Chandler Center for the Arts
Chandler’s top venue for peforming arts. Info: (480) 782-2680 or chandlercenter.org
Sept. 24: 12th annual Chandler Mariachi Festival
Oct. 8: Miss Indian Arizona: Eight women share culture through song, dance and stories
Dec. 10-11 and 17-18: 24th annual Spirit of Christmas variety show, hosted by Tom Booth
Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 7, 2012: Zoppe: An Italian Family Circus Since 1842
Feb. 18, 2012: Kathleen Madigan
Feb. 19, 2012: Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, starring Peter Gros
March 11, 2012: Aonua presents Fire of the Pacific
March 30, 2012: Joan Rivers
Mesa Arts Center
Downtown’s shining arts campus hosts concerts, plays, touring productions, festivals, artists’ studios and educational programs. Info: (480) 644-6500 or www.mesaartscenter.com
Oct. 5: The National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China
Oct. 7: Tim Minchin
Oct. 15: The Australian Pink Floyd Show
Nov. 9: National Geographic Live: Photographer Mattias Klum
Nov. 20: Star Trek Live: Star Fleet Academy
Nov. 16-17: Blast!
Nov. 26: Paula Poundstone
Nov. 30: National Geographic Live: Brian Skerry
Feb. 8, 2012: National Geographic Live: Eco-adventurer Roz Savage
March 2-3, 2012: Gazillion Bubble Show
March 9, 2012: An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin
March 21, 2012: National Geographic Live: Filmmaker Michael Davie
March 30, 2012: Bill Cosby
Queen Creek Performing Arts Center
A free-standing, contemporary 777-seat theatre on the campus of Queen Creek High School. Info: (480) 987-7469 or qcpac.com
Feb. 25, 2012: Illusionist Jason Bishop
Tempe Center for the Arts
The gleaming lakeside venue hosts concerts, plays, lectures, dance productions, inimate musical jam sessions and public events. Info: (480) 350-2822 or tempe.gov/tca
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Scottsdale’s premiere performance arts venue. Info: (480) 994-2787 or scottsdaleperformingarts.org
Oct. 26: San Francisco Opera Grand Opera Cinema Series: The Elixir of Love (film)
Nov. 10: Te Vaka
Jan. 20, 2012: Red, Black & Green: A Blues
Jan. 25, 2012: San Francisco Opera Grand Opera Cinema Series: Tosca (film)
Feb. 2, 2012: Garrison Keillor
March 1, 2012: Fran Lebowitz
March 16, 2012: Circa
March 24, 2012: Jeffrey Tambor: Performing Your Life
March 28, 2012: San Francisco Opera Grand Opera Cinema Series: Lucia di Lammermoor (film)
April 6-7, 2012: Chunky Move: Connected
April 14, 2012: Marrugeku: Buru
April 28, 2012: Sarah Vowell
May 18, 2012: 7 Fingers: Psy
June 6, 2012: San Francisco Opera Grand Opera Cinema Series: La bohème (film)
June 9, 2012: New Catalogue + Judd Greenstein
Comedy around the Valley
ASU Comedy
Created in 1985, this group’s Barren Mind Improv and Farce Side Sketch Comedy troupes perform free shows Thursdays and Fridays on the MU Stage, on the lower level of the Arizona State University Memorial Union in Tempe. Info: asucomedy@gmail.com or asucomedy.com
Jester’Z Improv Comedy
This 10-year-old group formed out of the Valley’s even older Oxymoron’z comedy troup specializes in improv. Shows are every Friday and Saturday at Theater 168 in Scottsdale. They also host beginning-to-advanced comedy workshops, private coaching and teen improv classes at the theater and at Jester’z Performing Arts training center in Mesa. Info: (480) 423-0120 or jesterzimprov.com
National Comedy Theatre
This Best of East Valley award-winning improv troupe performs all-ages comedy shows based on audience suggestions every Friday and Saturday night at its own Mesa theater. Info: (602) 374-5638 or nctphoenix.com
Stand Up Live Comedy Theater
Phoenix’s newest comedy venue, located at CityScape, features national headliners such as Jay Mohr, Frank Caliendo, Ralphie May and Norm MacDonald. The 600-seat theater features an upscale menu and full bar. Info: (480) 719-6100 or standuplive.com
Tempe Improv
The longtime East Valley comedy club pulls in big-name acts such as Wayne Brady, Paul Rodriguez and Jon Lovitz. You can order food and drink in the theater, or hang out in a lounge before or after the show. Info: (480) 921-9877 or tempeimprov.com
