NYC Comedy Picks for Week of July 7, 2008

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/7/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set

and around 30 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] innovative TV mini-shows (no longer than 5 minutes each)

that live or die by audience votes at Channel101: NY (7:00 pm & 8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] unintentionally hilarious amateur videos via the Found Footage Festival (8:00 pm),

comedic duo Rory & Craig teaching you about the Web, and then another troupe exploring even

deeper mysteries, in Rory and Craig: Our Internet Knowledge and I Killed You 10 Minutes Ago (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] top TV comedy writers Bryan Tucker (writer for Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Comedy Central)

and Daniel Dratch (writer for The Chris Rock Show, Monk), sharp stand-ups Christian Finnegan

(Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1) and Marina Franklin (Last Comic Standing,

Chappelle's Show), plus more at Liam McEneaney's free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

and a one-man show from Thomas Middleditch (member of genius improv troupe Baby Wants Candy)

on a double-bill with sketch troupe The Resistance (9:30 pm).

Ochi's Motel

Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,

with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.

(In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)

A breathtaking 30+ comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer

John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."

If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend

your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.

And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.

Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,

 you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.

Ochi's Motel is hosted & booked by Sean Donnelly and Joe Powers.

To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,

please send email to ochismotel[at]gmail.com.

There are two shows tonight, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm (with entirely different sets of comics).

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Channel101: NY

Screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled."

Channel 101: NY (under its previous name, Channel 102) was selected by Time Out New York as one of NYC's 50 Essential Secrets. There's not much on the networks Monday night anyway, so why not come enjoy fresh comedic TV with a live audience?

7:00 & 8:30 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; free

Just two of the many memorable images from the FFF

Found Footage Festival

Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have spent two years scouring thrift stores

and garage sales around the country for odd, funny, and startling videos.

Based on the stills above, the time was well-spent.

For video samplers, please click here and here.

How can you resist?

Tickets are $20, but you can get $5 off by using discount code HyReviews.

There's also a two-item (food or drink) minimum.

To learn more and/or to order, please click here.

8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$15 online with code HyReviews, plus two-item food or drink minimum

Rory Panagotopulos and Craig Rowin

Rory and Craig: Our Internet Knowledge and I Killed You 10 Minutes Ago

Two sketch comedy shows for five bucks.

FIrst up is duo Rory Panagotopulos and Craig Rowin, who teach you all you need to know about the newfangled InterWeb, plus sports sweats (for a video about the latter, please click here).

Then continuing the double-bill is I Killed You 10 Minutes Ago, which I'm guessing is a group production of a comedic mini-play. If you're feeling adventurous...

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Daniel Dratch, Marina Franklin, and Christian Finnegan...

...and Bryan Tucker and Liam McEneaney

Tell Your Friends

This free weekly comedy show is produced by Liam McEneaney

(VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,

former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo).

Tonight's hosts are married comedic duo Noam & Mary.

And the fine guests are

Bryan Tucker (writer for Saturday Night Live 2005-2008; also wrote for Chappelle's Show, Mad TV, The Chris Rock Show, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; performed on Comedy Central's Premium Blend; for a stand-up video sample, please click here),

Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching;  for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring  guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here),

Daniel Dratch (writer for The Chris Rock Show, The Man Show, Monk), and

Marina Franklin (Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Comedy Central's Premium Blend).

8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); free

Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z.

A couple of the many faces of Thomas Middleditch

Thomas Middleditch and The Resistance

Two comedy shows for five bucks.

The festivities kick off with Thomas Middleditch, a quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago, and is currently a member of improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Broad Shoulders. Thomas is also the co-host of a sharp new monthly UCBT show about video games called Game Bros. Live!; and is a wildly popular character performer at the monthly Morrison Motel. It's the latter skills Thomas will be drawing on for this one-man show as he literally jumps around on stage, and switches among different voices and body postures in split seconds, to create a small mob of colorful people interactig with each other—and, at one point, even physically fighting each other! The material isn't entirely polished yet; but this is a comedic performer worth keeping an eye on.

The double-bill then continues with young sketch comedy troupe The Resistance, which performs sketches that are intelligent and show promise.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 7/8/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] one of the funniest men in the world, Todd Barry (HBO, Conan, Letterman, Comedy

Central, Adult Swim), headlining a hot new show mixing sketch & stand-up: Sweet Haven (8:00ish pm),

Greg Pak (writer of popular Marvel series World War Hulk and Skaar: Son of Hulk)

joining in on a lively & fun discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

three full hours of improv for only five bucks at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] stellar storyteller Tom Shillue (Comedy Central special, Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show),

hilarious improvisor & character performer Thomas Middleditch (Baby Wants Candy), and stand-ups

Liam McEneaney (VH1, Comedy Central), Mike Drucker (Comedy Central, 23/6.com), Jane Condon

(Last Comic Standing), and Dan Cartwright at John Morrison's The Morrison Motel (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] comedy giants Horatio Sanz (cast member of Saturday Night Live 1998-2006; movie star)

and Pete Holmes (one of the quickest, sharpest stand-ups in the country; VH1, Comedy Central),

plus John Roberts (host of Downtown With John Roberts) and John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central)

at one of the finest & funniest shows in NYC, the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),

occasionally uncomfortable comedy at Blaine Perry's & Pat Stango's Don't Touch Me There (9:00 pm),

and two innovative improv troupes: Stray follows the twists & turns of an audience-selected object, and

Factory Factory demonstrates how actions in different locales affect each other, in Thread and Tracers (9:30 pm).

