Bonobo knows

To-the-point Hollywood Ape (pictured, clockwise from left), sour Captain Apehab and silly Barry Shirley.

Watch what Barry Shirley, Captain Apehab and Beauty Pageant Host have to say about upcoming fall trends in the video below.

We have to admit, when we heard the premise of Impress These Apes —contestants perform weird acts for a panel of hyperintelligent future-apes, who harness creative talent as fuel for their time machine—we thought it’d never last. But Blewt! Productions’ Apes turned out to be one of last year’s greatest success stories. Two eight-week runs later, the show was an instant classic, as well as a launching pad for innovative performers (and former contestants) Jamie Buell, Jim Fath and Kristen Studard.

The next iteration opens in the massive Lakeshore Theater September 22 (8pm, $15), making it the biggest Apes yet. It could also be the last. Blewt! recently signed with Syd Vinnedge Productions, the company behind The Price Is Right, which is pitching Blewt!’s other smash hit, Don’t Spit the Water, to TV networks in Canada, the U.K. and Australia. To help them get in the spirit, we let the apes themselves—to-the-point Hollywood Ape, sour Captain Apehab and silly Barry Shirley—comment on this fall’s upcoming comedy events.

Zanies’ 30th anniversary
November 2008; Zanies (1548 N Wells St, 312-337-4027, chicago.zanies.com).
Our take The only downtown club to survive from the ’80s stand-up explosion, Zanies has been running the same formula since day one: Book for consistent funny, as opposed to shelling out huge dough for ginormous names. But the lineup gets repetitive; so far, its yearlong celebration is a rehashing of past favorites (like locals Patti Vasquez) and audience-friendly searches for the zaniest accountant/lawyer/medical professional/etc. We’re guessing if we didn’t say anything, you’d never know this was happening.
Barry Shirley Zanies is 30 now? I think that’s like 723 in hyperintelligent ape years. Good job, Zanies!
Apehab Add 30 years to a stand-up comic, and you get a fatter, balder, less-funny comic.

This Country’s F$cked! or God Damn, America
October 18 and 25; Lakeshore Theater (3175 N Broadway, 773-472-3492, lakeshoretheater.com). 8, 11pm, $20.
Our take Schadenfreude and GayCo team up for this pulse-of-America sketch revue. The idea of another political show sends skeptical shivers down our spines; plus, Schad and Co go for easy laughs more often than not. But both groups are composed of longtime comedians who also, you know, can act—surprisingly rare. Color us cautiously optimistic.
Hollywood Super, a politically charged show—just in time for the human election season. I will take delight in its inevitable failure.
Apehab Yes, yes, I believe I will “elect” to pass.
Barry Shirley Well, punch me a ticket, please. I don’t know what GayCo means, but just saying it makes my hair stand on end.

Raucous Caucus: The Lesser of Two Evils
Sunday 31–November 2; & Bar (4830 N Broadway, 773-561-4665, theannoyance.com). Sundays 8:30pm, $10.
Our take The Annoyance Theatre takes on the election process: Audiences provide the platforms upon which improviser candidates run, then debates and staged attack ads play out in unscripted form. This is helmed by one of the actors from Election Show, a similar, Seattle-based show that’s hit the Chicago Improv Festival twice. Worth seeing at least once.
Hollywood Super, a politically charged show—just in…wait a second. Humans are sad and predictable creatures.
Apehab I do not understand this fascination with parodying the political process. Haven’t you humans any respect for your venerable and glorious elected leaders?

Kathy Griffin
October 14–16; The Chicago Theatre (175 N State St, 312-462-6300, thechicagotheatre.com). 8pm, $55–$75.
Our take Look, if you’re a fan, you’re going to shell out to see the self-proclaimed D-lister, no questions asked. If you’re not, you’ll probably hate on Griffin for being shrill, unoriginal and annoying. But here’s the thing: Nothing one side says to the other will do a lick of good. So just leave each other be; before you know it, October 17 will have arrived, and we can resume the debate next time around.
Hollywood This is at the top of my to-see list. I’m a big fan of Kathy Griffin. I think she’s smart, funny and sexy to boot. Given the chance, I would “bed” this fine specimen.
Barry Shirley Given the chance, you’d “bed” Louie Anderson.
Apehab Ba-dow!

John Mulaney
October 7–12; Zanies. Various times, $22 plus two-item minimum.
Our take Yeah, after all the shit we talked up there in blurb one, we were surprised that this rising indie comic would play here. But who the hell cares? Mulaney delights us every week on VH1’s Best Week Ever, and live, he lights up the microphone with affable, smart stand-up.
Hollywood John Mulaney is a funny, funny comic.
Apehab And like all funny comics, he will soon bow to the will of his new hyperintelligent ape overlords.
Barry Shirley Keep your feces in your pants, Apehab!