All stories by Zach Freeman on BroadwayStars

Monday, January 14, 2019

Saving the Day and the American Theater: A Review of PAW Patrol Live! at The Chicago Theatre by Zach Freeman

Can the anthropomorphic heroes of Nickelodeon's staggeringly successful "PAW Patrol" rescue the American theater by turning a legion of device-addicted toddlers into future theater patrons? …

SOURCE: www.newcitystage.com at 07:00PM
Sunday, December 30, 2018

DeRay Davis' night of comedy at Arie Crown is stuck in a sexist time by Zach Freeman

“I ain’t saying [stuff that’s] bad onstage now,” comedian, actor and Chicago native DeRay Davis said early on in his 20-minute opening set Saturday night at the 4,250-seat Arie Crown…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:30AM
Friday, December 21, 2018

Amy Schumer transitions seamlessly from hapless party girl to married mom-to-be at the Chicago Theatre by Zach Freeman

Amy Schumer is five months pregnant and wants to make sure everyone in the audience knows it. At the top of her show at the Chicago Theatre Thursday night — the second of two sold out nigh…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 09:05AM
Thursday, December 13, 2018

Comedy is big on New Year's Eve: 9 comics in the city and suburbs by Zach Freeman

There’s never a bad time for a good laugh and the right comedian can help you close out 2018 in happy tears. Great stand-up comedy is a nightly occurrence across Chicago, and this New Year…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Saturday, October 20, 2018

Gad Elmaleh at the Vic: He's the 'French Seinfeld' and he's making strides in America by Zach Freeman

With many comedians embracing increasingly restrictive cell phone policies in recent years, it was a bit refreshing Friday night at The Vic to see French-Moroccan superstar Gad Elmaleh settl…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:15PM
Sunday, September 30, 2018

Hasan Minhaj at Chicago Theatre: Politics and 'Patriot Act' are his comfort zone by Zach Freeman

The paranoia of comedians is growing. Taking your phone out of commission and emptying your pockets to step through a metal detector is becoming the new norm for attending a big-name comedy …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:30PM
Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Chicago comic T. Murph is about to see what this success thing looks like by Zach Freeman

Ever gotten your hair cut by a barber who you wished would just stop talking and focus on your hair? Comedian — and professional barber since age 13 — T. Murph is the opposite of that gu…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:30PM

Top 10 comics not to miss in Chicago this fall by Zach Freeman

Russell Peters: This Canadian comic has been working for decades and has a book (“Call Me Russell”), a TV show (“The Indian Detective”) and several specials under his belt, including…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:15PM
Friday, August 3, 2018

Decolonizing Comedy Show at BET: Chicago talents put on a whirlwind show — plus a shout-out to Wakanda by Zach Freeman

If a comedy club were to exist in the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda — the fictional homeland of Marvel’s “Black Panther” — the lineup of comedians put together…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:30PM
Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Marc Maron at Thalia Hall: Hecklers, tangents ... he wants this comedy thing to be more of a conversation by Zach Freeman

“Are you filming me?” comedian-podcaster (or podcaster-comedian, depending on who you ask) Marc Maron asked an audience member with a mix of annoyance and genuine curiosity early in his …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 03:50PM
Sunday, July 15, 2018

Michael Che at the Vic: 'Uncle Grumpy' gives a blunt, funny toast to Chicago by Zach Freeman

In a neon green hoodie, jeans and white tennis shoes, comedian Michael Che, a stand-up comic best known for his “Weekend Update” co-hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live,” took the sta…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:05PM
Friday, June 29, 2018

Kathy Griffin goes for 3 funny hours at the Chicago Theatre without an opener or even a breath by Zach Freeman

Walking through a metal detector and watching purses and backpacks get thoroughly searched — not that half-hearted open/shut that you often see at music festivals and sports venues but a r…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:35AM
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Kathy Griffin leans in: 'Laugh Your Head Off' is coming to Chicago Theatre by Zach Freeman

“Are you kidding? Nobody will give me a platform. It’s hilarious,” Kathy Griffin says, in a way that makes it clear that it’s both hilarious and decidedly not hilarious at the same t…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Onion Comedy Fest opens in Chicago: Satire from the folks who invented it by Zach Freeman

With public trust in the media taking a hit amid constant accusations of “fake news,” many news outlets find themselves on the defensive on a daily basis. But there is one publication th…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:20PM
Tuesday, April 17, 2018

In the 'Chicago renaissance' of standup, 'Dope Comedy' at North Bar is a show to know by Zach Freeman

“If y’all ready for ‘A Dope Comedy Show,’ let me hear you say, ‘Hell yeah!’” The voice booms over the sound system as comedian Dave Helem — a Chicago native now living in Los…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Zanies Chicago packs in the good, the bad and a lot of history in '40 Comics in 1 Night' by Zach Freeman