Sweet Haven

This exciting new show comes from sketch troupe Peoples Republic of Komedy, whose members learned how to be funny in Seattle and then sunk all their savings into making a mark in NYC.

The guys are off to a great start with this new weekly extravaganza, which uses sketch comedy to create a framework for their stand-up guests to perform.

And tonight's guests are wonderful:

Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;

Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, and Sex in the City;

Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;

Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force,  and Tom Goes To The Mayor;

recently acted in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler;

check out Todd's newest comedy CD From Heaven),

David Cope (comedic storyteller, and member of Sweet Haven sketch troupe; for videos of David relating an encounter with a prophet and reading his romance novel, please click here and here),

Jamie Kilstein (2007 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival; has opened for Lewis Black,

Dave Chappelle, Dave Attel, and Marc Maron),

Taylor Clark (for Taylor's heartwarming Christmas video about crystal meth, please click here), and

Kevin Williams (Comedy Central, Food Network, national Bob & Tom radio show).

8:00ish pm (doors open at 7:30) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5

Images from Greg Pak's World War Hulk and WWH: Incredible Herc trade paperbacks

Comic Book Club

Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,

who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.

Tonight's guest is Greg Pak (writer of popular Marvel series World War Hulk and Skaar: Son of Hulk), who will probably have some interesting things to say about this summer's Incredible Hulk feature film.

To get a feel for the smart, playful vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—

that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.

(And for my fave, a delightful show with Kevin "Batman" Conroy, please click here).

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

DeCoster, Bastian, The Law Firm, Bangs, and RAGNARÖCK—

each give it a go for 30 minutes, with

short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.

Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show

is designed more for students of improv than the general public.

But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you

a full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.

8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Tom Shillue, Mike Drucker, and Liam McEneaney...

...and Thomas Middleditch and John Morrison

The Morrison Motel

John Morrison, a wise & razor-sharp comic who produces the NYC weekly

open mic show Ochi's Motel, welcomes veteran stand-up talents in this monthly showcase:

Tonight's superb guests are

Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; storytelling podcasts; host of NYC monthly comedy show Moonwork; comedy CD Overconfident!; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),

Thomas Middleditch (quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago; currently a member of improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Broad Shoulders; co-host of sharp new monthly NYC comedy show about video games, Game Bros. Live!; and wildly popular character performer at this show—see, for example, the get-up in his photo above...),

Liam McEneaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,

former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo, producer of terrific weekly NYC live comedy show Tell Your Friends),

Mike Drucker (winner of Disney's 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition

and performer on Comedy Central's The Watchlist; 23/6.com contributor; for Drucker's explanation of how life is like video games and comic books, please click here; and to learn

why Drucker's girlfriend wouldn't give him a gold star, please click here),

Jane Condon (NBC's Last Comic Standing, ABC's The View, Lifetime; for stand-up video about raising her boys in Greenwich CT, please click here), and

Dan Cartwright (for stand-up videos about cooking and Puff Daddy, please click here and here).

8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);

$5 for ticket, plus $7 food or drink minimum

Horatio Sanz and Seth Herzog...

...and John F. O'Donnell, Pete Holmes, and John Roberts

Sweet

Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).

Seth is one of the finest hosts around—and this is one of the best comedy shows in NYC.

Tonight's wonderful guests include

Horatio Sanz (comedy giant who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live

from 1998 through 2006, appearing in 160 episodes; founding member of the

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre; numerous films include School for Scoundrels,

The Smiths, Road Trip, Boat Trip, and the upcoming May the Best Man Win),

Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;

VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload;

writer for CollegeHumor.com; cartoonist for mags ranging from

The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl; host of UCBT's monthly open mic extravaganza Gutbucket),

John Roberts (member of acclaimed comedy troupe Pu-Pu Platter, and half of sketch troupe The Dregs...which was recently nominated for a broadband Emmy; upcoming Comix show Downtown with John Roberts; for video samples from this YouTube star, please click here and here and here), and

John F. O'Donnell (wild man who will make you love him; Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; ; host of Queens LIC weekly open mic comedy show The Kingdom of Heaven and collaborative comedy show JFOD Loves You; for stand-up video, please click here).

