Weekend picks: Chris Franjola brings the laughs to Zanies

Traveling man

If you love comedian Chris Franjola from TV's “Chelsea Lately,” then don't miss him live at Zanies at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. $25 plus a two menu-item purchase. (630) 584-6342 or zanies.com. 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

Cycle center

Bikers can head to the International Motorcycle Show to see the latest models this weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. $17 one-day admission; $25 two-day pass; $35 three-day pass. (847) 692-2220 or motorcycleshows.com. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Pick a card, any card

Browse through thousands of baseball, football, basketball and hockey collectible sports cards at the Collectibles Show at the Holiday Inn, 495 Airport Road, Elgin. Free. Call Corky at (847) 658-4981 or email collectables2@yahoo.com. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

Celebration of chocolate

Indulge in handmade chocolate and desserts at Chocolate! The Festival at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. Don't miss the cocoa bar, flower arrangements and a silent auction. Plus, there will be a screening of the film “The Song” Saturday night. Free. (847) 742-2025 or holytrinityelgin.com. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

Auto mania

Get a glimpse of future car makes and models when the Chicago Auto Show, the largest of its kind in the nation, returns this weekend to McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. $12; $6 seniors (ages 62 and older) and kids (ages 7 to 12). (630) 495-2282 or chicagoautoshow.com. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, to Saturday, Feb. 21; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22

Impressive blooms

Get in the greenhouses to see more than 10,000 orchids at The Orchid Show, which begins a monthlong run starting Saturday at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. $10; $8 seniors and kids on top of $25-$30 parking per car or van. (847) 835-5440 or chicagobotanic.com. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, March 15

Under the sea

Direct from off-Broadway, the acclaimed family-friendly puppet show “John Tartaglia's Imaginocean” plays three shows this weekend at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $9 on Friday; $9-$12 on Saturday. (800) 982-2787 or geneseetheatre.com. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

Don't go in there

See a rare double bill of Tchaikovsky's final opera “Iolanta” paired with Bartok's terrifying “Bluebeard's Castle” when the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD series simulcasts the two operas on Saturday and Wednesday at select locations in Batavia, Gurnee, South Barrington, Lincolnshire and more. Tickets vary by venue, but largely $22-$24. Visit fathomevents.com for tickets and exact locations. Live screening 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

Love and Lincoln

The Village of East Dundee celebrates Abraham Lincoln's birthday and Valentine's Day with a Love and Lincoln day on Saturday, Feb. 14. A 10-foot bust of Lincoln, made by professional snow sculptors, will be unveiled at The Depot, 319 N. River St., East Dundee. Lincoln re-enactors will portray Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and will answer questions at the Village Hall Annex, adjacent to The Depot. In the evening, the Good Company theater group performs the play “Love Letters” at the DTPD Rakow Recreation Facility, 665 Barrington Ave. (east side entrance), Carpentersville. Tickets cost $10 for adults. With proof of purchase at a local retailer or restaurant from that day, tickets cost $5. Reservations recommended because of limited seating. Call The Depot at (847) 426-2255. Bust unveiling at 11:30 a.m., play at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

'Stuart Little'

Vero Voce Theater, at 951 State Ave., Suite F, St. Charles, presents the classic children's tale “Stuart Little” by E.B. White as part of its Young Performers Series. The story focuses on a mouse who is born into a human family. Tickets cost $9 children; $15 adults. (630) 584-0139 or verovoce.com. 1 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Modern ballet

Three local premieres fill the bill of the Joffrey Ballet concerts “Unique Voices,” including the Johnny Cash-inspired “The Man in Black.” See them at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago. $32-$155. (800) 982-2787 or auditoriumtheatre.org. 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Sacred/Profane

An artist is torn between the hedonistic love of the goddess Venus and the virtuous mortal Elisabeth in Richard Wagner's 1845 tragedy “Tannhäuser,” which returns to the Lyric Opera of Chicago's repertory for seven performances starting Monday at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. $34-$369. (312) 827-5600 or lyricopera.org. 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

Broadway crooner

“Jersey Boys” veteran Eric Gutman details his life living out of a suitcase in his one-man musical revue “From Broadway to Obscurity,” playing Saturday at Elgin Community College's SecondSpace Theatre, 1700 Spartan Blvd., Elgin. $25. (847) 622-0300 or elgin.edu/arts. 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

You Don't Know Jack

Janus Theater Company presents several short works by playwright Jack Helbig, onetime Daily Herald correspondent, this weekend at the Blue Box Cafe, 176 E. Chicago St., Elgin. The performances will help fund Janus' trip later this month to the Piney Fork Theater Festival in New York City where the company performs Helbig's one-act, “Thinking of Her Made Him Think of Her,” which premiered last September at the first Elgin Fringe Festival. $10 donation. See thehelbigplays.eventbrite.com. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14; 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Big Mac

Fleetwood Mac's hit list includes “Don't Stop,” “Dreams,” “Landslide” and “Go Your Own Way.” The band — including the return of Christine McVie — brings its “On With the Show tour” Saturday to the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $49.50-$189.50. (800) 745-3000 or allstatearena.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

'Love Letters'

Steel Beam Theatre continues its Valentine's Day tradition of staging A.R. Gurney's epistolary two-hander “Love Letters,” which tells of the lifelong friendship and love affair between Melissa and Andrew exclusively through their letters to each other. At Steel Beam Theatre, at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. $28 Friday and Sunday; $35 Saturday tickets include champagne and dessert. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14; 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Valentine's with Loverboy

Everybody may be working for the weekend, but when the weekend includes a Valentine's Day celebration, it better be something special. Loverboy and the Romantics are here to save the day. Relive '70s and '80s musical delights with these two energetic bands and their ridiculously catchy hits at the Arcada Theatre's Rockin' Valentine Party, which also includes drink specials with a New Orleans flair, at 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Tickets cost from $39-$89. Visit oshows.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14

All about Ben

Actor and historian Terry Lynch stars as inventor, scientist and U.S. founding father Benjamin Franklin in a program for families at the Maple Street Chapel, 220 S. Main St., Lombard. “Franklin” will interact with the audience and reminisce about his scientific inventions, his writings and his political life. $15 (discounted family price of $30). maplestreetchapel.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15

Latin heat

Chicago A Cappella teams up with Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater for a concert that blends Latin songs and dancing in “A Cappella en Español” at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. $30-$38; $25 seniors; $12 students. (773) 281-7820 or chicagoacappella.org. 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15