George Lopez coming to Rosemont Theatre
Comedian George Lopez - sitcom star, HBO headliner and soon-to-be talk show host - performs his standup at the Rosemont Theatre as part of the Just for Laughs Festival's Chicago debut.
Facst: 8 p.m. Friday, June 19, to Sunday, June 21, at 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. (847) 559-1212 or justforlaughschicago.com.
Back to the comedy club
Comedian/actor Billy Gardell has been on the road since he was 19, opening for the likes of George Carlin and Dennis Miller. A regular on "Yes, Dear" and "King of Queens," Gardell returns to his roots for a headlining stint at Schaumburg's Improv Comedy Showcase.
Facts: 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, June 19, 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, June 20, and 7 p.m. Sunday June 21 at 5 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg. (847) 240-2001 or improv2.com.
Romance, romance
The love story of playwright Jose Rivera's parents and their migration from Puerto Rico to Alabama inspired "Boleros for the Disenchanted," Goodman Theatre's season-concluding production. Artistic associate Henry Godinez directs the Chicago area premiere.
Facts: Previews begin Saturday, June 20, at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. The production opens Monday, June 29. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.
What's new
• Previews begin Friday, June 19, for Factory Theater's "Dead Wrong," a murder mystery whose suspects include a famous film director and a recently discharged mental patient. This adults-only show is not for the squeamish. It opens Friday, June 26, at Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or thefactorytheater.com.
• 500 Clown premieres its latest show, "500 Clown and the Elephant Deal" inspired by Bertolt Brecht's "Man Is Man," wherein an unassuming civilian is transformed into a fighting machine. In this case, the clowns have everything they need to produce a show except for the story. Previews begin Saturday, June 20, at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The show opens Friday, June 26. (312) 335-1650 or steppenwolf.org.
• A young doctor bargains with the devil, selling his soul for power and knowledge, in Christopher Marlowe's "Tragedy of Doctor Faustus." The Resonants founder Dan Krall directs the company's production. The last preview is Friday, June 19. The show opens Saturday, June 20, at CityLit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. (866) 811-4111 or theresonants.org.
• Victory Gardens Access Project presents scenes from plays by 12 writers with and without disabilities during Sketchtopia 2009, part of an artist development workshop. It will be held Sunday, June 21, at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000 or victorygardens.org.
• The Chicago Park District's 57th annual Theatre on the Lake season showcasing some of Chicago's best theater productions from the past year continues Wednesday, June 24, with Redmoon Theater's urban fairy tale "Once Upon a Time (or the Secret Language of Birds)," about a lonely young girl and a reclusive neighbor who try to restore music to a city without it. Performances run through Sunday, June 28, at the theater located at Fullerton Avenue and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Theatre on the Lake continues through Aug. 9. (312) 742-7994 or chicagoparkdistrict.com.
• Aliens threaten to eliminate Earth to keep it from bringing down intergalactic real estate prices in "Earth: TTFN?!" ("Earth: Ta Ta For Now?!") a new scripted show with audience interaction from WWS Productions. Previews begin Wednesday June 24, at the Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens Tuesday, June 30. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org.
• The Neo-Futurists announce the return of their annual staged readings of truly terrible films beginning Thursday, June 25, with "Cool as Ice," starring rapper Vanilla Ice as an urban rebel in a small town. "It Came from the Neo-Futurarium VIII: Legend of the Neo-Futurarium" runs Thursdays through July 30, at the Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. See neofuturists.org for more information.