9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street  (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5

Don't Touch Me There

Blaine Perry and Pat Stango (above) host this comedy show that doesn't mind being unsettling.

A typical Stango bit: "It creeps me out when I visit my parents' house and listen to them

say what a great sex life they still have. It especially freaks me out because

they died in a car accident 10 years ago."

If that made you laugh, you're a Don't Touch Me There kind of person.

Tonight's guests haven't been announced; for a last-minute update, please click here.

9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Stray: Thread and Factory Factory: Tracers

Two unique improv shows for just five bucks.

First, improv troupe Stray performs a show titled Thread: "After getting a physical, tangible object from the audience, Stray follows this object as though a camera were trained on it, catching the action that happens around it. Whether the object stays in one place or moves through a variety of different people and places, you're along for the ride." The group consists of Jill Farris, Wendy Herlich, Kristy Kershaw, and Stefan Schick.

The double-bill then continues with Chicago troupe Factory Factory demonstrating a fascinating new improv form called Tracers. The official description: "Two young lovers sneak into the boys locker room for a forbidden kiss. Morris, a retiring janitor, inadvisably tries out for the school play in the theater. The sound of a lot of broken glass rings out from the parking lot. The roar of a yeti is heard coming from the direction of the gym...Tracers allows the audience to see all of those locations over the same time period, and how they affect one another. When you fire a bullet into the next room, where does it go? With Tracers, the mystery is revealed." Factory Factory consists of Jon Bander, Karsten Cross, Luke Franklin, Megan Gray, Leslie Korein, Garrett Palm, and Morgan Phillips.

9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 7/9/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] some of the finest comics in NYC, including Reggie Watts (genius comedic beatbox improvisor),

Livia Scott (brilliant performer & comedic chameleon; Conan O'Brien), Michelle Collins (stand-up; VH1),

Adam Wade (award-winning storyteller; NBC, ESPN), the cast of FUSE TV's recently canceled The Sauce,

and more telling tales of failure at the wonderful Jon Friedman's The Rejection Show (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] razor-sharp writer/comic Joe Mande, with the aid of superb performers Kurt Braunohler and

Jenny Slate, recreating on stage Joe's experiences interning for The Maury Povich Show, plus a

one-woman show from Katie Schorr, in Workdays with Maury and Take Me. Seriously. (8:00 pm),

open mic stand-up in Queens' LIC, with guest headliner Cassidy Henehan and

host John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central) at The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] a blowout show featuring a virtual who's who in NYC comedy: Nick Kroll,

Eugene Mirman, Pete Holmes, Dave Hill, Larry Murphy, Noah Garfinkel, Julie Klausner,

Laura Krafft, and special guest David Rakoff in a show that mixes star stand-up comics

with sketch comedy (most of which is improvised!) at Gelmania (9:00 pm),

deliciously funny & luminous gals Brooke Van Poppelen, Joselyn Hughes, and

Margaret Champagne delighting with stand-up & stories, and bringing in

sharp NYC comics to perform, at their Slumber Party (9:00 pm),

[MEGA-TOP PICK] brilliant storyteller and stand-up comic Mike Birbiglia (David Letterman,

Conan O'Brien, three Comedy Central specials) performing for $5 one of the best shows

you'll see at any price—in preparation for an off-Broadway run—mixing Mike's years of

stellar laugh-a-minute material with a Broadway-caliber tale of sleepwalking and life choices,

under the deceptively humble title 80 Minutes of New Comedy (9:30 pm),

and a laid-back free variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

For details, please click here.

TV Tip: South Park is one of the funniest shows in TV history, and this season

has been especially superb—which, considering the series is in its 11th year,

is little short of astonishing. On tonight's repeat, the gang faces the stigma

of head lice. Set your TiVo to 10:00 pm or midnight at Comedy Central

to learn how to deal with communicable diseases.

Adam Newman and Shawn Pearlman

Faux Show

Weekly comedy show hosted by

Adam Newman (CMT's Prankville'd, VH1's Best Week Ever blog, co-host of

monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat; host of weekly NYC live open mic comedy show

Blowtorch Slaughter; half of musical comedy duo Uber Luber Death Metal) and

Shawn Pearlman ("If you're in a bad neighborhood, blowing a rape whistle

is like ringing a dinner bell;" for stand-up videos, please click here and here).

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're likely to be talented stand-up comics.

7:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Livia Scott and Reggie Watts...

...and Adam Wade, Jon Friedman, and Michelle Collins

The Rejection Show

Jon Friedman hosts a delightful parade of rejected material

by exceptional comedic performers and writers.

