Free Neighborhood Tours Beginning May 29

Every Saturday from May 29-October 9, visitors can drop by The Second City lobby (1616 N. Wells St., Chicago) anytime between 10:00a and 3:00p for a free one-hour walkabout of Old Town guided by friendly, knowledgeable volunteer Chicagoan. Visits are given on a first-come, first served basis with no reservations needed. Chicago Greeters will provide "insider orientations" to Old Town through the informal walking tours, which are limited to groups of six or less. For more information, visit explorechicago.com.

Second City Toronto is participating in this year's Doors Open Toronto!

Tomorrow marks the big Kickoff for this year's Doors Open Toronto! The Second City Mainstage cast will be joining in on the fun, performing some of their favorite scenes from the latest 4 Star revue Second City For Mayor. The event starts at 4:30pm and will be taking place at the R.O.M.

In addition to the Kickoff, Second City is pleased to be one of 150 buildings of architectural, historical, cultural and/r social significance opening their doors to the public this weekend. The Second City Toronto is a landmark cultural attraction with a celebrated history of launching the careers of Canada's finest comedic actors. Through artifacts, photos, video and candid stories told by our alumni, we'll tell the story of our 35-year comedic legacy in Toronto. This interactive museum includes tours facilitated by our actors, archival material and improvisation workshops for kids and adults. Did we mention that the admission is FREE!

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to go backstage and learn all about the Second City!!

Get your Doors Open Toronto program guide in the Thursday, May 27 issue of the Toronto Star.

For more information on Doors Open Toronto and the hours Second City will be open click here.

Only Days away from Mayoral Candidate George Smitherman joining the set!

On Friday May 28th 2010, we are pleased to be welcoming another Mayoral hopeful to the stage, George Smitherman! Following Friday's performance of Second City For Mayor, Smitherman will join the cast onstage for an interview and improv set. Questions will be posed by both the cast and audience members, so join us because you don't want to miss this!

If you can't be there in person, be sure to follow us on Twitter @TheSecondCityTO.

For more information on tickets, click here, or call our box office at 416.343.0011

Catnip & Frankenmatt will play at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival

Piccolo Spoleto Festival
Charleston, South Carolina
May 28th – June 13th, 2010

The Piccolo Spoleto Festival has announced that two regular shows from The Second City Hollywood will be appearing in their festival. Catnip, an all-lady improve ensemble (including Rebecca Sage Allen, Laurel Coppock, Molly Erdman, Megan Grano, Sarah Haskins, Katie Nahnsen and Amanda Tate.) and the two-man comedy troupe, Frankenmatt Frank Caeti and Matthew Craig) will appear at the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina! The festival runs May 28th – June 13th, 2010.

Piccolo Spoleto is the perfect complement to the international scope of its parent festival and its 700 events in 17 days, transforms Charleston into an exhilarating celebration of performing, literary and visual arts. Piccolo Spoleto's traditional program offerings include visual arts exhibits, classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry readings, children's activities, choral music, ethnic cultural presentations, crafts, and film.

Piccolo Spoleto offers something wonderful for everyone - from classical to contemporary, from traditional to cutting edge. One of the unique aspects of Piccolo Spoleto is the accessibility to the Spoleto Festival experience. Half of Piccolo's events are admission-free, and the rest are offered at very modest ticket prices.

To find out when and where each group will be performing, check out

Catnip’s Schedule

and

Frankenmatt’s Schedule

Alum Tina Fey to Receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Congratulations! Second City alum Tina Fey has been selected to receive the 13th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The Kennedy Center will present the 13th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Tina Fey on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The award, named to honor one of the world’s greatest humorists, and will feature a lineup of the biggest names in comedy, and will be taped for television broadcast. She is the youngest recipient of this prestigious award.

For more information, visit The Kennedy Center's Website.

Second City Neighborhood Tours Begin June 13

The Second City is proud to announce the summer re-launch of "The Second City's Neighborhood Tour." This humorous and historic walking tour of Chicago's Old Town neighborhood will begin on Sunday, June 13th, 2010 at 1:00pm and will continue every Sunday and Wednesday through September 5th, 2010.

