Best Bets: Laughin’ it up in the ‘burbs, jazzin’ on the lakefront

Stand-up stars in the suburbs

• Stand-up comedian, “Saturday Night Live” alum and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” veteran Punkie Johnson headlines Zanies Comedy Night Club, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. $30, plus a two-item food or beverage minimum. (847) 813-0484 or rosemont.zanies.com. 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24

• Andrew Dice Clay (“Pam & Tommy,” “A Star is Born,” “Dice”), once one of the nation’s most controversial comedians, headlines the Des Plaines Theatre, 1476 Miner St., Des Plaines. Opening for Clay is Christy Miller. $69-$119. (224) 354-2333 or desplainestheatre.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23

One-man show

Wall Street attorney/investment banker turned Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedian and actor Paul Mecurio brings his one-man, off-Broadway show “Permission to Speak” to the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. $40. (847) 895-3600 or prairiecenter.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23

Evel Knievel vehicles on display

Evel Knievel’s stunt vehicles, suits and gear as well as items from the daredevil’s personal collection will be on display at the Volo Museum, 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo, this weekend. Produced in cooperation with Motor Mania, the “Evel Knievel Tribute Tour” includes the X2 Rocket used in his famous Snake River Canyon Jump in 1974 and Knievel’s jet bike, which had working rockets on each side. $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors, $13.95 for kids 5-12. Single-day admission to the Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park is $16.95. (815) 390-4853 or volocars.com. 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Aug. 23-25

Comedy queen

Comedian Sommore, whose last Netflix special was 2023’s “Queen Chandelier,” headlines The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Frank and sassy, she offers a piercing look at issues from a woman’s perspective. Her performances mark her first time performing in Chicago in more than a decade. $36-$60. (773) 697-3830 or thedentheatre.com. 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24

St. Charles plein air art fest

The St. Charles Arts Council’s plein air art festival continues in downtown St. Charles. Outdoor painters from around the county will participate in the fest, which continues through Sunday, Aug. 25. An art show and sale, dubbed the Fresh Paint Party, takes place at the Baker Community Center, 101 S. 2nd St., St. Charles. Tickets are $125 per person, including two drink tickets, with $50 going toward an art purchase. (630) 443-3794 or email info@stcharlesartscouncil.org. Fresh Paint party: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24; art available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25

Chicago street art

Artists will converge Saturday along Chicago’s Howard Street from Paulina Avenue to Ashland Avenue for a free, family-friendly art festival showcasing large optical illusions from national, local and first-time chalk artists. Don’t miss the live music, food vendors and kids’ activities. chalkhowardstreet.com. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24

Opera under the stars

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents its annual free concert “Sunday in the Park With Lyric” at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. Members of the Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center will join the Lyric Opera Orchestra to perform selections from the upcoming season including “Rigoletto,” “Fidelio” and “The Marriage of Figaro,” among others, all with projected English titles. Music director Enrique Mazzola conducts. As part of the event, Lyric hosts the family-friendly “Art-See Jamboree” featuring art activities, storytelling and music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. lyricopera.org/millennium. 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25

‘Sinatra By Request’

Paul Marinaro and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra perform songs made popular by Frank Sinatra with original big band arrangements as part of “Sinatra By Request: A Tribute to the Recording Legacy of Frank Sinatra” at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. $44.50-$54.50 for adults, $31 for students. (312) 753-3210 or cjomusic.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25

Jazz fest returns

Catherine Russell, Charlie Sepulveda, Rene Marie, Kenny Garrett and Sounds From the Ancestors, Orrin Evans and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra are among the national and international musicians scheduled to perform on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion during the Chicago Jazz Festival. The free four-day festival takes place on four Millennium Park stages starting at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, with performances at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago. The festival then moves to Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago. jazzinchicago.org/chicagojazzfest. Thursday though Sunday, Aug. 29-Sept. 1