Displaying items by tag: stand up

The Auditorium (Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly presents comedian Nate Jackson as part of Jackson’s international “Big Dog Tour”. The two-performance evening takes place on Friday, December 4, 2026 at 7:30 PM and a late-night show added at 11 PM at The Auditorium, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. Tickets on sale now at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium’s Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300.

Nate Jackson is one of the fastest-rising stars in comedy, with over 4 million TikTok followers and 700 million global views. Known for his viral content and electric stage presence, he’s currently selling out theaters across the U.S. and Australia on his Big Dog Tour. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Nate Jackson and his Big Dog Comedy Tour to The Auditorium for two shows,” said Rich Regan, CEO of The Auditorium.  “As we continue to expand the variety of comedy experiences we bring to our stage, welcoming a rising star like Nate is an exciting step forward. The Auditorium has always been a place where people come together to share unforgettable experiences, and we look forward to bringing Chicago audiences together for an evening of laughter with one of comedy’s most exciting emerging talents.”

On July 8th, 2025 Nate released his one-hour Netflix special, Nate Jackson: Super Funny which premiered to #3 on the Netflix Top 10. In his high-energy debut special, comedian Nate Jackson delivers bold, unfiltered comedy as he tackles everything from racially questionable cookies to everyday absurdities. Known for his sharp wit and undeniable charisma, Jackson seamlessly flows between masterfully honed material and his unique style of hilarious crowd work—fearlessly diving into taboo topics and leaving no subject off-limits.

In addition to his stand-up, Nate is currently shooting season 2 of Apple’s Bad Monkey and recurred in Peacock’s The Paper. He also shared the screen with Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, and Keke Palmer in Aziz Ansari’s Lionsgate feature Good Fortune. He previously had a recurring role on NBC’s hit series Young Rock as The Junkyard Dog and has made memorable appearances on Spirited (Apple TV+), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Nick Cannon Presents: Wild’N Out (MTV), All Def Comedy (HBO), Kevin Hart’s Hart of the City (Comedy Central), and Comic View (BET).

About The Auditorium

The Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark in the heart of downtown Chicago, is a nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to bringing people together through extraordinary performances, education, and community engagement. Since opening in 1889, The Auditorium has been a defining part of Chicago’s cultural and architectural legacy, presenting world-class music, dance, theater, and a broad range of artistic and civic programming within its iconic building designed by legendary architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. Located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive - the center of Chicago, The Auditorium is committed to preserving and protecting its extraordinary historic home through ongoing preservation, restoration, stewardship, and care. Honoring its remarkable past while creating new experiences for audiences today, The Auditorium continues to inspire and connect people from Chicago and around the world.  For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.

David Koechner stormed into The Den Theatre’s Mainstage this weekend with the kind of unruly, big‑hearted presence that instantly reminded audiences why he had been a comedy fixture for more than two decades. People knew him as the blustering Champ Kind from Anchorman, the delightfully inappropriate Todd Packer on The Office, and from scene‑stealing turns in Waiting…, Talladega Nights, and Krampus. But the Koechner who took the stage here was a comic in full evolution, digging into the raw, strange, deeply human corners of his own story.

His set leaned heavily into his Missouri upbringing, though not in the polished, memoir‑ready way you might expect. Koechner unspooled these memories as if he were rediscovering them in the moment – childhood chaos, family quirks, and the odd rhythms of small‑town life all collided and escalated into full‑tilt comedic spirals. His Second City roots were unmistakable, and the Chicago connection ran deeper than nostalgia; Koechner lived in the city for nine years, and that long stretch of his life seemed to pulse through the performance. He shifted voices, dropped into characters, and built entire scenes out of thin air, giving the night a sense of spontaneity that felt tailor‑made for The Den’s intimate Mainstage.

What defined this chapter of his stand‑up was how much he fed off the room. Koechner treated the audience like co‑conspirators, not spectators. A stray laugh or a bold comment could send him veering off script, and those detours often became the highlight of the night. There was a looseness to the show – a sense that anything could happen – that made the experience feel alive in a way only seasoned improvisers can pull off.

Although he tossed in a quick nod to the roles that made him a household name near the end of the set, he never leaned on them as a crutch. Still, hearing Champ Kind and Todd Packer delivered straight from the source was undeniably fun. The real draw was Koechner himself: messy, generous, unpredictable, and fully engaged. His weekend at The Den Theatre served as a reminder that he was not just a beloved character actor – he was a stand‑up with a singular voice, still sharpening it, still surprising himself, and still finding new ways to bring the audience along for the ride.

Koechner’s Mainstage run was rowdy, personal, and unmistakably his – the kind of night where you walked out buzzing, not because you saw Champ Kind live, but because you saw David Koechner exactly as he was now: a comic still evolving, still swinging big, and still wildly fun to watch.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.