Just Announced, a Special Advance Screening of "That's My Boy" with Adam Sandler in Attendance
Conan O'Brien, Aziz Ansari, Vince Vaughn, Sarah Silverman and Kevin Smith Take Center Stage at Fourth Annual
TBS Just for Laughs Chicago Comedy Festival at The Chicago Theatre, June 11-17
Citywide, all-star line-up also includes Hannibal Buress, Stephen Merchant, Nick Offerman John Oliver, Patton Oswalt, Jeff Ross, Amy Schumer and a line-up of Chicago's top homegrown talent including the recently added TJ & Dave at iO Theater
For the past three summers, the TBS JUST FOR LAUGHS CHICAGO comedy festival has been a landmark event for Chicago, which is home to a rich comedy heritage, from improv and sketch troupes to some of the most familiar names in the business. In its fourth year, the nation's biggest comedy festival hosts an astonishing array of comedians, sketch shows, specialty acts and films that will keep Chicago in stitches from some of its finest and most iconic venues. Schedules and all festival information are available at www.justforlaughschicago.com.
TBS JUST FOR LAUGHS CHICAGO is proud to announce that Adam Sandler will make a special appearance to introduce an advance screening of his new movie That's My Boy at the Kerasotes Showplace ICON on Thursday, June 14.
To kick off the 2012 edition of the Just For Laughs Chicago, TBS's Emmy(R)-nominated late-night series CONAN heads out on the road for a series of shows originating from The Chicago Theatre, Monday to Thursday, June 11-14. Also at The Chicago Theatre, film icon Kevin Smith treats fans to a special evening and Q&A, Thursday, June 14; Parks and Recreation star Aziz Ansari headlines two sold-out performances, Friday, June 15; Emmy(R) Award-winner Sarah Silverman hosts two performances of Sarah's Pro Choice, featuring some of her favorite comedians (Marc Maron, Reggie Watts, Natasha Leggero and Kyle Dunnigan), Saturday, June 16; and megastar Chicago native Vince Vaughn hosts a special evening of surprises and hilarity that'll see him perform alongside a group of his funniest friends, including Bill Burr, Steve Byrne, Colin Jost and Angelo Tsarouchas, Sunday, June 17.
The critically acclaimed Mike Birbiglia brings his hit show My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, fresh off its 15-week run in New York City, to Chicago for an extended stay at the Victory Gardens Theatre, June 12-16.
Over at the Park West, English superstar Stephen Merchant - Ricky Gervais' writing-partner-in-crime on BBC's The Office and Extras - gives a rare stand-up performance over three nights, June 14-16, while Roastmaster General Jeff Ross returns to the Festival to give the people of Chicago our yearly reckoning, in late shows June 15 and 16, and Amy Schumer, breakout star of this year's Roast of Charlie Sheen on Comedy Central, headlines her own night of comedic reckoning, June13. Chicago's very own Hannibal Buress, who just scooped up a 2012 Comedy Award, presents Still Saying Stuff, June 14, with proceeds going to St. Paul Lutheran School, where his mother is a teacher.
Peerless comedic genius Patton Oswalt and Emmy(R) Award-winning Daily Show with Jon Stewart correspondent John Oliver headline shows at the Vic, Thursday and Friday, respectively, while Parks & Recreation's beloved mustachioed curmudgeon Nick Offerman (aka Ron Swanson) presents his one-man show American Ham to the delight of his cult followers, for two shows June 16.
The Festival is proud to partner once again with The Second City with programming at its newly minted UP Comedy Club. Kyle Kinane goes solo to launch the series June 12, followed by a double-bill with Janeane Garofalo, June 13. Also at UP: You Made It Weird podcaster Pete Holmes hosts The Nerd Show - a two-night nerdstravaganza with special guest Brian Posehn, June 13 and 14; hometown boy TJ Miller hosts Performance Anxiety, where Festival favorites will intertwine with some of Chicago's most exciting comedians, June 14-16; and Kelly Carlin, daughter of cult comic George Carlin, presents her one-woman show, A Carlin Home Companion, featuring amusing yet poignant family stories with classic video footage of her father's career and family memorabilia, June 15.
