This September, The Second City, Chicago's legendary comedy theatre, will return to Denver with a new show celebrating the company's 50th anniversary. A well-known launching pad for some of today's most dynamic comedic talent, The Second City will present A Mile High Celebration: The Second City's 50th Anniversary September 14 through October 10, 2010 at the Garner Galleria Theatre. Single tickets go on sale Sunday, June 13 at www.denvercenter.org or by phone and walk-up Monday, June 14 at 10am.
This new show will feature some of the best sketches, songs, and improvisations from the company's fifty year history including pieces written by famous alumni like
Tina Fey,
Steve Carell and
Stephen Colbert. The seven-member cast with tackle all manner of sketch and improvisational comedy. Casting for the upcoming Denver production will be announced at a later date.
Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City has become the premier training ground for the comedy world's best and brightest. Their alumni list reads like a who's who of American comedy, as it includes:
Mike Nichols,
Elaine May,
Alan Arkin,
Joan Rivers,
Robert Klein,
Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis,
John Belushi,
Dan Aykroyd,
Bill Murray,
Gilda Radner,
George Wendt,
Martin Short,
John Candy, Bonnie Hunt,
Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
Horatio Sanz, Ryan Stiles,
Jack McBrayer, Tim Meadows, Chris Farley,
Mike Myers,
Steve Carell,
Stephen Colbert,
Tina Fey and countless others.
The Second City previously spent nearly a year in residency in Denver at the Garner Galleria Theatre, performing their shows Red Scare and How I Lost My Denverginity from January through December 2006.
The Second City is a Chicago landmark and a
National Treasure, begun in 1959 in a converted Chinese laundry on Chicago's north side. Nearly half a century later, the ensemble has established itself as the world's premier comedy institution. With theatres and training centers in Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, Las Vegas and Cleveland, as well as training centers in New York and Los Angeles, a television and film division and a touring theatrical division, The Second City is "a comedy empire" (The New York Times).
Second City Theatricals is the division of the comedy company responsible for creating original plays, musicals and performance pieces for resident and touring markets. Early successes include the two-woman revue Dratch & Fey, featuring "Saturday Night Live" stars
Rachel Dratch and
Tina Fey, that played Chicago, New York City and Aspen (U.S. Comedy Arts Festival); Hamlet! The Musical, which played two sold-out seasons at the
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; and My Cousin's Wedding, an award-winning play that premiered in Detroit and went on to enjoy a lengthy run in Chicago.
Single tickets for The Second City start at just $29. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the
Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Lobby, or at TicketsWest outlets, located in all King Soopers stores. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.
A Mile High Celebration: The Second City's 50th Anniversary is sponsored by MillerCoors. It is a featured attraction in the
Denver Center Attractions 2010 season, which is generously supported by United Airlines. Media sponsorship for DCA is provided by The Denver Post, CBS4 and Denver Magazine. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Please visit our website at
www.denvercenter.org.
For more information on The Second City, please visit
www.SecondCity.com.
