Andrea Martin, Martin Short And More Set For Second City 50th Anniversary Benefit

The Second City - the timeless producer of improvisational based comedy - celebrates its milestone 50th Anniversary this fall with a series of events and happenings that will bring together alumni, recreate renowned sketches and characters, and bring the history of the theatre to life. During the weekend of December 11-13, the theatre's home on Wells Street in Chicago will serve as an historic backdrop for celebratory alumni reunion performances, panels and screenings. Some of the weekend highlights include the "SCTV Reunion," a benefit for The Second City Alumni Fund, on Friday December 11, 2009 featuring Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and Dave Thomas with special guests (times and tickets TBA). Alumni panels and screenings will take place during the day on Sat. Dec. 12 and Sun. Dec. 13, and alumni reunion performances in all spaces the evening of Sat. Dec. 12. Tickets and showtimes to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Second City is also launching their 50th Anniversary microsite this week, featuring alumni photos, video and audio clips - www.secondcity.com/50

"Beginning this fall, we will honor The Second City - both those who make it a legend as well as those who will keep us legendary," said Andrew Alexander, proprietor and executive producer of The Second City. "At 50, we're toasting our success of staying original and gleefully defying convention all these years."

Beginning as a small cabaret theatre on Chicago's north side in 1959, The Second City has grown to become a comedy empire - building a robust business based on its core improvisational methodologies. Resident theatres in Chicago and Toronto create topical sketch comedy revues that satirize politics, culture and news of the day. Beyond its stages, The Second City created the foremost school of improvisation-based arts in the world - with training facilities in Chicago, Toronto and Los Angeles that currently enroll over 3000 students; a corporate division works with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies in areas of training, marketing, entertainment and brand services; and The Second City's forays into television and new media include the classic, Emmy-award winning comedy series "SCTV" as well as a number of new productions originating from The Second City Entertainment's offices in Los Angeles.

The Second City is best known as the incubator for North America's best and brightest comedy superstars: Alan Arkin, Ed Asner, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Peter Boyle, John Candy, Steve Carell, Dan Castellaneta, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Bonnie Hunt, Robert Klein, Andrea Martin, Elaine May, Jack McBrayer, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Mike Nichols, Catherine O'Hare, Amy Poehler, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Joan Rivers, Amy Sedaris, Martin Short, Nia Vardalos, Fred Willard and many, many more all have roots extending to The Second City.

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