Day: September 9, 2009

The Second City has been around for 50 years. Fifty! They're going to be celebrating this December with three days and nights of alumni panels, performances and screenings. The main attraction will be a one-time-only SCTV Reunion Show on Dec. 11, with performances by Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and Dave Thomas. Proceeds from ticket sales ($175-$750) will benefit The Second City Alumni Fund, a resource fund for performers, technicians, support staff and other members of the creative and production teams at The Second City and SCTV. Tickets go on sale Monday, Sept. 14 in Chicago and online at www.secondcity.com. Other shows will be announced in coming weeks, and you can look at photos and get information at Second City's 50th Anniversary site. Because today is 09/09/09, and everything is all Beatles anyhow, here's a fun little shot from Second City's 1994 Chicago show, "Are You Now, Or Have You Ever Been Mellow?" Perhaps you recognize a couple of these fellas? (back) Steve Carell, Scott Allman; (front) Stephen Colbert, David Razowsky If you look at Second City's Chicago alumni list, you will be amazed at just how many talented comedians either got started there or had their careers forever changed by the theater. Just...

This just in: As we get closer to the 2009 New York Comedy Festival, we've got information for all of you aspiring funny people about this year's edition of the "New York's Funniest Stand-Up" contest, which is open to anyone in the city who thinks he or she is worthy of the title, cash prize, week of gigs at Carolines and a guest spot on one of the major festival shows. Here's the schedule: OPEN CALL AUDITIONS: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 20-21 SEMIFINAL LIVE SHOWS: Oct. 27-28 FINALS: Nov. 3 So, yes, once again, there will be an open call at Carolines on Broadway for comedians who want to perform a two-minute audition for judges. They'll be looking at your material, originality and stage presence. But I should warn you, too (and not just because I have taken part in this contest in the past). In addition to the line of wannabes who have waited on the sidewalk for upward of hours at a time, the club also has offered scheduled audition times in past years to working professional comedians. This was the practice for Last Comic Standing, too. Plus, the winners in 2007 (Wil Sylvince) and 2008 (Julian McCullough) were regulars at Carolines who already had hosting spots in one of the major festival shows. I'm not suggesting anything downright nefarious here; merely letting you know what...