Chicago Improv Festival: Reset List; The Era; The Currency @ The Second Stage Theater

The Special Edge series comes to The Second Stage Theater (3408 N. Sheffield) as part of this year's Chicago Improv Festival. Show runs from 11pm-1am, and features: Reset List; The Era; The Currency; This is Okay Cause We Are Singing About It!; Williams and Martinez; Twins Comedy; Leotard Foundation; and Sit Still. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at The Second Stage Theater box office or online. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Never Been to Paris @ CCPA

Sean Flannery's one-man show, Never Been to Paris, follows up a sold-out run last fall with a second run this spring at the Chicago Center for Performing Arts, 777 N. Green St. Catch him every Friday in March and April at 9pm; tonight's show closes out the run. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased here. Read an interview with Flannery in A/C.

Chicago Improv Festival: International Stinger; Simply Coney @ Chicago Imbalanced Comedy

International Stinger and Simply Coney duke it out at Chicago Imbalanced Comedy (1420 W. Irving Park) as part of this year's Chicago Improv Festival. Show starts at 10:30pm, tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the CIC box office, online, or by calling 773-865-7731. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Chicago Improv Festival: Baby Wants Candy @ Apollo Theater

Chicago's own Baby Wants Candy performs tonight at the Apollo Theater (2450 N. Lincoln) as part of this year's Chicago Improv Festival. Show starts at 10:30pm, tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the Apollo box office, online, or by calling 773-935-6100. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Foods of the Great Depression @ Kendall College

The Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance sponsors this weekend-long event about the foods of the Great Depression, which starts today at Kendall College, 900 North Branch. Lectures, panel discussions, a recreation dinner of period recipes, and tours of Maxwell Street, historical exhibits, and living history farm are part of the agenda.

The Chicago Story Collective @ Town Hall Pub

The Chicago Story Collective is proud to present their newest storytelling showcase, "High School Horror Stories" at Town Hall Pub (3340 N. Halsted) for an evening of tales that will remind you why the best years of your life were also your worst. Readers include Essay Fiesta's Keith Ecker and Alyson Lyon, Story Club's Dana Norris, Stories at the Store's Jen Bosworth, This Much Is True's Scott Whitehair, Moth Grand Slam champion Shannon Cason, and comedian Kelsie Huff. Show starts at 8pm, with a suggested donation of $10.

Chicago Improv Festival: The DelTones; ImproTOP @ iO Theater

Chicago's own The DelTones and Mexico City's ImproTOP perform tonight at iO Theater (3541 N. Clark) as part of this year's Chicago Improv Festival. Show starts at 8pm, tickets are $14 and can be purchased at the iO box office, online, or by calling 773-880-0199. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Perceptual Motion, Inc. @ Hamlin Park Studio Theatre

Preceptual Motion, Inc. presents Through the Window, a dance piece premiering the work of Lin Shook, Chagall's Window, and A Breath in Time, with original music by Andrew Edwards at the Hamlin Park Studio Theatre (3035 N. Hoyne). Featuring dancers Helene Alter-Dyche, Claire Bushey, Cindy Huston, Melanie Windland, Inger Smith, and Colleen Welch, and featuring Guest Artist Harvard Vallance. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors. Ticket price includes a free yoga class on Thursday, April 28th 6:30-7:30pm, and a post-performance discussion. To save $3 on tickets purchased in advance, use paypal at PerceptualMotionDance. Cash or personal check at the door. For more information call 773-549-3958.

Chicago Improv Festival: Revils; Kowardly Lion; Hip.Bang! @ The Playground

Chicago Improv Festival triple header at The Playground (3209 N. Halsted) tonight. 7pm show features Revils: Improv...FROM THE FUTURE and The HITMEN; 9pm show features Kowardly Lion and Boom Chicago Alumni; and stick around for the 10:30 show featuring Hip.Bang! and Keep Your Socks On. Tickets for 7pm and 9pm shows are $15, 10:30pm show is $10. Tickets can be purchased at The Playground box office, online (click through to showtimes) or by calling 773-871-3793. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Chicago Improv Festival: Improvisation & Co. @ Laugh Out Loud Theater

If you think Schaumburg is a long way to go for improv, think about what it must be like for the improv troupe Improvisation & Co., who came all the way from Stockhholm, Sweden to do two back-to-back shows with Schaumburg's own Laugh Out Loud. First show is at 7:30pm, second show at 9:30pm, tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for students, and can be purchased at the LOL box office (601 N. Martindale, Schaumburg), or by calling 847-240-0386. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Chicago Improv Festival: Improv-Abilities; Karate Van; SidViscous! @ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 3

