Cameron—performs brand new characters every month to surprise and delight you: Poughkeepsie's Character Showcase (7:00 pm, $9, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 3/29: Josh Nasser hosts stand-up Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for Showtime's Desus & Mero; previously writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe; host of Pop Show), Taylor Garron (editor for Reductress), Gabe Gonzalez (host for MTV News and ScruffApp), and more TBA: A Show for the People (7:30 pm; $11.55-$15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street; part of the Brooklyn Podcast Festival)
Sunday 3/29: In this unique spin on musical improv, comedy duo Maggie Lalley & Jillian Vitko ask the audience to suggest a location, a victim, and a crime, and then make up a musical that tells the story of that felony complete with singing, dancing, and murder: True Crime: The Musical (7:30 pm, $9, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 3/29: Stand-up Steve Whalen, who passed away last month at age 33, is celebrated by nearly three dozen comics including Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, Emmy Blotnick, Josh Gondelman, Brett Davis, and many more: This Crowd Loves You: A Salute to "Mr. Jokes" Steve Whalen (8:00 pm, $7, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Tuesday 3/31: Maryann Aita describes her one-woman show as follows: "After several disappointing visits with a gynecologist, and many failed efforts to Sex and the City it up with friends, 'Detective' Maryann takes it upon herself to figure out what's going on with her body and how to fix it, relying mostly on whatever she could find on Amazon.com. This is a hilarious (and just a touch sentimental) show about a woman taking charge of her own body that's perfect for fans of Law & Order, vibrators, and vagina: My Dysfunctional Vagina (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Tuesday 3/31: "Andrew Michaan is a comedian from Los Angeles who has done lots of comedy festivals and made stuff with Netflix, Comedy Central, TruTV, Instagram, Twitter, and Yelp. He co-hosts the popular podcast Podcast But Outside. He's doing one long set in NY (this show), and he's inviting some of his colleagues to perform as well," with Joe Pera and more TBA: Andrew Michaan and Colleagues (8:00 pm; $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street; part of the Brooklyn Podcast Festival)
Tuesday 3/31: Selena Coppock (Amazon's Red Oaks, VH1, author of book The New Rules for Blondes, stand-up album Seen Better Days) hosts a show dedicated to Naomi, Christy, Elle, Claudia, Niki, and other supermodels from the 1990s, with storytelling by Sarah Hartshorne (America's Next Top Model Cycle 9), a quiz show letting you show off your model knowledge, and a live re-enactment of George Michael's music video Freedom 90. Get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day and come to" Supermodels of the 1990s: Tribute & Quiz Show (8:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Thursday 4/2: Madeline Mahoney & Matt Stango produce and host this bracket-based competition of scripted shows. Six teams each perform the first 10 minutes of its mini-play, and audience applause then determines which shows will be allowed to move on to subsequent rounds. Tonight is Round #3 of this competition running for eight episodes on Thursdays-Saturdays through May 2nd: Show of Shows (9:00 pm; $15.25 online or $16 at the door; The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 4/5: The wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another, author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) is recording a new stand-up album titled High Brow, Low Brow—with the help of your energy and joy. Come have your laughs immortalized at either the early or late show—and for a huge discount if you use code CANADA: Ophira Eisenberg Comedy Album Recording (7:00 pm and 9:15 pm; $13.26 online using discount code CANADA plus $18 beverage min.; New York Comedy Club at 241 East 24th Street between Second & Third Avenues)
Thursday 6/11-Saturday 6/13: Tim Dillon (Comedy Central Half Hour, Netflix's The Comedy Lineup, Last Comic Standing; podcast The Tim Dillon Show) is a hilarious comic with a hard edge (see his video canvassing for Bernie Sanders here), and he's headlining tonight through Saturday at Carolines: Tim Dillon (7:00 pm Thursday, 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm Friday-Saturday; $27.25 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)
You can find the vast majority of notable NYC live comedy shows by using the links below to explore the schedules of the following top NYC comedy venues:
Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling
Upright Citizens Brigade Hell's Kitchen
555 West 42nd Street; 152-seater; one of the most respected comedy showcases in the world; especially strong on improv, sketch, solo shows, and one-act comedic plays; shows free-$12
Upright Citizens Brigade at SubCulture
45 Bleecker Street; What used to be a top comedy venue called UCB East has sadly gone under, but some of its shows live on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at respected East Village indie theatre SubCulture at Bleecker & Lafayette Streets, direclty by the #6 subway's Bleecker Street stop; shows $7-$14
The PIT Striker (Upstairs) Theatre
123 East 24th Street; 88-seater; a top venue that's a powerful rival of UCB, and often surpasses UCB when blending comedy with music and/or theatricality; shows free-$20
The PIT Underground (Downstairs) Theatre
123 East 24th Street; 40-seater; often more quirky & experimental than upstairs Striker; shows free-$10
The PIT Loft
154 West 29th Street; 50-seater; the third of The PIT theatres, located separately on the West side, hosts a wide range of comedy, but is especially effective as a home for intimate solo and/or theatrical shows; free-$20
The Magnet
254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; strong on improv, musical improv, sketch, and energy; shows $5-$10
The Creek and the Cave
Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all weeknight shows free; weekend shows free-$10
702 Union Street in Brooklyn; R to Union Street; 50-seat theatre; shows $5-$20
635 Sackett Street in Brooklyn; R to Union Street; 100-seat theatre; shows $5-$20
Bell House
149 7th Street in Brooklyn; R to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Ave.; 200-seat theatre; shows $10-$25
QED: A Place to Show & Tell
27-16 23rd Avenue in Astoria Queens; N/W to Ditmars Boulevard; 40-seat theatre; shows free-$10
Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs
117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.
130 West 3rd Street; Comedy Cellar's larger sister venue, just around the corner with the same top comics; 2-item min.
Fat Black Pussycat Lounge
130 West 3rd Street; Comedy Cellar's smaller, intimate, and lower-priced sister venue (next door to Village Underground), which serves as its primary home for solo shows and experimental shows—which means it's sometimes the most exciting choice; 2-item min.
116 East 16th Street; Club closest to competing with Comedy Cellar, featuring top stand-ups on a main stage and upstairs stage; no drink min.—support this policy!
Carolines Comedy Club
1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.
208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.
Eastville Comedy Club
487 Atlantic Avenue (near the Barclays Center); only comedy club in Brooklyn; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; some shows have 2-drink min., but many don't
Greenwich Village Comedy Club
99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.
Comic Strip Live
1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.
Stand Up NY
236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.
NYC Stand-Up Open Mics & Improv Jams
If you want stage time, you can find one or more stand-up open mics virtually any night at Manhattan's The PIT, Eastville Comedy Club, and Stand Up NY Comedy Club, and at Queens LIC's The Creek and Astoria Queens' QED.
In addition, at the East Village's UCB East you can typically find a stand-up open mic Thursdays at 6:00 pm, an improv jam Wednesdays at 11:15 pm, and a rare bring-your-own-group improv/sketch open stage Sundays at 11:00 pm. And in Chelsea, The Magnet offers an improv jam on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, and a rare musical improv jam on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm.
All of the venues above typically provide you the stage time either for free or for $5.
There are also numerous other open mics throughout the city. For a more comprehensive list, please visit FreeMicsNYC.
