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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
Written by
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

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theater
  • Circuses & magic
  • price 3 of 4
  • Midtown WestOpen run
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
Fed up with Amazon’s “bastardization” of her name, Alexa Elmy creates a support group for real Alexas to seek healing over the robot that has stolen their identity. This one-woman comedy show follows the weekly meetings of Alexas Anonymous. “The newfound purpose she finds in running the group gives her a positive outlet for the anguish she is experiencing, however, cracks in Alexa’s charismatic façade quickly begin to appear, hinting at the darker reality she is withholding. The bonding and catharsis become the basis for her twisted unraveling,” the show’s description explains.  Each meeting focuses on completing a step towards healing, structured after the 12-Steps Program. The play tackles themes of sexism, capitalism, identity and privilege. It takes on yet another mega-conglomerate hell-bent on turning women into objects. “Alexa, Play” is presented as part of the United Solo Fest in Midtown Manhattan on Halloween night (Tuesday, October 31) because AI is definitely creepy.  
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  • Comedy
Looking for a treat? Head to Tipsy Scoop in Williamsburg for a comedy show hosted by Savannah DesOrmeaux (Adult Swim) and Jenny Gorelick (Comedy Central) featuring a heavily female, queer and non-binary line-up every other Thursday. Tipsy Scoop is a barlour, meaning it serves up boozy ice cream concoctions you'll definitely want to order to pair with some laughs.
  • Comedy
  • Stand-up
German-American actress and comedian Lucie Pohl invites comics born near and far to perform their best immigration-inspired stand-up, storytelling and sketch comedy. The Friday, October 6 show at Caveat will feature Che Durena, Aminah Imani, Alvin Kuai, Zubi Ahmed, Mark Little, and more plus prizes and games. The show is repping Canada, Haiti, Panama, China, Bangladesh, Romania, Germany and more. This month's show is raising money for New Women New Yorkers.  
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  • Comedy
Laughing in a funeral home or a cemetery might feel as taboo as shouting in a library or microwaving fish in the office, but Ben Wasserman’s Live After Death comedy show performed in a Brooklyn funeral home will have you laughing out loud. Part catharsis, part circus, don't miss this comedy show about grief and loss. Live After Death promises juggling, karate, a seance, ventriloquism and intimate discussions with the audience about grief. The show's coming up on Thursday, October 26 at Green-Wood Cemetery.
  • Comedy
Hear comedians, songwriters and even clowns perform pieces of their upcoming solo shows at Tune Up, a monthly variety show. Performers have been featured on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, HBO, Netflix and more.  The show runs at 9pm the second Wednesday of the month (that's September 13, October 11, November 8, December 13, and so on). Performers have included Natan Badalov (Adult Swim), Alexander Payne (Netflix), Jessica Levin (HBO), Stephen Sihelnik (NY Comedy Festival) and more.

Hit the best NYC comedy clubs

  • Comedy
  • Gramercy

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.

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Music
  • Greenwich Village
  • price 2 of 4

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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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Music
  • price 2 of 4

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.

  • Theater
  • 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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