He's a stand-up kind of guy more than a true sketch artist

"I never even really wanted to do sketch," he says, laughing. "I don't even particularly like sketch, to tell the truth."

That's not to say he's against it as a form; it's just that it doesn't mix well with your typical stand-up comedy.

"It's such an immediate art form," he says of stand-up. "There's so much give and take that it's just difficult within the context of a comedy show to step back and all of a sudden institute suspension of disbelief for a five-minute period."

For the record, Sally doesn't consider the "Great and Secret" show or the Sally Awards to be straight sketch. People are acting and trying to get laughs, but that's where the similarities end. "I guess the idea behind it is to provide something a little more than just your standard host-comic-host-comic-host-comic format," he says. "Really mix it up and throw in sketch, throw in video, throw in a lot of things that are going to keep people engaged and wondering what's going to come next. But then always having them return to this core group of people or this core theme, just to give them something to follow."

Having a capable cast certainly helps. Sally is part of a six-member team at the "Great and Secret" shows, and some of the comics in turn are regular contributors to Sally's shows at the Lizard Lounge. Kim Davis, who hosts most Monday night shows at the Lizard, and Andy O'Feich head Sally's cast and will be joined for the Dan Sally Awards by comics Evan O'Television, Gary Gulman, Keith Bennett, Sam Walters, and Peter Dutton. If the list gets confusing, it's because there are almost too many players to choose from.

"The cool thing is just being able to do a show at the Lizard Lounge and knowing you've got a group of people you can just say, `I want X, Y, and Z,' and you have these people here to draw from," says Sally.

Though Sally, 30, has been performing comedy for only 2 1/2 years, he has sharpened his skills enough to be a regular in the Cambridge comedy scene as a stand-up and sketch performer. He laughingly attributes this to the fact that he chooses his opportunities wisely and is spectacularly untalented at almost everything else.

"I'm not a big doer," he says. "You see some people who are like, `Oh, I'm into rock climbing.' I don't have that in my spare time. I have comedy, and then I sleep and eat. And that's pretty much it. I don't do a lot of stuff."

Ringing with laughter

This year, there are more options to ring in the new year laughing than Boston has seen in years. Veterans and newcomers will be playing all over town and in the suburbs. Tony V and Baratunde Thurston are the pick of several comedy events at First Night (www.firstnight.org). . . . Jimmy Tingle is at his Off Broadway in Davis Square. . . . Steve Sweeney is at the Comedy Connection. . . . Patty Ross, Tony Moschetto, and Harry Corcell play the Wine Cellar in Beverly. . . . Bob Niles, Annette Pollack, Malissa Hunt, and Glen Gordon are at Jimbo's South in Braintree. . . . Chance Langton, Chris Tabb, and Annette Pollack (doing two shows in one night) are at Phillips Old Colony House. . . . Kenny Rogerson is at Nick's Comedy Stop in Boston. . . . Dick Doherty performs at Dick's Beantown Comedy Vault. . . . Rick Jenkins, Mike Dorval, Brian Gordon, Steve Calechman, and Myq Kaplan are at the Comedy Studio.

Around town

Dane Cook plays the Comedy Connection tonight and tomorrow. . . . Comedians from the cast of "Overserved," an as-yet-unreleased independent comedy filmed in Boston last year, perform Tuesday at the Emerald Isle in Dorchester. Rich Gustus, Lamont Price, Scott Carney, Paul Shea, and Todd Gorrell will perform with special musical guest Robbie Road Steamer, a heavy metal lounge singer.