Join Us in Old Town for Chicago Restaurant Week

Chicago Restaurant Week, a citywide culinary celebration featuring more than 250 restaurants throughout Chicago, returns February 1 - 10 and includes some of our favorite neighborhood restaurants in Old Town. Make a night of it and come see a show after dinner.

Use code #CRW to receive 20% off tickets to The Second City when you book reservations at a participating restaurant for Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants in Old Town include Adobo Grill, Bistrot Margot, O'Brien's, Orso's and Perennial Vivant. Offer good for Mainstage and e.t.c. theaters for the following dates:

Sun, February 3, 2013
Tuesday, February 5 - 7, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013

Limit 4 tickets per order

Click here to book your Dinner Reservations and click here to book your show tickets

Annamay Pierse: Former Olympian and Current Improv Student

The Second City Training Center - Toronto recently welcomed new improv student Annamay Pierse, a former Olympic swimmer and record-holder The National Post wrote a great article on Annamay, detailing her career and newly-found love for improv. Check it out here.

The Second City Training Center is now enrolling for Spring and Fall classes. for more information, visit http://www.secondcity.com/training/chicago/

Tickets for "The Second City Guide to the Opera" On Sale Now

Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Second City—hot on the heels of their hugely successful, sold-out January 5 collaboration, The Second City Guide to the Opera—have announced that they will present a June run of shows at the Civic Opera House, with audience members seated onstage.

"In addition to improvisation, the show will include completely new scenes as well as a reprise of some of the best scenes created for the inaugural performance of The Second City Guide to the Opera," said Kelly Leonard, executive vice president of The Second City. "Audiences will be treated to cabaret-style seating on the legendary stage of the Civic Opera House, with libations and table service available throughout the performance."

"We're planning to seat about 300 people onstage per show," said Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago. "Ticket-buyers will have a thrilling view while experiencing this unique entertainment on the stage of one of the world's great theaters. As they look into the 3600-seat opera house they'll be doing so from the vantage point of the hundreds and hundreds of great singers who have performed here since 1929."

The June run of The Second City Guide to the Opera will feature two opera singers and ensemble members of The Second City.

Tickets will be $35 and $45, with a small number of front-row VIP seats at $75. Phone sales will begin in April. Click here to reserve your tickets now.

Demetri Martin Comes to UP Comedy Club for One Night Only

What:
Comedian and New York Times Bestseller Demetri Martin presents "Point Your Face At This Tour" featuring a mix of stand-up and material from his new book, "POINT YOUR FACE AT THIS" at UP Comedy Club (230 W. North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley) for a special one night event. Tickets are $30.00 and go on sale Friday, January 25 at 10:00 a.m. Visit UP Comedy Club for more information.

When:
Monday, April 1, 2013
7:00 p.m.

Where:
UP Comedy Club
230 W. North Ave, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley

Additional Information:
In his first book, This Is A Book, Demetri Martin introduced fans and readers to his unique brand of long-form humor writing. Now Demetri returns with an eclectic volume devoted entirely to his trademark one-liners and drawings, as well as short prose and poetry, leaving the longer-form material for his next hardcover. Like an indie stepchild of Gary Larson, and Jack Handey, POINT YOUR FACE AT THIS contains hundreds of drawings, jokes, and page-long bits, showcasing Martin's particular penchant for brevity and a sensibility all it's own-and will be a great gift book and a must-have for fans of the brainy, ambidextrous, comedian, palindromist (and author) Demetri Martin.

Demetri Martin Bio:
Demetri Martin rose to relative obscurity when he started doing stand-up comedy in New York City at the end of the 20th Century. Later he became a writer at Late Night with Conan O’Brien and then a regular performer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In 2003, Demetri won the Perrier Award at the International Fringe Festival for his first one-man show, If I. He released a comedy album called These Are Jokes and then created and starred in his own television series called Important Things with Demetri Martin. His first stand-up comedy special, Demetri Martin. Person is considered by many to be his longest and only hour-long stand-up comedy special. Martin has appeared in movies as an actor, most recently in Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion and most lengthily in Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock. His first book, This Is a Book by Demetri Martin is a New York Times Bestseller. Demetri has brown hair, and he is allergic to peanuts. You can find him atwww.demetrimartin.com, at www.facebook.com/demetrimartin, on Twitter @demetrimartin, and in various places in the actual physical world.

Student Focus Night with Ben Gordon!

Join us on January 23rd at 9pm in the John Candy Box Theatre for our first FREE Student Focus Night of 2013 with BEN GORDON!

Alumnus Ben Gordon appeared at The Old Fire Hall Theatre Mainstage in primarily two great companies (first and foremost with Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin and later with Robin Duke, Tony Rosato, Derek McGrath) and at other times with Eugene Levy, John Candy, Martin Short and once, with an interloping Robin Williams. He had the benefit of knowing and studying with SC legends Bernie Sahlins and Del Close.