Special Thanks to Mindy and Anya
Special thanks to comedy photographers supreme Anya Garrett and Mindy Tucker for creating so many of the stellar photos that grace this site…and the sites of hundreds of NYC comics.
Contact Hy
From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: Thank God for Hy Bender's religiously updated show bible Best New York Comedy (and HyReviews.com). He is literally the only person in NYC providing daily summaries of what's happening comedy-wise. It must be exhausting keeping that monster of a website alive. It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.
Please feel encouraged to reach out to tell me about comedy shows, provide feedback on my cross-genre short story anthology Ghosts on Drugs, hire me to develop your book or screenplay (please visit BookProposal.net or HyOnYourScript.com), or for any other reason by emailing me at hy@hyreviews.com.
You can also find me on Twitter at @hybender, Instagram at @hybenderny, and Facebook at https://Facebook.com/hybender.
Leave a Comment »	| Best New York Live Comedy Shows	| Tagged: Aminah Imani, Andrew Schulz, Arti Gollapudi, Betsy Carroll, Chanel Ali, Emma Willmann, Francis Ellis, Jeff Leach, Joe DeRosa, Joe List, Kate Robards, Kendra Singh, Kim Congdon, Live Comedy shows in NYC tonight, Maya Deshmukh, Molly Gaebe, New York City Comedy, New York City Live Comedy, New York Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Improv, NYC Sketch, NYC Stand-Up, NYC Storytelling, Peach Pit Comedy, Ray DeVito, Ron Bennington, Sarah Pappalardo, Savannah Deso, Shalewa Sharpe, Stavros Halkias, The Lucas Bros., Tom Cassidy, UCBT's I'm Cool Showcase, Yannis Pappas	| Permalink
Posted by hybender
NYC Top Comedy Choices for February 2020: Last Updated Thursday 2/13
I'm one of the finest ghostwriters in the country; my 20+ books include two New York Times bestsellers, a phenom megaseller that hit #16 on Amazon.com and has sold over 340,000 print copies to date, and an interview book with legendary author Neil Gaiman that hit #240 on Amazon.com. I've also written five Dummies books and a Complete Idiot's Guide. I cover comedy as a labor of love. But if you need help with a book, let's chat, because there's no one better at ghostwriting, editing, and/or coaching. To learn more about my services, please visit BookProposal.net and then email me at hy@hyreviews.com.
Do you like cross-genre stories (fantasy/comedy, SF/comedy, fantasy/horror, etc.)? Please visit my podcast, Ghosts On Drugs, by clicking here.
Other ways to keep up are to follow me on Twitter at @hybender, and/or to visit the desktop and ad-free version of this site at HyReviews.com. (I'm also on Instagram at @hybenderny and Facebook at hybender; but honestly, you'll be doing me the most good if you follow and retweet me on Twitter.)
That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for February 2020 (with much more to come soon) include:
Thursday 2/13-Sunday 2/16: Natalie Palamides—whose roles have spanned from Buttercup on Power Puff Girls to Ophelia on The Real Housewives of Shakespeare—further demonstrates her range in this highly acclaimed show about toxic masculinity that blends clowning and extreme laughs with nuanced questions about consent, playing in Chelsea through Sunday: NATE (7:30 pm Wednesday-Thursday, 8:00 pm Friday, 11:00 pm Saturday, 7:30 pm Sunday; $25; Improv Asylum at 307 West 26th Street)
Thursday 2/13: Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, HBO's Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, FX's Louie, AMC's Better Call Saul, E!'s Chelsea Lately, stand-up album The Depression Auction), Francis Ellis (co-host of Oops the Podcast), Chloe LaBranche (host of The Chlo Show pod, Weep at The Stand), Ryan Schutt, and Raul Sanchez perform stand-up for hosts Shane Gillis (Comedy Central, co-host of Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, frequent guest on Sirius XM's The Bonfire) & Abby Rosenquist (Fuse TV): Citywide (7:00 pm, $10 cover and no min., The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Thursday 2/13: Sharp stand-up from Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, HBO's Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, FX's Louie, AMC's Better Call Saul, E!'s Chelsea Lately, stand-up album The Depression Auction), Shane Gillis (Comedy Central, co-host of Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, frequent guest on Sirius XM's The Bonfire), Jeff Leach (BBC; host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), Vladimir Caamaño (Jimmy Kimmel, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, CW), Aminah Imani (host with Sydnee Washington & Marie Faustin of highly popular weekly Brooklyn stand-up showcase Comedy at The Knit; co-host of podcast Wine Before Nine), and TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo at an elegant Union Square comedy club: Thursday Stand-Up at The Stand (8:00 pm, $15 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Thursday 2/13: This free stand-up show with rotating hosts—tonight it's Luke Touma—features a great lineup of Sara Schaefer (Comedy Central special streaming here; former co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; twice Emmy-winning head blogger for Jimmy Fallon; Comedy Central's @Inside Amy Schumer and @midngiht, VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV), Casey James Salengo (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents; album Wild Country Phoenix), Neel Nanda (Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Devine's House Party, VICE, IFC, Oxygen), Rosebud Baker (Comedy Central; co-host with Corinne Fisher podcast Two Less Lonely Girls), Ashton Womack (The Daily Show, Alternatino, Vice), and Drew Dunn (winner of the Boston Comedy Festival 2017 and Seattle International Comedy Competition 2018): Too Many Cooks (9:00 pm, Free!, The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Thursday 2/13: Sharp stand-up from Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, HBO's Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, FX's Louie, AMC's Better Call Saul, E!'s Chelsea Lately, stand-up album The Depression Auction), Shane Gillis (Comedy Central, co-host of Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, frequent guest on Sirius XM's The Bonfire), Jeff Leach (BBC; host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), Ian Lara (HBO, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Stand-Up, NBC's Bring the Funny; former host of Out of Tune music app), Aaron Berg (Comedy Central's This is Not Happening, documentary 25 Sets; TV series 24 Hour Rental; co-host of CompoundMedia.com's In Hot Water and The Stand's Frantic!), and Ryan Long (Netflix) at an elegant Union Square comedy club: Thursday Stand-Up at The Stand (10:00 pm, $15 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Saturday 2/15: Multitalented rising star Emma Vernon (hip-hop musical improvisor, stand-up, actor, writer, and romance expert) aims to use her exceptional matchmaking skills to bring together two strangers and have them fall in love on their first date—which will take place in front of you on-stage: In A World: The Dating Show (8:00 pm, $13.44 online, Chelsea Music Hall at 407 West 15th Street; followed by singles dancing afterparty)
Leave a Comment »	| Best New York Live Comedy Shows	| Tagged: Aaron Berg, Abby Rosenquist, Adam Newman, Aminah Imani, Ashton Womack, Casey James Salengo, Chloe Labranche, Drew Dunn, Emma Vernon: "In a World: The Dating Show", Francis Ellis, Ian Lara, Janeane Garofalo, Jeff Leach, Joe DeRosa, Live Comedy shows in NYC tonight, Luke Touma, Natalie Palamides: "NATE", Neel Nanda, New York City Comedy, New York City Live Comedy, New York Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Improv, NYC Sketch, NYC Stand-Up, NYC Storytelling, Raul Sanchez, Rosebud Baker, Ryan Long, Ryan Schutt, Sara Schaefer, Shane Gillis, Vladimir Caamaño	| Permalink
NYC Top Comedy Choices for January 2020: Last Updated Sunday 1/12
That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for January 2020 (with much more to come soon) include:
