Visitors this week include Adam Sandler, David Spade, Nick Swardson and Rob Schneider (together on the Do-Over Tour), Shane Torres, Los Improviachis, Makeshift Up and Chicagoan Drew Michael, who returns to record his third album. We’ve also got our own British comedy invasion: on Thursday night, The Maydays and Katy Schutte perform with Susan Messing and on Friday, BBC Radio’s Dan and Phil bring their latest tour to The Chicago Theatre.
New ticket alerts!
Sasheer Zamata on June 11. Tickets
Jeff Ross’s Roast Battle on June 16. Tickets
Lisa Lampanelli on July 22. Tickets
My spotlight for the week is below. Please be sure to confirm all details before heading out! If you have a show you would like me to add, just let me know at temewring@gmail.com.
MONDAY, MAY 23
Adam Sandler, David Spade, Nick Swardson and Rob Schneider’s Do Over Tour at The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., 8:00 p.m. A night of stand-up and comedy by the stars of Do-Over, a movie about two guys who fake their deaths and steal new identities. Netflix releases the film on May 27.
100 Proof Comedy at Comedy Sportz, 929 W. Belmont, 8:00 p.m. Headliner: Dave Stinton. Featuring Shannon Nolle, Shane Torres, Adrienne Brandyburg, Erin Grotheer and Kaitlyn Grissom. Hosted by Cody Melcher.
CampPain at Zanies, 1548 N. Wells, 8:30 p.m. Tim Slagle hosts a showcase designed to alleviate election-induced panic and pain.
Best Night Ever at GMan Tavern, 3730 N. Clark, 8:30 p.m. Free stand-up showcase. Tonight is hosted by Mike Bobrinskoy and features Sam Gordon, Goodrich Gevaart, Marty DeRosa and Shane Torres (NYC).
Five Star Comedy at The Four Star Lounge, 2666 N. Halsted, 8:30 p.m. Free stand-up showcase produced by David Gavri. Headliner: Danny Kallas. Featuring Rudy Ruiz, Tucker Millett, Ed Towns and Kristen Lundberg.
TUESDAY, MAY 24
10×9 at Uncommon Ground, 3800 N. Clark, 7:00 p.m. Storytelling about “Mothers.” Both comic and not comic, but all real. Hosted by Tom Valenti and Lauren Huffman.
HERold at iO, 1501 N. Kingsbury, 8:00 p.m. Featuring the women of iO’s Harold teams.
Snack Attack Presents Junior Stopka and Eggrolls at The Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln, 8:00 p.m. Headliner: Junior Stopka. Hosted by Bill Gevirtz. Featuring Prateek Srivastava, Sarah Squirm, Mike Bobrinskoy and your snack for the evening: Egg Rolls.
Michael Issac at Zanies, 1548 N. Wells, 8:30 p.m. Shows through Sunday. Check site for show times.
Chicago Underground Comedy at Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, 9:30 p.m. Arrive early for the best seats. Featuring Keith Evans, David Rader, Stephanie Hasz, Marty DeRosa and Ricky Gonzalez, a video sketch from Actual Murderers and surprises ChUC won’t reveal until the night is here.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25
Miss Spoken at Gallery Cabaret, 2020 N. Oakley, 7:00 p.m. The show celebrates its two-year anniversary. Tonight’s theme is birth control. Featuring funny and amazing stories by Elizabeth Gomez, Adrienne Gunn, Ju Lee Anna, Christina Brandon and Lynette Roqueta. Hosted by Rosamund Lannin and Carly Oishi.
[LAST SHOW] 99 Problem Presents Kool-Aid Mix at Second City’s Beat Lounge, 230 W. North Ave., 8:00 p.m. An improvised sitcom that follows the lives of characters who work at Bob’s Video Mart in 1999’s Plainview, Illinois. Each episode is based on an audience suggestion. Features a different Chicago comedy celebrity each week. Tonight: Stacey Smith with cast members Hal Baum, Joel Boyd, Terrence Carey, Catharine Savage, Hannah Starr and Kimberly Michelle Vaughn.
[LAST SHOW] Best of Both at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont, 8:00 p.m. “Dances will be created on-the-spot based on song suggestions from the audience and, as a juxtaposition, written/verbal performances will be interspersed.”
Supply & Demand at The Laugh Factory, 3175 N. Broadway, 8:00 p.m. A show highlighting Chicago’s stand-up stars, the famous and the famous-to-be. You never know who’ll drop by. Get tickets early. Price goes up as show gets closer. Tonight features Jeff Arcuri and more to be announced.
Comedians You Should Know at Timothy O’Toole’s, 622 N. Fairbanks, 9:00 p.m. Danny Kallas hosts Nicole Calasich, Paul Farahvar, Kyle Scanlan, Kristen Toomey and Kevin McCaffrey.
