Spotlight: Jake Johannsen headlines Zanies in Rosemont, Chicago

Johannsen at Zanies

Jake Johannsen, a fixture on comedy club stages and late-night talk shows for more than 30 years, headlines Zanies in Chicago and Rosemont this weekend. The Iowa native got his start at an open mic night in San Francisco during the early 1980s. He subsequently appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman," "The Tonight Show" and a number of comedy specials including 1991's acclaimed "This'll Take About an Hour."

8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at 1548 N. Wells St., Chicago, (312) 337-4027, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Parkway Bank Park, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 813-0484. $25 plus a two-item minimum. See zanies.com.

Hip-Hopera

Chicago Fringe Opera remounts "The Rosina Project," its hip-hop adaptation of Gioachino Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." The famed opera bouffe centers on the wily barber Figaro, who assists lovesick Count Almaviva in wooing the comely Rosina, ward of the curmudgeon Bartolo. CFO's production pairs singers with a DJ, beatboxer and street dancers in a contemporary, immersive production.

7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Newport Theatre, 956 W. Newport Ave., Chicago. $20-$45. See chicagofringeopera.com.

Holiday tuner

CPA Theatricals and the Greenhouse Theater Center premiere the family-friendly holiday musical "The Land of Forgotten Toys," about a young woman's efforts to save Christmas. Bre Jacobs plays Grace, a toy store employee who's transported to a magical land where she and a ragtag group of misfit toys help rescue Santa from his sister's clutches.

Previews at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 27-28, and 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 6 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The show opens Dec. 7. $45. (773) 404-7336 or greenhousetheater.org or landofforgottentoysthemusical.com.