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Second City Celebrates 50th Anniversary

By Lindsey Miller in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 4, 2009 10:20PM

2009_11_04_secondcity.jpg
Photo by Mike-Chicago

Next month, Second City alumni will converge on Chicago to help celebrate the comedy theater's 50th anniversary.

In honor of the occasion, the theater will host three days of performances, panel discussions, and screenings on December 11-13 with big comedy names like Stephen Colbert, Alan Arkin, Martin Short, Harold Ramis, Jim Belushi, and Steve Carell. Tickets range in price from $10 for the screenings to up to $750 for the live performances and will go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at the theater's box office online or by phone at 312-337-3992.

Two performances featuring big-name alumni on Friday and Saturday night are sure to impress. On Friday, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, and Dave Thomas will reunite for "The SCTV Cast Reunion." 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., Second City Mainstage. Tickets $175-$750.

On Saturday, the theater will welcome an even longer list of alumni, both big names and current Chicago performers, who will perform classic Second City scenes from the archives for "The Second City Alumni: One Night Only." 7:00 p.m., Second City Mainstage and e.t.c.Theater. Tickets $175.

Also on Saturday, Stephen Colbert will join show writers Peter Grosz and Peter Gwinn and co-Executive Producer Tom Purcell to talk about The Colbert Report. 10:00 a.m., Second City Mainstage. Tickets $25.

On Sunday, SNL alums Tim Kazurinsky, Horatio Sanz, Rachel Dratch, and current staff writer John Lutz will discuss Saturday Night Live. 2:30 p.m., Second City Mainstage. Tickets $25.

A full list of events is available online on The Second City website.