One of the many questions answered on the Zanies website FAQ page is whether any of the locations host an open-mic night. Though there is some information about a showcase at the Rosemont lo…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:00AM
Sunday, April 8, 2018

'Weird Al' Yankovic at the Vic: Accordion solos, deep cuts and 'Velvet Elvis,' dare we say genius? by Zach Freeman

Five songs into musical comedy legend “Weird Al” Yankovic’s second sold-out night at the Vic for his “Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour,” I scanned the crowd and…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:05PM
Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Calvin Evans at Zanies: You're looking for the next hot comic? Here he is. by Zach Freeman

“I wanna leave y’all with a good joke, but it’s hard for me to choose,” says comedian Calvin Evans as he closes out a 45-minute set Tuesday night at Zanies. “Because all of my joke…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:00PM
Saturday, March 3, 2018

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, he's here and got a problem all week by Zach Freeman

“Problem is … I got a problem with everything.” So says comedian and Arlington Heights native Sebastian Maniscalco early on in his wide-ranging (but primarily problem-focused) set Frid…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:00PM
Sunday, February 18, 2018

Katt Williams at Wintrust Arena: '11:11' is a blend of funny new stuff and funny recycled stuff by Zach Freeman

It’s 11 o’clock on a Saturday night inside the Wintrust Arena — the stadium and event center that opened in the fall next to McCormick Place and is the home court for the DePaul Blue D…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:30PM
Tuesday, February 13, 2018

What did I just see? Sarah Squirm tops a long, strange, funny night at Empty Bottle by Zach Freeman

Walking out the side door of the Empty Bottle onto Western Avenue at 12:30 in the morning, I looked past a group of smokers huddled around a sign decidedly not at the corner instructing them…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:30PM
Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Some just-for-Chicago stories from John Mulaney at the Chicago Theatre by Zach Freeman

Watching John Mulaney do stand-up is like watching a pitch meeting for a multicamera, multicharacter sketch show, where an overworked but energetic and eager young writer is running through …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:00AM
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Female comics and an Instagram star pay tribute to Dick Gregory by Zach Freeman

“God bless, this is Dick Gregory.” Those were the first words that legendary comedian Dick Gregory — who 58 years ago changed comedy history as a black stand-up comic performing for a …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:50PM
Saturday, January 13, 2018

Comedian Felipe Esparza goes to some dark places with a smile by Zach Freeman

Once he takes the stage, comedian Felipe Esparza — who released the hourlong stand-up special “Translate This” on HBO last year but is perhaps still best known for winning “Last Comi…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:40AM
Thursday, December 28, 2017

Comedian Felonious Munk embodies Chicago on stage and screen by Zach Freeman

Both in his act and in his life, Chicago-based comedian Felonious Munk embodies the Chicago ethos of hard work, determination and self-aware levity. And in 2017 he brought them all together …

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:15AM
Saturday, December 9, 2017

Mike Birbiglia at the Chicago Theatre is a man with stories to tell by Zach Freeman

“I’m gonna tell you a story tonight,” says comedian-storyteller-filmmaker Mike Birbiglia as he takes the stage at the Chicago Theater on Friday night. “But first I’m gonna tell you…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 10:10AM
Sunday, November 12, 2017

Joel Kim Booster at Schubas: You never see the laughs coming by Zach Freeman

Joel Kim Booster doesn’t want to get political. As a person who gladly and openly identifies as “dumb,” the Plainfield-raised comedian feels like in these starkly divided times we’re…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:00AM
Tuesday, November 7, 2017

'Yaaas!' For Ilana Glazer and Phoebe Robinson at Thalia Hall, the excitement is contagious by Zach Freeman

It may have been chilly in Chicago on Monday night, but inside Thalia Hall, Pilsen’s hipster-centric performance space that has been picking up more and more big-name comedy shows over the…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:15PM
Sunday, October 15, 2017

Comic couple Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher laugh and bicker together at the Vic by Zach Freeman

In December 2015, comedian and Chicago-area native Cameron Esposito recorded her first comedy special (“Marriage Material”) at Chicago’s Thalia Hall just two days before marrying fello…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:05PM
Saturday, October 14, 2017

He'll say otherwise, but Jim Gaffigan at the Chicago Theatre is always in control by Zach Freeman

Waiting for the opening applause to die down after he’s taken the stage for the first of two shows on Friday night at the Chicago Theatre, comedian Jim Gaffigan — currently making the ro…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:50AM
Monday, October 9, 2017

Demetri Martin is most himself with his one-liners at The Vic by Zach Freeman

“The human head is least scary when attached.”Demetri Martin is a person. He is a person who tells jokes, which makes him a comedian. As evidence of these two claims he has recorded stan…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 11:45AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards