The Chicago Theatre
Conan Live – Monday-Thursday, June 11-June 14 at 5:00 p.m.
TBS's Emmy®-nominated late-night series CONAN heads out on the road for a week of shows originating from The Chicago Theatre.

An Evening with Kevin Smith – Thursday, June 14 at 8:00 p.m.
The creative genius responsible for the films Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, the Characters Jay and Silent Bob and more... Kevin Smith is a talented writer, director, producer, actor and all-around cool guy who will host a no-holds-barred Q&A where the audience is the catalyst to the hilarious and insightful look into the life of this independent spirit. Questions often lead the audience on a gut-busting ride for an evening not to be missed!

Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive – Friday, June 15 at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. (SOLD OUT)
After selling out four shows at the Vic Theatre at Just For Laughs Chicago two years ago, Aziz Ansari returns to the Festival this summer with his latest offering, Buried Alive! Ansari portrays the character Tom Haverford on NBC’s Emmy-nominated Parks & Recreation, opposite Amy Poehler. The Hollywood Reporter said that he “has become one of the most prolific writers and performers on the comedy scene in recent years” and Rolling Stone recently placed him on the cover of their special comedy issue labeling him “the funniest man under 30.” In addition, People Magazine named him 2011’s “Funniest Dude in Prime Time.” Recent host of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, Ansari also just released his second stand-up album, Dangerously Delicious, on his website for a mere five dollars—a worthy follow-up to 2010’s hour-long debut Intimate Moments For A Sensual Evening. Film-wise, he has appeared in Get Him To The Greek with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill, I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, and30 Minutes or Less opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride He is also developing three films for Judd Apatow and Universal with director Jason Woliner (who directed Ansari’s Human Giant sketch show), a collaboration that began on Funny People where Ansari created the popular stand-up virtuoso Raaaaaaaandy.

Sarah Silverman’s Pro Choice – Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.
Sarah Silverman hosts a line-up of some of her favorite comedians, including Marc Maron, Reggie Watts, Natasha Leggero and Kyle Dunnigan.



Vince Vaughn’s Comedy Showcase – Sunday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m.
Actor-producer Vince Vaughn, executive producer of TBS’s upcoming sitcom Sullivan & Son, is bringing it back to sweet home Chicago. Vince Vaughn’s Comedy Showcase comes to the downtown Chicago Theatre for one hilarious night of comedy. Join Vince as he hosts and performs with a group of his comic friends including national theater headliner Bill Burr, Sullivan & Son star Steve Byrne, breakout comic Angelo Tsarouchas and SNL writer Colin Jost.

Tickets for The Chicago Theatre shows (excluding CONAN) are available:
•    At The Chicago Theatre Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets
•    Online at ticketmaster.com
•    By phone at 800-745-3000


Bank of America Theatre
Stuffed and Unstrung by Henson Alternative – Tuesday, June 12 to Sunday, June 17, at various times – ADULTS ONLY
Stuffed and Unstrung is a live uncensored improv show with the Miskreant Puppets and The Jim Henson Company’s renowned puppeteers. Unpredictable and irreverent, it’s never the same show twice! Expert puppeteers create twisted scenes and songs on the fly with live musical accompaniment, as suggestions from the audience prompt the improvised storylines unfolding on stage. This production delivers “two shows in one” as the hilarious puppet action is projected live on large screens flanking the stage, while the puppeteers race around below displaying their skills in full view of the audience. Stuffed and Unstrung appeared alongside Cee-Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow at the 2011 Grammy Awards and was featured on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice in 2012.

Tickets for the Bank of America Theatre show are available:
•    Bank of America Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets and all Broadway In Chicago box offices
•    Online at ticketmaster.com
•    By phone at 800-745-3000


The Vic
Patton Oswalt – Thursday, June 14 at 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.
Patton Oswalt most recently starred in the feature film Young Adult opposite Charlize Theron in a role that garnered him a Critics Choice Award nomination. He also voiced Remy the rat in Pixar’s Oscar-winning Ratatouille, and in 2009, won critical acclaim in Robert Siegel’s feature film Big Fan. His latest album, Finest Hour, was well received, as was his previous album My Weakness Is Strong, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. Oswalt’s first book Zombie Spaceship Wasteland honed in on his obsession with nerdy things and pop culture, colored by traditional Oswalt-ian rage. Formerly a series regular on Showtime’s United States of Tara, Oswalt has also appeared on HBO’s Bored to Death and Flight of the Conchords, and guest starred on Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program.

John Oliver – Friday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m.
John Oliver has been a writer and correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (the show’s resident Brit) since 2006 – a job for which he has won both an Emmy and Writers Guild Award for his writing. He currently has a recurring role in the NBC series Community and his own series for Comedy Central, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, which is entering its third season in 2012. Alongside long-term writing partner Andy Zaltzman, Oliver currently co -writes and stars in The Bugle – an ongoing series of satirical news podcasts, in association with The Times newspaper. The Onion says, “Oliver is a master storyteller, stringing jokes together so tightly that not a syllable falls out of place.”

