Drunk Black History
Photograph: courtesy Drunk Black History
Photograph: courtesy Drunk Black History

The best comedy shows in NYC this month

Find all the best stand-up, improv, storytelling and sketch-comedy shows in NYC over the next few weeks

Shaye Weaver
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New York City is where it's at for comedy. We have the best stand-up comedians and the best comedy clubs in NYC, but it's hard to know which shows to hit. Below you’ll find our picks of the absolute best shows happening this month, from improv to open mic nights and everything in-between.

RECOMMENDED: Complete comedy shows in NYC guide

Best comedy shows this month

  • Circuses & magic
  • Midtown WestOpen run
  • price 3 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Once a week, after closing time, 10 people convene at the city’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, for a cozy evening of prestidigitation by the young and engaging Noah Levine. The shelves are crammed with quirky devices; there's a file cabinet behind the counter, a mock elephant in the corner and bins of individual trick instructions in plastic covers, like comic books or sheet music. The charm of Levine's show is in how well it fits the environment of this magic-geek chamber of secrets. As he maneuvers cards, eggs, cups and balls with aplomb, he talks shop, larding his patter with tributes to routines like the Stencel Aces and the Vernon Boat Trick—heirlooms of his trade that he gently polishes and displays for our amazement.
  • Comedy
Coming off of his award-winning solo show "Connect the Dots," funnyman Natan Badalov will test out new material at Astoria's Tootles & French. The in-progress show will see Badalov try to wrench laughs out of tough subjects like empathy, family dynamics, and the Middle East. The show's on the first Sunday of each month (that's January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2, and December 7 in 2025). Tickets cost just $5 plus a one-drink minimum.    
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  • Comedy
At this live show, two comedians will watch Planet Earth, then you can try and stump them with animal trivia. Each time the hosts get a question wrong, they take a shot. Drunk Planet Earth is hosted by comedians Brian Morabito (Comedy Central) and Stephen Buckley (UCB). Find this delightfully nerdy free show at Caveat on the Lower East Side on Friday, January 24; reserve your ticket here. Upcoming shows are on: April 26, May 24, June 28, and July 26.
  • Comedy
Jenny Hagel, an Emmy-nominated writer-slash-performer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, loves two things: comedy and telling people what to do. In her live show "Jenny Hagel Gives Advice," which is coming to Union Hall for several dates this spring (March 29, April 30, May 17, June 28), she hilariously gets to do both at the same time.  Hagel invites audience members to submit written questions about their relationships, careers and finances, then she and a special guest (the March 29 show will feature Justin Guarini—yes, that Justin Guarini) will give their best and most delightfully unhinged life advice. To humorously cap things off, our host then invites a real-life therapist on stage to either double down on the advice given or instruct the audience to totally ignore everything they heard over the past hour.
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  • Comedy
  • Stand-up
  • price 2 of 4
You won't believe how seamlessly good comedy can work with pole dancing (you can read about it here). While stellar stand-ups deliver sets, pro dancers give the crowd something stare at. Think of it as a full-brain experience. Comics Dan Goodman, Joanna Ross and special guests will welcome talented pole dancers and comedians from across NYC.  Each show features a different musical theme, and each one is full of surprises. This time, on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, the show all about Kendrick Lamar—"bitch, don't kill my vibe." Expect to hear jokes from five comics and see performances by five dancers. "They're not strippers, it’s not burlesque. It’s aerial dance with a side of crazy gymnastics, and death defying tricks that make your jaw drop," event planners explain. As the event organizers say: "If you don't see shows like this, why are you even paying the NYC rents?" See it at Drom in the East Village.

Hit the best NYC comedy clubs

  • Comedy
  • Gramercy
  • Recommended
Since 2004, the four partners behind Cringe Humor (cringehumor.net)—a blog turned event production company and talent management agency—have capitalized on an expanding audience for audacious comedy. After producing popular stand-up shows for years, it’s only fitting that they cofounded a venue in which to promote their favorite comics—think bawdy, raw and dark acts like Jim Norton and Dave Attell. This bi-level Gramercy spot, which opened last month, is already going full tilt, offering cocktails and embellished comfort food upstairs while shows take place seven nights a week in its long, narrow basement. The snug 75-seat room places the audience of frat guys and young professionals in close proximity to the performers, and they get pumped when one of their idols (Dane Cook, for instance) drops by.
  • Music
  • Greenwich Village
  • price 2 of 4
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Al Martin, the longtime owner of both the New York Comedy Club and Broadway Comedy Club, follows the same basic tenets in his new room—an intimate basement space below an Indian restaurant—as in his other ventures. Though a few pillars in the 60-seat room interfere with sight lines, the pub grub, extensive cocktail selection and long list of stars who just might do a spot while passing through town are drawing crowds every night. Regulars include staples Christian Finnegan, Marina Franklin and Tom Shillue.
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  • Music
  • price 2 of 4
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
The atmosphere in this spot—not to be confused with the space’s previous occupant, the Tribeca Comedy Club—is a congenial one. Its brick walls and makeshift stage remind you that you’re in a basement, but the doting waitstaff, haute Italian menu from Brick NYC upstairs and roomy layout will please fans of creature comforts, or those too claustrophobic for the likes of the Comedy Cellar. Adam Strauss, the owner-booker and a burgeoning comic himself, makes sure that his programming is packed with next-wave talent (young, funny stars such as Sara Schaefer, Dan St. Germain and Kevin Barnett) while also saving stage time for himself.
  • Long Island City
  • price 2 of 4
Last December, working comic Steve Hofstetter and business partner Jacob Morvay opened their shoebox of a club on a charming strip of Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City. Since then, the pair have been able to draw big talent—smart, outspoken acts like Todd Barry and Ted Alexandro—away from Manhattan five to seven nights a week; he’s also created some ambitious projects such as the She-Devil Comedy Festival, a stand-up competition for ladies from across the country, happening Thursday 25 through Sunday 28. The club, a 15-minute ride from Times Square, features a winning Mexican-American menu, cocktails named after comedy legends and 14 beers on tap. Though the only thing that separates club from bar in this long, narrow room is a curtain, the clear views of the stage and friendly vibe make the place a cozy and relaxed alternative to some of Manhattan’s stuffier venues.
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