Tonight's wonderful guests include

Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; winner of 2007 Andy Kaufman Award;

cast member of the new Electric Company; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com; for video samples of what Reggie does, please click here and here and here; and keep an eye out Reggie's upcoming new album),

Livia Scott (brilliant comedic chameleon; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, world-class sketch groups Meat and Dirty Jeans & Thunderchief, host of NYC comedy show Livia's Castle of Enchantment, ECNY Award-nominated one-woman show Goodnight, O.J.),

Adam Wade (Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion; credits include a fiction story in The New York Times Magazine and writing a column for ReallySmallTalk.com),

Michelle Collins (VH1's Best Week Ever and All Access, MTV U, YouCantMakeItUp.org; for a memorable chat about the power of penises over vaginas, please click here),

the cast of the recently canceled FUSE TV show The Sauce, and

Gabriel Delahaye & Lindsay Rob (senior editors of Videogum.com).

There'll also be music from fabulous comedic rockabilly band The Defibulators.

This is a superb show, and is highly recommended.

Please note Comix's usual two-item minimum has been waived for this event.

8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

only $12 online with code HYREVIEWS

Joe Mande creates a mini-play about his internship on The Maury Povich Show...

...and Katie Schorr celebrating her recent 25th birthday, and posters for her comedy show about teens

Mande, Gethard & Slate: Workdays with Maury and Katie Schorr: Take Me. Seriously.

Two sketch shows for a mere five bucks.

Kicking off the evening is Workdays with Maury, a comedic memoir about an internship on The Maury Povich Show. If you've ever wondered what it's like to pursue your dreams by moving to NYC and end up working for free on a seedy talk show, don't miss this smartly written true-life tale written and starring Joe Mande (winner of the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic; co-host of superb weekly NYC show Totally J/K).

The mini-play also co-stars these two hilarious and razor-sharp comedic actors:

Kurt Braunohler (frequent comedy partner of Kristen, performing  sketches that are hilariously indescribable; co-star of Web series Penelope, Princess of Pets, for which

Kurt won the 2008 ECNY Award as Best Director;

co-host with Kristen Schaal of NYC/LA comedy show Hot Tub Variety Show) and

Jenny Slate (VH1; co-host of Brooklyn live comedy show A New Experience with Gabe & Jenny;

for very funny video, please click here).

The double-bill then continues with a one-woman show from actress Katie Schorr

who "gets inside the heads and hearts of four 17-year old girls."

The writing is so-so, but Schorr creates some nice comedic moments as a performer.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon

This free weekly show features the two PIT improv teams above,

each of which performs for about 30 minutes. For a video sample of Big Black Car,

please click here; and for a video sample of Fancy Dragon, please click here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

John F. O'Donnell and Cassidy Henehan

The Kingdom of Heaven

Free open mic stand-up comedy show in Queens' Long Island City

(just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).

Hosted by John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; for stand-up video, please click here),

a wild man who will make you love him...and who genuinely loves comedy and fellow comics.

If you're looking for stage time, John makes this a very friendly place to perform.

Sign-up for the open mic is at 7:30.

Tonight's guest headliner is Cassidy Henehan (for very long video attempt to break a bottle over a guy's head post-Katrina, please click here).

8:30 pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free

From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central);

exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue.

Gelmania

Tonight's blockbuster show is being hosted by one of my favorite comics,

Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;

VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload;

writer for CollegeHumor.com; cartoonist for mags ranging from

The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl; host of UCBT's monthly open mic extravaganza Gutbucket).

And the thoroughly wonderful guests are

Nick Kroll (one of the most razor-sharp and hilarious comics working today,

exhibiting the versatility and brilliance of an Andy Kaufman;

VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV's Human Giant, highlight of ABC's recent Cavemen sitcom,

and the winner of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best One-Person Show—

Fabrice Fabrice, which was among the funniest shows I've ever seen;

for a few videos by this comic heading towards major stardom, please click here),

Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,

The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums;

co-host with Michael of the award-winning weekly NYC live comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),

Dave Hill (written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie

Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,

The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly

UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here),

Larry Murphy (genius comedic chameleon & voiceover actor who performs all the

key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include

Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;

co-host of the 2008 ECNY Award-winning The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show;

for an animated VO reel, please click here),

David Rakoff (This American Life, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; author of the

humor essay books Fraud and Don't Get Too Comfortable),

Noah Garfinkel (co-host with Joe Mande of top-notch NYC Thursday night live comedy show Totally J/K; for video dissections of Andy Rooney and Bill Engvall, please click here and here;

for dueling birthday videos with Joe Mande, please click here and here),

Julie Klausner (writer/performer creating some of the freshest & most hilarious material in NYC at her and Jackie Clarke's monthly UCBT show Obsessed with Julie & Jackie; writer for Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show; co-star of Comix monthly live comedic soap opera Wasp Cove; please check out recent short films by clicking here), and

Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report).

9:00 pm (doors open at 8:00) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5

Your hosts Margaret Champagne, Joselyn Hughes, and Brooke Van Poppelen at...

