December is a special time for comedians. Not only are they trying to scrape together enough money from the commercials and VH1 shows they booked this year to buy presents for their family, but it’s also Aspen audition time. The U.S. Comedy Arts Festival held in Aspen is a Mecca for comedians. Auditioning and being chosen for the USCAF and mingling with the comedy elite (past performers have included…basically everyone famous) is a career maker for many who attend. This weekend, check out the shows that just might end up catapulting these New York comics toward sitcom deals, Hollywood scripts or at the very least, a Sierra Mist ad. All shows are free. more ›

Writing sketch comedy is not an easy skill. Appealing to a wide audience, writing a good ending for each sketch, and rehearsing your material are not always taken into consideration. Which is why Gothamist loved the new sketch show The Incorrigible Mr. J, now up at the PIT [154 w. 29th Street]. Matt Donnelly, Rebekka Johnson and Jim Festante of the improv group Possible Side Effects, have created a world where reclusive hermits, “dynamic choreography”, and Samuel L. Jackson all cleverly intersect. The Incorrigible Mr. J. - Fridays in October at 7pm - $5 more ›

So we know that David Cross and Co. have bought the bar "Eleven" on Orchard Street, it was only inevitable that younger, more energetic comedian Jimmy Fallon has beat him to the punch by already opening the doors to his very own performance space: Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction [as reported on the Apiary]. Okay maybe he's not more energetic, we don't know, we're basing this on the fact that Fallon danced a lot at the Scissor Sisters show last week. Cross, on the other hand, usually stands disaffectedly in the crowd at shows, blending nicely with the rest of the jaded music fans in this city. more ›