The Den Theatre today announced Cameron Esposito will be performing two shows on New Year’s Eve, December 31, at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.. Plus, Jerrod Carmichael will appear on stage in Chicago December 27 - 28 at 7:15 p.m. each night at the theatre’s Wicker Park stages at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Artists join previously announced December shows, including Anna Przy’s “Keep It Up, Cutie” on December 1, Joe Dombrowski on December 6 - 7, David Lucas on December 8, Maria Bamford appearing for five separate shows on December 12 -14, Nick Colletti on December 19, Michael Kosta on December 20, Trae Crowder on December 21, and Thorgy Thor’s ‘Thorgy Does Christmas’ on December 22. Tickets are now on sale at www.thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830.
Cameron Esposito, photo by Robyn Von Swank
New Year’s Eve with Cameron Esposito
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35 - $70
Cameron Esposito (she/they) is a Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor, writer, and host.
In addition to her work as a nationally touring headliner, Cameron has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, TBS, IFC, E!, Cartoon Network and HBO Canada. Recently, she recurred as ‘Greta’ in 21 episodes of ABC’s A Million Little Things, as well as roles on The Rookie: Feds, Station 19, and Amazon’s With Love. In 2022, Cameron hosted the 2nd Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, AMC’s Obsessed With the Vampire and live conferences for LGBTQ+ rights organizations Lesbians Who Tech and National Center for Lesbian Rights. Last year, Cameron completed a social media endorsement campaign with WILDFANG and was the face of the SKITTLES Pride Campaign to promote LGBTQ+ artists and stories in partnership with GLAAD rights organization (for which she also hosted their awards show in 2017), Audible, and her podcast QUEERY. QUEERY features a series of hour-long conversations with some of the brightest luminaries in the LGBTQ+ covering themes of identity and the shifting cultural matrix around gender/sexuality. Additionally, Cameron can be heard giving semi-sarcastic survival advice as the host of Sony Music’s podcast SURVIVE OR DIE TRYING. In 2021, Cameron served as the inaugural host for the Podcast Academy’s annual award show: The Ambies. Cameron was honored with a 2023 Courage Award from the New York City Anti-Violence Project.
Cameron is currently developing her new comedy-hybrid special alongside W. Kamau Bell, which follows her mental health journey. Her 2018 special Rape Jokes raised over $100,000 for RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, by releasing the special for free and encouraging viewers to donate in lieu of subscribing and watching on a streaming service. The self-financed hour has been praised as an “unapologetically hard-hitting, bracingly timely hour” (Vanity Fair), “blistering, masterful, tragic, hilarious” (New York Magazine). A writer from The Daily Beast who happened to be in the audience hailed the set as “powerful,” “daring and hilarious,” and as “the first great stand-up set of the #metoo era.”
In March 2020, Cameron released her first-ever book, Save Yourself, a memoir that tackles sexuality, gender, and equality – and how her Catholic upbringing prepared her for a career as an outspoken lesbian comedian in ways the Pope could never have imagined. The book, published by Grand Central Publishing became an instant best seller.
She has been named a Comic to Watch by The New York Times, Variety, The Guardian, LA Weekly, Time Out Los Angeles, Jezebel, Los Angeles Magazine and Cosmopolitan.
Jerrod Carmichael, photo courtesy of Jerrod Carmichael.
Jerrod Carmichael On Stage in Chicago
Friday, December 27, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $22 - $50
Jerrod Carmichael is an Emmy-winning comedian from Winston-Salem, NC. His most recent special, Rothaniel, can be streamed on HBO Max. He currently stars in HBO’s, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show.
Previously announced appearances in December at The Den Theatre include:
Anna Przy’s “Keep It Up, Cutie”
Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $22 - $45; Add on packages available, including Meet & Greet ($40) or Book + Meet & Greet ($75)
Keep It Up, Cutie puts a comedic spin on a fresh, honest approach to mental health. With colorful encouragement and awkward but hilarious stories about the hard-won lessons in life – expect to giggle your way to believing you are enough, just the way you are.