Sunday 1/12: Enjoy brunch with laughs at this comedy show hosted by Remy Kassimir (host of podcasts How Cum and We Really Love Island) that provides free bacon and $20 bottomless mimosas along with a small army of stand-ups: Subhah Agarwal (HBO, NBC, MTV, TruTv, Fusion; former writer for Comedy Central's The Jim Jefferies Show), Lev Fer (host of the Yung Daddy podcast), Kerryn Feehan (Comedy Central, TruTV, Spike TV; co-host of free Monday stand-up showcase Frantic), Chrissie Mayr (NBC's America's Got Talent, FOX, The Chris Gethard Show, Wendy Williams; host of Wet Spot podcast; co-host of long-running LGBT stage show Comedy at Stonewall), Nore Davis (HBO's Last Week Tonight, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime's Boardwalk Empire, MTV; album You Guys Are Dope), Luisa Lange (writes & produces segments for MTV News), Natalie McGill (correspondent for RT America's Redacted Tonight; stand-up film American Comic streaming on Amazon Prime), and Maddy Smith (cast member of MTV's Wild n Out; writer for Comedy Central's Roast of Alec Baldwin): Bacon Bits Brunch Show (3:00 pm, $15, The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/12: Alex Kayhart & Amarie Castillo know NYC can be lonely, so they've created this new show that helps you make friends as you enjoy stand-up by Corinne Fisher (with comedy partner Krystyna Hutchinson, host of popular Guys We Fucked podcast & stage show, and author of F*CKED: Being Sexually Explorative and Self-Confident in a World That's Screwed), Josh Wesson (Comedy Central, MTV, FX), and @PhilanthropyGal (top pod "Guys We F*cked"), and Shaun Latham (Comedy Central; host of Barstool Sports' 20 Dollar Chef and SiriusXM's daily The Shaun Latham Show): The Set Up (7:00 pm, $10, The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/12: Pairs of comics face off in "passionate, high-stakes debates about absolutely unimportant, low-stakes topics," with Larry Owens, Ziwe Fumudoh, X Mayo, Josh Sharp, Marcia Belsky, Natalie Walker, Eva Victor, Peter Smith, and Bob Vulfov hosted by Karen Chee (staff writer for Seth Meyers; The New Yorker, McSweeney's) & Ariel Dumas (staff writer for Stephen Colbert): Big Debates, Lil Issues (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Sunday 1/12: Stand-up from Joe List (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour, Netflix's The StandUps, comedy albums So Far No Good and Are You Mad at Me?), Chaunte Wayans (Netflix special "They Ready" 1.6, MTV's Wild N' Out, @TruTV, @TLC, film 50 Shades of Black, 50 Cents' 50 Central, Jeff Leach (BBC; host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), Subhah Agarwal (HBO, NBC, MTV, TruTv, Fusion; former writer for Comedy Central's The Jim Jefferies Show), Stavros Halkias (Comedy Central Stand-Up, IFC; co-host of podcast Cum Town; host of Fat Tuesdays), Chrissie Mayr (NBC's America's Got Talent, FOX, The Chris Gethard Show, Wendy Williams; host of Wet Spot podcast; co-host of long-running LGBT stage show Comedy at Stonewall), Vladimir Caamaño (Jimmy Kimmel, CW), and Nina Daniels (The Last O.G., Showtime's Shameless, Maron): Sunday Night Stand-Up at The Stand (8:00 pm, $15, The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/12: This weekly competitive 1-on-1 roast battle tonight features a main bout of Camille Theobald ("The smell of Camel cigarettes and Budweiser remind me of goodnight kisses from Mom") vs. Brian Barganier judged by Mike Cannon, Remy Kassimir, Brandan Sagblow, and Patrick Schroeder,and hosted by Matt Maran: Comedy Fight Club (9:00 pm; $8.13 online using code CFC, otherwise $13.13; The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/12: Real-life ER doctors Andrés Mallipudi and Darien Sutton host "chronically over-sharing comics" Peter Muth, Sherm Jacobs, and Todd Montesi to tell stories of their weirdest diagnoses, and then "break down the insane history of how the medical community has treated that condition, why that condition has been stigmatized, and the real facts you should know when dealing with the condition yourself;" plus you can ask the doctors "your own embarrassing medical questions:" Doctors Without Boundaries (9:30 pm, $16.89 online or $20 at the door, Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Monday 1/13: Cole Steffensen (Rainbow Brigade) hosts this show about sports for people who don't "get" sports. This month the game of Football is explained in ways that finally make sense, including the gayest moments in football history, the queer athletes that made it happen…and tons of pictures of hot jocks! In between these edutainment segments, a member of the queer community—this month Gus Constantellis—faces off against a straight person—TaTa Sherise—in a series sport-themed challenges; plus stand-up from Moroccan-Japanese comic Sarah Harvard (CBS): Sports For Gays (and Curious Straights): Football (7:00 pm; $11.59 in advance online using discount code SPORTYVIBES, or $15 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Monday 1/13: "A young woman applies for a job at an adult video store because she figures the dress code will be lax." Shalewa Sharpe (HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Comedy Central's The New Negroes; comedy album So, You Just Out Here?) performs a solo show "about the people who need porn and the folks brave enough to sell it to them:" Shalewa Sharpe: Don't Reach in the Bag (9:30 pm, $13.71 online or $15 at the door, Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 1/14: The 1989 TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk introduces David Banner to Matt Murdock, who tries to help David beat a robbery frameup in both his day job of attorney and his nighttime role as superhero Daredevil, battling kingpin Wilson Fisk. Spoiler alert: There never is an actual trial of The Hulk, so the title is a blatant lie. These and other cinematic crimes will likely be pointed out as this film is screened, dissected, and mercilessly savaged by Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), Jenn Wehrung (BBC; co-producer of Soft Core!), Brian McGuinness (Inside Amy Schumer, co-host of Retro Bits, Playable Characters podcast), and Aaron Zarabi hosted by Chris Gersbeck (host of Casual Sets, Soft Core!, and Bunk Bed Time Open Mic; producer of numerous comedy shows): Movies R Dumb: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (8:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Wednesday 1/15: Hosts Molly Gaebe & Kylie Holloway invite female storytellers, comics, and historians to share the tales of "some of the greatest women the world has ever known, but history erased" for this live-on-stage podcast recording, with this week's theme Heroines of Reproductive Rights (in partnership with Abortion Access Front) articulated by guests Lizz Winstead (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, Air America), Sarah Hartshorne (HBO's Vice, Netflix's Explained, former contestant on America's Next Top Model), Jaye McBride (writer for Abortion Access Front), Arti Gollapudi (host of Yourself, Your Body), Onika McLean (Bravo; co-host of podcast Violently Funny; host of Cosmic Comedy), and Brittany Brave (TBS, MTV; the other co-host of podcast Violently Funny): Nevertheless She Existed: Boss of Her Body (7:00 pm; $16.89 online or $20 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 1/15: Professional meme creators and @NetflixIsAJoke writers Ben Leary & Kendall Payne scour the Net every day for the latest viral trends and deep cut content. In this monthly talk show, they share their expert knowledge with you via visual round-ups, as well as provide you with stand-up comedy and interviews with guests TBA: Extremely Online (9:30 pm, $12, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Thursday 1/16: Phoebe Robinson (co-star of HBO's 2 Dope Queens; host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys; Seth Meyers, Conan O'Brien, Broad City, MTV's Girl Code; feature films What Men Want and Netflix's Ibiza; author of Everything's Trash, But It's Okay and You Can't Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain) performs and hosts "special guests" to raise funds for the reelection of her brother, Ohio State