Best Comedy Open Mic in New York: The Peoples Improv Theater

The Peoples Improv Theater

123 E. 24th St., New York, NY 10010

(212) 563-7488

As Steve Martin said, "Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke." Those who have ever spent time at a comedy open-mic night are probably all too familiar with the queasy feeling one gets when a terrible comedian is allowed to go on too long. But every Tuesday night at Bring It! At the Peoples Improv Theater, the show's charming host, Jay Welch, keeps each set to a mercifully short two minutes, and, as a result, everyone actually has a good time. The 80-minute show starts at 11, but arrive early to submit your name to the "golden bowl of destiny" and grab a drink from the bar for courage. Welch draws all the names to create a list, which he reads aloud, so you'll know if you're at the beginning, middle, or end or on the waiting list. On a recent night, Welch fit in 43 rapid-fire sets. Some were great, some were not. But even if you bomb, the supportive crowd will give you a warm round of applause anyway. At the end, the winner of "joke of the night" is revealed and guaranteed a slot on the following Tuesday. 123 East 24th Street, 212-563-7488, thepit-nyc.com (10010)

Source: The Village Voice