HyReviews.com
The Most Complete & Accurate Info on NYC's Best Live Comedy Shows—Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, Storytelling, and More, With Most Shows Free-$15—Plus Comedy Discounts, Theatre Discounts, Jokes, and Videos
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.
Last updated on Saturday March 14th 2020
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 350,000 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 check out my new podcast, Ghosts On Drugs, by clicking here.
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NYC Live Comedy Recommendations
Comedy Blog (For Subscriptions, Mobile Devices): BestNewYorkComedy.Com
NYC Comedy Club Discounts—NO COVER on all Eastville & Broadway Comedy shows!
(Eastville Comedy, Greenwich Village Comedy, Broadway Comedy, Dangerfield's)
NYC Comedy Picks for March 2020
Last updated Saturday 3/14
Please note that these listings are updated frequently. The best way to be instantly notified about new show postings is to subscribe to my BestNewYorkComedy.com blog and allow for email notifications, and to follow me on Twitter (@hybender).
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.
Regarding the rest of March 2020:
NYC comedy venues that have temporarily closed to help avoid spreading COVID-19 so far include Caveat, UCBT, The PIT, The Magnet Theater , and (on the film side) Alamo Drafthouse. In addition, while Bell House and Littlefield haven't made formal announcements about shutting down, they've canceled or postponed virtually all shows through 3/27. This follows all Broadway theatres going dark through April 12th.
Because most of the venues I report on will be closed for at least the rest of March, this site is going on hiatus with them. That said, I might post sporadic updates if the news warrants it; and I'll continue to post on Twitter at @hybender.
For all shows that interest you, please be sure to check each venue's website often, as COVID-19 has created a rapidly changing environment that may lead to altered lineups, postponements, reschedulings, or cancellations.
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
Union Hall (702 Union Street in Brooklyn; R to Union Street): 50-seat theatre; shows $5-$20
Littlefield (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
Caveat (21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street); 100-seat theatre; shows $10-$25
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, right next to 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
QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue in Astoria Queens; N/W to Ditmars Boulevard): 40-seat theatre; shows free-$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
Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs
Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street): Among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.
Village Underground
(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.
The Stand
(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.
Gotham Comedy Club
(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.
NYC Comedy Picks from previous weeks
Mike Lawrence Career Interview (TMCPB.com Podcast)
Myq Kaplan Career Interview (TMCPB.com Podcast)
Other NYC Live Shows, Heavily Discounted via Goldstar; Click Images to See Deals
Submissions to Hy as Editor of Ghosts on Drugs
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Please check out these New York City theatre sections of HyReviews.com:
Hy on Theatre Discounts: See Great Shows for as Little as $4
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HyReviews.com Comedy Video Picks
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(including ancient ones), please see the Site Index below, or click here.
HyReviews.com Legacy Site Index
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You can get free tickets for all shows at the Eastville Comedy Club,
free tickets to most shows at the Broadway Comedy Club, and
free & 50% discount ticket offers for Dangerfield's Comedy Club.
Top NYC Comedy Venues
The following are the primary theatres hosting notable NYC comedy shows:
Upright Citizens Brigade Hell's Kitchen
The Creek and the Cave (Queens LIC)
I'm trying to keep this section super-concise,
but If a top site isn't listed that you think oughta be,
please drop me a note and I'll take a close look.
Comedy Coverage
(in alphabetical order):
Comedy Providers
(in alphabetical order):
Ghosts On Drugs™ Fiction Anthology: GhostsOnDrugs.com
Book Service: BookProposal.net
Screenplay Service: HyOnYourScript.com
Cross-Genre Short Story Anthology: Ghosts On Drugs
The Millennial Career Playbook Podcast: TMCPB.com
Contact Hy
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.
History will be kind to me,
for I intend to write it.
—Winston Churchill
Copyright © 2020 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
