Get Happy, Dammit!

By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 11, 2007 5:05PM

This weekend’s comedy smackdown: hundreds of performers from around the country take on your seasonal affective disorder. If you’re still not happy by Sunday night, you’re either not trying hard enough or Sexy Rexy let you down.

Chicago’s largest parade of comedy rejects, Snubfest ’07, commandeers the Cornservatory through Sunday. All qualifying performers were spurred from another festival. Their consolation prize is our cheap entertainment, $25-for-four-nights cheap, to be exact. Slighted stand-up comics square off Friday and Saturday night in the Last Snob Standing competition; with the winners earning slots in big-time comedy festivals.

The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival continues its well-mannered madness Thursday through Sunday at the Theatre Building. We’re looking forward to seeing the high profile out of towners but since we’re Chicago centric, it’s our civic duty to mention the stable of homegrown talent on display, like Mike and Duane’s angsty rock standards (Thursday, 9:30pm), pH’s eclectic offerings (Saturday, 7pm) and internet friendly ThoseGuysFilms.com (Sunday, 7pm)

Or if you prefer an unpredictable and potentially awkward night of stand-up to a few hours of reliable laughs, Pauly Shore’s coming to the Improv in Schaumberg. But please don’t heckle him. He bruises easily. If you’re nostalgic for the comedy stylings that made possible Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s rise to fame, you’re in luck. And you need to get out of the house more.

Mr. Shore's photo via IMDB