Slumber Party

This twice-monthly event is described as "the sort of variety show that happens when

three girls are delirious from staying up all night boozing and slap-happy from crank-calling!"

Actually, it's a show hosted by three of the most talented women in comedy. And just being in the same room with Brooke, Joselyn, and Margaret—who in "real life" are the best of friends—is a cause for joy.

More specifically, these lovely & hilarious gals are

Margaret Champagne (Carolines, UCBT; for acting reel, please click here),

Joselyn Hughes (for video questioning the effectiveness of rape whistles, please click here), and

Brooke Van Poppelen (Carolines, Laugh Factory; for a video sample, please click here).

Tonight's stand-up comedy guests haven't been announced, but this powerhouse trio have lots of friends and admirers, so expect some fine comics to come by.

And also keep an eye out for a sketch show titled Macho: Grow a Pair that Joselyn and Brooke will be premiering in Chicago on July 10-11. Anything from this duo is bound to be special.

9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Mike Birbiglia: 80 Minutes of New Comedy

Mike Birbiglia is flat-out one of the funniest stand-up comedians in the country.

He's not loud or rude—just smart, relaxed, honest, and hilarious. (Sample line:

"If the best part of waking up is Folgers in my cup, I'm not sure I want to wake up.")

This razor-sharp comic recently performed an hour-long Comedy Central special

titled What I Should Have Said is Nothing. Mike's also performed two

Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; appeared multiple times on

Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien;

and has released the comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live.

The latter was chosen by Time Out New York as the Comedy Album of the Year.

Tonight Mike will be mixing his stand-up and storytelling skills to craft a tour de force performance that results in one of the finest shows you'll ever see.

Mike's honing this material for an off-Broadway run; but it's already

Broadway caliber, and one of the best shows in New York.

You can wait until this production is at a theatre that appropriately

charges $40 and up a ticket; or you can see it tonight for a mere $5.

For sample stand-up videos, please click here and here;

and then come let Mike make you both laugh helplessly and feel deeply

in this extraordinary solo show about sleepwalking, bears, and life choices.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Faculty and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous

Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,

Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,

Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood—perform improv for around 30 minutes.

And opening for them will be house improv troupes The Baldwins and Sid Viscous.

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

Justin Purnell

School Night

Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,

and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly—

but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun.

Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,

that this free show makes possible.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 7/10/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

world-class storyteller Kambri Crews, plus fine stand-up comics—including Jacqueline Novak,

Rob O'Reilly, and Diana Saez—telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales

about their relatives at the gorgeous Sara Benincasa's Family Hour (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC (and winner of the 2008 ECNY Award

for Best Musical Comedy Act), soon appearing on both Comedy Central and at the prestigious

Montreal Comedy Festival, performing a laugh-packed musical: The Apple Sisters (8:00 pm),

unique comic Mike Dobbins, stand-ups Dan Naturman and Stone & Stone (from this season's

Last Comic Standing), and more at the hilarious Joe Mande's & Noah Garfinkel's Totally J/K (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] star comics Nick Kroll (co-star of ABC prime time series Cavemen, MTV, VH1), Fred Armisen

(cast member of Saturday Night LIve since 2002), Bryan Tucker (writer for SNL 2005-2008,

and more joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety Shac (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK]  and energetic & inventive improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and Snacktime

competing for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

For details, please click here.

Many have a love/hate relationship with NBC's Last Comic Standing. The show can make careers; but it can also be oblivious to genuine talent, and surprisingly uneven—at times gripping and hilarious, but just as often tediously dull.

Still, LCS is worth keeping an eye on this summer if only because of the fresh characters selected among the dozen finalists. They include NYC's own Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson (a.k.a. Jeremiah Smallchild & Gideon Lamb of God's Pottery); a bass player from the UK named Jim Tavaré; and a Brit with unusual hair named Paul Foot (above).

As for my pick last week, I'm sad passive-aggressive Eddie Pepitone didn't make the cut, but have to agree with the decision; he's got special talent and a unique voice, but didn't quite live up to either when performing his set...

Tune in tonight to see how the various personalities

among the finalists interact, from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm on NBC.

"Auntie" Sara Benincasa and Rob O'Reilly...

...and Jacqueline Novak, Kambri Crews, and Margie Kment

Family Hour with Auntie Sara

In this unique weekly comedy show, everyone tells jokes and/or stories related to

their family. It's hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa, whose many credits include correspondent for MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign and host of Tub Talk with Sara B. on Nerve.com. (For a video sample, please click here.)

Plus—if luck is with you—addictively delicious free cookies

courtesy of stand-up comic & baking master H. Alan Scott.

