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"With the state of comedy today, it is hard to get stage time," comedian manager Francisco Aldorando says when asked about the position his Restaurant Row establishment plays in the city's comedy scene. Born in November 2001 when the piano bar Sweet Caroline's changed from a cabaret to a comedy format, Ha! prides itself on being a club managed by comics for comics, a stand-up boot camp that drums up an audience by passing out tickets in Times Square. Waiting audience members (and comics) drink and mingle between performances in the overly bright, basement-floor bar. Shows featuring hit-or-miss talent alternate between two rooms every hour on the half hour, all night long. While the show roster is heavy on no-name up-and-comers, more established performers—Kevin Brown and Kenny Ortega—also sneak in sets from time to time. — Eric Hunter