For the first time at the Festival, cool indie rock venue The Hideout will host comedy-nerd revelries including The Eric Andre Show, master character-comic and impressionist James Adomian with friends in tow and in character for Conspiracy Theory Live with Jesse Ventura, and a super-top-secret multi-comic fundraiser presented by The AV Club benefitting the 826Chicago organization all June 14; The Delocated Witness Protection Program Variety Show with Jon Glaser and solo stand-up shows for Matt Braunger and Natasha Leggero, June 15; and outspoken comic W. Kamau Bell with The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour, followed by Pete Holmes' wildly popular You Made It Weird podcast, and ending with Brody Stevens June 16.
The Comedy Bar welcomes the Team Coco Live variety show, June 13, as well as the New Faces of Chicago showcase hosted by Chicago native Lil Rel, June 14, and the TBS LOL Lounge hosted by Julian McCullough, June 15 and 16.
But wait... there's more!
Among the Fest's grassroots programming, improv haven iO will enjoy the return of 30 Rock's Scott Adsit playing with Adult Swim's Jon Glaser and CONAN's Kevin Dorff and locals Jet Eveleth and TJ Jagodowski & Dave Pasquesi in various combinations; plus the Pet Project Series, Alone: Chicago's Best Solo Acts and Sean Flannery's Never Been To Paris at Playground Theater; Paul Provenza and Troy Conrad's cult favorite Set List and Flannery's acclaimed Blackout Diaries at Lincoln Lodge; Chris D'Elia from NBC's Whitney, The Conan Writers Live, Deon Cole and Friends, and comedy vet Tom Dreesen all at the brand new Laugh Factory comedy club; Messing with a Friend with Chicago improv veteran Susan Messing and her guest Greg Hess at the Annoyance; an urban spread with Breakout Performers, 5-Star Leading Ladies, Starting 5, Best of the Midwest and Stage Time at Jokes and Notes; real-time sports commentary and shenanigans with Baseball, Hot Dogs & Schadenfreude at Lincoln Hall; and Chicago Underground Comedy presents: Secret Big-Time Local Comedy Showcase + Secreter Short Film Showcase over at the Beat Kitchen.
TBS JUST FOR LAUGHS CHICAGO and the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are collaborating on three nights of the best independent comedic short and feature films from around the world. Screenings will take place Wednesday, June 13 to Friday, June 15, 2012. Additional details are available at www.siskelfilmcenter.org or www.justforlaughschicago.com.
TBS and Just For Laughs are also working with one of the largest independent promoters in the United States - Chicago-based Jam Productions LTD, as well as Outback Concerts. For all the latest news on TBS JUST FOR LAUGHS CHICAGO, visit www.justforlaughschicago.com, become a fan of TBSveryfunny on Facebook, follow @TBSVeryFunny on Twitter, or search for hashtag #JFLChicago.
About Just For Laughs
Founded in 1983, the Just For Laughs Group's growth is concentrated on four major focal points: Festivals (in Montreal, Toronto and Chicago); television production (most notably Gags seen in 135 countries and on 95 airlines); live shows (Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Jeremy Hotz, John Pinette, Louis C.K., the Capital One Just For Laughs Comedy Tour, North American dates for Family Guy Live!); and talent management. Its inaugural Montreal Festival launched 30 years ago is now the world's largest and most prestigious comedy event welcoming 2 million people each summer. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, and in a dark alley at the end of the street.
About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television's top-rated comedy network and is available in 100 million households. It serves as home to the Emmy?(R)-nominated late-night series CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien; and original primetime comedy series like Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse and the upcoming Men at Work, Sullivan & Son, King of the Nerds and Wedding Band. TBS also features an outstanding slate of contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory, Family Guy and The Office, as well as blockbuster movies and championship sports. In addition, TBS produces special live comedy events, including the star-studded comedy festival held each year in Chicago.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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