Representative Phil Robinson (above left): Phoebe Robinson and Special Guests (7:30 pm, $25, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 1/17: Famed musical comic Nick Thune (albums Thick Noon, Folk Hero, and Good Guy) ]and lengenary musician Damian Jurado team up to create an odd blend of laughs and melancholy: Nick Thune & Damien Jurado: Sad Music, Sad Comedy (9:00 pm, $25, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Thursday 1/16: Skilled punsters Sam Corbin, Tim Donnelly, Jerzy Gwiazdowski, Ally Spier, and Nikolai Vanyo will show off their word expertise by punching up news headlines, tightening movie titles, merging words to create new terms, taking etymological deep-dives, and playing a variety of other word games: The PUN-ch Up (9:30 pm, $12, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Sunday 1/19: "Since the dawn of mankind, humans have tried to get high in one way or another. Why? Altered states of consciousness can be profoundly dangerous or dangerously profound. Knowledge makes the difference. We welcome a panel of experts and comedians to discuss how these drugs work." More specifically, tonight's focus is on drug economics: "When the black market turns rainbow, what are we gonna do? How do we keep the good parts of an underground community? How do we protect against the bad parts of a legal economy? How do we keep the deal in drug deal?" Plus a post-show hour of networking: Drug Test: Psychedelic Economics & Networking Hour (9:30 pm, $16.89 online or $20 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Monday 1/20: Jordan Klepper (star of docuseries Klepper; former star of Comedy Central's The Opposition and correspondent for The Daily Show) hosts a comedic debate about whether we should break up big tech, with Kelly Bachman (CNN, The New York Times, Glamour), Adam Green (co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Progressive Change Institute), and Peter Suderman (Managing Editor of Reason.com; The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Politico): Debate Club: Should We Break Up Big Tech? (7:00 pm, $22.20 online or $25 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 1/21: Helping to solve some "serious problem" (TBA) via PowerPoint, essays, music, and/or videos are guests Todd Barry (Netflix special Spicy Honey, star of delightful documentary The Crowd Work Tour; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, co-star of feature film The Wrestler), Mia Jackson (Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer), and Adam Mamawala (Comedy Central, MTV, BET; freelance contributor to SNL's Weekend Update; stand-up album One of the Good Ones) plus hosts Kevin McCaffrey (former warm-up comic for David Letterman; TruTV; co-host of podcast Sex and the Cidiots; stand-up album Nice & Drunk) and and Emmy-winning writer/producers Brock Mahan (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj) and Josiah Madigan (Head Writer of HQ Trivia): Serious Matters (7:00 pm, $13.71 online or $15 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 1/21: A highly popular show that reenacts bizarre events of the past, with all sketches researched, written, and directed by award-winning journalist Malorie Cunningham (ABC News, NBC News) and Heath Harckham (Food Network), and performed by comics including Malorie, Heath, Victoria Hoffman, Sophia Shefner, Talia Heller, Ian Mather, and/or Mike Newkirk: Sketchy History (9:30 pm, $13.71 online or $15 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Wednesday 1/22: Ben Sinclair (co-creator, co-director, and co-star of HBO's High Maintenance) is the guest of this NPR comedy trivia show taped live in Brooklyn hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) with music by Jonathan Coulton: Ask Me Another (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Thursday 1/23: This monthly comedic show about the MTA is usually full of compaints, but tonight sings the praises of…the G Train! "The New York Times said it best in 2016, with an article titled, 'Once Mocked, the G Train Is Now Cool. Kind Of.' Honestly, we think the G line kicks ass and is massively misunderstood. The trains may be short, but their hearts are large. So we're going to spend an hour and a half telling you why The Little Light Green Line That Could really can," hosted by Meg Pierson (TEDx, Alchemy Comedy) and Justin Williams (Comedy Central; host of Death Comedy Jam): Why Your Train is F*cked: The G Train (7:00 pm; $16.89 online or $20 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Thursday 1/23: Comedic storytellers TBA join pioneering sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State; owner of The Story Studio) at what's typically one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk! (9:30 pm, $15, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Friday 1/24-Sunday 1/26: This solo show is described as follows: ""In my four years of living in New York, I've only ever swiped right on white men.' In this semi-autobiographical stand-up drama, Sim Yan Ying takes a bitingly honest look at white worship, postcolonial baggage, and politically correct culture. She tears apart her escapades with white men in New York and delves into her experiences growing up in Singapore, throwing into question how and why we are sometimes complicit in the very things we outwardly reject:" I Love White Men (7:00 pm, $22, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Friday 1/24: "Amazon is a crazy big corporation. So big, in fact, it's hard to even wrap your head around it. Web hosting, groceries, streaming video, home surveillance, holiday gifts…you can get almost anything from Jeff Bezos' mega-company…" The online store & Web services company that changed the world, Amazon.com, is explored by host Mark Vigeant (Funny Or Die, Prairie Home Companion) with Kashmir Hill (The New York Times), Dhruv Mehrotra (Gizmodo), Caroline Haskins (Buzzfeed News), Samantha Reece (Head Writer of Buzzfeed's BTW) and Rollie Williams (host of An Inconvenient Talk Show), plus music by Darren Williams: Internet Explorers: Amazon.com (9:30 pm, $13.71 online or $15 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Friday 1/24: This popular podcast by Abdullah Saeed & David Bienenstock (above right) "blazes joints, cracks jokes, and explores the people, places, and events that make up the complex and fascinating 10,000+ year past of weed and weed culture, from Barack Obama's time in the Choom Gang, to an exclusive first-hand account of how the Hollywood sign briefly became the Hollyweed sign," tonight with guest Ben Sinclair (above left; co-creator, co-director, and co-star of HBO's High Maintenance): Great Moments in Weed History Live (10:00 pm, $20, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue; part of the Brooklyn Podcast Festival)
Saturday 1/25: Candid conversations about coming out with a diverse array of LGBTQ+ persons (TBA) for a podcast sponsored by Gay City News, the largest LGBT newspaper in the country: Thank You For Coming Out (9:30 pm, $16.89 online or $20 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Monday 1/27: Jordan Klepper (star of docuseries Klepper; former star of Comedy Central's The Opposition and correspondent for The Daily Show) hosts a comedic debate about whether the US should pay reparations, with Kenice Mobley (host of podcast Love About Town, co-host of The Pasta Show), Michael Cruz Kayne (sketches on Seth Meyers and The Chris Gethard Show; HBO's High Maintenance; former writer for @midnight and Billy on the Street; member of ace musical improv group Baby Wants Candy and UCB Saturday night improv group What I Did For Love; co-host of monthly comedy show The Exhibition), Nelini Stamp (National Organizing Director at the Working Families Party), and Coleman Hughes (undergrad at Columbia University who's written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The National Review): Debate Club: Should the US Pay Reparations? (9:30 pm, $22.20 online or $25 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 1/28: Readings of short humor pieces by sharp writers & comics TBA, plus hosts Brian