Anna Przy is a feisty and hilarious millennial who's taken the mental health social media world by storm. With her not-so-serious tone, Anna has become a breath of fresh air in a world weighed down by the pressures we all feel. This sweet-toned Midwesterner tackles the fear of the unknown, dismantles the myth of hustle culture, and fearlessly addresses issues like body image. Her realistic, lighthearted takes on everyday life, prove that sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.
Joe Dombrowski
Friday, December 6, 2024 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30 - $50
Native Metro Detroiter, Joe Dombrowski took the world by storm in 2017 with a viral April Fools’ Day spelling test prank that landed him multiple appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Don't get it twisted though! It takes at least 20 years to be an overnight sensation! Joe has been doing stand-up comedy since he was eight years old in his third-grade talent show. He's never stopped! Since Joe's rise to fame, he has been traveling the globe with his stand-up comedy which often highlights his outrageous family dynamics and of course his time as a former elementary school teacher. Joe has been featured as a headlining act at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal and the New York comedy festival and will also be headlining two shows in the 2024 Netflix Is a Joke Fest at The Hollywood Improv. Joe is also incredibly humbled to be hosting a monthly show at the world-famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles, CA beginning fall 2024. When he’s not getting creative on stages and screens, Joe spends his time in Seattle, Washington producing his podcast Social Studies where he recaps outlandish stories from fans all over the country.
David Lucas
Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $22 - $40
David Lucas started his career early on the MTV Yo Momma show. Soon after being on the show, he moved to Hollywood to pursue his entertainment career. Landing a role on the hit show Roast Me on All Def Digital he became a popular name. When David became a regular on the Kill Tony Show he was acknowledged by legendary comedians as a quick-witted joke writer and a vicious Roaster. He is solidifying his name as one of the greatest comics of his generation. You can catch him headlining across the country and also opening for Louis CK, Joe Rogan, and Tony Hinchcliffe. Also featured in the Roast of Mr. Peanut, the commercial snippet aired during Super Bowl LVII.
Maria Bamford
Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Friday, December 13, 2024 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $22 - $67
Maria Bamford is revered for her deeply personal and experimental comedy about mental illness. She starred in the surreal, semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite, about a comedian who suffers a nervous breakdown, and is the star of three unconventional hour-long stand-up specials: Weakness is the Brand, Old Baby and Maria Bamford, the special, special, special! Maria was the first female comic to have two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials and starred alongside Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis and Brian Posehn in the Comedy Central series The Comedians of Comedy and Netflix’s Comedians of Comedy: The Movie. She also created and starred in the cult hit web series The Maria Bamford Show, in which she plays all the characters. Maria is often recognized for her prolific voiceover work, including characters on Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, Summer Camp Island, Adventure Time, Talking Tom and Friends, Bob’s Burgers, Legend of Korra, Puss in Boots, CatDog and PBS’s Emmy-winning series Word Girl. She also stars as Tilly Mulch in Team Coco’s scripted podcast Frontier Tween. Maria played DeBrie Bardeaux on Netflix’s Arrested Development and recurred on the ABC hit series Fresh off the Boat. She is the 2014 winner of the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. Maria’s late night appearances include CONAN, The Tonight Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Nick Colletti
Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $22 - $40
With his natural charm and raw talent, Nick Colletti is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood’s most dynamic and sought-after comedians and personalities.
As a stand-up, Nick tours across the country performing at numerous sold-out venues.
In television, he stars alongside Jimmy Tatro, Cody Ko and Getter in the comedy hit, The Real Bros of Simi Valley, which has developed a massive, dedicated following. Colletti stars as Duncan in the faux-reality show which centers on four best friends as they navigate life in Simi Valley.
Online, Colletti has developed a massive fan base where he often posts videos and interacts with his 1M+ followers combined between Instagram and TikTok.
