Second City Toronto's newest revue Second City For Mayor opened last week, and audiences and critics have been raving. Richard Ouzounian of The Toronto Star gives us 4 Stars (out of 4) and calls the show "Smart, sassy, sexy and spectacularly funny". To read the full glowing review, click here.
To purchase tickets to the Toronto show, go to online box office or call our main box office at 416-343-0011.
Actually, we'd prefer that you donate it to a Chicago-area LifeSource Blood Center. You'll save lives and be entered to win a $100 Gift Certificate to The Second City in Chicago. Find a list of LifeSource locations at www.lifesource.org.
The Orange County Register is the latest newspaper to give a rave review for "Can You Be More Pacific?", the Orange County-themed revue that Second City created for the Laguna Playhouse. The show runs until April 11th.
Second City alum Keegan Michael joins the panel for this week's broadcast of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me with Peter Sagel and Carl Kassell. Wait Wait Don't Tell Me airs on Saturday at 1:00p Eastern/12:00p Central on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit www.npr.org.
The worst of winter is behind us, right? Get out there and enjoy the sunny (but still brisk) weather.
Recommendation: Parties of 2 or more on Saturday afternoon
1:00p: Head over to the Modern Wing @ the Art Institute to enjoy their incredible collection as well as their amazing views of Millennium Park.
4:00p: Enjoy The Second City's 50th Anniversary Tour @ The Second City Mainstage
6:30p: You deserve a Margarita. Get the best from Adobo Grill, located right next door to The Second City on Wells St.
Second City's send up of all things Orange County, "Can You Be More Pacific," has gotten a host of great reviews. The show runs through April 11 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA.
Jonathan Browning, an Administrative Assistant at The Second City Hollywood, has found big success with short films. This week The Festival International des Tres Courts announced its official selections for the 2010 festival in Paris, France. Two of the shorts that will be screening were written & directed by Jonathan. Going Green is a short film with an ecological twist and The Sale is a satirical look at the busted housing market in the United States.
Jonathan will be attending the festival in Paris at The Forum des Images. What makes this festival unique is the way it shares the short films with such a wide and varied audience. The festival screens the shorts at over 80 cities in three days. Cities that will participate in the festival are located in - France, Martinique, New Caledonia, Belgium, Brazil, Guinea, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Mali, Morocco, Moldova, Romania, Singapore, Serbia, Switzerland, Palestinian Territories, and the United Kingdom. So these two shorts will literally be seen around the world.
Jonathan has been making short films since his first endeavor, The Job premiered at SXSW in 2007. That short film has screened at over 200 International Film Festivals, has been honored with 28 Festival Awards and has received over a million hits on YouTube. You can see the short on YouTube.
Jonathan is thrilled to have had the opportunity to crisscross the United States going to film festivals and has traveled with his shorts to Paris & La Ciotat (France), Seoul (South Korea), Sydney (Australia) and Palermo (Italy). In addition to going back to Paris with his two short films in May, he will be heading to Tokyo for the Japanese premiere of Going Green in June. The prestigious, Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia, selected only 90 films out of over 3,000 international submissions.
All of Jonathan's shorts take a comedic look at a political or social issue. They are also all shot under his production company, Screaming Frog Productions. Screaming Frog was co-founded with the funny & beautiful Second City Training Center graduate and Chicago Native, Leslie McManus. Jonathan is proud to cast his friends, several Second City graduates and some of Chicago's best improvisers, in each short film. He surrounds himself with passionate people that he respects and adores and does exactly what he loves. Luckily, he has found some success in that equation.
Jonathan Browning's website is http://www.jonathanbrowning.com.
Come try one of our new classes for free! On April 10th the Chicago Training Center will offer three free workshops for students, including: Clowning & Physical Theatre, Stand-Up, and Singprov. Each workshop has students on their feet participating in exercises that develop stage presence, creativity, communication skills, patience, self-confidence and most importantly - are fun and free!