Angler, Luke Burns, and James Folta (all writers for The New Yorker and McSweeney's): An Evening of Humorous Readings (7:00 pm—arrive at 6:30 to hang out a bit with the guests, $12, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Tuesday 1/28: Jordan Klepper (star of docuseries Klepper; former star of Comedy Central's The Opposition and correspondent for The Daily Show) hosts a comedic debate about whether the US should pay forgive student loan debt, with Michael Cruz Kayne (sketches on Seth Meyers and The Chris Gethard Show; HBO's High Maintenance; former writer for @midnight and Billy on the Street; member of ace musical improv group Baby Wants Candy and UCB Saturday night improv group What I Did For Love; co-host of monthly comedy show The Exhibition), Lou Perez (former producer for Impractical Jokers; half of sketch duo Greg and Lou), and more: Debate Club: Should the US Forgive Student Loan Debt? (9:30 pm, $22.20 online or $25 at the door, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Thursday 1/30: Stellar storytellers Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central's Broad City; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow; live-on-stage co-host of Butterball; comedy album The Hits), Gastor Almonte (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, host of Stoops2Stages, co-host of Sandwich, comedy album Immigrant Made), David Heatley (The New Yorker; Qualification: A Graphic Memoir), Angel Yau (Asian American Film Thing), and Julian Fleisher (Joe's Pub: The Naked American Songbook) tell tales about how they started out hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned In The Beginning: Origin Stories (9:30 pm, $13.71 online or $15 at the door, Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Leave a Comment »	| Best New York Live Comedy Shows	| Tagged: Alex Kayhart & Amarie Castillo: "The Set Up", Andrés Mallipudi and Darien Sutton: "Doctors Without Boundaries", Bacon Bits Brunch Show, Brian Barganier, Camille Theobald, Chaunte Wayans, Chrissie Mayr, Corinne Fisher, Jeff Leach, Joe List, Josh Wesson, Karen Chee & Ariel Dumas: "Big Debates Lil Issues", Kerryn Feehan, Lev Fer, Live Comedy shows in NYC tonight, Luisa Lange, Maddy Smith, Matt Maran: "Comedy Fight Club", Natalie McGill, New York City Comedy, New York City Live Comedy, New York Comedy, Nina Daniels, Nore Davis, NYC Comedy, NYC Improv, NYC Sketch, NYC Stand-Up, NYC Storytelling, Remy Kassimir, Shaun Latham, Stavros Halkias, Subhah Agarwal, Vladimir Caamaño	| Permalink
NYC Top Comedy Choices for January 2020: Last Updated Saturday 1/11
Saturday 1/11: Jessica Kirson (stellar hour-long special Talking to Myself currently streaming on Comedy Central; HBO's Crashing, The Tonight Show, The View, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Apprentice, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone) performs a deliciously long set in an intimate club venue: Jessica Kirson: Traveling Circus (7:00 pm, $20 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Saturday 1/11: World-class singing improvisors Rebecca Vigil & Evan Kaufman interview an audience couple about their love life and then turn it into a musical—with breathtaking skill (see my review of their award-winning FringeNYC 2015 shows here). I highly recommend the phenomenal Your Love, Our Musical (7:00 pm; $22.32 for a seat, or $17 for standing room, online; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street. Please note this show consistently sells out, so buying in advance online is highly recommended. PLEASE NOTE: This show has SOLD OUT.)
Saturday 1/11: Chloé Hilliard (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, The Nightly Show, ABC, MTV, TruTV, CNN) continues celebrating the release of her first book F*ck Your Diet and Other Things My Thighs Tell Me by headlining one more night in Chelsea: Chloé Hilliard at Gotham Comedy (8:00 pm & 10:00 pm, $28 plus 2-drink min., Gotham Comedy Club at 208 West 23rd Street off Seventh Avenue)
Saturday 1/11: Stand-up from Francis Ellis (co-host of Oops the Podcast), Jeff Leach (BBC; films London Town and The Smoke; host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), Stavros Halkias (Comedy Central Stand-Up, IFC; co-host of podcast Cum Town; host of Fat Tuesdays), Yamaneika Saunders (Jimmy Fallon, HBO's Crashing, NBC's Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Roast Battle; stand-up album Damsel in Distress), Paul Virzi (hour-long special I'll Say This, currently streaming on Comedy Central; TruTV, FOX; host of podcast The Virzi Effect; stand-up album Night at The Stand, which hit #1 on iTunes; tours with Bill Burr), and Kerryn Feehan (Comedy Central, TruTV, Spike TV; co-host of free Monday stand-up showcase Frantic) : Saturday Night Stand-Up at The Stand (9:00 pm, $25 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Saturday 1/11: Stand-up by Lisa Curry (writer for Jim Jeffries), Gus Constantellis (writer for Nickelodeon), Eman Morgan (Egyptian-American comic; documentaries Just Like Us, How to be a Terrorist in Hollywood), and Alex Pavone (JFL) hosted by the charming Katie Boyle (co-host of podcast The Shift; host of Transplants Comedy): QED Presents (9:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Saturday 1/11: Stand-up from Sherrod Small (Jimmy Kimmel, A&E's Black & White, TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents special; co-host of My Wife Hates Me podcast; author of You're Better Than Me), Yamaneika Saunders (Jimmy Fallon, HBO's Crashing, NBC's Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Roast Battle; stand-up album Damsel in Distress), Vladimir Caamaño (Jimmy Kimmel, CW), Josh Wesson (Comedy Central, MTV, FX), and Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; co-host of podcast History Hyenas): Stars at The Stand (10:00 pm, $25 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Saturday 1/11: Stand-up from Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentaries 25 Sets, A Universal Language, co-host of CompoundMedia.com's In Hot Water and The Stand's Frantic!), Jeff Leach (BBC; films London Town and The Smoke; host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), Kerryn Feehan (Comedy Central, TruTV, Spike TV; co-host of free Monday stand-up showcase Frantic), Paul Virzi (hour-long special I'll Say This, currently streaming on Comedy Central; TruTV, FOX; host of podcast The Virzi Effect; stand-up album Night at The Stand, which hit #1 on iTunes; tours with Bill Burr), Stavros Halkias (Comedy Central Stand-Up, IFC; co-host of podcast Cum Town; host of Fat Tuesdays), and Ian Lara (HBO, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Stand-Up, NBC's Bring the Funny; former host of Out of Tune music app): Late Night Stand-Up at The Stand (11:00 pm, $25 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/12: "A young woman applies for a job at an adult video store because she figures the dress code will be lax." Shalewa Sharpe (HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Comedy Central's The New Negroes; comedy album So, You Just Out Here?) performs a solo show "about the people who need porn and the folks brave enough to sell it to them:" Shalewa Sharpe: Don't Reach in the Bag (9:30 pm, $13.71 online or $15 at the door, Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Sunday 1/12: Highly talented & hilarious duo Taylor Ortega (HBO's Succession, Shego in Disney Channel's live-action Kim Possible, TruTV) & Jay Malsky (acclaimed solo shows Elaine Stritch: Still Here and Jay Malsky Slept With My Boyfriend) play "Leaeah and Jacobs, the founders and resident pastors of a church for the Instagram generation that is known for its celebrity parishioners and hot, relatable take on Christianity. Bear witness to this clearly closeted married couple's latest fame-hungry venture: Jesus. Sing with them in praise. Become the rock upon which they build their religious empire for Christ-horny millennials:" Turnt Valley Church Club (7:00 pm, $12, Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Leave a Comment »	| Best New York Live Comedy Shows	| Tagged: Aaron Berg, Alex Pavone, Bonnie McFarlane, Chloé Hilliard, Eman Morgan, Francis Ellis, Gus Constantellis, Ian Lara, Jeff Leach, Jessica Kirson, Josh Wesson, Katie Boyle, Kerryn Feehan, Lisa Curry, Live Comedy shows in NYC tonight, New York City Comedy, New York City Live Comedy, New York Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Improv, NYC Sketch, NYC Stand-Up, NYC Storytelling, Paul Virzi, Rebecca Vigil & Evan Kaufman: "Your Love Our Musical", Sherrod Small, Stavros Halkias, Vladimir Caamaño, Yamaneika Saunders, Yannis Pappas	| Permalink
