Copley Comedy Series

Subscriber pre-sale: Jan. 30
Public on-sale: Feb. 2 at 10 a.m.

When it comes to comedy, Chicago is a driving force. The Windy City area has produced some of the biggest names in improv, sketch and stand-up comedy in the country. So we’ve tapped into the talent pool of professional stand-ups that call Chicagoland home when they’re not touring the nation doing what they do best: making people laugh.

Welcome to the Copley Comedy Series. On select Saturday nights through May 2 amazingly talented professional stand-ups take the stage in the intimate 165-seat Copley Theatre. From Zanies, the Improv and Chicago Theatre to the Fillmore, Symphony Hall, HBO and Nexflix, these seasoned stand ups are coming to Aurora intent on showing you a good time – interpret that as you will.

There’s no drink minimum. Come early and hang out in the very cool Copley Bar and just have some fun.

February 28’s line-up:
Headliner: Tim Walkoe
Featuring: Paul Farahvar
Host: Tim Benker

But wait, there’s more…

This show is a part of the Copley Comedy Series. Stay tuned for more information and on-sale date for these upcoming shows:

Saturday, March 14, 2026
Headliner: Jeanie Doogan
Featuring: Katie Meiners
Host: Tim Benker

Saturday, March 28, 2026
Headliner: Dwayne Kennedy
Featuring: Jim McHugh
Host: Tim Benker

Saturday, April 18, 2026
Headliner: Vince Maranto
Featuring: Steven Haas
Host: Tim Benker

Saturday, May 2, 2026
Headliner: Brian Hicks
Featuring: Des Mulrooney
Host: Tim Benker

About the performers

“Nonstop laughter from start to finish” is what the Chicago Tribune had to say about the stand-up comedy performance of Tim Walkoe, going on to comment “Walkoe’s rapid-fire delivery and shoot-from-the-hip style leaves the audiences laughing so hard it’s hard to catch-up to the next joke”. A Grand Prize winner on ABC TV’s “America’s Funniest People”, Tim has appeared in a recurring role on Fox TV’s “Murder In Small Town X” as Mayor Emerson Bowden. Other television credits include A&E, HBO, ESPN, Comedy Central and recently “Laugh Tracks” with Mike Toomey on WGN TV. He has also headlined at over 100 comedy clubs nationwide. He has been a featured performer at the Chicago Comedy Festival and The Sundance Film Festival. A musician and actor, Tim uses these talents throughout all of his performances. He has appeared in concert with Kenny Loggins, Whitney Houston, Elvis Costello and Emmy Lou Harris. He has appeared at numerous Army, Navy and Air Force bases as part of “Miller Lite’s Comics on Duty”.

Chicago based Paul Farahvar delights audiences with his unique, quick witted dry humor, centered on being an aging bachelor and former litigator. After becoming a staple on the Chicago Comedy Scene for a few years at his home club Laugh Factory, he began touring in 2016, first as a feature for headliners like Jen Kirkman, Demetri Martin and Gary Gulman, then later as a headliner. With no manager or agent, he managed to build a following in multiple cities, even selling out rooms in Chicago, Rockford, Denver, Milwaukee, Scottsdale, Sarasota and Tampa in the last two years. He was runner up in the Chicago Reader for Best Stand up Comedian in 2021 and was voted “Top 40 Up and Coming Comedians” in 2017. Prior to being a comedian, Farahvar was a trial litigator, earning the “Top 40 under 40” honor among judges and peers in Illinois. His podcast SINGLES ONLY! was voted Best Podcast in 2021 (Chicago Reader) and he was a regular guest host on WGN Radio. He played “Karam Haddad” on NBC’s “Chicago Med” in His Dry Bar special dropped in April, 2023 and his new special with Helium Records dropped on April 26, 2023. As a touring comedian, he utilizes his platform to raise awareness for the Parkinson’s Foundation, a cause very close to his heart. He raised over $10,000 for Parkinsons Foundation in 2022 and thousands of dollars for Autism and Suicide Prevention. Never one to be complacent, Farahvar continually seeks ways to assert his creative talents as a host, writer and producer and raised $21,000 for Parkinsons Foundation. In 2024, he began the “Why Are You Awake” Podcast to bring attention to creatives and night owls like himself.

A Chicago comedy veteran, Tim Benker has performed stand-up from New York to Las Vegas, and has co-hosted morning radio shows in Las Vegas and Houston along the way. Tim recently performed the multi-media comedy shows “Men of a Certain Rage,” “The Four Fathers” and “The Idiot’s Guide to Fixing Stooopid.” Tim occasionally appears on the musical comedy stage as his alter-ego, “The Very Famous Lance Vegas.” Credits: Zanies Chicago; The Improv Chicago, LA, Las Vegas; The Funny Bones Chicago, St. Louis, Dayton; Catch a Rising Star Chicago, New York, Las Vegas.