Entertainment

Weekend picks: Improv hosts 'Last Comic Standing' winner

Posted January 09, 2013 5:00 am

By Laura Milbrath Stewart and Scott C. Morgan

John Heffron headlines Schaumburg?s Improv Comedy Showcase.

A standup guy

The career of comedian John Heffron gained extra exposure after he won season two of NBC's “Last Comic Standing.” Catch him this weekend live at the Improv Comedy Showcase and Restaurant, 5 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg. $19-$22 plus a two menu-item purchase. (847) 240-2001 or improv.com. 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11; 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Canuck corral

Get tips on the best Canadian hunting and fishing spots at the All-Canada Show, which returns to the Pheasant Run Mega Center, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. $10; $8 seniors and teens; kids 12 and younger admitted free. (800) 325-6290 or allcanadashow.com. 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Art climate

Artists explore issues of global warming and more in the new exhibit “Climate of Uncertainty” at the DePaul Art Museum, 935 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. No admission fee. (773) 325-7506 or museums.depaul.edu. 5 to 7 p.m. opening reception Thursday, Jan. 10; exhibit runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through March 24

Landscape artists

See the artwork of two local nature painters at the “Nuances of Landscape: Paintings By Mary Porterfield and Nina Weiss” exhibit at the Koehnline Museum of Art at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. Free. (847) 635-2633 or visit oakton.edu/museum. Exhibit runs through Friday, Jan. 25. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

Vivaldi 'Seasons'

Violinist Jennifer Frautschi is the featured soloist in Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons” in an Elgin Symphony Orchestra concert that also includes pieces by Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. Ignat Solzhenitsyn conducts the weekend performances at both the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg ($28-$48), then at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin ($18-$68). (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, in Schaumburg; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, in Elgin

Economic d'ohs!

Chrissy Hogue transforms into seven different women to comically comment on “The Stupid Economy,” which returns to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $30. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11

Oh, Emmylou

Emmylou Harris brings her brand of folk/rock to the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan, this weekend. Tickets run $37.50-$72.50. (847) 782-2366 or geneseetheatre.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11

Motown masters

The Midtown Men, the four stars from the original cast of “Jersey Boys,” perform music of the 1960s, with selections from the Beatles, Motown and more at the Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., Joliet. Tickets cost $28-$65. (815) 726-6600 or rialtosquare.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11

'Deathtrap' revived

A playwright struggling through a series of flops finds a promising script by an unknown writer and passes it off as his own in Ira Levin's “Deathtrap.” Bernie Weiler directs Steel Beam Theatre's revival of the mystery drama about a man who goes to extraordinary lengths to stay on top. The show opens Friday at 111 W. Main St., St. Charles. $25, $23. (630) 587-8521 or steelbeamtheatre.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Sing, swing, sing

Jazz vocalist Terry Blaine teams up with pianist Mark Shane and clarinetist Dan Levinson for the concert “Swingin' The Benny Goodman Songbook” at the College of Lake County's Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. $16-$31. (847) 543-2300 or clcillinois.edu/tickets. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11

Discover the city

Discover Chicago by exploring the Great Chicago Fire, city landmarks and blues music through creative activities that engage the whole family at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark S., Chicago. The educational fun includes Dance Like a Real Chicagoan — Chicago-style moves, such as shooting hoops like Derrick Rose or tossing a pizza; testing your skills with a Chicago word scramble; guessing a landmark; and joining the Chicago Fire Relay Race. While you're at the museum, tour the exhibits using a special kids' activity guide and make-and-take a craft. Performances are at noon and 2 p.m. Activities are free with museum admission. Adults $14, seniors (65+) $12, students (13-22 with ID) $12, kids 12 and younger admitted free. (312) 642-4600 or chicagohs.org. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12

Browse and buy

An estimated 220 antique exhibitors from across the Midwest display and sell everything from antique jewelry and toys to vintage clothing, books and more at the Antique and Flea Market at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 Peterson Road, Grayslake. Admission is $7 (good for both show days). Free parking. Visit zurkopromotions.com. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

'The History of Toy Trains VI'

Calling all toy train lovers: The Highland Park Historical Society, 326 Central Ave., presents the family-friendly exhibit “The History of Toy Trains VI.” See a variety of HO gauge operational model trains, with landmarks from mid-20th century Highland Park, exhibits about toy trains and real railroads and a photograph exhibit of the railroads of Highland Park through Sunday, Feb. 10. $5 per person ($12 per family). (847) 432-7090 or highlandparkhistory.com. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Country rockers

Pure Prairie League has been playing a mix of country, bluegrass and rock for more than 40 years. The band (which for a time included Vince Gill on lead vocals) scored a huge hit with the song “Amie” and was a vital live act in the 1970s and 1980s. After spending most of the '90s on hiatus, the band is back and touring as regularly as ever. It makes a stop at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Tickets cost $55 to $65. Go to metropolisarts.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12

Cohn in concert

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Marc Cohn performs pop and rock hits at Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center at North Central College, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Tickets cost $30-$40. (630) 637-7469. 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12

Ride 'em

The top 35 bull riders in the world compete to ride the country's fiercest bucking bulls when the 2013 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Built Ford Tough Series comes to the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $15-$120. (800) 745-3000 or allstatearena.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Boggy weather

Celebrate the season with indoor crafts, outdoor tours and more as part of the family-friendly Volo Bog's Winterfest Sunday the Volo Bog State Natural Area, 28478 W. Brandenburg Road, Ingleside. (815) 344-1294 or friendsofvolobog.org. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Christmas continued

The Rolling Meadows Historical Museum, a replica of a 1950s Kimball Hill home located at 3100 Central Road, Rolling Meadows, hosts an Open House and displays its holiday decorations, including a 1950s aluminum Christmas tree. Refreshments will be served. Free admission. Visit ci.rolling-meadows.il.us. 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

'The Hindenburg Disaster'

Learn about one of the great tragedies of the 20th century at “The Hindenburg Disaster,” part of the History Speaks Lecture Series, in the Century Memorial Chapel at the Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Actor and historian Terry Lynch portrays WLS Chicago radio reporter Herbert Morrison, who was on hand as the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg burst into flames on May 6, 1937, in Lakehurst, N.J. Advance tickets cost $5-$6. Tickets on the day of the event cost $6-$7. (630) 420-6010 or napersettlement.museum. 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Wayward Sisters

The Wayward Sisters quartet performs classical selections at the Byron Colby Barn at Prairie Crossing, 1561 Jones Point Road, Grayslake. The quartet includes Beth Wenstrom on the baroque violin, Anne Timberlake on recorders, Anna Steinhoff on the baroque cello and John Lenti on the guitar and theorbo. $18 adults; kids younger than 16 admitted free. (847) 543-1202 or prairiecrossing.com. 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13

Learn more about Canadas top camping, fishing and hunting sites at the 30th Annual All-Canada Show at the Pheasant Run Mega Center in St. Charles. Courtesy of the All-Canda Show

Actress Chrissy Hogue performs in the comedy “The Stupid Economy,” which returns to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.

Pool of Life, a painting by local artist Mary Porterfield, is one of the works featured in the Nuances of Landscape: Paintings By Mary Porterfield and Nina Weiss exhibit at Oakton Community College. Courtesy of Oakton Community College

Jazz vocalist Terry Blaine is featured in the concert Swingin The Benny Goodman Songbook at College of Lake Countys Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Grayslake.

The 2013 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough Series stops at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 12-13.

See HO gauge train models, featuring mid-20th century Highland Park landmarks, at The History of Toy Trains VI exhibit at the Highland Park Historical Society. Courtesy of the Highland Park Historical Society

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