NYC Top Comedy Choices for January 2020: Last Updated Monday 1/6
Monday 1/6: Christi Chiello (multi-talented rising star; Comedy Central's Roast Battle, MTV's Girl Code, TruTV, PBSKids, stellar solo show It's Christi, B*tch!; co-host of Battle of the Divas, White Chocolate, and Lost & Found) is one of the finest comics in the country, and also one of the nicest and kindest pros in the biz. Christi's teaching a stand-up class starting this evening on "Finding Your Voice." This is an invaluable opportunity, but Christi is accepting a mere $300 for the 5-week course, meeting Mondays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Astoria Queens' QED. For details, and to nab one of the two remaining spots before they're snapped up, please click Christi Chiello Class: Finding Your Stand-Up Voice ($300, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Monday 1/6: Mike Zakarian (solo show Christ Kid: A Journey Through Snow Camp) hosts the fabulously multi-talented Emma Vernon (bottom left; North Coast Hip-Hop Improv, Anybody: The Improv Musical, Off Top; host of dating game show In a World), Tracy Soren (right; Above Average; host of My Nightmare, co-host of WALT), Lori Strauss (upper left; The Moth), and more telling true tales of their experiences "growing up in the eyes of the Lord:" Holy Hour (7:00 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Monday 1/6: Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; Comedy Central Half Hour, stellar Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself, comedy album Still Got It; hosts podcast Tuesdays With Stories; tours with Amy Schumer), Jessica Kirson (HBO's Crashing, The Tonight Show, The View, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Apprentice, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Shane Gillis (co-host of Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, frequent guest on Sirius XM's The Bonfire; recent interview on Artie Lange's Halfway House), Paul Virzi (hour-long special I'll Say This, currently streaming on Comedy Central; TruTV, FOX; host of podcast The Virzi Effect; stand-up album Night at The Stand, which hit #1 on iTunes; tours with Bill Burr), and Ian Lara (HBO, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Stand-Up, NBC's Bring the Funny; former host of Out of Tune music app): Stars at The Stand (8:00 pm, $15 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Monday 1/6: In this solo show, actress Mary McDonnell "needs to work on presenting her 'authentic self' to the industry. But Mary isn't sure who she is…so she's putting it to a vote! Listen and judge as Mary recounts personal experiences, quotes references, and offers historical evidence for you to make an informed decision about her personality. Whoever you decide she is, that's who she'll be—forever! So pay attention. Her career depends on it. This is not so much a comedy show as a life-changing think tank for a desperate actor:" Mary McDonnell: Who Am I? Seriously. You Decide. (8:00 pm, $9, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Monday 1/6: Be part of a rare evening of live UCB shows being filmed for posterity. First up is a tour of the greatest never-before-seen DVD bonus features from some of your favorite movies, starring Eliza Kingsbury, Tim Girrbach, Claire Burns, Xavier Padin, Michael Stevens, and Alex Field (who also wrote the show), with direction from Eric Feurer. And on the second half of this double-bill are ace improvisors Zack Willis, Ali Gordon, Eric Gersen, Jessica Morgan, Hannah Solow, Shane Nielsen, Jake Smith, Corin Wells, and/or Woody Fu making up an entire musical on the spot as troupe Rumpleteaser: The Bonus Features and Rumpleteaser: Musical Improv (9:00 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Monday 1/6: Indie character group Poughkeepsie—which consists of Johnathan Appel (above left; writer for The New Yorker, McSweeney's, and PIT sketch group Boogiemanja; Producer & Teaching Artist for Story Pirates; host of Some Fun Lines, the only open mic for satire & humor writing), Marina di Marzo (above right, playing multiple roles; Producer for CNN's Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter; previously Associate Producer for MSNBC's The Beat with Ari Melber), Hugh Hobbs, Rafael Rautha, Kevin Necciai, Mary Nepi, Julia Ogilvie, and Kathleen Cameron—performs brand new characters every month to surprise and delight you: Poughkeepsie's Character Showcase (9:00 pm, $9, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Monday 1/6: The great Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; Comedy Central Half Hour, stellar Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself, comedy album Still Got It; hosts podcast Tuesdays With Stories; tours with Amy Schumer) joins quick-witted hosts Big Jay Oakerson (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC; co-host of podcast The SDR; stellar comedy special Live at Webster Hall; Netflix's The Degenerates), Luis J. Gomez (special Luis J. Gomez Presents Luis J. Gomez), and Dave Smith (FOX; host of podcast Part of the Problem) to "discuss the skankier sides of life, love, and stand-up comedy" for this free weekly podcast recording: Legion of Skanks (9:30 pm, Free!, The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Monday 1/6: Great lineup—for any show, let alone this free one—of Mark Normand (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; Comedy Central Half Hour, stellar Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself, comedy album Still Got It; hosts podcast Tuesdays With Stories; tours with Amy Schumer), Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; HBO's Crashing, Comedy Central Presents and Comedy Central Half Hour specials, HBO's Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, FX's Louie, AMC's Better Call Saul, E!'s Chelsea Lately, stand-up album The Depression Auction), Subhah Agarwal (writer for Comedy Central's The Jim Jefferies Show; TruTV, Fusion), Shane Gillis (co-host of Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, frequent guest on Sirius XM's The Bonfire; recent interview on Artie Lange's Halfway House), Jeff Leach (host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous), Paul Virzi (hour-long special I'll Say This, currently streaming on Comedy Central; TruTV, FOX; host of podcast The Virzi Effect; stand-up album Night at The Stand, which hit #1 on iTunes; tours with Bill Burr), Sneako (YouTube star who garnered over 11 million views with Would You Say the N Word for One Dollar?), Mike Falzone (comic, musician, and YouTube star; new free special You Got Toes), and Andrew Collin trying out material at this weekly show hosted by Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language) and/or Kerryn Feehan (Comedy Central, TruTV, Spike TV): Frantic! (10:00 pm, Free!, The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Tuesday 1/7: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 audience members (a dozen sign-ups and six returning champions) fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd. Be prepared to boo 2020 puns anything less than stellar: Punderdome 3000: New Year! (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street—take R subway to Union Street; show up early—doors open at 7:00—to nab a seat, or plan on standing)
