Results tagged “comedy”

Next month, Second City alumni will converge on Chicago to help celebrate the comedy theater's 50th anniversary.

It's been a funny seven weeks at ComedySportz where the eight contestants of Impress These Apes have given it their all in an effort to, well, impress the Apes. And it all comes to a head tonight as the eight contestants go all out. The challenge? Just impress the Apes. But that's not the easiest thing to do and if history is any judge, the contestants will pull out all the stops in order to wear the crown of "Least Pitiful Human." Be sure to swing by their site and spend the remainder of your afternoon catching up on the contestants' performances in preparation for tonight's finale. Only 12 points separates first place from last place and special fourth judge will be there tonight to add to the drama.

One of our favorite local comedy acts, Impress These Apes, has reached the halfway point of its current season but that doesn't mean it's too late to get in on the fun. Be sure to swing by their site and spend the remainder of your afternoon catching up on the contestants' performances in preparation for tonight's show. It continues every Wednesday night through November 4th. What's up for the contestants this week? Find out after the jump (some of the language is a bit NSFW).

This is part of Chicagoist's continuing coverage of the 45th Chicago International Film Festival.

Remember those vitriolic, frightening days of fall 2008, when Sarah Palin was a contender for the #2 office in the executive branch and everybody (except your crazy, racist uncle, who was crushin' hard) made funny YouTubes and Photoshops about her? One of the most popular spoof jobs was the vlog series done by New York City comedienne Sara Benincasa, who captured the former Alaska governor's essence like no one else on the Internetovision. Since the election, Benincasa has been hard at work writing a book, doing a Cosmopolitan Radio show, and performing her one-woman show, AGORAFABULOUS! — the one-woman show she'll perform on Saturday, Sept. 19 (i.e., tomorrow) at Chicago's Playground Theater, 3209 N. Halsted; get tickets here. Recently we talked to Benincasa about her career, panic, and her show.

One of our favorite local comedy troupes - Impress These Apes - is back for another go-around of fun-filled shenanigans. Eight new contestants are back to compete for the prize - being declared "least pitiful human" - by making three apes laugh which is no easy feat. Each week brings a difficult challenge and this year is sure to be no different. Before tonight's big debut, be sure to first catch up with this year's contestants. You can do this by checking out their auditions and then their audition call-backs in which they had to tell their life story in two minutes. All of this has hopefully prepared them for tonight's challenge: lyrical karaoke, in which each contestant has been given a song except they have to write and perform the song with new, original lyrics.

Kathy Griffin may claim she's on the D-List, but her fans consider her an A-List talent, and we'd have to agree with that assessment. Seriously, she's vicious, hilarious, and fearless. What more do you want from a comedian?

We're not sure if Tom Tunney has been informed yet, but it appears that a subterranean monster is wreaking havoc in the basement of a local vintage brownstone apartment building. No need to worry though. Brothers Marion and Jarmon, alongside tenant Hezekiah Confab, are on the case and preparing for battle.

Kathy Griffin may claim she's on the D-List, but her fans consider her an A-List talent, and we'd have to agree with that assessment. Seriously, she's vicious, hilarious, and fearless. What more do you want from a comedian?

Lakeshore Theater played host to a night of outstanding comedy on Friday, featuring Double Threat and Bob, David and Friends. The ironically titled Double Threat comprised two of the most likable and least intimidating comedians on the scene, Danny Bhoy and Jim Breuer. The show got off to an unusually early start (five minutes ahead of schedule), and those arriving fashionably late were the perfect target for the Scotsman's improvisational riffing. Bhoy, comfortable enough with his material to pause for some good-natured lampooning, shined when hounding audience members for their tardiness. In an age where most of a comedian's material can be viewed in advanced on YouTube, this type of off-the-cuff comedy was a genuine treat... so tell your dick friends to show up late. Following Danny Bhoy was the Goat Boy, Jim Breuer. Breuer, well known for his time on SNL and his feature-film appearances, made the most of his knack for impersonations. Sammy Sosa, Dave Chappelle, Tracy Morgan, Norm MacDonald, Jack Nicholson and a kangaroo were all channeled by Breuer on Friday night, who used the all-star cast to compliment his physical brand of humor. Be sure to catch Bhoy and Breuer in their final festival performance tonight at the Lakeshore.

Photo by Matt Motyka

Very few are able to make the transition from internet sensation to star of stage or screen, but funnyman Jon Lajoie might be on his way. The regular Everyday Normal Guy has been touring the country with a new comedy act, Live as F*ck, his most recent stop being the Just For Laughs festival here in Chicago. How exactly do five minute YouTube clips translate into a live performance? Lajoie primarily sticks to what has made him popular, splicing tongue-in-cheek songs with short video clips and bits of loosely structured material. Part concert, part comedy show, Lajoie’s act takes a cue from the oh-so successful Flight of the Conchords, albeit not nearly as polished in its execution. But that lack of shine is a major component of Lajoie’s charm, who readily admits that he doesn’t exactly know what he’s doing on stage. His very good singing voice combined with his unique wit and a popular catalog of songs seem certain to keep a familiar audience entertained. Lajoie will be performing at the Lakeshore Theater again this evening, so if you’re a big fan of his internet offerings, it will probably be worth the price of admission. [Tickets]

If you've not yet heard, today marks the beginning of TBS Presents a “Very Funny” Festival: Just for Laughs. The six-day comedic takeover lays seige to several of Chicago's finest venues and boasts 68 shows, ranging from movie screenings to local standup acts. The list of talent is ridiculous, so somewhere in between Ellen Degeneres and Patrice O'Neal you're bound to find an act that tickles your fancy. And to the delight of our sanity, the 68 shows are not all unique; many of the events will repeat over the course of the festival. In addition to alleviating personal schedule conflicts (thank you, organizers, for not forcing us to choose between Louis CK and David Cross), the repetition will allow us to review the first show of a run, giving you, the reader, an idea of whether or not you'd be interested in catching the encore performance.

