Fall means many things. The changing color of the foliage. A fresh new school year. Wearing a jacket when you leave in the morning and taking it off before lunch because it’s suddenly 87 degrees. Fall can also mean funny, if you know where to look; here’s our list in chronological order.
More Top Picks Best 75 Inch Tvs
Featured Players
Sitting somewhere between stand-up and sketch, Featured Players is Zanies’ only alt-comedy show. From musical comedy to character comedians to magic acts, Featured Players is a wonderful relief from the proliferation of “a bunch of people getting up and just talking on stage for 10 minutes”-style shows that dot comedy theaters across the city. 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at Zanies Chicago, 1548 N. Wells St.; chicago.zanies.com
Remix Comedy
Featuring the funniest of Chicago’s musical comedians, Remix Comedy promises a night of parodies, original songs and everything else from do to re to mi. 8 p.m. Sept. 17 at Laugh Factory, 3175 N Broadway; laughfactory.com
Atsuko Okatsuka
One of Variety’s top comics to watch in 2022 and only the second Asian-American woman to star in her own HBO comedy special (following Margaret Cho in 1994), the Taiwanese Japanese American comic brings “The Big Bowl Tour” to the Chicago Theatre for two nights in September. Okatsuka draws from her life as a child of immigrants to weave seemingly stream-of-consciousness storytelling with dancing, music and her signature haircut into an unforgettable evening. 8 p.m. Sept. 18, 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.; msg.com
Buena Onda Comedy
This Lincoln Lodge regular highlights the Latin comics of the Chicago scene. 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at Lincoln Lodge, 2040 N Milwaukee Ave.; thelincolnlodge.com
Melissa Villaseñor
A comic, musician and visual artist, Villaseñor was an “SNL” cast member from 2016 to 2022. Since then, she has appeared in “Toy Story 5,” “Wreck-It Ralph 2” and “Dog Man,” as well as releasing the album “Canciones Hermosas.” She is also the host of the podcast “Laughing with Myself” and the author of “Whoops … I’m Awesome,” an original self-help workbook of stories and activities. She will perform four shows over two nights at the Den Theatre. 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Sept. 25; 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.; thedentheatre.com
Emil Wakim
Chicago-born and raised Wakim will be returning to his hometown for a three-night run at Zanies. In the fall of 2024, Wakim joined “SNL” for its 50th season, becoming the first Lebanese-American cast member in the show’s history. Two years earlier, he had been chosen as a new face of comedy at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. This fall, Wakim will tape his first full-length special for Netflix; according to Deadline, the special tapes in October, so chances are good that his Chicago shows will be a first-look at what material that special might feature. 7 p.m. Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m. Oct 3 at Zanies Rosemont, 5437 Park Place; rosemont.zanies.com. Then 7 p.m. Oct. 4-6 at Zanies Chicago, 1548 N. Wells St.; chicago.zanies.com
Luke Null
Though originally from Ohio, Null got his comedy start here in Chicago, performing at iO and The Annoyance, before joining “SNL” for its 43rd season. Now a touring comic who once again lives in Chicago, Null released a live standup special titled “Pretty Songs, Dirty Words” in 2025. Null will play five shows over three nights at Zanies. 7 p.m Oct. 15; 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Oct. 16; 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Oct. 17 at Zanies Chicago, 1548 N. Wells St.; chicago.zanies.com
Funny is Female
Oak Park’s newest comedy venue will be celebrating the bold voices of the women of the comedy scene — both in Chicago and across the country — as the Comedy Plex presents the second edition of its Funny is Female Comedy Festival. Oct. 22-25 at Comedy Plex, 1128 Lake St. Lower Level, Oak Park; fiffestival.com
More Top Picks Best Pocket Knives Under 200
Brett Goldstein
The two-time Emmy Award-winning comic and star of the recently returned Apple TV hit “Ted Lasso” will bring his “Sex, Death, & Small Talk” tour to the Chicago Theatre. This is Goldstein’s second tour of the US, after 2023’s “The Second Best Night of Your Life Tour.” Besides “Lasso,” Goldstein is also the host of the podcast “Films to Be Buried With,” and recently starred in and co-wrote Netflix’s “Office Romance.” Goldstein will also play the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb before his Chicago stop. 7 p.m. Oct 25, at Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.; msg.com
Josh Thomas
Thomas burst onto the Australian comedy scene as a teen, winning the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s RAW Comedy Award in 2005. Since then, he has gone on to host a podcast, take several shows on the road, and create and star in two television shows — “Please Like Me” and “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay.” His latest tour, “Jiggle Jiggle,” premiered in Australia before continuing around the world. 7:15 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.; thedentheatre.com
312 Comedy Festival
This 11-day comedy event brings shows to seven different venues across the city, from the Chicago Theatre to Zanies Rosemont to the Wintrust Arena. Acts include Nikki Glaser, Bert Kreischer, Michelle Wolf and Rachel Scanlon. Nov. 5-15 at multiple venues, more at 312comedyfestival.com