Lupe Fiasco Joins Chicago Live! This Thursday

Chicago Live! is back this Thursday with another all star guest line-up including:

• Hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco (Greg Kot interview)
• Cleetus Friedman, owner/founder of City Provisions sustainable catering and deli
• Eboo Patel, founder and director of Interfaith Youth Core (Manya Brachear interview)
• A performance by the winner of the Kyles Files Track-off (Kyra Kyles interview)
• Ronit Bezalel, Brenda Schumacher and Mark Pratt, filmmakers behind the Voices of Cabrini documentary
• Comedy from The Second City

Chicago Live! is recorded in front of a live studio audience at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Chicago Theatre's Downstairs Stage. After each show, the audience is invited to a 30-minute reception with the cast, crew and guests.

Tickets for the show are $20.
- Purchase online through Ticketmaster.com.
- Purchase on the phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
- Purchase in person at the Chicago Theatre box office:

The Chicago Theatre (map)
175 N State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Alum Dave Pasquesi Interviewed by The Onion AV Club

Second City Alum Dave Pasquesi, and one half of the acclaimed improv duo TJ & Dave, will be taking the stage at The Goodman Theatre in God of Carnage. The Onion AV Club spoke with him about the transition between improv and scripted work and how his improv background helps his scripted work.

Read the interview on The Onion AV Club.

Alum Tina Fey Featured in the New Yorker

In this edition of the New Yorker, Tina Fey talks about her experiences writing for SNL, which sketches were her favorite (like the one below) and how that affected her current projects like 30 Rock.

Read more about her article online at the New Yorker.

Screening Times Announced for South by Southwest

Second City Network's "The Announcement" has been chosen to screen at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX, March 11-19, 2011.

Reveling in the hysterical aftermath of one woman's exciting news, "The Announcement" stars Second City Alumni Rebecca Sage Allen, Megan Grano, Molly Erdman, Bridget Kloss in addition to Katie Nahnsen & Amanda Tate. "The Announcement" was created exclusively for The Second City Network and directed by Joshua Funk, produced by Mark Kienlen and was crewed by Meghan O'Brien.

Screening times and locations for "The Announcement" at South by Southwest are:

Saturday, March 12th, 11am
Alamo Lazar A
1120 S. Lamar Blvd

Tuesday, March 15th, 3:30pm
Alamo Ritz 2
320 E. 6th St

Wednesday, March 16th, 11am
Alamo Lazar A
1120 S. Lamar Blvd.

The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment featuring the dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of the rapidly evolving world of independent film.

Alum Alan Arkin Releases New Book

Second City alumni Alan Arkin has released a new memoir – Alan Arkin: An Improvised Life. Check out this funny interview with him on The Chicagoist.

Joyce Sloane Memorial Scheduled for Los Angeles – March 1

A special memorial service honoring Joyce Sloane has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00pm at the El Portal Theatre (5269 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601).

If you would like to attend, please take a moment to click the link below to RSVP. Please excuse the accompanying language and ads on the ticket, as it is embedded into the system.

Reserve Tickets

Your RSVP will show the address for The Second City Training Center in Hollywood instead of the El Portal Theatre (5269 Lankershim Boulevard, San Fernando Valley, CA 91601). Unfortunately, this is a glitch within our box office system. Please note we are definitely confirmed for the El Portal Theatre.

Please note there is limited parking at the El Portal Theatre located at the Lankershim Elementary School lot (free) or $4 secured parking at 5250 Weddington East of the Theatre (2nd building from the traffic light). For additional information regarding the venue, please visit El Portal Theatre.

Tom Ricketts Joins Chicago Live! This Thursday

Chicago Live! is back this Thursday with an all-star line-up of guests including Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts. The full guest line-up includes:

• Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing and former White House social secretary (Phil Rosenthal interview)
• Rob Stone, blues musician
• John Robinson and Kerry Tamura of Chicago Sake talk about sake cocktails and their efforts to make sake the new drinking sensation. (Lauren Viera and Rick Koganinterview)
• Kevin Coval and Louder Than A Bomb high school slam poetry competition finalists
• Marc Smith, creator of the poetry slam (Rick Kogan interview)
• Comedy from The Second City

Chicago Live! is recorded in front of a live studio audience at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Chicago Theatre's Downstairs Stage. After each show, the audience is invited to a 30-minute reception with the cast, crew and guests.

Tickets for the show are $20.
- Purchase online through Ticketmaster.com.
- Purchase on the phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
- Purchase in person at the Chicago Theatre box office:

The Chicago Theatre (map)
175 N State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60601