Comedians Chris Redd, Danny Pudi, And Ramon Rivas Host 3rd Annual Break Out Comedy Festival

The Second City announces its 3rd Annual NBC Second City Break Out Comedy Festival, taking place in Chicago June 8-10, 2017. This year's festival includes a kick off night on Thursday, June 8th hosted by Ramon Rivas (The Half Hour with Comedy Central, MTV's Decoded). Danny Pudi (NBC's Powerless and Community) and special guest Parvesh Cheena (NBC's Outsourced) host on Friday, June 9th, and Second City alum and comic Chris Redd (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) will host on Saturday, June 10th.

The Break Out Comedy Festival was created in 2015 as part of a relationship between NBC and The Second City with the goal of showcasing diverse voices in comedy. Each night of performances will feature some of the country's best young, talent in sketch, improvisation and stand-up.

"The Second City is delighted to provide an ongoing platform for diverse, young talent to be heard and seen by the industry," said Dionna Griffin-Irons, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for The Second City. "It's something we're very serious about and our theater has become a talent pipeline for some of comedy's best performers of color."

Featured performers include a Thursday night comedy smorgasboard of Chicago's seasoned stand-up comics Felonious Munk, Erica Clark, Matty Ryan, Alex Kumin, sharing the stage with emerging new comics. Friday night featured performers include New York-based comic Ramy Youseff, LA comedian and StandUp NBC alumna Aisha Alfa, Sam Ike of Boston, Second City Mainstage performer Martin Morrow and Irene Tu of San Francisco. The shows will also feature graduates of the Chicago and Toronto Bob Curry Fellowship program showcasing improv and sketch.

Tickets for the Break Out Comedy Festival are on sale now for $20 and can be purchased online at www.UPComedyClub.com or by phone at 312-662-4562. All performances will take place at UP Comedy Club (230 W. North, 3rd Floor of Piper's Alley) with shows on Thursday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. and both Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m and 10:00 p.m. An additional midnight show is also available on Saturday night.

About The Second City

Beginning as a small cabaret theater on Chicago's north side in 1959, The Second City has grown to become a comedy empire, building a robust $55 million business based on its core improvisational methodologies. Resident theaters in Chicago and Toronto create topical sketch comedy revues that satirize politics, culture and news of the day. Additionally, Second City performs thousands of shows each year in regional theaters, colleges and performing arts centers. 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 enrolls more than 11,000 students annually. The Second City also has a business division that works with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies in the areas of training, marketing, entertainment and brand services, and The Second City's forays into television and new media continues to produce new content and programming, including the classic, Emmy Award-winning comedy series SCTV.

About the NBC Talent Infusion Programs

Since 2000, NBC Entertainment has been dedicated to discovering and nurturing on screen and behind-the-camera talent of diverse and inclusive backgrounds through the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS). NBC TIPS are amongst the most extensive and robust diversity and inclusion programs in the television industry. They feature more than 20 programs including the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, Writers on the Verge, Emerging Director Program and StandUp NBC nationwide search for stand-up comedians. Program alumni are celebrated producers, writers, directors and actors in the entertainment industry who have gone on to win Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG Awards. For more information, visit NBCUNITIPS.com.

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