Steve Cochran with John DaCosse, Jim Flannigan, and Tim Benker
@ RAUE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
DECEMBER 31, 2024 @ 2P
Calling all early birds! Wouldn’t it be great if there were a New Year’s Eve show you could enjoy while still making it home in time to fall asleep long before midnight? Good news: there is! Say goodbye to 2023 with Steve Cochran’s New Year’s Eve Comedy Show!
This year he will be joined as always by his music director and the voice of many characters John Da Cosse, along with Jim Flannigan, and Tim Benker. What a great way to end 2024 and still be in bed by 10 pm! Especially since this is the last time.
This event is sponsored by
Steve Cochran: A radio personality for over 30 years, Cochran has hosted his own show from the coast, settling in Chicago in the late ‘90s. Cochran has also worked as an actor, appearing in films such as “Grumpy Old Men,” and as a writer for “Saturday Night Live.” Throughout the years, Cochran has also performed stand-up comedy with many of the greats in the business. He enjoys getting out and doing live performances about four times a year, including his annual New Year’s Eve show, now in its 17th year!
John DaCosse is known as a WGN Radio personality and the curator of Raue Center’s Lucy’s Comedy series. During his 30-plus years in stand-up comedy, the brilliant DaCosse has developed a solid reputation nationwide. He has opened for big names like Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, Craig Ferguson, and Billy Gardell and has appeared on NBC, Comedy Central, and TBS. DaCosse has also served as an audience warm-up for Rosie O’Donnell and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Jim Flannigan is a nationally touring stand-up comedian from Chicago. Known for his fast-paced, clever punchlines, Jim is a regular headliner at top comedy clubs including Zanies and The Improv, as well as being a regular performer at Chicago’s Laugh Factory and Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas, NV. Jim has opened for some of the biggest names in the world of comedy, including Sebastian Maniscalco and has made TV appearances on ABC, WGN, NBC Sports, and IFC Network. Flannigan is also the co-host of the hilarious All Over the Place, a weekly podcast that is just that, with Pat McGann. Jim’s debut album, About Time, was recorded at the legendary Zanies in Rosemont, IL, and released in 2022. Jim just filmed a stand-up special for Netflix!
Tim Benker: Tim Benker is a veteran of Chicago stand-up comedy, having performed in 35 states opening for many well-known acts such as Jay Leno, Rosie O Donnell, Richard Lewis, Drew Carey, and Walt Willey. Tim has also made himself useful in daylight hours by hosting morning radio in Las Vegas and Houston and producing a variety show around his alter ego “The Very Famous Lance Vegas”. A wise man once said, “If you can solve a problem that many are faced with, you can make a difference in the world.” Tim took on the daunting task of Fixing Stooopidity as it exists all over this great planet…and came up with the idea for this multi-media comedy show.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tim Paul
Board President
John Jacobsen
Vice President
Jerry Trachsler
Treasurer
Luanne Flavin
Secretary
John Green
Mike H. Johnson
Richard Kuranda
Jack Minsley
Rich Naponelli
Michelle Nowland
Sandra Pierce
Regan Shepley
Chuck Stevens
Steven Szalaj
Stacey McInerney
Volunteer Liaison
RAUE CENTER STAFF
Richard Kuranda
Raue Center CEO & Founding Artistic Director of Williams Street Repertory
Justin Wellington
Managing Director
Jenna Klaproth
Operations Manager
Meredith Schaefer-Flowers
Director of Marketing &
Institutional Advancement
Michele V. Knight
Marketing Manager
James Knight
Economic Development Manager
Rob Scharlow
Raue Center School for the Arts
Director of Education
Maribeth Ling
Front of House Manager
Chris Tumblin
Raue Center Director of Production
Lisa Giebler
Technical Director
Ryan Meadow
Raue Center Production Manager
James Mablin
Resident Music Director
Box Office Associates
Naomi Unverzagt
Max Powers
About Raue Center For The Arts
Raue Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 20 years, they have provided quality programming – striving to make it pertinent, available, and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional showcase theatre named for its benefactor—Lucile Raue—Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois, is a gathering place for our region’s citizens and has become a true destination.
For additional information follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or visit rauecenter.org.