Nick Offerman: American Ham – Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 and 10 p.m.
Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation’s Ron Swanson) is taking full advantage of his honey-glazed hindquarters in a humorous entree called American Ham, which features a veritable smorgasbord of cautionary tales, tunes and tips for prosperity (with minor nudity).Offerman is best known for his role as Ron Swanson on NBC’s Emmy-nominated Parks & Recreation, working alongside the ensemble cast of Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari and Rob Lowe. He can be seen on Will Ferrell’s telenova-inspired filmCasa De Mi Padre and 21 Jump Street with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Offerman got his start in the Chicago theater community, where he was a founding member of the Defiant Theatre. Offerman currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Megan Mullally. While he’s not acting, he’s working in his woodworking shop building canoes, tables and other items by hand.

Tickets for The Vic Theatre shows are available:
•    At The Vic Theatre Box Office
•    Online at etix.com
•    By phone at 800-514-etix


Park West
Amy Schumer – Wednesday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Amy Schumer shot to the forefront of the comedy scene as the stand-out of Comedy Central’s Roast of Charlie Sheen. She has performed on Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CONAN, The View, appeared on The Howard Stern Show, and was featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and as Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch this past year. She recurred on this season’s Delocated on Adult Swim and guest starred in the latest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. This year she filmed the feature Seeking a Friend for the End of the World starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley and Price Check, an independent feature opposite Parker Posey which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Her album Cutting, which in its opening week placed in the top 5 of the Billboard Charts, has been included on multiple Best Comedy Albums of the Year awards lists.

Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies… - Thursday, June 14 to Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award winning co-creator of BBC’s The Office and Extras, Stephen Merchant embarks on his first ever stand-up comedy tour. “Most people don’t realize that I was a stand-up comedian before I met Ricky Gervais and his coattails,” says Merchant. “Life can be lonely as a TV writer so this tour is a great opportunity for me to get out there and meet my fans. And make at least one of them my wife.”

Hannibal Buress: Still Saying Stuff – Thursday, June 14 at 10:00 p.m.
An alum of both Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, comedian Hannibal Buress recently won the award for Best Club Comic at the 2012 Comedy Awards. He will appear on the upcoming Comedy Central series Kroll Show and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, as well as the Adult Swim series The Eric Andre Show. Buress has earned both the honor of performing Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival and the well-earned respect of his peers, who regard him as one of the brightest young talents to emerge from Chicago. His stories about his experiences with pickle juice, the merits of Courier New font, and his not-so-secret desire to kick pigeons have led to appearances on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Late Show With David Letterman. Several major publications have taken note of his ascent, including Variety magazine, which named him one the 10 Comics to Watch in 2010. His debut CD, My Name Is Hannibal, was recorded at The Lakeshore Theater and was the #1 comedy album on iTunes upon its release. His first hour-long special, Hannibal Buress: Animal Furnace, debuted on Comedy Central May 20. ** Proceeds from this show will go to St. Paul Lutheran School. **

Jeff Ross Roasts Chicago – Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16 at 10:00 p.m.
Roastmaster GeneralJeff Ross returns to the Festival for a second time. Fresh off his much talked about appearance on the Roast of Charlie Sheen on Comedy Central, Ross forgoes his usual celebrity smearing to set his sights on the common Chicago plebes. In his acclaimed solo performance, the self-proclaimed “Meanest Man in Comedy” will not only offer his razor-sharp stand-up, but will also target the audience with the same smart-bomb delivery he’s used on Hollywood’s elite. And if that weren’t enough, he’ll roast some special local personalities. Fans will need to bring a thick skin, because with a show this hot, someone’s bound to get burned.

Tickets for the Park West shows are available:
•    At the Park West Box Office
•    Online at etix.com
•    By phone at 800-514-etix


Victory Gardens
Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend – Tuesday, June 12 to Saturday, June 16 at various times
In Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, Birbiglia shares a lifetime of romantic blunders and miscues that most adults would spend a lifetime trying to forget. On this painfully honest journey, he struggles to find reason in an area where it may be impossible to find – love. Winner of the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend was nominated both for the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. The New York Times called the show “ridiculously enjoyable” and it was recognized as a Critic’s Pick by The New York Times, Time Out New York and New York Magazine. After receiving critical acclaim in Canada and Australia, and completing a 15-week run in New York, Mike Birbiglia performed his hit show throughout the United States in 2011, and will continue to tour in 2012.

Tickets for the Victory Gardens are available:
•    At the Victory Gardens Box Office
•    Online at victorygardens.org
•    By phone at 773-871-3000


Kerasotes Showplace ICON
Adam Sandler: That’s My Boy – Thursday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Star and producer Adam Sandler makes a special appearance to introduce an advance screening of his new comedy. While still in his teens, Donny (Adam Sandler) fathered a son, Todd (Andy Samberg), and raised him as a single parent up until Todd’s 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd’s world comes crashing down on the eve of his wedding when an uninvited Donny suddenly shows up. Trying desperately to reconnect with his son, Donny is now forced to deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills. That’s My Boy is directed by Sean Anders, produced by Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Heather Parry, and Allen Covert, and written by David Caspe. Tickets are complimentary, but admission at the theater is first-come, first-serve until the auditorium reaches capacity.

