Rene Vaca was named one of the featured comics for Netflix's 2024 Introducing showcase at Netflix is a Joke Festival. He also sold out 2 headlining shows of his own at the festival shortly after they were put on sale. Rene is 29 years old, and he was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. After realizing he wanted to pursue comedy for a living, he dropped out of college and has not looked back since. Rene has been pursuing his dream in stand-up comedy and won the 16th annual StandUp NBC competition! Rene's influence extends beyond the stage, with a robust social media following of over 2 million and millions of views across platforms.

Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles is a genre-hopping, candlelit concert that pairs beloved classical masterpieces with iconic Beatles songs, reimagined for string quartet in a warm, immersive atmosphere. The set moves seamlessly from the elegance of Bach (including a Bach/“Blackbird” pairing) and the sparkle of Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik,” through the dramatic drive of Beethoven’s Fifth and the dreamlike shimmer of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” then back into Beatles favorites like “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday,” “Help!,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” creating a musical journey that connects centuries of melody, emotion, and invention in a single, intimate evening.

On a soundstage at the infamous 1970 MGM Studios auction, dancer/singer/actress Ann Miller revisits the Golden Age of Hollywood and discovers her second act as a Broadway star while filmdom’s treasures — including the legendary “ruby slippers,” the “Cotton Blossom” show boat, Clark Gable’s “lucky trench coat” and more — are sold for pennies on the dollar. Featuring selections from the Great American Songbook, this love letter to entertainment is written by and stars Kayla Boye, who has appeared at Porchlight Music Theatre in Can-Can, Little Me, Billy Elliot and New Faces Sing Broadway 1969.

HAMILTON is a revolutionary piece of theatre, with a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations from Alex Lacamoire, it tells the story of America's founding father Alexander Hamilton. It has received numerous awards and accolades, including Tony, Grammy and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. Drawing from Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography, HAMILTON is now seen by audiences around the world as an essential representation of America then, told by America now.

Der Silbersee marked Kurt Weill's final theatrical work before he was forced to flee Germany as a Jewish composer, escaping the rising tide of fascism and eventually making his home in the United States. A groundbreaking, long-suppressed work by the composer of The Threepenny Opera and Street Scene, Der Silbersee blurs the boundaries between opera, operetta, and musical theater. An act of artistic defiance at the moment of its creation, the work helped pave the way for modern music drama and remains a strikingly relevant reflection on humanity's struggles and hopes. Der Silbersee tells the poignant story of Severin, a destitute man shot while stealing a pineapple, and Olim, the policeman who wounds him but later nurses him back to health as he seeks redemption. At its heart, this deeply human work asks a question that resonates with unsettling clarity today: How can we find reconciliation and hope in a fractured world? Weill's extraordinary score-blending late-Romantic lyricism, sharp modernist edges, and the propulsive energy of popular song-moves seamlessly between satire, poignancy, and surrealism, underscoring the work's emotional depth and political urgency.

Music Theater Works kicks off its 46th season with CATS, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s electrifying, Tony Award-winning musical. In this immersive production set in a larger-than-life British flat, audiences may join the magical and all encompassing world of the Jellicle Cats as they gather for the annual Jellicle Ball, where one will be chosen for a new life. Through a series of dazzling musical numbers, each cat shares their story— from the mischievous Rum Tum Tugger, to the mysterious Macavity and the once-glamorous Grizabella. Featuring unforgettable songs, breathtaking choreography and a whimsical atmosphere, CATS is a celebration of life, community and the power of memory.

White Rooster is a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit. After a family tragedy, Min is pulled into a world of restless spirits, old curses and mysterious traditions. Her fiancé won’t stay dead, her sister won’t stay buried and a rooster won’t be ignored. Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.

Candlelight: Featuring Mozart, Bach, and Timeless Composers is an immersive classical concert that pairs the warmth of candlelight with live chamber music, as a string quartet performs a curated journey through some of Western music’s most beloved works—from Baroque brilliance to Romantic drama and luminous Impressionist favorites. The program spotlights instantly recognizable passages like selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 and Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and the achingly beautiful “Lacrimosa” from his Requiem, then builds to the iconic drive of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, the sweeping emotion of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, and the dreamy shimmer of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” rounded out with a vibrant movement from Ravel’s String Quartet—a timeless setlist designed to feel both elegant and deeply moving in an intimate, candlelit atmosphere.