Tonight's superb guests are

Kambri Crews (luminous performer, stellar publicist & producer, and one of the most sharp, charming, and heartfelt comedic storytellers working in NYC; for Kambri's correspondence with her deaf dad, who's in a Texas prison for trying to  stab his wife to death, please visit Web site LoveDaddy.org; for a video of Kambri reading her jailed dad's wedding toast, please click here),

Rob O'Reilly (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; Live At Gotham;* took second place out of 64 comics in this year's March Comedy Madness stand-up competition at Carolines;

for stand-up video about why you shouldn't trust Trojans, please click here),

Diana Saez (DC Comedy Festival; XM Radio; created/produced Washington DC's

first all-female comedy showcase; for stand-up videos, please click here and here),

Charles Star (Onion News Network, Stay Free! Daily blog, Laughing Liberally,

Adult Education at Union Hall),

Danny Rouhier (98 Rock, NACA),

Benari Poulten (cast member of NYC weekly political comedy show Shoot the Messenger),

Jacqueline Novak (for "response to heckler" video, please click here),

Margie Kment (for stand-up video about dating a stoner, please click here),

Matt Rittberg (for sample stand-up video, please click here),

and Evan Morganstern.

7:30 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe

Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Apple Sisters: The Musical

The delicious Apple Sisters—Kimmy Gatewood, Rebekka Johnson, and Sarah Lowe, with Tom Thomsen on keyboard—have sung, danced, and naughtily joked their ways into New York City's heart. This homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters has been one of the great successes of 2007, having done 10 original shows, sold-out performances at comedy festivals around the country, and recently winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.

Tonight the gals have put together their best bits, along with new material, to create a laugh-packed musical running over an hour. Featuring FDR, pickles, and God, it's full of fun and surprises.

From the official description: "The Apple Sisters are Candy, Cora, and Seedy. Their mother, Ms. Reddy Apple, was a vaudeville star and she passed down the legacy to her three girls! The trio present their live show, broadcast on WXYZ AM Radio, straight to the troops in Germany, and present the show on stage at the Peoples Improv Theater in their first and favorite home, the Big Apple! Be a chum and always use Doramad Toothpaste, now with Thorium!"

To get a feel for the production, please click here & here & here & here.

The show tends to sell out, so it's recommended you buy an advance ticket

online ($9.19, including service charge) by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $8 at the door

Totally J/K

Hosted by quick-witted best buds Noah Garfinkel and

Joe Mande, the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic.

(For dueling birthday videos, please click here and here; and

 for other videos, please click here and here.)

Tonight's superb guests include

Mike Dobbins (2008 ECNY Award nominee for one-man show A Stand-Upish Set of Koo Koo,

about which Time Out New York's Jane Borden wrote, "His singular point of view, wholly

unique voice and completely disarming performance style hook fans and fellow comics

instantly. Rather than telling jokes, he turns his ideas into tiny one-act plays

where he is every character, the director and, at times, the orchestra,

while flying through nonsensical premises that somehow land on their feet."),

Dan Naturman (Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, semi-finalist on this season of Last Comic Standing), and

Todd & Adam Stone (twins who perform stand-up and sketch, and whose signature style is double breasted blazers; hosts of the Stone and Stone Show at The PIT; semi-finalists on this season of Last Comic Standing).

8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5

SHAC gals Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, Andrea Rosen, & Shonali Bhowmik

Variety Shac

The hard-to-resist members of this hilarious group are musical host Shonali Bhowmik,

and superbly quirky comics Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, and Andrea Rosen.

The show features songs, brilliant stand-up comedy, and funny short films

made by the foursome; for samples of the latter, please click here and here.

Tonight's wonderful guests include

Nick Kroll (one of the most razor-sharp and hilarious comics working today;

co-star, and clear highlight, of ABC's Cavemen sitcom; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV's Human Giant; winner of the 2008 ECNY Award

for Best One-Person Show—Fabrice Fabrice, which was among

the funniest shows I've ever seen; for a few videos, please click here),

Fred Armisen (cast member of Saturday Night Live since 2002), and

Bryan Tucker (writer for Saturday Night Live 2005-2008; also wrote for Chappelle's Show, Mad TV, The Chris Rock Show, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; performed on Comedy Central's Premium Blend; for a stand-up video sample, please click here).

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

vs.

Cage Match: Death by Roo Roo vs. Snacktime

This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the

atmosphere of a professional wrestling arena—and providing such side-shows

as a bout to the death between guys costumed as an alcoholic wolf and TV's Alf.

(For a spirited weekly report on the wrestling aspect of Cage Match, please click here.)

The current reining champ at Cage Match is arguably the gutsiest improv group in NYC: Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn. This 800-pound gorilla doesn't merely defeat opponents, it pounds them into near-oblivion. So far this season, DBRR has trounced eight troupes, winning a total of 745 audience votes vs. a mere 262 for all its opponents combined. That said, last week's match against The Scam was a squeaker: 66 votes for DBRR vs. 59 for the exceptionally sharp Scamsters.