Workshop Schedule:
Clowing & Physical Theatre (ages 9-12) 4:30pm-5:30pm
Stand Up (ages 13-14) 4:00pm-6:00pm
Singprov (ages 15-18) 4:00pm-6:00pm
After the workshops, all students are invited to participate in our weekly teen jam in the deMaat Theater from 6:10 - 6:50pm. To reserve your spot, call the training center at 312-664-3959. Space is limited so don’t miss out!
The Second City Training Center in Hollywood is thrilled to have John and Kevin Farley join our school. John, an alum of the Second City's Detroit stage, will be leading the Training Center's Wednesday night “Grad Group,” and Kevin will be teaching advanced Long Form. Please join us in welcoming John and Kevin to our faculty.
This is no laughing matter.
PUMA and The Second City's Outreach and Diversity Program are seeking diverse actors: Apply for The 2010 PUMA "LOL" Scholarship and receive one year of improv training with The Second City. Hurry, as time to apply is running out! For Scholarship eligibility and application, please visit www.puma.com/secondcity.
Second City Theatricals is proud to announce the extension of Rush Limbaugh! The Musical at The Second City e.t.c. (1608 North Wells in Piper’s Alley, Chicago, IL) with 2:00pm matinee performances through Sunday, May 9, 2010.
Rush Limbaugh! The Musical has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike including:
Tickets for Rush Limbaugh! The Musical are $25.00 and can be reserved by phone at 312.337.3992 or at www.secondcity.com. Premium seats are available - please inquire at the box office. Performances are scheduled for Sundays at 2:00pm through May 9th.
It’s the newest improv tournament to hit the circuit! Teams of 3 have 9 minutes to impress the audience and the special guest judges to move on to the next round in hopes of taking home the coveted Captain Crunch Trophy! Improvisers are encouraged to make teams with people they haven’t played with before. It’s all dedicated to the space that gives alumni, faculty, students and members of our extended Second City family the opportunity nightly to create, experiment, and explore new voices and theatrical formats.
Candy Box Crunch
March 24, 31, April 7 @ 9pm
Finals: April 14 @ 9pm
John Candy Box Theatre, PWYC
The Second City Loco presents "El Show Mas Funny" at The Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami on Thursday, March 11, with performances running through Sunday, March 28. Created for the company's Miami debut, the newest show from Chicago's acclaimed Second City mines comedic gold from the clash of cultures at the heart of all great American cities. Oh, and the show’s in Spanglish, in the tradition of "Que Pasa USA.
To book your tickets and for more information, visit The Adrienne Arsht website.
On February 25th 2010, The Second City teamed up with Second Harvest for Lunch Money day. Second City staff, students and performers filled Dundas and St. Andrews station during the morning and evening rush, chatting with commuters and collecting donations. We are pleased to announce that Second Harvest raised $43,271.52 which is over $4000 more than last year!
Thanks to everyone who volunteered and donated!
For more information on Second Harvest and how you can donate, check out their website at www.secondharvest.ca
Students who are interested in taking the Improv for Actors (IFA) program can take the full program in one term this summer. Improv for Actors is a condensed version of our popular Improvisation program designed specifically for students who have completed a degree program in Theatre. Completion of the IFA program also fulfills eligibility requirements to audition for the Conservatory and Music Improv programs.
The Summer Full IFA will meet twice weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays during Term 4 2010, running from June 28 through August 18. The Full IFA course costs $495. Students must be approved to enroll in IFA, so any interested students can send their theater resume to Audrey Flegel at aflegel@secondcity.com. To register, call the Chicago Training Center at 312-664-3959. For more information, visit our website at www.secondcity.com/tc.
Make it a night and get outta town! Check out The Second City Touring Company's 50th Anniversary Tour at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, IL on Saturday, March 27, at 8:00pm. Tickets are only $25 for the show and overnight packages are available at the Baymont Inn & Suites including dinner at Walter Peyton's Roundhouse. For more information on the show, visit www.paramountarts.com to book your tickets today!
Congrats to Second City Touring Company alum Tom Purcell who was recently promoted to Executive Producer for “The Colbert Report.” Purcell was recently seen at Second City’s 50th Anniversary weekend appearing in a “Colbert Report” panel with fellow alumni who work on the show. Check it out at Hollywood Reporter.
