Sketch festival Jan. 7-17
The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival will run Jan. 7-17, 2016.
The event boasts 165 groups performing 186 shows.
Among those taking part are groups who celebrate diverse voices through sketch comedy derived from their cultural or ethnic heritage, sexual orientation or identity, or uniquely abled members. In this line-up are Stir Friday Night, Spic and Tan, GayCo, Your Dark Embrace, Patti Vasquez and Spirit Animal.
The entire schedule for the 15th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival may be viewed at www.ChicagoSketchfest.com .
All-festival passes, regularly priced at $165, will be available for $115 if purchased before Dec. 31. Thursday, Friday and Sunday day passes are available for $37, $47 and $57, respectively. Tickets and information are available online at www.Stage773.com, 773-327-5252 and at the Stage 773 box office, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.
'The Homosexuals' reading Dec. 19
About Face Theatre ( AFT ) will present a one-night-only benefit reading of its 2011 hit The Homosexuals, by AFT Artistic Associate Philip Dawkins, on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at The Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.
The reading will feature AFT Artistic Associates Patrick Andrews, Scott Bradley, John Francisco, Elizabeth Ledo and Benjamin Sprunger, with Stephen Cone and Eddie Diaz.
The play follows Evan, a young gay man who moves to the Midwest with nothing but the shirt on his back. When a kind man invites him to a party his first night in townthe circle of friends he meets that night have an impact on his life that he could ever imagine.
Tickets are $15 each; visit AboutFaceTheatre.com .
Final Joffrey 'Nutcracker' through Dec. 27
The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 28th annual, and final, presentation of Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker in a 24-performance engagement at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Pkwy., through Dec. 27.
The Chicago Philharmonic, led by Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck, provides live accompaniment of the classic Tchaikovsky score for every performance. The full Joffrey company is also joined onstage by 118 young dancers from the Chicagoland area and young vocalists from five different local children's choirs.
For its 2016-2017 season, The Joffrey Ballet has commissioned Christopher Wheeldonwhose direction for Broadway's An American in Paris earned him the 2015 Tony Award for Best Choreographyto re-envision a new Nutcracker to receive its world premiere in December 2016.
Tickets are $32-$136; they are available at The Joffrey Ballet's official box office at Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph St.; the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University box office; all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers; at 800-982-2787; or online at www.ticketmaster.com .
Windy City Times' full calendar of events at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/chicago/events/upcoming.php .