Written by Margaret Hicks, an experienced Chicago tour guide and writer, "The Second City's Neighborhood Tour" both entertains and informs while highlighting the architecture, history and development of Old Town as well as various Second City alumni haunts and the stories that go with them.

The walking tour begins outside The Second City theatre on North Wells Street and winds its way through the historic Old Town neighborhood. The tour ends inside The Second City theatre and gives guests a chance to view the lobby photo display documenting over 50 years of comedy at The Second City.

Tickets for "The Second City's Neighborhood Tour" are $15.00 per person. They may be purchased directly from The Second City Box Office by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com. Tours can have up to fifteen guests and advanced reservations are recommended. The tours are every Sunday at 1:00pm and Wednesday at 4:00pm and last from one hour and 30 minutes to two hours. The walking pace is suitable for all ages.

Additional days/times are available for groups -- call Tiffany Smith at 312-664-4032 for more information or to request a special reservation for larger groups

Overnight Packages are available at The James, our partner hotel in Chicago. Contact The Second City Box Office at 312-337-3992 for more information.

Vince Vaughn Comes Back for New e.t.c. Show

Vince Vaughn, currently in production for a new movie directed by Ron Howard, came back to The Second City on Saturday night to check out our new show, "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life." After the show, he came backstage to hang out with the cast.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life."

"Travel Arizona" video was featured on NPR and MSNBC!

The Second City Network's latest "Travel Arizona" video was featured on NPR and MSNBC!

If you haven't seen this video yet, check it out.

Please help out The Partisans by sharing their video. Click to share on Facebook!

Second City Training Center Instructor Joe Janes – From Sketch to Stage in 365 Days

Chicago Training Center Writing Instructor Joe Janes embarked on an ambitious project to write an original comedy sketch every single day for an entire year. Now, the full collection is being produced in Chicago. Congratulations, Joe! A full Performink article about the upcoming performances is online here.

You can see more about Joe's writing classes at the Second City Training Center here.

You can read more about Joe and the 365 Sketches project at his blog.

Mike Myers Talks about His Training at Second City

Alum Mike Myers appeared today on Live with Regis and Kelly to promote the upcoming movie Shrek, Forever After. During the interview, Myers was asked to name the most influential teacher in his life. Myers responded with two; one was a public school teacher he had during his years in the Toronto school system and the other was our own Del Close, who taught him at The Second City. Myers goes on to say that his time at The Second City proved to be some of the most important years of his life of his life. Del taught him that a true artist "makes things." "So when you ask me what I do," said Myers, "I say I make things."

Parvesh Cheena lands a Series Regular Role on NBC’s New, Outsourced

Earlier this week NBC announced that it was picking up the new comedy, Outsourced for its line-up. This new series is about the Midwest meeting the exotic East in this hilarious culture clash. Parvesh Cheena, a graduate of the Second City Training Center in Hollywood, will star as Gupta, an employee at the new call center.

From writer Robert Borden (The Drew Carey Show) and director Ken Kwapis (The Office) comes a comedy where cultural differences are a novelty.

Mid America Novelties sells products like whoopee cushions, foam fingers, and wallets made of bacon. Yes, this is the stuff upon which the American way of life is built, but try explaining that to someone who lives on the other side of the world.

Well, that's exactly what Todd Donovan must do when he's sent to run the company's call center in India. Talk about culture shock, and not just for Todd's employees. While Todd has to teach them how to make the up-sell to the Deluxe Twin Beer Helmet, he's going to have to adapt as well. Like in a country where cows are sacred, perhaps you don't order a double cheeseburger.

Be sure to tune in and see Parvesh in what is sure to be NBC’s next big hit!

Outsourced Website

Parvesh Cheena

This is Epic - Vote for Us!

The Second City will join the incredible Norwegian Epic as they set sail on their inaugural voyage on July 2, 2010, from New York. To celebrate the launch of Norwegian's largest and most exciting Freestyle Cruising ship to date, they have launched a Facebook page with news, tours and photos. While you're there, scroll down to the their poll and tell them how excited you are to have Second City as part of your Epic Experience!

