Displaying items by tag: The Second City

Tis' the season for laughter and cheer! The Second City is decking its holiday lineup with shows for every sense of humor; including two hilarious holiday shows that promise big laughter for all ages. Whether you're craving a nostalgic night out or starting a new holiday tradition, The Second City makes any winter outing merry and oh, so bright.

Make hilarious holiday memories with The Second City. Save 25% on tickets to Not Today, Santa and Pandemonium, Please Hold in December if booked between September 17 and October 9. Use code HOLIDAY2026 at checkout.

For showtimes and tickets please visit secondcity.com or call our box office at (312) 337-3992. The Second City is located at 1616 N. Wells Street.

The Second City's Holiday Lineup
Not Today, Santa
November 25 – December 28, 2026
Tickets start at $45.

Not Today, Santa is The Second City's ultimate holiday comedy celebration, featuring a merry mix of fan-favorite sketches, sharp satire, and festive fun. Packed with laughs for anyone who has survived a family holiday gathering, this seasonal revue is the perfect holiday outing for friends, families, and office parties alike.

Rudolph Runs Wild
November 27 – December 27, 2026
Tickets are $30.

Share silliness this holiday season with Rudolph Runs Wild, a jolly extravaganza for kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and reindeer of all ages! Featuring a fun and festive blend of family-friendly songs and sketches from The Second City's rich comedy archives, fresh new material written specifically for young audiences, and – of course – the ridiculous improv hijinks The Second City is world famous for. Brighten your winter with this one-of-a-kind interactive theatrical experience offering audience members, young and old, the chance to enjoy the comedy fun both from their seats and by joining The Second City performers onstage!

Also Playing at The Second City
Searching for mistletoe free options? We get it! Beat the Scrooge accusations by seeing Second City's hit revues Pandemonium, Please Hold and Reality Detox: The Improv Experience. It's the perfect date night plan without the holiday overload. Turn bah humbug into a night full of laughter with these hit shows.

Pandemonium, Please Hold
Open Run
Tickets start at $40.

The Second City's 114th Mainstage Revue Pandemonium, Please Hold is a loud, fast, and gloriously unhinged night of comedic mayhem. The Second City's six-person cast cranks the amps and stage dives headfirst into the chaos with blistering sketch comedy, unpredictable improv, explosive live music, and absolutely zero chill. Cathartic and wildly funny, brace for pandemonium and join us for a night of full-volume hilarity. Come scream into the abyss with us.

Reality Detox: The Improv Experience
Open Run
Tickets start at $40

Reality Detox: The Improv Experience is a high-energy night of improvisation from The Second City, with a few sketch surprises mixed in along the way. Built fresh each night and shaped by the people in the room, every performance is different from the last. Funny, fast, and wildly unpredictable, it's a chance to escape reality and enjoy a night of laughter. Come be part of the comedy magic.

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improv and comedy. Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad for many of the funniest names on the planet, including John Belushi, John Candy, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, Eugene Levy, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Suzy Nakamura, Catherine O'Hara, Amy Poehler, Gilda Radner, Sam Richardson, Joan Rivers, Amber Ruffin, Robin Thede and Steven Yeun, among many more.

Some things were just meant to go together, even if they do sound a little odd at first. Like peanut butter and bananas, apple pie and cheddar cheese, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet; The Art of Falling is amazing collaboration between Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and The Second City. The unexpected pairing of the extremely original and unique contemporary dance company, and a Chicago improve comedy standard, both staples of Chicago entertainment in their own right, was a match made in theater heaven!

Hubbard Street Dance has done many interesting collaborations in the past, pushing the envelope of what a dance performance is and exposing new audiences to dance in creative ways. In 2014, Hubbard Street and Second City first got together and put together the energetic, unexpected and endlessly engaging performance entitled The Art of Falling. Now back at the Harris Theater by popular demand, the show is once again bringing laughter, joy and maybe even some tears to Chicago audiences. 

This distinctive show incorporates so much more than simply dance and comedy. They leverage video - both pre-recorded and live footage, audience interaction, endless props and fantastic music – again both live and recorded. The sheer creativity of this production is mind-blowing. There are 20 pieces that make up this show, each different from the one before but just like a great comedy show, it circles around a primary story line and a few smaller secondary ones, making the whole show flow together seamlessly and move along effortlessly. 

The primary story line is a love story of course, but it challenges the traditional silver screen romance as it is rooted in real life where relationships are bumpy and have awkward edges that need smoothing and love - or rather admitting you are in love - is scary. It challenges the audience to take that leap of faith and conquer the fear of falling. After all, what is the worst that can happen?

All of the performers, under the direction of Billy Bungeroth, were pure perfection and there certainly were a lot of them! This collaboration was made up of five choreographers, three writers, six actors and two dozen dancers. At times, it was difficult to tell the comedians from the dancers as each tried on the others role with dancers delivering well timed punch lines and comedians flexing their dancing muscles. The writing was witty and fun, and the choreography was exceptional, highlighting the extreme talents of the dance company as well as their humorous side. In a piece completely improved by both the comedians and the dancers, it draws some unexpected similarities between the art of improv comedy and improv dance. 

Part of the appeal of this performance is that it continually surprises the audience with more and more creative, imaginative and inventive pieces. After the first act when you think they cannot top themselves, they prove you wrong with a second act that just keeps on impressing. All of that said, I leave this review here so as to not ruin the magic for you. You have to see this show for yourself. As it wows the audience with its cleverness, it also touches the heart and inspires the audience to take just let go, and not be afraid of falling.

Be sure to get your tickets now and catch The Art of Falling at the Harris Theater through June 19th!