Nick currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
Michael Kosta
Friday, December 20, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $22 - $40
Michael is a Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show and recently HOSTED the show their first week back from the Writer’s Strike. Previously, he hosted and was the co-executive producer of The Comment Section for the E! Network. He is well known from his numerous late night appearances on The Tonight Show, Conan, Seth Meyers, and @midnight. Michael co-hosted Fox Sports 1’s Crowd Goes Wild opposite Regis Philbin and was a regular Correspondent for The Soup Investigates with Joel McHale. His one hour Comedy Central stand up special: Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. is now streaming on Paramount + & YouTube. Michael is a former pro tennis player and now a frequent contributor on The Tennis Channel and hosts a weekly podcast called Tennis Anyone with Michael Kosta. Watch his videos online at @MichaelKosta
Trae Crowder
Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 7:15 p.m and 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $27 - $55
Trae Crowder first gained international attention (or notoriety depending on your politics) in 2016 for his hugely viral series of Liberal Redneck comedic “porch rant” videos. Since then, Trae has written a best-selling book, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin Dixie Outta The Dark, toured the country thrice over playing sold-out theatre shows under the WellRED Comedy Tour banner, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Nightline (ABC), The View, Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC), NPR, WTF with Marc Maron, MTV, CNN, Huffington Post and in the Veronica Mars reboot, as “Chattanooga Charlie”, among many others.
Initially from rural Celina, TN, Trae now lives in Los Angeles, CA, and has developed and sold five scripted pilots for Warner Bros TV, ABC, and FOX and continues to work as a writer. Trae stars in and produces regular sketches for Comedy Central, Funny or Die, ATTN, Facebook Watch, and New York Daily News which have garnered tens of millions of views online. Crowder also co-wrote and produced an hour-long documentary titled Inherent Good, featuring Crowder and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, about universal basic income.
Additionally, Trae co-hosts the hugely popular WellRED, Evening Skews and Puttin’ On Airs podcasts. His debut 30-minute standup comedy special was taped in 2021 in Nashville, TN. He also continues to rant and rave on the internet to the mostly-delight of his lovely fanbase.
Thorgy Thor’s “Thorgy Does Christmas”
Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets: $40 - $75
Thorgy Thor (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 and RuPaul’s All Stars Season 3) is touring her holiday orchestral Thorgy and the Thorchestra show to more intimate settings this Christmas Season. Presented by Drag Me to the Stage LLC, and Conceived by Thorgy Thory and James Sheppard, Thorgy Does Christmas promises to bring the audience a holly-jolly holiday-hilarity variety show with singing, dancing, live violin, a real-time gift wrapping competition on stage with audience members, festive video projections, and of course… a Christmas miracle or two.
Thorgy Thor is a NYC-based drag performance artist, event host, TV personality and professional musician. Thorgy was a contestant on the Emmy Award-winning show Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 8 and Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 3. She has also appeared on Amazon’s Mozart and the Jungle, VICE, WWHL with Andy Cohen and is a cast member of Dragnificent! on TLC/Hulu. Thorgy has toured the world with MP present Haters Roast Comedy Tour and A Drag Queen Christmas for the past 4 years. Thorgy has had the honor of playing solo violin, viola, and cello in Thorgy and the Thorchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
About The Den Theatre
The Den Theatre opened in 2010 in the Wicker Park neighborhood with just a single theatre space. Now celebrating its thirteenth year, Co-owners Ryan Martin and Carol Cohen, along with their talented and dynamic staff, have developed The Den into a multi-level, live entertainment venue that boasts five intimate and unique theaters ranging from 50 – 300 seats. In addition, the first floor houses The Den Bar & Lounge – a full-service bar where audiences gather before and after performances to share a drink and commune with like-minded culture-hounds. Today, The Den is focused on providing world-class stand-up comedy and cultivating its first love – the theatre. The Den is home to four resident theatre companies including About Face Theatre, The Artistic Home, First Floor Theater and Haven. Hundreds of other companies, artists and comedians from Chicago and beyond have called The Den home – from national names to local stars, and The Den consistently plays host to a lineup of exciting and diverse talent. As a building created for interdisciplinary arts, The Den has accommodated a wide variety of programming, including plays, musicals, stand-up comedy, improv, dance, film screenings, seminars and speaking engagements. For additional information, visit www.thedentheatre.com.
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