Our guide to stand-up, improv and variety shows.
‘CULT FOLLOWING: JIM JONES AND THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE’ at Caveat (Feb. 1, 9 p.m.). A confession: this writer was thrilled (and somewhat relieved) to find that there are people out there who are also voyeuristically fascinated by cults. This regular series justifies the obsession, with a focus on a different cult and the people who followed it in each installment. It’ll be Jim Jones and the People’s Temple this time, with performances and presentations from Mitra Jouhari of “President Show,” Blythe Roberson of The New Yorker, the historian Colin Dickey and more.
212-228-2100, caveat.nyc
JOSIE LONG at the Bell House (Feb. 1, 8:00 p.m.). Ms. Long, who has been performing comedy since her early teenage years, has honed her craft to a fine point. With her effusive stage presence and earnest personality, the native Brit quickly wins over her audiences and often teaches them a new thing or two along the way. At this performance she is joined by Jonny Donahoe, John Hodgman and others.
718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com
‘RUNNING LATE’ at the Gramercy Theater (Feb. 1, 8 p.m.). The live game show app HQ has made quite the splash — some several hundred thousand people play the game for a chance to win money every day — as has the game’s most popular host, Scott Rogowsky, who has earned the nickname “Quiz Daddy.” Before HQ, Rogowsky was hosting “Running Late,” a general interest comedy talk show he started in October 2011, so this event takes him back to his roots. He’ll be accompanied by Gilbert Gottfried and Frank Santopadre. Whether there’s money to be won, however, is as of yet unknown.
212-614-6932, venue.thegramercytheatre.com
AMANDA SEALES at Carolines On Broadway (Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 2-3, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.). The sharp and quick-witted comedian, perhaps best known for her role as Tiffany on the wildly popular HBO show, “Insecure,” returns to headline the stage at Carolines. Prepare to get woke.
212-757-4100, carolines.com
‘THE SPORKFUL PRESENTS: ASK MIMI’ at the Bell House (Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m.). In this live taping of a podcast by the same name, the 91-year-old food critic Mimi Sheraton takes calls from listeners around the world, listens to their queries and quandaries, and offers sage advice. In this installment, she will also advise the comedian Aparna Nancherla as well as the chef Amanda Cohen.
718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com