Special Guests Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Faizon Love and Greg Olsen Join Mainstage Improv Set

On Saturday night, Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Faizon Love and Chicago Bears tight-end Greg Olsen came to check out the cast of The Second City Mainstage’s "Taming of the Flu." After the show, the audience enjoyed an unexpected treat when they all joined the cast to perform in the improv set.

The Second City supports Comics for Kids

Thanks to our generous patrons, The Second City was able to raise $5,000.00 for Comics for Kids, a wonderful program that brings live comedy shows to patients at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Dozens of Toronto’s best sketch comedians, improvisers and standups volunteer their time in the program. The following is a letter from Comics for Kids founder Eric Toth.

Hey Everyone,

It's been 3 years of 'Comics For Kids', and I want to thank everyone for coming out and donating their time and talent. These shows not only make a difference for the kids, but the parents and staff need a laugh too.

With the money we made from the Comics for Kids show in March, we're buying the hospital a massive DVD library, so the kids can watch comedy movies while they're stuck in the hospital.

AND...with the money Second City collected from their generous audience, we bought the hospital's theatre a brand new state of the art microphone system (over $5,000!) They had one hand held mic, and a busted lav mic before this. Now they won't feel so embarrassed when they bring in musicians, hockey players, actors, etc to talk to the kids. Plus, it now broadcasts to the rooms, so the kids who can't physically make it down to the theatre can watch shows like ours from their rooms.

So a HUGE thanks to Second City! Specifically Julianne Snepsts, Klaus Schuller, and Coleen Beaton. A big thanks to Jennifer Goodhue for all her hard work! And a huge thanks to everyone who has shared their ability to make people laugh over the years. Good on you! We're always open to new performers, and anyone can sign up at anytime.

Hope to see you at the shows,
Eric Toth

The Informant is Out On DVD & Blu-Ray

The Informant is the tale of Mark Whitacre (played by Matt Damon), an Ivy League Ph.D. who was a rising star at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in the early 1990s. The bipolar hero wound up blowing the whistle on the company's price fixing tactics and became the highest-ranked executive to ever turn whistle blower in US history.

The feature film not only stars Matt Damon but also a number of Second City Alumni! In addition to the familiar face of Chicago Alumni Scott Adsit (as Sid Hulse), there's also some of Second City Hollywood's current teachers and performers. There's Samantha Albert (as Mary Spearing), Brian Gallivan (as Ron Henkoff) and Second City Hollywood's Artistic Director Joshua Funk (as FBI Special Agent Robert Grant).

The Informant on IMDB

Scott Adsit

Samantha Albert

Brian Gallivan

Josh Funk

More Mayoral Candidates Announced in Toronto!

After the success of Giorgio Mammoliti's visit to Second City, other candidates have been signing up for the challenge! The Mayoral candidates will join the cast onstage for an interview and improv set, answering questions about themselves, their vision for the city and so much more!! George Smitherman is up next joining us Friday, May 28th!! Other candidates who will be joining us are Keith Cole on Wednesday, June 16th and Rocco Rossi on Wednesday, July 7th! Stay tuned for more announcements in the days to come!!

If you can't join us for the show and/or set, make sure to follow us on Twitter for all the action @TheSecondCityTO.

Join us for Second City For Mayor and stay for this very special improv set!

Second City Network Featured on The Atlantic

A new tourism ad for Arizona created by Andy Cobb & The Partisans for The Second City Network has been featured by The Atlantic on their blog. Check it out at andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com.

Armed Services Week in Chicago

To celebrate Armed Services Week, The Second City - Chicago would like to offer a two-for-one ticket discount for all military personnel in The Second City Mainstage Tuesday, May 18 – Thursday, May 20. 2010. To reserve tickets, please contact the box office at 312-337-3992. Identification required when picking up tickets – regular ticket price $22. Limit 4 tickets per order.

Farley Bros. Radio: LIVE From Second City Hollywood!

Farley Brothers Radio is now being recorded LIVE from The Second City in Hollywood! Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes for a brutally honest, wickedly funny, viewer-discretion-advised confab on all things Farley. Listen in as Kevin & John spin tales of sex, drugs and comedy alongside their hilarious takes on life, love and family. From Madison to Hollywood, it's a conversation undeniably Farley. Hosted by John & Kevin Farley with Carissa Kosta.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Live in LA? Come watch them LIVE every Saturday at 7pm.
Tickets are available on our website.