Tuesday 1/7: Dan St. Germain (above; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Crashing, @midnight, This is Not Happening, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1; former staff writer for CBS' Superior Donuts, Netflix's The Break with Michelle Wolf, and TruTV's Ten Things; album No Real Winners Here), Olga Namer ("Unorthodox Jewish comedian"), Justin Smith, Alex Babbitt, and Stephon Bishop perform stand-up hosted by Nore Davis (HBO's Last Week Tonight, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime's Boardwalk Empire, MTV; album You Guys Are Dope) representing both well-known and less-known comics considered worthy of your attention by comedy blog Stellar Underground (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 1/8: Comedic storytellers, musicians, and/or political organizers "tell inspiring, funny, and absolutely true personal stories about turning points, and no turning back points. With special remarks from Swing Left about its 2020 strategy to flip the Senate, plus specific calls to action and ways for you to get involved in the fight for our lives. 100% ticket proceeds go directly to Swing Left's Senate funds," with performers Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of Super Bowl 2019 commercial, Comedy Central's Corporate, and HBO's Crashing; also performed on HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Netflix's Master of None and The Standups, TBS' Conan O'Brien, and Comedy Central's @Midnight and Half Hour; former writer for Seth Meyers; comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Shaina Taub (Emmy-nominated singer/songwriter who's written songs for TV shows ranging from The TONY Awards to Julie Andrews' Julie's Greenroom to Sesame Street; albums Visitors and Die Happy), Paola Mendoza (activist who co-founded @WeAreSoze, @ResistanceRev, and Women's March OG; author of Together We Rise), Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show and podcast Risk!, owner of The Story Studio), Sandi Marx (PBS, 7-time Moth StorySlam winner), and more hosted by Nicole Ferraro (founder of Art, Humanity & Action) and Liat Olenick (Indivisible Nation BK): No Turning Back: A Storytelling Show to Flip the Senate (7:30 pm, $35-$60, The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Wednesday 1/8: Comics who are parents vent by telling mean stories about their children (and guest comics who aren't revel in their freedom), with tonight's cruel jokesters Jenny Hagel (staff writer for Seth Meyers; iO, Second City), Iris Bahr (actress in numerous TV shows including Friends, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The King of Queens, and such films as Larry the Cable Guy and The Last Exorcism), Doogie Horner (NBC's America's Got Talent; author of A Die Hard Christmas, This Might Hurt a Bit, and Home Alone Hard; stand-up album A Delicate Man), Gastor Almonte (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, host of Stoops2Stages, co-host of Sandwich, comedy album Immigrant Made), and Katie Goodman (member of Broad Comedy; YouTube hits I Didn't F*ck It Up and Sorry Babe, You're a Feminist) hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another, author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) and Emily Flake (star cartoonist for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Time, Forbes, etc.; author of books Mama Tried, Lulu Eightball, and These Things Ain't Gonna Smoke Themselves): Shitshow (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Thursday 1/9: Michelle Collins (host of TLC's 90 Day Live and Sirius XM's The Michelle Collins Show; former co-host of ABC's The View and Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise) performs a deliciously long stand-up club set for one night only: Michelle Collins Headlines Carolines (7:00 pm, $32.75 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway, between 49th and 50th Streets)
Thursday 1/9: Stand-ups Shalewa Sharpe (HBO's 2 Dope Queens, Comedy Central's The New Negroes; comedy album So, You Just Out Here?), Daniel Simonsen (Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar; cast member of BBC's House of Fools; toured with Simon Amstell), Mohanad Elshieky (Conan O'Brien; Epix's Unprotected Sets; digital producer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), and Amelita ("Future icon blazing through the intersection of diva pop music and comedy that some would argue does not actually exist") perform for hosts Emily Winter (writer for NPR's Ask Me Another; The New Yorker, The New York Times) & Larry Mancini (ESPN Radio; band member of The Tracys): BackFat Variety (7:00 pm; $12, LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Thursday 1/9: A guest or guests TBA (not available yet, but to be reported here pre-show) will be the focus of this NPR comedy trivia show taped live in Brooklyn hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) with music by Jonathan Coulton: Ask Me Another (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Thursday 1/9: Enjoy a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) shared by their original authors before total strangers at this popular monthly show—which is now also a six-part series titled The Mortified Guide on Netflix: Mortified (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 1/10: Great lineup of Eva Victor (Twitter comedic characters video superstar; The New Yorker), Dulcé Sloan (powerhouse comic and correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O'Brien, @midnight), Ego Nwodim (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Larry Owens (staff writer for TruTV's Paid Off; HBO's High Maintenance; feature film To Dust), Conner O'Malley (former staff writer/performer for Seth Meyers; Louie, Broad City), Taylor Garron (editor for Reductress), and Dan Licata (writer for Adult Swim's Joe Pera Talks To You; The Chris Gethard Show) hosted by Ethan Beach & Josh Nasser. Oh, Such A HUGE Show, Oh!: A Benefit for The Innocence Project (7:30 pm, $20, Brooklyn's The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 1/10: A solo show by Tiff Stevenson (UK-based comic/actress; numerous UK/US TV show appearances include The Office, Drunk History, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Mock the Week) about which one reviewer said, "It's jaw-droppingly remarkable how much ground she covers, how funny she is, how intelligent her attacks are:" Tiff Stevenson: Mother (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 1/10: A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with the lovely and quick-witted Lane Moore (above middle; author of bestselling book How to Be Alone; HBO's Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's) going on a live Tinder safari for guys while a packed audience watches her every choice with fascination. Offering comments and suggestions are Laura Benanti (Tony Award winner for Broadway musical She Loves Me; cast member of TBS' The Detour; NBC's The Sound of Music Live, CW's Supergirl, CBS' The Good Wife, Showtime's Nurse Jackie; album Songs From My Fair Lady), and married couple Jennifer Wright (right; political Editor-at-Large for Harper's Bazaar; The New York Times; author of numerous books including It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History, We Came First: Relationship Advice from Women Who Have Been There, and Killer Fashion: Poisonous Petticoats, Strangulating Scarves, and Other Deadly Garments Throughout History) & Daniel Kibblesmith (left; staff writer since 2015 for Stephen Colbert; The New Yorker, McSweeney's; writer of such Marvel comic books as Loki and Black Panther vs. Deadpool; author of books How to Win at Everything and Santa's Husband; former Humor Editor for Buzzfeed): Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $18 at the door or $19.51-$22.76 online; Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street)
Saturday 1/11: World-class singing improvisors Rebecca Vigil & Evan Kaufman interview an audience couple about their love life and then turn it into a musical—with breathtaking skill (see my review of their award-winning FringeNYC 2015 shows here). I highly recommend the phenomenal Your Love, Our Musical (7:00 pm; $22.32 for a seat, or $17 for standing room, online; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street—take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street. Please note this show consistently sells out, so buying in advance online is highly recommended.)
