New comedy club enters laugh zone
Chicago adds another comedy club to its ranks when Comedy Zone USA opens today at Dave & Buster's, 1030 N. Clark St., Chicago. Chicago area comedian Kyle Lane hosts the grand opening, featuring headliners Spanky Brown, a regular on BET's "Comic View," and Indiana native Troy Davis.
Shows are at 8 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets for the early show are $49.95 and include a buffet dinner. Tickets for the late show are $36 and include two drinks. (312) 560-5173 or www.comedyzonechicago.com.
Speaking of comedy … The folks from I.O. Theater sympathize with sitcom fans disappointed by the reruns and influx of reality shows resulting from the Writers Guild of America strike.
To that end, graduates of I.O.'s writing program present staged readings of their spec scripts for "How I Met Your Mother" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, "The Office" Feb. 5 and 19, and "30 Rock" Feb. 12 and 26 at the improv venue located at 3541 N. Clark St., Chicago. Admission is free. (773) 880-0199.
• The Annoyance Theatre puts a gay spin on the Harrison Ford film "Air Force One" with its latest sendup, "Bear Force One." For the record, it's got nothing to do with pro football. Previews are today and Feb. 1. The show opens at 8 p.m. Feb 8 and runs Fridays through April 25 at 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. Tickets are $8 for previews, $15 regular run. They're available online at www.theannoyance.com or at the box office (773) 561-4665.
• In other sports-related comedy news, "Bodyslam! The Rise and Fall of CAWC," Annoyance's new wrestling epic, opens at 10 p.m. today and runs Fridays through April 11. Tickets are $15. They're available online at www.theannoyance.com or at the box office (773) 561-4665.
Cabaret at the Metropolis. Claudia Hommel, Megon McDonough, Bob Moreen and Don Stille celebrate Parisian chanteuses Saturday at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $37.50. They're available online at www.metropolisarts.com or by phone at (847) 577-2121.
Crip Slam Sundays at Victory Gardens. Matthew Kerns and Tekki Lomnicki are the featured performers for Victory Garden Theater's Crip Slam at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Kerns' "Chicken" is about a man living with HIV. Lomnicki's "Striptease" is about a woman accepting her disability. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theater, 257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $10. (773) 871-3000.