Fictitious: Where Fiction Meets Improv at iO, 1501 N. Kingsbury, 10:30 p.m. Come watch writers read their funny fiction, then watch the words expand and go live in an improv collaboration between writer and comedians. Created by Harold vets Shelby Plummer and Brad Pike. Writers are invited to submit their work. See site for more details.
THURSDAY, MAY 26
Comedy Night at Chop House, 1017 S Delano Ct E, 6:30 p.m. Dinner and a show sponsored by Chicago’s Comedy Scene Radio. Headliner is Marty DeRosa. Hosted by Deanna Ortiz and featuring Abi Sanchez.
I Shit You Not at Township, 2200 N. California, 8:00 p.m. Some of Chicago’s best comedians let loose with embarrassing stories. Tonight: Tim Barnes, Pat Tomasulo, Lainie Lenertz, Kristin Fenchak, Ryan Miera and more. Hosted by Michael Sanchez and Seth Davis.
Blue Line Laughs at Independence Tap, 3932 W. Irving Park Rd., 8:00 p.m. Headliner: Mike Maxwell. Feauturing Matthew Schwartzwalder, Alydar Skyy, Henry Gibson, Prateek Srivastava, John Barry and Merrit Landsteiner.
Laugh Factoria at 3175 N. Broadway at 8:00 p.m. Joey Villagomez hosts an all-Latino line-up.
Drew Michael Live Album Recording at Timothy O’Toole’s, 622 N. Fairbanks, 8:30 p.m. Comedy Central recently announced that Drew Michael would have a half hour special in the 2016-17 season. Tonight he records his album Funny To Death at Comedians You Should Know, which has become a popular national venue for comedy album recordings. Two shows tomorrow night, also. Presented by CYSK and Comedy Central Records.
Messing with a Friend at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont, 10:00 p.m. Susan Messing has been named “Improviser of the Year” at The Chicago Improv Festival, “Best Improviser” by The Chicago Reader and “The Funniest Woman in Chicago” by Chicago Magazine. Tonight’s friends are from the U.K.: The Maydays and Katy Schutte.
Action Jackson at Second City’s Blackout Cabaret, 230 W. North Ave., 10:30 p.m. Classic movie scripts upside down. What if Luke Skywalker were an alcoholic? Or Shakespeare cast Mrs. Doubtfire?
FRIDAY, MAY 27
Craig Shoemaker Interview on Chicago’s Comedy Scene Radio, 8:10 a.m. Tony Carr and Steve Touhy interview this week’s Improv headliner. Tune in by following the link or download the app and have Chicago comedy with you at all times!
Comedy Night at Maggiano’s, 1847 Freedom Dr., Naperville, 6:00 p.m. Dinner and a show sponsored by Chicago’s Comedy Scene Radio. Headliner: Jim Flanigan. Featuring Joe Degand and Jenny La. Hosted by Jordan Holmes.
Dylan Gelula at The Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport, 6:00 p.m. From The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dylan Gelula is here for a Q&A following a screening of First Girl I Loved. Dylan Gelula stars in this film about “seventeen-year-old Anne [who] just fell in love with Sasha, the most popular girl at her LA public high school. But when Anne tells her best friend Clifton – who has always harbored a secret crush – he does his best to get in the way.” The film also features two comedians with Chicago roots: Cameron Esposito and Tim Heidecker.
The Chicago Conspiracy at The Revival, 1160 E. 55th St., 7:00 p.m. This play presents a lesser known but important piece of Chicago history, though it’s a departure from The Revival’s comedy offerings. The Chicago Conspiracy is about the brave underground collective of Chicago women who supported women’s right to choose in the years preceding Roe v. Wade. Written and directed by Sarah Gourevitch and Dan Ackerman. Starring Sophie Kennedy, Ellie Smith, Eleanor Clifford, Val Bodurtha, Bianca Eugene and Atticus Ballesteros.
Dan and Phil at The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State, 7:30 p.m. Shows tonight and Saturday. Dan and Phil are Dan Howell and Phil Lester, the award-winning comedic duo known for the BBC Radio 1 Request Show, which they turned into a smash hit. They are traveling the U.S. with their “The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire” tour. “A theatrical stage show with hilarious anecdotes, sketches, lots of audience interaction we’ll probably regret, a loose story tying it all together and some SURPRISES you’ll never see coming.”