The Week According To Frangela Podcast: LIVE From The Second City Hollywood!

Frangela, featuring alums Frances Callier and Angela Shelton, is now recording their weekly podcast, "The Week According To Frangela" LIVE from The Second City Hollywood! Frangela takes the news of the week and puts their hilarious spin on it. You've seen them on VH1's Best Week Ever, heard them nationally on Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes and locally in LA on KTLK. Now catch their show live and in person. Jonathan Gold of the LA Weekly says Frangela is "a blast of common sense amid the pasty drone of their sub-Limbaugh competitors." "The Week According to Frangela" is The Daily Show meets the Radio with a whole lot of funny attitude.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

Live in LA? Come watch them LIVE every Saturday at 8pm.
Tickets are available on our website.

The Second City on NPR in Arizona

Check out the cast of “Second City Does Arizona or Close But No Saguaro” talking about their current run in Phoenix on NPR.

Leadership Award for Eugene Levy and The Second City

DAREarts 2010 Leadership Awards
The Liberty Grand was the place to be on the evening of Thursday, April 29th, as DAREarts presented the 2010 DAREarts Leadership Awards Gala, sponsored by Lombard Canada, Guy Carpenter and Scotiabank Group. Canadian comedy legend Eugene Levy and The Second City, represented by Klaus Schuller, were awarded DAREarts Cultural Awards for their outstanding contribution to Canadian culture. 500 guests were greeted by commedia dell'arte troupe Metaphysical Theatre and were treated to a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and auctions. Six DAREarts graduates were presented with Leadership Awards by gold sponsors Guy Carpenter, Scotiabank Group, BMO Financial Group, HKMB Hub International, TD Financial Group and Noront Resources Ltd. These awards are accompanied by scholarships to assist the youth in building their futures. Marci Ien and Ed Sahely hosted the evening's events, which included the unveiling of a character portrayal of Eugene Levy by artist Greg Hindle (depicting Eugene leading the way through Canadian waters, as two youths paddle with confidence towards their destination). The painting was signed on the back by Eugene. Other live auction items included: an autographed script of "American Pie", accompanied by lunch for four with Eugene at The Spoke Club; and a trip for two on American Airlines to the Four Seasons Punta Mia Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A Raffle prize of a trip for two on Porter Airlines to Chicago with a two nights' stay at the Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile Hotel, was won by Kenneth Jordan, guest of the Toronto District School Board.

Happy Mother’s Day from The Second City!

Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy this gift from The Second City

Now, have you made your Mother's Day plans? Skip the brunch and take your Mom out for some real fun.

Drop-In Improv Class - Chicago
If she's hilarious, bring her to a Drop-In Improv Class on Sunday from 6-8pm for only 10 bucks each. No registration is required and all levels are welcome (especially beginner).

"Taming of the Flu" in Chicago or "Second City for Mayor" in Toronto
If she'd rather watch than play, bring her to see "Taming of the Flu" in Chicago or "Second City for Mayor" in Toronto. She can check out the new cast members and you can both relax, grab a drink and enjoy the show.

PUMA Scholarship Update

Thank you to all of the talent who applied for our scholarship this year.

With over 200 scholarship applications received nationwide from Los Angeles to Atlanta to win a free year of training at The Second City Chicago or Hollywood, we've narrowed our talent pool to 26 lucky finalists.

Starting Wednesday, May 5 - Thursday, May 6 -- the finalist group comprised of ambitious actors, comics, improvisers and novices will participate in a free improv workshop taught by resident director Mick Napier, enjoy a PUMA shopping spree, attend a Mainstage show and show off their skills and talent in an improv audition.

