Stage

Chris Porter – Known for his third--place finish on season four of "Last Comic Standing," Chris Porter can also be seen on his own “Comedy Central Presents” special and “Live at Gotham." He is known for his raw energy and interesting perspective. Spokane Comedy Club from Thursday through Saturday.

Born with a mind fit for business just as much as art, founder and executive artistic director of the Spokane Valley Summer Theatre Yvonne A.K. Johnson knew early on that when it came to theater, she was happiest in the director’s chair.

The 16-piece band for "Home for the Holidays: A Big Band Christmas," consisting of brass, bass, percussion and conductor David Brewster on grand piano, is displayed onstage for this cabaret-style performance that harkens back to the ballrooms of WWII-era America.

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre will take a “sentimental journey to the past” in this year’s Christmas show at Central Valley High School Theatre (821 S. Sullivan Road, Spokane Valley). Live for the first time, “Home for the Holidays: A Big Band Christmas” will feature a 16-piece Glenn Miller-style band.

Jonathan Kite – Best known as “Oleg,” the hilarious, sex-crazed Ukrainian cook opposite Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs on the CBS comedy “Two Broke Girls,” Kite has studied improvisation and sketch comedy with Chicago’s Second City and the Groundlings in Los Angeles.

"It was really cool having the exposure, being on national television, but I was so upset that I lost to a magician," Denver-based comedian Josh Blue, 43, said while calling from Boise. "Magic sucks. It's not real! Being a magician is two steps below being a mime in my book."

After nearly two years of coping with the coronavirus pandemic, songwriting duo the Sweepings – Cami Bradley and Whitney Dean – are thrilled to be back onstage and, for the first time, with the Spokane Symphony. “It doesn't feel like there are words to say how special this is to me,” Bradley said,

While growing up in Tacoma during the 1980s, Jo Koy had no idea what he wanted to do with his life until he caught Eddie Murphy at the Seattle Coliseum in 1986. "I was blown away," Koy said while calling from his Los Angeles home. "He just killed it telling jokes in front of 15,000 people."

As we approach the winter solstice, we encounter a common symbol almost everywhere we look: the image of a light in darkness. We find it in the star of Bethlehem, the temple lamp burning for eight days, even in Rudolph’s nose. Last weekend in Spokane, light poured into the darkness at Barrister Winery.

Jo Koy: Just Kidding World Tour – Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing at a Las Vegas coffee house. As one of today’s premiere standup comedians, Koy brings his infectious and explosive energy onstage. Dec. 17, 8 p.m. First Interstate Center for the Arts.

Celebrating its first live performance in two years, the Spokane Jazz Orchestra will take the stage during a holiday concert at Bing Crosby Theater at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. “It's been tough,” SJO music director Don Goodwin said. “None of us do this solely as our full-time job, of course, but we all depend on it."

Dan Soder's life is pretty simple. The veteran standup loves the San Francisco 49ers, pro wrestling and comedy. "That's the way it's been since I was a kid, and it hasn't changed," Soder said while calling from Seattle. "Those are the things I love." Soder, 38, has made a career out of his latter passion.

After last year’s last-minute cancellation, the creative team at Laura Little Productions is thrilled to be returning to the stage with “Traditions of Christmas: A Musical Spectacular.” “We went all the way through rehearsals until the third week of November last year … so technically it’s the ninth annual," Little said.

If you Google “Hamilton tickets Spokane,” the search engine will already come up with several options to buy even though tickets don’t go on sale to the general public until Tuesday. One site is offering orchestra-level seats to a Saturday matinee for $800. Another has them for as much as $1,400. That’s per seat.

The lifetime achievement awards for artistic excellence were presented to Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels, actress-singer Bette Midler, opera singer Justino Diaz and folk music legend Joni Mitchell.

The Northwest Passages Book Club in February will host a symposium to celebrate art created by high school students in honor of Black History Month. The book club, in collaboration with the Black Lens, is accepting Black art in all mediums that examines, expands and celebrates the Black experience.

Hosted annually by the Spokane Symphony Associates since 1983, Christmas Tree Elegance features a raffle of themed, decorated trees donated by local individuals and businesses, each valued at up to $4,999 in assorted decorations and other prizes. The 13-day event is free and open to the public. 

Expect a different but not better entrance when Brad Williams returns to the Spokane Comedy Club. “The last time I was there (in 2019), I was on one of those scooters you people in Spokane like to ride,” Williams recalled about Lime scooters while phoning from his Los Angeles home.

Dan Soder – Dan Soder is a comedian whose first standup special, "Not Special," premiered on Comedy Central this year. Other credits include Comedy Central's "The Half Hour," John Oliver's "New York Stand Up" and "Inside Amy Schumer." Soder is at Spokane Comedy Club next Thursday through Saturday.