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773-549-4140Republic of Lights, Late in the Playoffs, Young Distractions, New Diet
Fri., Jan. 25, 9 p.m.Rock, Pop, Etc
Winter Block Party for Hip Hop Arts
Sat., Jan. 26, 12 p.m.Miscellaneous
This city has a long, pretty romantic history with hip-hop. Celebrate the genre's past and future in Chicago at the fifth annual Winter Block Party for Hip Hop Arts, a day of dance battles, poetry slams, and a screening of Benji, the heart-wrenching documentary about Simeon basketball star Ben Wilson's 1984 murder. And there's music, naturally. In the evening, an 18-and-up show features eight-piece hip-hop band Sidewalk Chalk, emcee Psalm One, and rappers ADD-2 and Saba.
free from noon til 6 PM, $15 beginning at 7 PM
Game Night
Through 2/7: Thu 8 PMImprov/Sketch
This family friendly show is inspired by the improv of Whose Line is it Anyway. Performers involve the audience and board games are available in the lobby before and after the show. $10
In Sovereign We Trust
Through 2/8: Fri 8 PMImprov/Sketch
Experimental improv duo Mike Klasek and Clayton Margeson present this new sketch revue inspired by Disney theme park rides. $10
Perfume, Whiskey and Sickness of the Soul
Through 2/9:Improv/Sketch
In this two-part evening of improvisation, a guest team warms us up with some long-form work, then the Chemically Imbalanced Comedy ensemble comes on and creates a Tennessee Williams-style play from scratch. On the night I attended, the warm-up outshined the main event. The first troupe, Mad Contender, wasn't perfect--the members had some agreement issues early on--but by the end of their set they were sailing along, earning big laughs. The Williams parody went less well, in large part because the cast failed to evoke the spirit of the great man's plays. Nor did most of them understand how to create a Williamsian character. One actress did a fine job of imitating Blanche DuBois's insane, past-obsessed chatter, but her efforts were lost in the rising tide of mendacity. You need more than a southern accent to do Williams well. --Jack Helbig $2-$10
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