Don’t Miss Rush Limbaugh! The Musical

This Sunday, May 9, is your final chance to catch Rush Limbaugh! The Musical at The Second City e.t.c. Theater (1609 N. Wells, 2nd Floor of Piper's Alley). Rush Limbaugh! The Musical has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike including:

"A great antidote to the news and certainly a lot funnier"
Marilyn Soltis, Huffington Post

"balancing outrageous whimsy with harsh truth"
Steve Heisler, Chicago Reader

"a screaming hate fest"
Betty Mohr, Southtown Star

"tried and true liberal joyride!"
Jason Heidemann, Time Out

"Vicious satire with real teeth...primal scream therapy for liberals"
Zev Valancy, Centerstage

Reserve your tickets for the final performance. For more information on the show, visit Rush Limbaugh! The Musical.

The Ever-Popular Free Music Improv Jams are Back

Open to students and performers of all levels, the musical improv jams are great way to get some more singprov experience. A Second City Music Director leads participants through fun and challenging short-form musical improv games. Get up and play, meet fellow improvisers and learn new games. On-lookers welcome, too. No registration required.

FREE, 1.5 hours

Upcoming jam dates
Saturdays, 4:00-5:30
May 8-June 26
de Maat Studio Theatre

Jim Belushi Joins Off the Wall

The Second City Hollywood Stage is no stranger to familiar faces from the small and big screen. Last Saturday was no exception, when Second City Alumni, Jim Belushi sat in with Off the Wall.

Off The Wall is the longest-continuously-running all improv ensemble perhaps in the known world. Ever since their inception, the group has garnered accolades from critics and audiences alike. Troupe members have appeared collectively in hundreds of movies, television episodes and commercials, and have written scripts for familiar TV shows and unfamiliar feature films. Among former members and illustrious guests are Robin Williams, Chevy Chase, Jim Belushi, George Wendt, and John Ritter.

Off the Wall is continuing their run at The Second City through May and June, every Saturday @ 9PM with BINGO! (The improv show, not the parlor game.)

Have Fun this Mother’s Day - She Deserves It!

Skip the brunch and take your Mom out for some real fun this Mother's Day.

Drop-In Improv Class
If she's hilarious and been practicing some good bits, bring her to a Drop-In Improv Class on Sunday from 6-8pm for only 10 bucks each. No registration is required and all levels are welcome (especially beginner).

"Taming of the Flu" in The Second City Mainstage
If she'd rather watch than play, bring her to see "Taming of the Flu" in The Second City Mainstage. She can check out the new cast members and you can both relax and enjoy the show. (Also, students receive a free ticket to the show, so you can also save a couple of bucks)

Second City Gets More Raves in Arizona

"The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Seguaro" continues to receive rave reviews for their run at the Phoenix Theater. Kerry Lengel from The Arizona Republic calls it "sharp as a cactus" and Joseph Gordan with The Examiner describes it as "a no-holds-barred comic extravaganza, furiously paced and hilariously on target." 99.9 FM goes on to call it "a genuinely laugh out loud revue."

To read the full reviews, visit:

The Arizona Republic

The Examiner

99.9 FM

Downtown Phoenix

Learn more about the show.

National Post Loves Candidate Night at Second City for Mayor

The National Post was in the house with a group from the City Hall press gallery for our first Candidate Night at Second City for Mayor. Councilor (and Mayoral Candidate) Giorgio Mammoliti was our guest for the improv set. Read the Post’s full recap of the event at nationalpost.com

New Show Earns 4 Stars from Chicago Tribune!

The Second City e.t.c.'s new show, "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life" continues to earn accolades after opening to a standing ovation last night. Chris Jones, Chief Theatre Critic for the Chicago Tribune, gives the new revue an exceptional 4 Stars, calling it "one of the most layered, textured and thoroughly exciting shows at e.t.c. in years...You find yourself not only laughing your face off, but emotionally invested." To read the full review, visit The Chicago Tribune.

New E.T.C. Show Opens to Early Raves

The Second City e.t.c.'s new show, "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life" opened last night and has received early raves. The show has been Recommended by the Joseph Jefferson Award Committee. "Jeff Recommended" indicates that a show was deemed outstanding in at least one element by the opening night judges. Additionally, Alan Bresloff with SteadStyleChicago.com describes the show as "...two hours of non-stop laughter that takes us into our wildest dreams..." Check out the complete review at steadstylechicago.com.

For more information on "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time of Your Life" including behind the scenes videos and interviews with the cast, visit secondcity.com.