Spotlight: Zanies Rosemont, Laugh Out Loud serve up post-holiday chuckles
Post-holiday chuckles
Chicago native Jim Flannigan, who co-hosts the podcast "All Over the Place" with Pat McGann, headlines a post-Christmas show at Rosemont's Zanies, the venue where he recorded his debut comedy album "About Time." Also headlining the Rosemont venue is fellow Chicago native and Second City Training Center graduate Calvin Evans.
Flannigan performs at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 26, at Parkway Bank Park, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. Evans performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, and Saturday, Jan. 1. Tickets for these shows are $35, plus a two-item food or beverage purchase per person. COVID-19 precautions: Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test and masking required. (847) 813-0484 or rosemont.zanies.com.
Enter 2022 laughing
Schaumburg's Laugh Out Loud Theater offers in-person New Year's Eve performances, including an early show suitable for all ages. For those who'd rather welcome 2022 at home, LOL offers a virtual NYE option over Zoom.
In-person, all-ages show at 8 p.m. (kids $20; adults $30); in-person adult show at 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31 ($59), at the Streets of Woodfield, 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg. Virtual show at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31 ($25). COVID-19 precautions: Masks required. (847) 240-0386 or laughoutloudtheater.com.
Who's story is it?
Redtwist theatre revives Donald Margulies' two-hander "Collected Stories," about the relationship between Ruth, a respected writer, and Lisa, her young protégé. But the friendship sours when Lisa pens a novel based on Ruth's story of her affair with a famous poet, posing the moral dilemma over whether one person's life is suitable fodder for another person's story. Redtwist ensemble member Jacqueline Grandt and Jillian Warden star in director Ted Hoerl's production.
Previews at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6-8 at 1044 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. The show opens at 3 p.m. Jan. 9. $15, $25. COVID-19 precautions: Proof of vaccination or negative COVID test and masking required. (773) 728-7529 or redtwisttheatre.org.
In other news
Check with venues regarding COVID-19 precautions.
• Chicago Children's Theatre premieres its web series "This Ability" by Daniel Carlton and Nambi E. Kelley starring a trio of young actors, one of whom is blind, one deaf and one with autism. After a celebrated cat from France with a disability goes missing from O'Hare Airport, three young people use their abilities to find the missing feline. Carlton and Kelley co-directed the production, which stars Holly Connor, Kayla Casiano and Kevin Smith, with voice overs by Time Brickey and Lily Emerson. To view the show, access CCTV: Virtual Theatre and Learning from Chicago Children's Theatre on YouTube.
• Broadway HD streams a recorded performance of "John & Jen," Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald's two-hander musical about the relationship between a sister and brother and a mother and son. Filmed last summer in London's Southwark Playhouse, the production stars Rachel Tucker ("Come From Away," "Wicked") and Lewis Cornay ("The Book of Mormon," London's West End). See broadwayhd.com.
• Comedian and podcaster Steve Cochran, former WGN radio personality, hosts an early New Year's Eve show at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, at the Raue Center, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Joining Cochran is stand-up comedians John DaCosse and Tim Benker and comedian Mike Toomey, a regular on "WGN Morning News." Tickets start at $37. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test and masking required. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org.
• Blue Man Group Chicago announced it will host three New Year's Eve performances on Friday, Dec. 31, at Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The family-friendly 4 p.m. show includes a gift for children 12 and younger. All audience members will receive hats and can participate in a "midnight" countdown along with a performance of "Auld Lang Syne." Tickets range from $49-$89. See blueman.com.
• Start off 2022 with a theatrical trip to a galaxy far away with "One Man Star Wars Trilogy" Jan. 5-8 at the Apollo Theater Chicago, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Created and performed by Charles Ross, this all-ages solo show condenses "A New Hope," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" into 60 minutes. (773) 935-6100 or apollochicago.com.
• The Chicago Magic Lounge, 5050 N. Clark St., Chicago, welcomes artist-in-residence Kayla Drescher, who performs her interactive show "Magic in Heels" Wednesdays, Jan. 5 to March 3. (312) 366-4500 or chicagomagiclounge.com.
• Metropolis Performing Arts Centre hosts a virtual wine tasting Jan. 21 in partnership with Tuscan Market & Wine Shop. Several options are available. Option one is a $125 party for two and includes: two wineglasses, six bottles of wine, charcuterie snack box for two, slotted wine bag and score card. Option two is a $450 tasting party for eight and includes: eight wineglasses, one case (12 bottles) of wine from Tuscan Market & Wine Shop, six of them featured tasting samples and six selected by staff, charcuterie snack box for eight, a cooler, wine drinking game and score card. Option three is a case of wine (12 bottles) from Tuscan Market with six tasting samples and six selected by staff for $200. The tasting is from 7 to 9 p.m. Ticket sales end Jan. 14, 2022. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com.
• Sideshow Theatre Company recently welcomed theater artists estrellita beatriz, Hanna Kime, Tina Muñoz-Pandya, Shariba Rivers and Adelina Feldman-Schultz as ensemble members. Sideshow also announced new artistic associates Sam Boeck, Olivia Canaday, Sydney Charles, Micah Figueroa and Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom.