Sheng Wang
Sheng Wang was born in Taipei, but grew up in Houston and now lives in Los Angeles. He's a multi-cultural kind of guy, but also decidedly modest, and generally takes a self-effacing, observational approach as far as his comedy routines are concerned.

After starting his stand-up career in New York and San Francisco, he became a featured performer at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2007. In January 2011, he starred in his first stand-up special for Comedy Central Presents. Later that year, he won top honors at NBC's Seventh Annual Stand Up for Diversity comedy search, and year after that, he appeared on Comedy Central's John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show. His success streak continued when he earned the top spot on Last Comic Standing in 2015, and released his album Cornucopias Are Actually Horrible Containers that same year. He then went on to work behind the scenes for the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and appeared as a character named Hank in two episodes.

In 2019, he appeared on the HBO Special 2 Dope Queens, and eventually secured his own Netflix special, Sweet & Juicy. Of course, with a title like that one, what 's not to like? It's hardly surprisingly then that the critics took note, leading The New York Times to declare that Wang "has a droll and relaxed delivery, which makes the focus and inventiveness of his material land even better." We have to agree.

Sheng Wang performs at Kingsbury Hall (1395 E. Presidents Circle) on Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $59 - $132 at vividseats.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

RDT: Regalia
If the wave of star-finding competition shows on network TV since the early 2000s has taught us anything, it's that people love the idea of finding a diamond in the rough. Making it as an artist is difficult, and there's nothing quite like seeing someone make the most of their opportunity to shine. That's why Repertory Dance Theatre's annual Regalia fund-raiser has found such a successful premise in asking the question, "So You Think You Can Choreograph?"

Answering "yes" to that question are four individuals making their first-ever effort at choreographing with the dancers of a professional company. Jan Cendese, Melissa Faber, Georgia Reuling and Christine Holding were each required to raise $2,000 in individual donations to get their shot at the stage, subsequently working with choreographic mentors and RDT dancers to create an evening of performance that is also a competition. Attendees are encouraged to wear their finest sparkly attire and kick off the evening with a cocktail hour, followed by the one-night-only performance—hosted by actors Gabrielle Miller and Alexander Cendese—in which those in the audience will have an opportunity to vote on which of the amateur-choreographed works was most successful. And afterwards, you can mix and mingle with the artists for dessert and dancing.

RDT's Regalia takes place at the Rose Wagner Center's Jeanne Wagner Theatre (138 W. 300 South) on Saturday, March 15, 7 p.m. cocktails, 8 p.m. performance. Tickets are $75; visit rdtutah.org or saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Ben and Gabrielle Blair
Let's face it: Whether we were raised in the faith or not, we all have an image in our heads when we think about "LDS parents." And probably even more so when you add the designation of "mommy blogger." But you need to shift those preconceptions radically when it comes to writer/educators Ben and Gabrielle Blair. After all, those notions probably don't connect with the idea of a Mormon mom and dad who tell you not to believe you can arrange a perfect childhood for your kids, or someone who writes a book called Ejaculate Responsibly.

That's the unique worldview the Blairs bring to talking about issues that are often complicated and bordering-on-taboo within conservative religious circles. In her New York Times bestseller Ejaculate Responsibly, Gabrielle Blair shifts the responsibility and stigma involved in the abortion and unplanned-parenthood conversation to men, focusing on the idea of which partner is always fertile, and how to ditch the stereotypes surrounding male contraception and fertility surgery. Meanwhile, Ben and Gabrielle's 2024 book The Kids Are Alright: Parenting With Confidence in an Uncertain World addresses the pressures to be a "perfect parent" known all-too-well in this state, attempting to mitigate the freak-outs over things like screen time, whatever moral panic has seized the news cycle, or whether your child can get into the ideal university.

Ben and Gabrielle Blair visit First Baptist Church (777 S. 1300 East) to discuss their books on Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, with all proceeds going to the non-profit Brain Food Books; visit kingsenglish.com for Eventbrite reservation link. (SR)