NYC’s comedy week is shaping up around two flavors: the headliner taping you’ll be hearing about for the next year, and the showcase nights where you’ll catch tomorrow’s headliners before anyone else knows their names. From a Todd Barry special at The Bell House to Judah Friedlander turning up in tight Brooklyn rooms, here is where to actually go this week.
Don’t Miss: Todd Barry’s Special Taping at The Bell House (May 30)
If you can only do one comedy night this week, make it Saturday. Todd Barry — the king of the deadpan, the crowd-work assassin, one of the most consistently funny stand-ups working — is taping a special at The Bell House in Brooklyn on Saturday, May 30. There are two shows: 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Special tapings are always the play in this city because the comedian is bringing his absolute A-set, the energy is heightened, and the crowd is sharp. The Bell House is a 350-cap room in Gowanus (149 7th Street), which is exactly the size you want for crowd-work Todd. Get tickets through Ticketmaster or Live Nation — the early show usually sells out first.
Tonight: Showcase Stacks Across the City
Thursday in NYC is showcase night across the board. At The Stand in Union Square, tonight’s 9:30 PM main room lineup includes Sahib Singh, Olivia Carter, Andre Kim, and Anna Roisman — a strong mix of NYC regulars and rising names. The Stand is one of those rooms where the bookers genuinely curate, and you almost never see a bad lineup. Tickets are typically $20–$25 with a two-item minimum.
If you want something even tighter, head to Brooklyn. The Tiny Cupboard on Cooper Street in Bushwick is having one of its best months of the year, with Judah Friedlander dropping in alongside regulars like Ashton Womack, Dan Docimo, Ali Drapos, Billy Prinsell, and Eliot Thompson. The Tiny Cupboard is exactly what it sounds like — a small, intimate Brooklyn room with no bringer requirement, no fee for performers, and a real, paying audience. It’s the kind of place where you watch a 30-year-old in a t-shirt try a new bit and then check Instagram a year later to find out they’re on Fallon.
Friday: Russell Peters Crosses the River
Tomorrow night, Russell Peters plays the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Yes, it’s technically not NYC, but it’s a PATH ride away and Peters fills theaters on five continents — if you’re a fan, this is the closest he gets without paying arena prices. Show times and tickets are at NJPAC’s site. For something inside the five boroughs Friday, the showcase nights at Gotham Comedy Club in Chelsea continue — their late-week bills usually feature a mix of late-night TV regulars and developing acts, with tickets typically starting at $25 and an industry crowd that laughs hard.
Saturday Pick #2: The Stand Presents Emil Wakim, Kyle Dunnigan & Bonnie McFarlane
If Todd Barry sells out before you get there Saturday, here’s your backup: The Stand hosts a 9:00 PM showcase with Emil Wakim, Kyle Dunnigan, Bonnie McFarlane, and more. Kyle Dunnigan is a comedian’s comedian whose voice work and writing have shaped a generation of late-night comedy. Bonnie McFarlane is one of the sharpest stand-ups working. Wakim is a current rising favorite. This is a stacked lineup for The Stand’s typical $20-ish ticket — a high-ceiling night for very little money.
Open Mic Notes for the Working Comics
If you’re a comedian rather than an audience member, the open mic ecosystem is alive and well. The Tiny Cupboard runs open mics with no fee and a real audience, which is rarer than it should be — most mics in this city are pay-to-play with three other comics in the room. New York Comedy Club in the East Village runs regular open mic slots through their website. St. Marks Comedy Club hosts a Wednesday 5:00 PM mic that’s a low-pressure place to try new bits.
What’s Coming Up Next Week
Looking ahead, Chris Distefano continues his run at New York Comedy Club through the early part of the month, and Eastville Comedy Club in Boerum Hill keeps its weekend showcase tradition going strong with $15–$25 tickets featuring comedians fresh off late-night appearances. Union Hall in Park Slope continues to host comedy most Fridays in its downstairs space for $10–$15 — one of the best price-to-quality ratios in the city.
The Bottom Line
This week’s best move is to pick one big night — Todd Barry’s Saturday taping if you want a special, The Tiny Cupboard if you want intimate, The Stand if you want a polished showcase — and commit to it. Comedy in this city rewards people who keep showing up to small rooms, because that is where the comedians you’re going to be naming in five years are workshopping their hours tonight.
Sources verified: The Bell House / Ticketmaster listing, The Stand NYC official calendar (thestandnyc.com), The Tiny Cupboard official calendar, and New York Comedy Club calendar.