Tonight's contender is Snacktime, which consists of Kevin DeBacker, Dan Black, Aaron Glaser, Kelly Hudson, Johnny McNulty, Amber Nelson, and Emily Strachan.

Will the audience find Snacktime an unhealthy but irresistable treat? Or will Roo Roo chew up these young performers and spit them out as mere appetizers?

There's no telling what'll happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 7/11/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

acclaimed comedy duo Joe Schiappa & Nathan Phillips performing improv in Project:Projekt (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] deliciously funny Kate McKinnon performing a one-woman show about pill-popping

fairy princesses, plus sketch/improv duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney, in the double-bill

Kate McKinnon: Disenchanted and BriTANick: Begging for Approval (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] star comic Nick Kroll (co-star of ABC prime time series Cavemen, Conan O'Brien, MTV, VH1),

world-class sketch troupe Olde English (ABC, MSNBC, Very Fresh), razor-sharp stand-up Matt Goldich

(Comedy Central), and more at one of the funniest productions in NYC—and winner of

the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Variety Show—The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show (8:30 pm),

stand-up comics Kumail Nanjiani, Rob Cantrell, and more being asked personal questions on stage at the

free Queens LIC show hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand We're All Friends Here (8:30 pm),

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

a groundbreaking and surreal improv troupe—Centralia: Au Bon Panic! (9:30 pm),

singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musicall (10:00 pm),

an improvisation show that uses audience suggestions to create a new episode of Star Trek (10:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which has currently trounced nine

challengers in a row at Cage Match—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),

and a free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liguid Courage (12:20ish am).

Project:Projekt

Respected improv comedy duo Project:Projekt consists of Joe Schiappa (comedic actor, and director of numerous fun productions including the off-Broadway comedy Matt and Ben) and Nathan Phillips (CBS, CNN, BBC; one-man show Bill the Billboard).

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Kate McKinnon deconstructing fairy tales; and Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney of BriTANicK

Kate McKinnon: Disenchanted and BriTANick: Begging for Approval

A hilarious one-woman show, plus comedy from an unusual sketch duo, for a mere eight bucks.

Disenchanted comes from delightful comedic actress Kate McKinnon, who's a

cast member on the Logo TV series The Big Gay Sketch Show. In a series of vignettes, Kate turns fairy tales upside-down and exposes their dark sides as you "watch the beloved fairy princesses of your childhood pop a few Klonopins and eat themselves into a coma." The material is generally funny; but what makes this show magical is the quality of Kate's stellar performances. This is a sharp, witty actress who "gets" both verbal and physical comedy down to her bones. Don't miss any chance to catch this rising star.

The double-bill then continues with sketch/improv duo BriTANicK, consisting of Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher. To get a feel for these young performers, check out their videos about post-sex desires and drug cravings by clicking here and here.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

Matt Goldich and Olde English...

...and Greg Johnson, Larry Murphy, and Nick Kroll

The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show

This is one of the best comedy shows in New York.

It's hosted by Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic) and

Larry Murphy (genius comedic chameleon & voiceover actor who performs all the

key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other animated TV series include

Home Movies, O'Grady, Computer Lab, Word Girl, and Sunday Pants;

sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; announcer for

ESPN's Cheap Seats;  for an animated VO reel, please click here).

Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests include

Nick Kroll (one of the most razor-sharp and hilarious comics working today;

co-star, and clear highlight, of ABC's Cavemen sitcom; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV's Human Giant; winner of the 2008 ECNY Award

for Best One-Person Show—Fabrice Fabrice, which was among

the funniest shows I've ever seen; for a few videos, please click here),

Olde English (ace sketch troupe and prodigious generator of funny videos;

ABC's Good Morning America, MSNBC, hosts UCBT variety show Very Fresh;

on Entertainment Weekly's" Must See" list; members are Caleb Bark,

Ben Popik, David Segal, Adam Conover, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg), and

Matt Goldich (lightning-fast stand-up; Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NY1's The Call, contributor to book  Bar Mitzvah Disco; for a stand-up sample, please click here).

8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5

Kumail Nanjiani and Rob Cantrell

We're All Friends Here

Matt Ruby (host of monthly NYC live comedy extravaganza Flying Carpet)

and Mark Normand emcee this free show in which stand-up comics perform...

and then are asked personal questions on stage!!

It's at Queens' Long Island City (just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).

Tonight's fine guests are

Kumail Nanjiani (rising stand-up star; Comedy Central's Open Mic Fight; terrific one-man show Unpronounceable about experiences with Islam—for my review, please click here; to get a feel for Kumail's style, please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories, and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here),

Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1),

Jacqueline Novak (for "response to heckler" video, please click here),

and Daniel St. Germaine.

8:30 pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free

From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central);

exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue.

Bobby Moynihan, Zach Woods, former memher Christina Gausas, Michael Delaney, and Chris Gethard

The Stepfathers

Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney,

Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,

and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.

