Jamie Kaler headlines at Zanies in St. Charles this weekend
Kaler headlines Zanies
Former Navy officer turned standup comedian turned sitcom star Jamie Kaler, Mike on the TBS comedy "My Boys," headlines suburban Zanies Comedy Clubs this weekend.
8 and 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at Pheasant Run Resort & Spa, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. (630) 584-6342 and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 at 230 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills. (847) 549-6030. For more information see zanies.com.
LOL debuts new show
Comedians Lorraine Montgomery and Paddie Cooke (alter-egos of local improv veterans Becky Eldrige and Jamie Buell) star in a new vaudeville-inspired variety revue at Schaumburg's Laugh Out Loud Theater.
8 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 17 at the Streets of Woodfield, 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg. (847) 240-0386 or loltheater.com.
Timely classic at TimeLine
TimeLine Theatre, still riding high on the success of its phenomenal "The History Boys," opens its 13th season with "All My Sons," Arthur Miller's 1947 drama condemning greed and moral irresponsibility. Kimberly Senior directs company members Janet Ulrich Brooks, Juliet Hart and PJ Powers.
Previews continue through Sunday, Aug. 30. The production opens Monday, Aug. 31, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 404-7336 or timelinetheatre.com.
• Caffeine Theatre presents "Under Milk Wood," Dylan Thomas' dark comedy about the lives of the quirky residents of a fictional Welsh town. Paul S. Holmquist (an associate of Lifeline and Griffin theatres) directs the production opening Friday, Aug. 21, at the Storefront Theater, 66, E. Randolph St., Chicago. (312) 742-8497 or caffeinetheatre.com.
• The French performance troupe Ilotopie makes its U.S. debut as part of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's World Stage Series with an aquatic spectacle performed on Lake Michigan. Titled "Water Fools (Fous de Bassin)," the show consists of humorous vignettes performed atop skiffs. Performances begin at sundown Friday, Aug. 21, and Saturday, Aug. 22, at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago (312) 595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com.
• Friday, Aug. 21, marks the opening of "An Evening with Li'l Miss Chatterbox," a burlesque show from Mo Roses Productions in a brief run at The Pub Theater at Fizz, 3220 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Performances are at 11 p.m. Aug. 21, 28 and Sept. 11, 18 and 25. For information see pearlpistol.com.
• Circle Theatre alums Bil Ingraham, Eric Lindahl, Jon Steinhagen and Jeremy Rill are among the performers joining artistic director Kevin Bellie for the company's 25th anniversary celebration Saturday, Aug. 22, at Dominican University's Lund Auditorium, 7900 W. Division St., River Forest. The celebration includes performances of scenes from the musicals Circle has produced over the last quarter century. Tickets are $40, $25 for students. For information, call (708) 771-0700 or see circle-theatre.org.
• The Neo-Futurists remount the Vanilla Ice vehicle, "Cool as Ice," which began this year's series of staged readings of truly terrible films, on Saturday, Aug. 22, in conjunction with an ice cream social. The ice cream social begins at 7 p.m., the performance follows at 8 p.m. at 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago. Also, the Neo-Futurists present plays from the archives of their long-running sketch show, "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind," at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 10. (773) 275-5255 or neofuturists.org.
• The cast of "Chasing Dumb," a dark comedy about small-town teenagers searching for a missing boy, hosts a benefit performance Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway, Chicago. The performance is a fundraiser to enable cast members to take the show to the Out of Bounds Festival in Austin, Texas. (773) 561-4665 or annoyanceproductions.com.
• "Yellow," about the twentysomething owner of an independent video store, continues through Saturday, Aug. 30, at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. (773) 598-4549 or gorillatango.com.