April Macie is very funny. Thanks to her, the phrase "Johnny Depp and a puppy" will always make me giggle. April Macie is also blue, so if you are shy or concerned about language, sexuality and all that stuff, you might want to stay home. But if you're after topical mirth from a razor-sharp comedian, Macie is a safe bet. The complexity is that Macie is also very attractive, and people still wallow in the misguided notion that an attractive woman can't throw down on the comedic stage. Wrong. You'll bust a gut, even as you blush a little. Why go: Everyone needs to laugh really hard. Reconsider: You think of naughty words as "naughty words." 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Zanies Rosemont, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. $20 (plus two-item minimum); 847-813-0484 or zanies.com
Jackie Taylor and her Black Ensemble Theater have a long history of sonic delights. From Jackie Wilson to Teddy Pendergrass, Dionne Warwick to Stax Records, this group has been making hits from classic sound. From this same pedigree comes "From Doo Wop to Hip Hop," a play that links present and past as it tracks the story of an affluent neighborhood called Unison Hills. Its residents live happily together until race rears its ugly head, and everyone seeks a psychic balm in music. The Platters and the Shirelles, Jay-Z and Ludacris set the backdrop. Why go: Black Ensemble has that swing Reconsider: Musicals. Ugh. Saturday-April 24, Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. $45 (previews), then $55 and $65; 773-769-4451 or blackensembletheater.org
Weekend events in Chicago: Bill Bellamy, April Macie, Corky Siegel, Jackie Taylor, Pallbearer, Marshall Vente, Matisyahu, Pat Benatar, Muntu Dance Theatre, Infernal Comedy and Ralph Stanley.