With art and grace, these star talents will make you laugh—a lot.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

Centralia: Au Bon Panic!

Acclaimed improv troupe Centralia consists of Kevin Scott, Jay Rhoderick, and Matt Higgins (Comedy Central, PSNBC; former improv instructor at Yale School of Drama; also founding member of improv troupe Burn Manhattan; three-time finalist for the Andy Kaufman award; for a stand-up sample, please click here).

The official description: "Centralia is known as one of the boldest, most inventive, ground-breaking improvisation groups to ever hit a New York stage. See the performers the Daily News called 'the purest form of theatre,' the Chicago Sun said is 'advancing the art of improvisation,' and the Village Voice said watching is 'like having a front row seat at a stranger's dream.' Au Bon Panic is Centralia's trademark surreal, satirical, hysterical spontaneous theater."

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

The Made-Up Musical

Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied

by a rotating cast that might include such superb talents as

Tara Copeland, Scott Glover, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld,

 Jessica Allen, Robin Rothman, and Megan Gray

—and with Frank Spitznagel on piano—

turn an interview with an audience member

into a musical they make up on the spot.

10:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $7

Manhattan Comedy Collective: Star Trek Improv

If you'd like to experience a gentler, more relaxed, but still quite smart type of improv,

visit the Manhattan Comedy Collective run by the wonderful Stacy Mayer

(who's quick as lightning, but much funnier).

Tonight's show is a monthly feature titled Start Trekkin', in which

improvisors make up a Star Trek episode on the spot. The official description:

"Eight improvisers take the stage in full Federation uniform and, based on audience suggestions, create an entirely original 'episode' set in the Star Trek universe. Expect melodramatic acting, pointy sideburns, aliens in bad wigs, paper-maché rocks and transparent social commentary. But don't expect James T. Kirk or the USS Enterprise; this is a different ship and a new captain every week." The performers are Kate Caldwell, Topping Haggerty, Karie Hunt, Phil Ristaino, Aaron Saenz, Ben Sterling, Kenneth Scott Thompson, and Joyce Trotta.

10:00 pm at the Sage Theatre, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (bet. 47th and 48th Streets); $10

Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family

Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story

via improvised scenes. Sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

Liquid Courage

The ultimate in audience participation: any group can submit a sketch and perform it!

If all you want is to be entertained, this show probably isn't a good choice.

But if you'd like to act on the UCBT stage, and/or have your sketch writing judged by an exceptionally savvy audience, this is a golden opportunity.

Sign-up begins at 10:30 pm and runs till 11:45 pm; sketches will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's wise to arrive early. For a complete list of the rules, please click here.

12:20ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 7/12/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

Second City veterans, Magnet instructors, UCBT stars, and occasional celebs

at the Magnet's signature improv show The Tiny Spectacular (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] actor & musical performer Ryan Paulson (one-man show Pentecostal Wisconsin) visiting

a wonderful sketch troupe revolving around physical comedy and music: Drop Six (8:00 pm),

star comic Tom Papa (Letterman, Conan, Leno) performing a new one-man show Only Human (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] improv comedy mixed with audience-supplied music at the rockin' Mother: The Soundtrack (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] improvised TV shows about audience members via world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (10:30 pm),

terrific stand-up comics—including Mike Drucker, Jamie Kilstein, and John Knefel—

each explaining why he's an atheist while making you laugh at (D)evangelical Comedy (11:00 pm),

and a sketch show (with some improv thrown in) from the superb stars of Derrick (midnight).

The Tiny Spectacular

Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack (see below) Jason Mantzoukas, Tara Copeland, James Eason, Christine Walters, plus occasional special guests (such as superstar Mike Meyers), turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes.

7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Drop Six

Drop Six: Variety Hour

Drop Six is a superb NYC-based sketch troupe that makes great use of physical comedy.

The group—consisting of Marcus Bonnée, Tim Girrbach, Alicia Levy, Rodney Umble, and director Larry Rosen—was awarded Best of the Fest by Second City at the 2006 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. And their Drop Six: Mr. Lucky show killed at last year's FringeNYC, placing in my top 15 of the festival (out of 188 wildly diverse & competitive productions).

Tonight features new sketches, plus guest

Ryan Paulson (actor/musical performer; CBS' Early Show;

one-man show Pentecostal Wisconsin).

If you like sketch comedy, or simply enjoy laughing, I recommend Drop Six.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Tom Papa: Only Human

Tom Papa (multiple appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tonight Show with Jay Leno; star of 2004 NBC sitcom Come to Papa) explores "the purpose of humanity, and the creepy feeling one gets eating in a vegan restaurant across from a middle-aged goth woman with albino eyes...Life comes down to the oddballs we live with, those we are forced to visit, and those we avoid at all cost."

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

Mother: The Soundtrack

Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows.

9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8