Northlight Theatre brings The Odd Couple, the Tony Award-winning comedy classic of famously mismatched roommates to the stage.  Slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison takes in his fastidious friend Felix Ungar when Felix’s wife throws him out, and all comic hell breaks loose. The two men nearly come to blows over the state of Oscar’s apartment, and a hilarious double date with the attractive Pigeon sisters comes to an unexpected and hilarious conclusion. Debuting on Broadway in 1965, Neil Simon’s now-iconic buddy comedy The Odd Couple ran for nearly one thousand performances and inspired a movie starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, a TV series starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, and countless revivals on stages around the world.

We’ve seen this comedy performed locally and it’s hysterical – very sharp dialogue.

Goldstar has tons of Nutcracker events listed throughout the country, featuring traditional performances and everything from puppets and horses to jazz bands and gypsies. The “Nutty Award” is given to The Nutcracker with the best member reviews and event rating. The winning performance will also be given a cash prize to be used toward their educational programs.

Now obviously this is gonna benefit Goldstar – I mean, come on, now – but it’s also a great way for some of the smaller productions to not only compete with the big boys, but to have a shot at some educational program funding.

David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross is one of the greatest dramas written in the past 30 years. Now imagine a new play that captures many of the same emotions and themes, but sets them in an Indian call center. That’s what you’ll find in Disconnect, a powerful comic drama from rising star playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar. Disconnect shows the connections and disconnections between people on opposite sides of the world. It tells the story of bright young graduates in a Chennai call center working to claw back cash spent by Americans crippled by debt. It addresses serious topics, like the consequences of consumer culture and the intricacies of our interconnected global economy, but handles them in a smart, human and even funny way. Chandrasekhar is definitely a writer to watch.

Goldstar has added tickets for Blue Man Group for weekend performances through December 9th – prices are $34.50 (plus service fee).

The entertainment phenomenon known as the Blue Man Group is better than ever in an updated show featuring all-new material that has the blue bald guys interacting with “GiPads,” taking a humorous look at contemporary communication vehicles, and performing a pulsating new finale with an original music score. Audiences worldwide have experienced and loved this wildly imaginative family-friendly stage show with its exuberant combination of comedy, art and science, along with fabulous visual effects and Grammy-nominated music.

A highlight of every holiday season whether in the Big Apple or the Windy City, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular: The Rockettes Celebration! stars the world-famous dancers and features their signature high kicks, precision choreography and exciting, show-stopping numbers.  Audiences of all ages will also marvel at the dazzling special effects and re-imagined numbers, as well as beloved favorites like “Parade of the Wooden Soldier” and “Christmas in New York.”

Performances of Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody are being held at the Royal George Theatre.  Oh my! The risqué book series was a runaway success; now the hilariously naughty parody of Fifty Shades of Grey prepares to dominate willing audiences at Chicago’s Royal George Theatre. Written and directed by Jim Millan, whose credits include The Kids in the Hall, Larry King Standing Up, Marijuanalogues With Tommy Chong and Mythbusters Live, this fun show captures all the silly absurdity of the novel, with characters brought to life via sexy musical numbers. Think part SNL, part Chippendales — and you don’t need to have read the book to get the jokes.

Entertaining young and old alike in more than 24,000 games played around the world, the legendary Harlem Globetrotters bring their unique brand of sports entertainment to Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Featuring a timeless mix of basketball, comedy and athleticism, the Globetrotters’ captivating dribbling and dunking wizardry is presented with hilarious antics and fan interaction by some of the world’s greatest athletes and entertainers. The Globetrotters have played in front of hundreds of millions of fans — among them popes, kings, queens and presidents — over more than eight thrilling decades. For this year’s tour they are fielding a team of talented vets and outstanding rookies, including three players over seven feet tall.  Choose from two performances on December 28.

One way to get kids to learn is to disguise it as something else: Hey, let’s go on a trolley ride and see where the fire started that burned down Chicago! Or where that ship sank in Lake Michigan and hundreds of people drowned!  Yup!  Now you’ve got the attention of the little ghouls.  Get this Chicago Tragedies Bus Tour: Explore the Events That Shaped the City for $15 as a Goldstar Cyber Monday deal.  Best part is that it’s good for any tour date from January 6, 2013 through May 26, 2013 so buy now and book the date later!  Got family coming in or planning a staycation?

Yes, that right, see the December 7 performance of Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs A Christmas Carol. Again. for only a penny. Other performances are only $5. JUST GOT MY TICKETS!

In 1853, ten years after having dashed off his enormously successful holiday story A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens gave his first public reading of the work. The performance was so well received that Dickens continued to perform these celebrated readings for the rest of his career. Now, nearly 160 years later, the work has become one of theater’s most enduring holiday traditions. The only problem is that Dickens himself has long grown tired of this annual reading. Reports of his death in 1870 were greatly exaggerated, and year after year he has sustained himself financially through these solo performances — albeit with dwindling enthusiasm as he has moved from the grand concert halls of London to finally, this year, The Building Stage in Chicago’s West Loop. As the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth, Dickens has finally reached his breaking point. He knows he must grant the holiday wishes of his audience but desperately hopes to entertain them with anything but another performance of his tired story. Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs A Christmas Carol. Again debuted in 2011 to packed houses. Whether you’ve seen A Christmas Carol one or 100 times, this affectionate skewering of the popular tale is a fun antidote to the inevitable holiday weariness.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by the New Tradition Chorus, performing at the Watson Auditorium at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview.  Get tickets for next weekend’s performances starting at only $4!

There’s always a little bit of naughty to go along with the very, very nice at the New Tradition Chorus’ holiday shows — from kazoo orchestras to inventive costumes, dancing and more. But you can always count on a joyous performance from the men’s a cappella ensemble, who’ve entertained Chicago audiences for more than 25 years at White Sox games, Bears halftime shows, summer festivals and many other local venues, as well as in Europe. The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year provides all-inclusive fun, with both Christmas and Hanukkah numbers, too.