Escape into the glitz and glamour of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’, the (fictitious) 1928 musical comedy brought to life in Theo’s intimate cabaret space. As a die-hard musical fan drops the needle on his favorite cast album, the show bursts into hilarious chaos—complete with showgirls, gangsters, mistaken identities, and one very tipsy chaperone.

Originally premiering at Black Ensemble Theater in 2000, this outstanding production began a highly successful national tour in 2002, including a record-breaking run at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York. In 2012, The Jackie Wilson Story made history once again by opening the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center.

Award-winning performer, charming socialite, and cocktail enthusiast Lucy Darling continues her vivacious vagabond voyages with You’re Welcome — a touring variety show featuring her razor-sharp wit, unquestionable advice, skillful magic, and delightful friends.

Candlelight: Tribute to TOOL brings the band’s dark, hypnotic catalog into an intimate, candlelit setting, where the music is reimagined in rich, cinematic arrangements for strings for a powerful, multi-sensory concert experience. Performed by the Metropolis String Quartet, the program highlights fan-favorite tracks like “Vicarious,” “Stinkfist,” “Forty Six & 2,” “Schism,” “Sober,” “Disposition,” “The Pot,” and “Pneuma,” letting TOOL’s shifting rhythms, tension-and-release builds, and haunting melodies unfold with fresh nuance—at once atmospheric, intense, and unexpectedly elegant.

Max Amini is a world-renowned comedian, producer, director, and podcaster who has redefined stand-up comedy in the digital age. As the founder and CEO of Abstraction Media, he has built a comedy empire from the ground up. With over 25.7 million followers and 5.8 billion views in 2025 alone, he is currently the most-watched comedian on Instagram globally. His YouTube channel ranks as the #1 fastest-growing comedy channel in the US, with audiences tuning in from every country in the world.

In this original dark comedy, 36-year-old actress Nina Sallinen, portrays a 90 year-old Grande Dame (also named Nina Sallinen) of the Scandinavian Theater. The old actress has brazenly chosen Shakespeare’s King Lear as the material for her final artistic farewell performance. She has a special interest in the theme as she believes her own two daughters to be just as greedy and neglectful as King Lear’s. The performance, which she stages in her own apartment, unintentionally highlights the artist’s own life story, as she gradually becomes cognizant of the deeper parallels between her life and that of King Lear’s. Instead of shaking up her own daughters with her performance, the old diva shakes up herself. Her priorities and past choices come into question.

Peppa Pig, along with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig, George and new baby sister Evie, are coming to SKOKIE for PEPPA PIG: MY FIRST CONCERT - a fun, interactive introduction to a live orchestra for ages 18 months and older. Join Peppa and George to learn all about the different sounds that instruments make together! Enjoy some of your favorite music from the show played by a live orchestra and discover some other exciting orchestral pieces perfect for children. Plus, some little piggies can join Peppa and her family to make music of their own!

On the Day of the Dead, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo crosses over from the underworld for 24 short hours with Diego Rivera, who remains in the living world, alone and grieving her loss. Lyric Opera of Chicago presents El último sueño de Frida y Diego, which had its critically acclaimed world premiere in 2022 and brings the legendary marriage — and revolutionary art — of Frida and Diego to the stage with vivid colors, surrealist touches, and lush, evocative music sung in Spanish and inspired by Mexican folk music traditions.

Candlelight: Anime Soundtracks brings a glowing, multi-sensory concert experience to life as the Metropolis String Quartet performs iconic themes from beloved anime by candlelight, transforming familiar melodies into rich, cinematic string arrangements that move from adrenaline and drama to tenderness and nostalgia. The program draws from major hits across genres and eras—featuring music from Demon Slayer (“Gurenge”), Jujutsu Kaisen (“Kaikai Kitan”), BEASTARS (“Monster”), Detective Conan (the “Case Closed Theme”), ONE PIECE (“New Genesis” and “The Peak”), Yuri!!! On Ice (“In Regards to Love – Eros”), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”), alongside lyrical selections tied to celebrated animated films such as Your Name. (“Sparkle”) and multiple Studio Ghibli favorites—creating a fan-forward night that’s as transporting for longtime anime lovers as it is welcoming for newcomers who simply want to hear stunning themes played live.