Most of the Second City 50th Anniversary shows are either sold out or very expensive.
The Mainstage show on Saturday (Alumni) at 8pm costs $125, while the SCTV Reunion show has tickets ranging from $175 to a whooping VIP package of $750! (to be fair, the VIP does include all panel discussions, the afterparty, and cocktails and both SCTV shows) For more information, check out the Second City website.
But, what else is going on in the Wonderful World of Chicago Improv and Sketch? Let's take a look:
The Playground is offering both sketch and improv with CLOAKA (Friday @ 8pm), "The Ex$ellent Company Holiday Karaoke Party" (Sat. @ 8pm) and "Hey You Millionaires aka Graffiti" (Fri. @ 10pm) Both shows are a steal at only $10!
CIC has a holiday show called "It Came Upon a Midnight Queen." It's a Christmas show using songs by Queen! Sweet! It's on Friday and Saturday @ 8pm, and is $15.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my own little show, Whirled News Tonight. It's an improvised satire of the news and we're just 44 years short of our 50th Anniversary! Saturday @ 8pm, $15!
iO Theater also offers Improvised Shakespeare (Frid. @ 8pm) and the great teams of Mrs. Dad (Fri. @ 10:30pm) and Mike Helicopter (Sat. @ 8pm). Wonderful shows and only $14.
Gorilla Tango Theater offers both the Faith Off (Sat. @ 8pm), where God returns from a 6000 year vacation is none too pleased, and A Silent Night: Grandma Got Run Over By Without Healthcare (Sat. @ 10pm). Both are $12.
Over on Belmont Avenue, Comedysportz has some short-form improv shows on Friday and Saturday @ 8pm and 10pm. But look out for the raucous "Santa Conquers the Nazis" on Saturday at Midnight!
The Annoyance Theatre brings back and puts on a stage Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Fri. @ 8pm) and if you ever saw an improv show and wished everyone on stage was pretty much naked, then Skinprov (Sat. @ Midnight) is for you. I wish I had the guts to see or be in it.
Oh, and here's a well-kept secret. Some amazing improv is being doing at the American Theater Company on Friday Nights at 11pm. The four-man group, Pudding Thank You, brings in their improv friends and some of their more theatrical (that is, members of Equity) com padres and do some great improv!
So, if you want to see some fun, original, Chicago-bred sketch and improv this weekend, you don't have to be on Welles St.! Visit some smaller theaters with big laughs and minimal prices! In fact, if you mention this blog at each respective box office you'll get a strange look!
(edited on 12/13/09 to add that both Stephen Colbert and Steven Carrell were at the SC 50th celebrations!)
Filed under: Annoyance Theater, Chicago, ComedySportz, iO Theater, Jason's Shows, Playground Theater, Second City
Tags: Second City 50th, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, Tina Fey