Get ready for a triple play of improv tonight at the Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 3 (2936 N. Southport). Improv-Abilities and The Cascade start the night off at 7pm, Karate Van and The Movement pick up at 8:30, and SidViscous! and 2-Man No-Show close the night out at 10pm. Each show is ticketed separately, 7pm and 8:30pm shows are $15, 10pm show is $10. Tickets can be bought at the Athenaeum box office, online (click through on each show time) or by calling 800-982-2787. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Chicago Improv Festival: Eux Compagnie d'Improvisation; Parallelogramophonograph; FACE Theatre @ The Second City Skybox

The Chicago Improv Festival brings a triple header to The Second City Skybox (1618 N. Wells, 4th Fl.) Eux Compagnie d'Improvisation and On the Spot go on at 7pm, followed by Parallelogramophonograph and So Gross at 9pm, and finally FACE Theatre and SCRAM at 11pm. Tickets to 7pm and 9pm shows are $15, 11pm show is $10. Tickets can be purchased at the Second City box office, online, or by calling 312-337-3992. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Chicago Improv Festival: Dead Parrots Society; Wonderbat; Jake @ Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 2

The improv shows run all night long at the Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 2 (2936 N. Southport). At 7pm Dead Parrots Society and Counter-Productive Lover take the stage, followed by an 8:30pm show featuring Wonderbat and USS Rock N Roll, and rounding out the evening at 10pm will be Jake and Chet Watkins. Tickets for each show are sold separately, 7pm and 8:30pm shows are $15, 10pm show is $10. Tickets can be purchased at the Athenaeum Theatre box office, online (click through on each showtime), or by calling 800-982-2787. For more information visit Chicago Improv Festival.

Artropolis: Art Chicago, NEXT & International Antiques Fair

Artropolis, a massive arts and culture event encompassing Art Chicago, NEXT and the Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair, runs April 29 through May 2 at the Merchandise Mart, Kinzie and Wells streets. The shows are open from 11am to 7pm Friday and Saturday, 11am to 6pm Sunday, and 11am to 4pm Monday (the antiques fair closes at 3 on Monday). Tickets are $20 for adults ($25 for a multiday pass, $35 with an art tour), $15 for seniors and students.

American: The Bill Hicks Story @ Film Center

The Gene Siskel Film Center presents a week-long screening of the 2011 documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story, which features archival performance footage of the legendary stand-up comedian throughout his short yet illustrious career. The film screens tonight at 6pm and runs through Thursday, may 5; see the Film Center Website for a compete list of showtimes. Film Center: 164 N. State. (312) 846-2600.

NEXT 2011 @ Ruth Page Center for the Arts

LifeSpeak premieres as part of NEXT 2011. Additional performances include a reprise of Shirley Mordine's 2009 work Illuminations, work from guest company RE|Dance featuring Lucy Vurusic Riner and Michael Estanich, as well as work from Alitra Cartman, selected to participate in Mordine & Company Dance Theater's 2011 Emerging Artist Mentoring Program. The performances begin at 8pm at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, located at 1016 North Dearborn. Tickets ($20 in advance, $22 at the door, and $15 for students and seniors) are available online or by calling 800-838-2006.

El Ten Eleven @ Bottom Lounge

Call them prog/experimental/post-rock, but whatever you do, call them one good band. El Ten Eleven plays the Bottom Lounge on April 29, 2011. Lynx and Yourself And The Air open. Doors open at 8pm. 17+. Tickets are $10. The Bottom Lounge is located at 1375 W. Lake St. 312-666-6775. See our full preview in Transmission.

The Empty Set @ Hyde Park Art Center

Friday, April 29, 7-9 pm
Visiting and local musicians offer their renditions of the void in music at the Hyde Park Art Center. Live performances by Jason Ajemian, Bill Mackay, Mississippi Gabe Carter, Steve Lacy, Andy Hall, Frank Van Duerm, and others.

Immigrant Nation! @ Roberto Clemente Community Academy

Director Esaú Meléndez's Immigrant Nation! screens tonight at Roberto Clemente Community Academy (1147 N. Western Avenue). The documentary feature explores larger issues of the modern immigrant rights movement through the story of Elvira Arellano, a single mother from Chicago, who fought her deportation during the summer of 2006. Watch the trailer here. Screening starts at 6:30pm.

Rock for Kids Mixtape Auction @ SmartBar

Get your hands on one-of-a-kind mixtapes (most in CD form) made by a golden slice of Chicago music talent at this annual fundraiser for nonprofit Rock for Kids. The group provides music classes and programming to at-risk youth in Chicago who otherwise wouldn't receive music education. Bid in this silent auction on awesome mixes and swag from local musicians (including Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and Jon Langford), labels (including Bloodshot), radio personalities from WXRT, and yes, even Gapers Block Transmission staffers, plus many more! Come out and support a worthwhile cause, and walk away with some sweet tunes for your ears and a warm spot in your heart. Tickets $10 (available online or at the door). First round of auction items goes up for bidding at 6pm and runs until 10pm. Smart Bar is located under the Metro at 3730 N. Clark St. 773-549-0203.

Note: This event is also Gapers Block's official Get-Together destination this month!