Leave a Comment »	| Best New York Live Comedy Shows	| Tagged: Aaron Berg & Kerryn Feehan: "Frantic!", Andrew Collin, Christi Chiello, Emma Vernon, Ian Lara, Janeane Garofalo, Jeff Leach, Jessica Kirson, Joe DeRosa, Johnathan Appel, Legion of Skanks, Live Comedy shows in NYC tonight, Lori Strauss, Marina di Marzo, Mark Normand, Mary McDonnell, Mike Falzone, Mike Zakarian, New York City Comedy, New York City Live Comedy, New York Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Improv, NYC Sketch, NYC Stand-Up, NYC Storytelling, Paul Virzi, Poughkeepsie's Character Showcase, Shane Gillis, Sneako, Subhah Agarwal, Tracy Soren	| Permalink
NYC Top Comedy Choices for January 2020: Last Updated Sunday 1/5
Sunday 1/5: Comics tell true tales of how drink, drugs, and/or sex addiction have ruined their lives in the past and for what they're now grateful, with Mike Cannon, Mehran Khaghani, Corinne Fisher, Krystyna Hutchinson, Jonas Barnes, Louis Katz, and host Jeff Leach: Stand-Ups Anonymous (7:00 pm, $15, The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/5: Enjoy brunch with laughs at this comedy show that provides free bacon and $20 bottomless mimosas along with jokes from NYC stand-ups Ashley Hesseltine (co-host of podcast Girls Gotta Eat), Jeff Leach (host of podcast Savage Snowflake and show Stand-Ups Anonymous—which happens tonight at 7:00 pm in the same room), Ian Lara (HBO, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Stand-Up, NBC's Bring the Funny; former host of Out of Tune music app), and Ben DeMarco hosted by Remy Kassimir (host of podcasts How Cum and We Really Love Island): Bacon Bits Brunch Show (3:00 pm, $15, The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/5: Watch the Golden Globes Awards with an audience, and enjoy comedic observations and characters by NYC comics performing for you during the commercials. The show is hosted by Jenny Gorelick, with a voting explanation by Andrea Jones-Rooy, color commentary by Rachel Pegram, Allie Carieri, Gabe Gonzalez, and Miz Diamond Wigfall, and celebrity impersonations by John Everett Trowbridge, Sophie Elizabeth Santos, Ana McCasland, Abby Herold, Micaela Fagan, Joey Dardano, and Jeremy Moulton: Golden Globes Watch Party (6:30 pm doors, 7:00 pm show; $16.89 in advance online or $20 at the door; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Sunday 1/5: John Reynolds (co-star of Search Party, cast member of Stranger Things; previously writer for The President Show, Craig Ferguson, and Celebrity Deathmatch) & Matt Barats (HBO's High Maintenance, Seth Meyers, The New Yorker) perform duo comedy: John Reynolds & Matt Barats (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Sunday 1/5: Seven art portrait masterpieces come to life and reveal the stories behind their creation—explaining why Mona Lisa was smiling, what Frida was staring at, the cause of the desperately sad eyes of the girl with a pearl earring, and more—written & directed by Karleigh Chase, and performed by Alexa Harris (Narrator), Marlee Dater (Mona Lisa), Karleigh Chase (Girl with a Pearl Earring), Rory Lipede (Dora Maar), Rory Kelsch (American Gothic), Duvall O'Steen (Gala Dali), Juanita Castro-Ochoa (Frida Kahlo), and Maureen Toomey (Marilyn Monroe): Memoirs of a Painted Woman (8:00 pm, $12, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 1/5: Sharp stand-up from Rachel Feinstein (HBO's Crashing, Amazon's Red Oaks, Netflix's The Standups, Comedy Central special Only Whores Wear Purple; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Inside Amy Schumer, The View; films include Trainwreck and Top Five), Derek Gaines (Jaybird on The Last O.G.; NBC's Will & Grace; former host of MTV's Broke A$$ Game Show), Stavros Halkias (Comedy Central Stand-Up, IFC; co-host of podcast Cum Town; host of Fat Tuesdays), Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentaries 25 Sets, A Universal Language, co-host of CompoundMedia.com's In Hot Water and The Stand's Frantic!), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; co-host of podcast History Hyenas), and Tom Cassidy: Sunday Night Stand-Up at The Stand (8:00 pm, $15 cover and no min., The Stand Mainstage at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/5: Casey James Salengo (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents; album Wild Country Phoenix), Alex Babbitt (HBO's All Def Comedy), Mike Brown (TBS' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TruTV, MTV, Adult Swim; co-host of Comedy Outliers), Jocelyn Chia (2-time Moth StorySlam winner), and JJ Mattise (Brooklyn's Best) perform stand-up for stellar hosts Sydnee Washington, Aminah Imani, and Marie Faustin: Comedy at The Knit (9:00 pm, Free!, Brooklyn's Knitting Factory at 361 Metropolitan Avenue; take the G/L subway to Lorimer Street-Metropolitan Avenue)
Sunday 1/5: This weekly competitive 1-on-1 roast battle tonight features a main bout of Jess Feeney ("I'm really nice till you get to know me") vs. Chris Lamadieu ("You have the confidence of a man who doesn't know he looks like that") judged by Corinne Fisher, Trey Galyon, and Dale Cheeseman, and hosted by Matt Maran: Comedy Fight Club (9:00 pm; $8.13 online using code CFC, otherwise $13.13; The Stand Upstairs at 116 East 16th Street)
Sunday 1/5: Doug Smith (Conan O'Brien, co-host of See You In Hell), Subhah Agarwal (writer for Comedy Central's The Jim Jefferies Show; TruTV, Fusion), Kevin Iso (Hulu's High Fidelity, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and Adam Devine's House Party), Marcia Belsky (Reductress; Handmaid's Tale The Musical; lead singer of band Free the Mind), Mike Lebovitz (HBO's The Deuce, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing), and Noah Savage (ESPN) perform stand-up hosted by Robert Dean (Comedy Central): If You Build It (9:30 pm, $9, UCB at SubCulture, 45 Bleecker Street—take #6 subway to Bleecker Street stop)
Leave a Comment »	| Best New York Live Comedy Shows	| Tagged: Aaron Berg, Abby Herold, Allie Carieri, Ana McCasland, Andrea Jones-Rooy, Ashley Hesseltine, Chris Lamadieu, Corinne Fisher, Derek Gaines, Doug Smith, Gabe Gonzalez, Ian Lara, Jeff Leach, Jeff Leach: "Stand-Ups Anonymous", Jenny Gorelick: "Golden Globes Watch Party", Jeremy Moulton, Jess Feeney, Joey Dardano, John Everett Trowbridge, John Reynolds, Jonas Barnes, Karleigh Chase: "Memoirs of a Painted Woman", Kevin Iso, Krystyna Hutchinson, Live Comedy shows in NYC tonight, Louis Katz, Marcia Belsky, Matt Barats, Mehran Khaghani, Micaela Fagan, Mike Cannon, Mike Lebovitz, Miz Diamond Wigfall, New York City Comedy, New York City Live Comedy, New York Comedy, Noah Savage, NYC Comedy, NYC Improv, NYC Sketch, NYC Stand-Up, NYC Storytelling, Rachel Feinstein, Rachel Pegram, Remy Kassimir: "Bacon Bits Brunch Show", Sophie Elizabeth Santos, Stavros Halkias, Subhah Agarwal, Tom Cassidy, Yannis Pappas	| Permalink
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