Theater Spotlight: 'Last Comic Standing' winner in Schaumburg, Ron Hawking at Drury Lane

Stand-up in Schaumburg

"Last Comic Standing" winner Alonzo Bodden, whose life passions include comedy and motorcycles, headlines adults-only shows at the Chicago Improv this weekend. A regular on NPR's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" Bodden describes his comedy as "cynically good-natured" but admits the older he gets, the less good-natured it is.

7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9; 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10; 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Woodfield Mall, 5 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg. $22. (847) 240-2001 or chicago.improv.com.

Cabaret at Drury Lane

Cabaret artist Ron Hawking, known for his Frank Sinatra tribute show "His Way," headlines Drury Lane Theatre's cabaret room this weekend. The show features numbers from his various shows and from his Grammy Award-nominated album "The Song is You."

7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, and Saturday, Aug. 10; 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. $55-$65. (630) 530-0111 or drurylanetheatre.com.

Happily ever after?

Gary Griffin returns to Writers Theatre to helm its season opener "Into the Woods," Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's fairy tale-inspired musical about a baker and his wife attempting to lift a family curse with help from Jack, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. Michael Mahler and Brianna Borger play the baker and his wife in the production, which is the first staged in the round in the Nichols Theatre. "Into the Woods" also marks the return of artistic director Michael Halberstam to the Writers stage for the first time in 17 years.

Previews begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, and continue through Aug. 20 at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The show opens Aug. 21. $35-$80. (847) 242-6000 or writerstheatre.org.