His career has been both eclectic and award winning including starring and supporting credits in film, television and radio in both comedic and dramatic roles. In film he appeared opposite Oscar winner Rod Steiger, Burgess Meredith, James Garner, John Heard, Levon Helm and Alan Arkin.

As a performer and writer he has appeared or written in far too many sketch comedy, variety, situation comedy and award shows in both the US and Canada. (Including writing and producing "Lost Satellite Network" for Showtime! (US); "Just For Laughs" (NBC) and the perennially voted Worst Sit-Com Ever "Check It Out!" (CTV-USA Network) starring the original Maxwell Smart: Don Adams.

He has appeared written and/or "voiced" some twenty on air and over ten thousand radio commercials (approx.), garnering Cleo and IBA international advertising awards.

After many years out of the industry: battling cancer (cured); divorce (happily remarried) and running a family importing business (into the ground), Ben is looking forward to sharing his knowledge, insights and personal experiences with the next generation of Second City greats.

Wednesday January 23rd at 9pm
John Candy Box Theatre
FREE
to reserve a seat email- areoch@secondcity.com

Second City at Canada's largest camp expo!

The Second City Training Centre heads to the Summer Camp Expo on February 24th at Roy Thompson Hall. Come check out why people come from all over the world just to attend a Second City Summer Camp. We hope to see you there from 12-4PM.

For more information, visit: http://www.ourkids.net/campexpo/

Celebrate Chicago Theatre Week

Celebrate the first annual Chicago Theatre Week with us! Visitors and residents will have opportunity to sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings, choosing from more than 75 productions including Second City. Click here for special events and ticket prices for Chicago Theatre Week - Feb. 12-17.

Second City Network Launches New Series: "Brosters"

The Second City Network launched a new web series, "Brosters," about two best friends who amp their lives to the absolute maximum. The first episode deals with their quest for perfect cell phone reception and the latest technology.

Second City Donates $31,000 to Planned Parenthood Illinois

The Second City is proud to announce that they have raised over $31,000.00 for Planned Parenthood Illinois since the opening of their current Mainstage show, The Second City 100th Revue: "Who Do We Think We Are?"

On Thursday, January 10, 2013, The Second City will host an audience of Planned Parenthood Illinois staff and volunteers to announce the final donation total.



In the process of writing the show, the cast, which included Tim Baltz, Edgar Blackmon, Holly Laurent, Katie Rich, Mary Sohn, and Steve Waltien as well as director Matt Hovde, created a scene to exemplify our current election process.

"We had to come in with political-themed pitches towards the end of our writing process and everyone in this cast is such a good improviser, so had the idea for an improv scene where the audience 'lobbied' for the suggestion with money. It was in response to how horrible the Super-PAC situation is getting," explains cast member Katie Rich. "We were shocked with how willing and excited the audiences were to give money, especially once they were invested! Then, the question became, well, what do we do with all the money? The War on Women was an issue that I kept trying to write a scene about but kept failing because it was such a difficult thing for me to separate myself from. So I thought we could give the money to Planned Parenthood! And the rest is history. Matt Hovde, our director, really supported the evolution of the concept, and the rest of the cast kill it every night in that open improv slot."

Tickets for The Second City's 100th Revue: "Who Do We Think We Are?" are available by phone at 312-337-3992 or online at www.secondcity.com. The show schedule and ticket prices are as follows: $23.00

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Tuesday	8 pm	$23.00
Wednesday	8 pm	$23.00
Thursday	8 pm	$23.00
Friday and Saturday	8 pm & 11 pm	$28.00
Sunday	7 pm	$23.00

The Second City Training Center Hosts Writer's Salon with Jon Glaser - January 18th at 5:30

The Second City Training Center is proud to announce its upcoming Writer's Salon with Jon Glaser on Friday, January 18th at 5:30pm. This event will be facilitated by Kelly Leonard, Executive Vice President of the Second City, Inc. Tickets are $20 and can be reserved here. Light snacks and beverages will be served. Workshop will take place at the Second City Training Center, 1608 N.Wells Room 305.

About Jon Glaser:
Jon Glaser is the creator and star of "Delocated" on Adult Swim. Other acting credits include "Parks and Recreation," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "30 Rock," "Mayne Street," "The Dictator," "Wonder Showzen," and the upcoming season of "Girls." TV writing credits include "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Dana Carvey Show," and "Human Giant." He wrote the book "My Dead Dad Was In ZZ Top" published by Harper Perennial. He recently directed a music video for Bob Mould. He also created the character Dave "Tiny Hands" Gordon for which he made a series of web videos for Comedy Central.

Lyric and Second City: Back Together Again!

Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Second City—hot on the heels of their hugely successful, sold-out January 5 collaboration, "The Second City Guide to the Opera"—have announced that they will present a June run of shows at the Civic Opera House, with audience members seated onstage.

