Best bets: Tommy Davidson, Harlem Globetrotters, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and more
Comedian Tommy Davidson (“In Living Color,” “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder”) headlines the Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Road, Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, this weekend. $28, plus a two-item minimum purchase per person. (847) 240-2001 or improv.com/chicago. 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22; and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23
Get ready to move to an electrifying night of dance music as groundbreaking Canadian DJ/producer EXCISION heads a bill with support from Sullivan King, Crankdat, Emorfik, Lizzy Jane and Chicago dubstep artist Dogma at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. $79.99 for general admission; $109.50 for VIP passes. navypier.org. 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22
The Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, hosts a holiday extravaganza featuring singer and radio host Steve March-Torme (son of Mel Torme), singer/bassist Michael Bailey and the band Steem performing holiday classics including Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” and new seasonal tunes including March-Torme and Bailey’s “I Remember Christmastime.” $30-$40; $21-$28 for RaueNOW members. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org. 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23
What do you get when you pair Christmas classics with rock music? “Dark Side of the Yule,” a musical mash-up filtering holiday favorites, baroque carols and new tunes through the lens of bands like Metallica, Evanescence and Pink Floyd among others. The performance takes place at the Moonlight Theatre, 7 S. 2nd Ave., St. Charles. $35 for reserved seats. moonlighttheatre.com. 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23
Catch some good times as the The Harlem Globetrotters clown around and show off their ball-handling skills on the court for two games at the Allstate Arena, 6920 Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Fans can also join the players for some pre-game and post-game fun. $30. ticketmaster.com. 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27
As the year winds down, prepare to rock a little harder as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents the best of TSO performances past with the laser-blasted, spectacle-filled “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” at the Allstate Arena, 6920 Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Tickets start at $49.75. rosemont.com. 3 and 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28
The New Philharmonic welcomes 2024 with New Year’s Eve concerts featuring guest bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba, who performs “Toreador Aria” from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” “Hymne A L'amour” by Marguerite Monnot and Édith Piaf, and other songs including Robert Burns’ “Auld Lang Syne.” Orchestral works include Johann Strauss Jr.’s “The Blue Danube” waltz; selections from Bedřich Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride”; Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner”; and Johann Strauss Sr.’s “Radetsky March” among others. Kirk Muspratt conducts the performances, which take place at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $70-$80. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 1:30, 5 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, recently opened “Descending the Staircase,” an exhibition featuring works from the MCA collection that reflect novel artistic approaches to representing the human body. Chicago residents: $19 for adults, $10 for students; nonresidents: $22 for adults, $14 for students. (312) 280-2660 or mcachicago.org. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, through Aug. 25