The Bastion doesn't generally take kindly to outsiders. We have a whole lot of amazing home-grown comedy on our stages every night, and we're darn proud of it. But if a respected NYC group is performing weekly at our own Lakeshore Theater, maybe we'll check it out. If that group is the Upright Citizens Brigade, you bet your insulin medication we'll be there.

The Lakeshore Theater (self-proclaimed "comedic 'art house'") has been handing its Tuesday nights over to UCB. This past Tuesday, the hilarious, masterful, congenial UCB TourCo took the stage. There's a reason they get shipped in from New York; these guys are good. The consistently late Father Gary, self-conscious caterer/purchaser of tampons and scented candles, and the amnesiac wife who causes shipwrecks and subsequent sea-captain hauntings, were but a few of the characters we loved. Heck, they even made airport security funny without being cliché!

If you've got nothing better to do on a Tuesday night... scratch that. There is nothing better to do on any night than see a UCB show. Check out the Lakeshore Theater website for the full calendar. Tonight, October 9th, is the quintessential UCBer (and Bastion-interviewed) Matt Besser, in his show titled "Matt Besser's Magical Sack of Dump."

Mmm, it warms the heart.

UCB shows at the Lakeshore Theater only run through October 30th, so check 'em out while you can. Although, this IS similar to how UCB opened their theaters in NYC and LA... could this be the beginning of UCB Chicago?

-Chris Singel

EDIT: The schedule of upcoming UCB shows has changed. Please be sure to check the Lakeshore Theater website for current show schedules.