"In addition to improvisation, the show will include completely new scenes as well as a reprise of some of the best scenes created for the inaugural performance of 'The Second City Guide to the Opera,'" said Kelly Leonard, Executive Vice President of The Second City. "Audiences will be treated to cabaret-style seating on the legendary stage of the Civic Opera House, with libations and table service available throughout the performance."

"We're planning to seat about 300 people onstage per show," said Anthony Freud, General Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago. "Ticket-buyers will have a thrilling view while experiencing this unique entertainment on the stage of one of the world's great theaters. As they look into the 3600-seat opera house they'll be doing so from the vantage point of the hundreds and hundreds of great singers who have performed here since 1929."

The June run of "The Second City Guide to the Opera" will feature two opera singers and ensemble members of The Second City. Casting, dates, and performance times will be announced at a later date.

Web sales open January 23. Tickets will be $35 and $45, with a small number of VIP seats at $75. Phone sales will begin in April.

"The Second City Guide to the Opera" is a project of Lyric Unlimited.

June performances of "The Second City Guide to the Opera" will be sponsored by PNC Bank.

*June performances do not feature January guest hosts Renée Fleming and Patrick Stewart.

Chicago Live! with Rick Kogan goes to Ravinia

Tickets: tribnation.com/events or 847-266-5100

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan returns to Chicago Live! with his heart on his sleeve for a Chicago-style Valentine's Day extravaganza, along with bestselling author Rebecca Skloot, Grace chef/owner Curtis Duffy, Tribune advice columnist Amy Dickinson and more special guests to come. Tribune reporter and radio host Rick Kogan and The Second City will explore the Chicago way of expressing love in this special production of Chicago Live! at Ravinia. Bring a date and enjoy a twisted celebration of St. Valentine featuring newsmakers, arts performances and comedy. Chicago Live! is taped for broadcast on WGN Radio.

Tickets: $25.
Chicago Live!: 7 p.m. Ravinia, Bennett Gordon Hall, 201 St. Johns Ave., Highland Park

Introducing Sunday Harold All Stars!

Introducing Sunday Harold All-tars!

Due to massive enrollment, the Longform Ensemble program is adding another performance night: Sunday Harold All-Stars. Hosted by Longform graduate, Greg Roberts each night will consist of Alumni teams and students performances. As well as a weekly Lottery Jam where current/former students can play with their favourite teachers and coaches! Any current or former Longform student is eligible to play. Sunday Harold All-Stars debuts January 6th. Starting at 9 PM.

Student Appreciation Day - January 5th from 1pm-4pm

We're starting the New Year off by saying thanks to our students with Student Appreciation Day on Saturday, January 5 from 1-4pm in the Second City Training Center! We're planning a lot of free workshops for our students, and there will be food, giveaways and activities throughout the event too. More info here: http://www.secondcity.com/page/studentappreciation/

Check out our list of free workshops below! Space is limited in each workshop and will be available on a first come first served basis.

1:00-2:00pm
How to Get an Agent with Maryann Ziesch of Actor's Talent Group
Before They Were Stars with Matt Hovde - A look at various Second City alums before they became household names.
Long Form Improv with Craig Uhlir
Viola Spolin with Michael Gellman
How to Nail Your Writing 6 Audition with Andy Eninger
Creating Characters with Rachael Mason

1:00-2:30pm
Staged Readings of Your Work with Tyler Dean Kempf and Lauren Dowden - Two instructors with six actors will workshop a scene of your choice. Writers should submit one scene to be worked on that day to Jessica at jantes@secondcity.com. Also available at 2:30.

2:00-3:00pm
Working for The Second City with Anthony LeBlanc and Matt Hovde
Ship Chat! with JJ Howe and Scott Elam - Have all of your questions answered about what it's like to work with The Second City aboard a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship.
Conservatory Audition Tips with Michael Gellman
Long Form Improv with Craig Uhlir
Choosing the Right Monologue with Peyton Daley
Solo Performance with Andy Eninger
Beginning Improv with Micah Philbrook

2:00-4:00pm
Producing Mixer with Angie McMahon - This mixer is designed for Directing, Writing and Conservatory grads and producers to meet each others to connect with and create great new work!

2:30-4:00pm
Staged Readings of Your Work with Jay Steigmann and Joe Janes - Two instructors with six actors will workshop a scene of your choice. Writers should submit one scene to be worked on that day to Jessica at jantes@secondcity.com.

3:00-4:00pm
Music Improv with Stephanie McCullough Vlcek
Pitching Your Show with Jay MacIntosh, Rob Holmes and Aaron Sjoholm
Teen Improv with Kat Barker

"The Second City Guide to the Opera" Debuts Sat, Jan 5

This Saturday, Jan 5, "The Second City Guide to the Opera," a collaboration between The Second City and Lyric Opera of Chicago, debuts to a sold out house at the Civic Opera Theater. Click here for a behind the scenes look at the process from Mark Caro with Chicago Tribune.