Drew Michael Live Album Recording at Timothy O’Toole’s, 622 N. Fairbanks, 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Comedy Central recently announced that Drew Michael would have a half hour special in the 2016-17 season. Tonight he records his album Funny To Death at Comedians You Should Know, which has become a popular national venue for comedy album recordings. Presented by CYSK and Comedy Central Records
A Red Line Runs Through It at Second City, 1608 N. Wells, 11:00 p.m. The e.t.c. Theater’s acclaimed revue about Chicago in all its glory and grief. If you prefer an earlier show, get tickets for next week now! This week’s earlier shows are already sold out.
SATURDAY, MAY 28
The Kates at The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln, 7:00 p.m. Featuring Jennifer Ostermeier, Sarah Irving, Mary Lorenz, Eunice Jarrett, Elizabeth O’Neil, Kaitlyn Grissom, Caitlin Checkeroski, Anna Lucero and Alyson Lyon. Hosted by Kelsie Huff. Chicago’s wonderful all-hits, all-female comedy troupe with a different cast each show. Get there early for seats! Hey, have you seen Kelsie Huff co-hosting Windy City Live this year? Fabulous!
Simmer Brown Comedy Show at Bughouse Theater, 1910 W. Irving Park Rd., 7:00 p.m. Reception at 7:00 p.m. for prepaid ticket holders only. Show at 8:00 p.m. This showcase is celebrating its one-year anniversary tonight with a fantastic triple-feature line up: Chastity Washington (HBO, BET ComicView), Kristen Toomey (Laughs on FOX, Comedians You Should Know), Erica Nicole Clark (Laugh Factory, My Life as a Stalker Memoir, Mr T’s Daughter). Featuring Simmer Brown producers Prateek Srivastava (NBC Stand Up For Diversity Finalist, Opened for Maz Jobrani, NPR), Sameena Mustafa (Asian Comedy Festival, Chicago’s Comedy Scene Radio) and Rishika Murthy (Jukebox Comedy Club).
Lucia Blinn at Madame Zuzu’s, 582 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park, 8:00 p.m. Lucia Blinn is a Chicago author, humorist and poet described as “the Dorothy Parker of Michigan Avenue.” She has a gift for finding the comedy in heartbreak and calling out life’s contradictions. Check out her poem, “This Is Not Working.”
Yeah Buddy Awesome Time at Brainstorm, 1579 N. Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. Free stand-up showcase (donations accepted). Featuring T Murph, Joe Fernandez, Dan Sheehan, Sonia Denis, Tyler Snodgrass, Max Friedman, Mike Knish and Gary Zajackowski. Hosted by Jason Melton.
Felonious Munk at WIP Theater, 6670 N. Northwest Highway, 10:00 p.m. Felonious Munk is a regular on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and is a creator with Dave Helem of The Blipster Life, a show launched (and continuing) in Chicago and now traveling the country.
Porn Minus Porn at Under the Theater, 956 W. Newport, 10:30 p.m. Real scripts, just the dialogue. So what will you hear? You don’t know and neither do the actors … until showtime. Creator Ben Bowman keeps the script a secret until then. He says, “When a line is so stupid that our actors start laughing, the audience inevitably follows along. It’s a ticking time bomb of laughter and I know exactly when it’s going to explode.” Recommended by Redeye, The Chicago Reader and New City Stage. Behind the scenes interview with Ben Bowman here.
SUNDAY, MAY 29
Corey’s Coffee Shop: The Live Podcast at Gallery Cabaret, 2020 N. Oakley, 6:00 p.m. The inaugural recording of Corey Tate’s live podcast. Tonight’s topic: relationships and dating. This week’s panel: Ashley Huck (Host of Power Hour), Dale McPeek (Producer of This Week’s Show), Ali Anabestanii (Co-creator of The Young Hustle Show) and host Corey Tate.
Awkward Moments at The Laugh Factory, 3175 N. Broadway, 7:00 p.m. Be part of Collin Bullock’s Awkward Moments recorded live tonight from The Laugh Factory. The podcast is interviews with “interesting, weird, unique people.” Tonight’s guests include some who’s whos of Chicago comedy, including Marty DeRosa, Xavier Lamont, Alex Seligsohn, a special guest and more to be announced.
SPELL at iO, 1501 N. Kingsbury, 8:30 p.m. An interactive solo show by Zach Zimmerman. Characters from Christian magicians to a rhyming witch to one of Steve Harvey’s people will engage the audience in “escalating” interactions. Go find out what happens! No one knows yet and every show will be different! Through June 12.
Indianavision at Under The Gun Theater, 956 W. Newport, 9:00 p.m. Indiana imports innovative improv from Indy city to Windy City. One night only. Featuring performances by Mariachi band “Los Improviachis” and by “Makeshift Up”, the real life married couple of Lisa and Ron who will share their counseling skills with the audience in “Cheaper Than Marriage Counseling.”