If you enjoy the humor of Christian Finnegan, that is. The VH1 Best Week Ever staple and stand-up comedian will be taking his act to the Lakeshore Theater Wednesday night, as part of his nine-city Au Contraire! tour. Finnegan, a.k.a. Chad from "The Mad Real World" skits on Chappelle's Show, sticks primarily to familiar topics (relationships, sex, office politics, technology, etc.), but his wit, insight and charming delivery keep the shtick sharp. Sure you've heard a million cleavage jokes, but are you familiar with Finnegan's four boob quadrants? And perhaps you've played Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit... well then it's hard not to enjoy this bit [2:53 mark]. Finnegan's strength lies in the fact that he can relate to audiences with commonplace subject matter but is talented enough to avoid the tired punchlines, making his stand-up stand out. So if you're in need of some solid, straightforward laughs on your hump day, go pay Mr. Finnegan a visit.

A little while back we told you about TBS Presents a "Very Funny" Festival: Just for Laughs. And if we didn't make you crack a smile then, we're ready to chisel away at that stone face of yours with the expanded comedy roster. Joining the already-scheduled programming are performers David Cross, Michael Ian Black and Jon Lajoie, among several others. Additionally, Chicagoan Harold Ramis will be on hand at the Music Box Theatre June 16 to screen his new film, Year One, and receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the festival organizers.

Well, we guess that whole "we'll store anything approach" must be making bank, because somehow Jones secured the capital to open a BBQ / Foot Massage joint. Just don't go accidentally barbecuing a foot!

Just because you're tightening the belt these days doesn't mean you have to cut back on laughs. Alternative comedy troupe Schadenfreude kicks off five Fridays of the cost-conscious Rent Party tonight at the Gallery Cabaret. Admission is a smart ten bucks and, in addition to an hour's worth of entertainment, includes free food and beer specials to boot. Rent Party's standup-meets-sketch format is straightforward and effective—think main-stage laughs with none of the theater pretense. And unlike that ketchup-packet marinara you cooked up last night, Schadenfreude isn't cutting corners when it comes to substance. Names such as Robert Buscemi and Susan Messing will be augmenting an already-stellar core cast over the five-week run. With fresh material served up for every show, going back for seconds is sure to be at treat. All the specifics can be had here, and a Schadenfreude sampler is available via their video archive.

If you’ve never heard of the tim & micah project, you’re not alone. We’d never heard of them and neither have all these people. However, it’s the middle of the week and we’re looking for a laugh anywhere we can find one. And even though we missed the first installment, we're excited for sketch comedians Tim Soszko and Micah Philbrook's latest project: tim & micah project: SEQUEL.The show is presented in revue with The Second City Musical Improv House Ensemble, Infinite Sundaes, and if you can’t wait until Sunday to laugh, you can watch some of their hilarious sketches on YouTube.

A: To get to TBS Presents A “Very Funny” Festival: Just For Laughs in Chicago, IL!

There’s nothing better than listening to an artist / designer talk about their creative process—the inspiration, the tears, the glory. But when you add in some random crazy-ass comedy, ‘80s jams, and deliciously crafted cocktails, the result is a brilliant alternative to an uptight theory lecture—The Show ‘n Tell Show.

We can’t seem to get enough of the delicious Blagojevich scandal, and now, Blago will take his place on a stage where great works like Hamlet and that Scottish play have gone before. That’s right - apparently we’re not only likening Blago to Jesus (see show title) but also to the bard as Second City’s smash hit Rod Blagojevich Superstar will take the stage with Chicago Shakespeare at Navy Pier March 26 to May 3.

There's a lot of funny folks in Chicago, but some of the most consistently hilarious wack jobs are in the Lakewood Manor Players. We've known certain members since the pre-teen years, and the quirky schtick that earned guffaws in high school biology has only gotten better with age and, um, experience.

We fell in love with Denis Leary's vitriol-fueled rants back during his cigarette smoke-spewing days as an MTV station ID man. Back then we considered him to be the result of comedic trend popularized by Dennis Miller ... both had that smart rapid fire delivery to their attacks, only where Miller pounded you over the head with his brains, Leary allowed his intelligence to sucker punch you from behind.

ShamFUCKINwow!

Comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U' Know, NYC's purveyor of the crass and offensive, will make a one-night-only appearance at the Lakeshore Theater this Thursday. Known for their delightful vulgarity, the Kids will tackle everything from celebrity worship to potty humor, and will no doubt throw some beastiality somewhere in the mix. Prepare to giggle nervously.

Batterymouth, Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln, Wednesdays through Feb. 25, 8 p.m., $10, Purchase tickets here.

Park West, 322 W. Armitage, January 12, 8 p.m., Tickets $30-$50

This dude spammed the HELL out of us so we weren't going to post it on principle alone ... but it IS 2008, content IS king, and you cannot deny the content of this video.

Fed up with the Blago/Burris Circus? Need some levity to save you from the winter blahs? You're in luck because the Eighth Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival kicks off tonight. Running through Sunday, January 18, the festival features over 125 shows by over 100 different troupes from around the world. Held at Theatre Building Chicago (1275 W. Belmont), the fest features performances each night across three different stages. Each show is $12.50 and $150 gets you festival-wide pass. Check out the schedule and get planning.

Comedy