Complimentary tickets for That’s My Boy are available:
•    At www.justforlaughschicago.com

That’s My Boy opens nationwide Friday June 15. The film has been rated “R” by the MPAA.


House of Blues
The Dan Band – Saturday, June 16 at 9:00 p.m.
Dan Finnerty caught America’s attention as the foul-mouthed wedding singer in the box-office smash Old School, performing his now-infamous rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart. He has also appeared in The Hangover and Starsky & Hutch. The Dan Band has become a cult phenomenon that has garnered rave reviews from The New York Times, The LA Times, Variety and Rolling Stone among others, and prompted Entertainment Weekly to dub it “the hottest ticket in Hollywood.” The Dan Band has appeared on talk shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and eventually caught the attention of Steven Spielberg, who signed on to executive-produce Finnerty’s one-hour concert special The Dan Band: I Am Woman.

Tickets for the House of Blues show are available:
•    At the House of Blues Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets
•    Online at ticketmaster.com
•    By phone at 800-745-3000


UP Comedy Club
Kyle Kinane – Tuesday, June 12 at 10:30 p.m.
In 1999, Kyle Kinane realized there might be something more to it all than pulling nights at a suburban gas station.”Something more” has taken him to comedy festivals across the US, Canada, and England. His nights are now occupied with performances at popular venues such as the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre in Los Angeles and the national chain of Improv comedy clubs. He has appeared on The World Stands Up for the BBC, twice on Last Call with Carson Daly, and the Judd Apatow production Funny People. He is a regular opener for headliners such as Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn. Askmen.com rated him #5 on their top 10 list of upcoming comedians. He was named one of the Top 10 Comics To Watch by Variety in 2010.

The Nerd Show – Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00 & 9:00 p.m., and Thursday, June 14 at 9:30 p.m.
For those whose day consists of iPhone apps, graphic novels, kissing one’s Mark Zuckerberg poster before going to bed, The History Channel, comic books, World of WarCraft, and lining up at The Mac Store at 5am to see the latest Steve Jobs vision…The Nerd Show is just the ticket! Host Pete Holmes, special guest Brian Posehn and more present a show where there’s no dress code, but thick-rimmed glasses are encouraged.

Janeane Garofalo & Kyle Kinane – Wednesday, June 13 at 11:00 p.m.
Both opinionated and outspoken, Janeane Garofalo and Kyle Kinane present a double-bill you’re not soon to forget. Their sets effortlessly weave politics, personal stories and social commentary into sets that make you feel like you’re spending a night out with friends.

TJ Miller: Performance Anxiety - Thursday, June 14 at 11:30 p.m. & Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16, at 11:00 p.m.
TJ Miller (She’s Out Of My League, Our Idiot Brother, Cloverfield, Yogi Bear 3D) brings his bi-monthly show Performance Anxiety (produced with comic Eli Olsberg) from Los Angeles. The LA series showcases some of the best rising talent and gives carte blanche to all of the heavy hitters - and the same concept will apply in Chicago, mixing local rising talent with Chi-Town’s top brass. Festival favorites will be intertwined with some of Chicago’s most exciting comedians for this special three-night engagement before becoming a regular installment at Chicago’s own Pleasure Chest sex shop.

Kelly Carlin: A Carlin Home Companion – Friday, June 15 at 9:00 p.m.
Deftly weaving her amusing yet poignant family stories with classic video footage of her father’s career and family memorabilia, Kelly Carlin, the only child of iconoclastic comedian George Carlin, takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and pulls back the curtain on their life together off stage. Chronicling more than 40 years of her life with her father, Kelly warmly yet honestly reveals not only what it was like to be swept up by his life and career, but the struggles of their father/daughter relationship and ultimately what it took for Kelly to find her own place in the world. A Carlin Home Companion is an unexpected, loving and revealing look at the man who constantly redefined himself in order to redefine 20th century comedy.

Tickets for the UP Comedy Club shows are available:
•    At the UP Comedy Club Box Office
•    Online at www.upcomedyclub.com
•    By phone at 312-662-4562


THE COMEDY BAR
Team Coco Live – Wednesday, June 13 at 9:00 p.m.
Join the folks from Conan O’Brien’s website, TeamCoco.com, for Team Coco Live. This one-night-only event will be a hilarious evening of stand-up hosted by CONAN opening act Jimmy Pardo (Never Not Funny podcast), and will feature performances by writers Deon Cole, Andres du Bouchet, Brian Stack, Dan Cronin, Jesse Pop

Contact(s):

Gina McKenzie (404) 885-4315 Atlanta

The Silverman Group Beth Silverman 312-932-9950 beth@silvermangroupchicago.com

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