Chicago Shows - The Second City

After getting a single suggestion, the cast of six professional comedians asks the audience to choose a detective. Enjoy as they invent a tale of crime, secrets, and scandals right before your eyes. The performers will keep track of facts, follow leads, and conclude who is the murderer, all while you take in a comedy experience unlike any you’ve seen before. During the show, they’ll employ the tropes, character archetypes, and influences of Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes, Nick and Nora Charles, Encyclopedia Brown, and just a dash of Scooby-Doo.

Ever heard of this show “Hamilton”?

Shamilton is just like that, but (ahem) better! Expect the same level of hip hop, incredible songs, moving storytelling, stunning choreography and powerhouse singing… except made up on the spot.

The New York Times called Shamilton “One of the top 5 comedy shows to catch”.

Comedy supergroup Baby Wants Candy presents “Shamilton!”, the Hamilton-inspired hip hop improvised musical created in 2016 in LA and playing to sold out crowds all over the place, including the Kennedy Center in DC, a national touring company and weekly sold out shows in New York and LA.

Join the Shamilton cast as they improvise an epic musical based on a historical figure or celebrity of your choosing…including Genghis Khan, Kim Kardashian, Mr. Rogers, or even basketball playing superdog Air Bud. You decide!

It’s the show Lin-Manuel Miranda calls, “cease and desist!”

Baby Wants Candy is a completely improvised, full band musical! Having performed over 3,000 improvised musicals to thousands of fans from Chicago to New York to Singapore to Scotland, this group not only performs in Chicago, New York, and LA but also tours internationally, including multiple sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

BWC cast & alumni include Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Peter Gwinn (Colbert Report), Thomas Middleditch (HBO’s Silicon Valley), Lauren Conlan Adams (Kimmy Schmidt), Jessica McKenna (Party Over Here), Nicole Parker (Elephaba in Wickedon Broadway) and many more. Hailed as “Critic’s Pick” from the New York Times and “Best Improv Ensemble” from the Chicago Magazine, this is one improv show you don’t want to miss!

Cue the laugh track because it’s a very special episode of your favorite long running tv show! The gang gets up to the same ‘ol wacky shenanigans that you remember in this one hour comedy show performed in front of a live audience (that’s you!) but this time it’s completely made up on the spot! Watch all the will-they-won’t-theys, loveably bad bosses, and zany next door neighbors that tv raised you on now with much lower budgets!

Don’t miss Chicago’s rising comedy stars before they hit TV, plus surprise guests from Netflix and Comedy Central! Get your tickets now for an unforgettable night of laughter!

Chill AF Presents the best comedians Chicago has to offer, plus special drop-ins from prominent name comedians you’ve seen on SNL, Comedy Central, and Netflix

Chicago’s top comedians battle it out for laughs, glory, and sweet sweet points in an interactive game show, featuring a live studio audience (that’s you!) Performers go head to head in a series of hilarious challenges inspired by classic game shows like The Dating Game and The Price is Right, and current hits like Game Changer and Taskmaster. Wheel of Improv will leave your head spinning – with laughter!

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Ten Dollar Comedy is a weekly comedy showcase featuring some of Chicago’s best improv, stand-up, and sketch – all for only $10.

This show is produced and hosted each week by Top Dollar Comedy, a comedy collective that features a rotating cast who have performed all over the world together. The ensemble includes: Carly Olson, Eric Muller, Eric Pedersen, Erin Goldsmith, Jonny Nelson, Peter Corey, and Deanna Ortiz.

Hot Girlz are back at the Second City Training Center! They bring their unique brand of sketch, improv and music to you just in time for your Spring girls night out. Exploring topics like adulting, bodies, love and, what it means to be 6 modern women trying their best. Somehow heartbreak feels good in a place like this.

Sero-Tone It Down: a 50 minute sketch revue with the goal of shedding light in some of the darkest areas of the human condition. We aim to highlight Mental Health Awareness month with a show run in May 2025 that explores the stigmas, day to day lives, struggles, and topics in general surrounding mental illness. With each performer looking to bring their unique voice to the stage and highlight Mental Health, Mental Illness’ they may encounter/deal with on a daily basis, we hope to create comedic conversation on topics otherwise ignored or altogether avoided. Additionally, we aim to outline and donate the ticket proceeds to Brave Space Alliance to give back where it matters the most. Come for the serotonin, stay for the conversation with Sero-Tone It Down!

Welcome to Slimeville, where your typical slimeballs are actually the heroes of this story and squeaky-clean go-getters are as mucky as they come. Crime runs rampant in Slimeville—residents leap at the opportunity to rob their neighbors for all they’ve got, government officials vote to feed the ever-growing at population, and the FDA is a word whispered amongst bad children who should be punished.

Mucky Yuck Jr., a 16-year-old dirtpill with a knack for worms and a penchant for pond scum, is SLIMEGRIMECRIME’’s protagonist. Her father, Mucky Yuck Sr., owns Slimevilles’s biggest factory in town: Slime Factory, which manufactures weapons for Slimeville’s war on Soap (the neighboring town). On her 16th birthday, Mucky Yuck Jr. is finally ready to start working full-time at Slime Factory, shoveling slob into skuttles and cramming crud into crevices. Set to be the heiress of her father’s foul fortune, Mucky Yuck Jr.’s got it made. That is, until she meets Honor Floss, the new (spotless!) kid in town, sent by Soap’s bumbling band of businessmen. Usually, upon seeing someone not yet totally soiled with slime, Mucky would slip slugs into their slushies and pollute their pupils with pungent plops. But there’s something different about Honor. Something mysterious. Something… pure?

Join Mucky on her quest to slime and grimify Soap while also learning about family, friendship, and freedom. Featuring songs like “Raised By Rats,” “Hope is a Thing With Bubbles,” and “Dirty Money,” SLIMEGRIMECRIME is sure to spoil your stomach, liberate your laughter, and hug your heart.

Come join us for an evening of improvised fun as veteran teams Here for the Moment and Badasstronauts are joined on stage by a new comedic act each week while also bringing you tried and true formats for a hilarious evening.

Don’t miss the all-new sketch show featuring talent from TikTok sensation @wet.mouth!

While life may not come with a manual, a little — or a lot — of laughter can make even the toughest challenges bearable. Sometimes, the best part of adulting is simply having people to share the ride with.

In Sublease on Life, viewers will find themselves laughing, crying, and ultimately cheering on this laugh-out-loud crew one misadventure at a time!

Starring Blair Girkins, Chris Kivlahan, Grace Lenaghan, Hugo Hentoff, Izzy Baker, Jack Snodgrass, and Ray Padron.

Written by Chris Kivlahan and Produced by Grace Lenaghan

Follow along @subleaseonlife

We’re having a fire! …sale. From the group that brought you “Tenne(SHE) William’s: The Glass MENagerie” and “Goosebumps…but from laughing”, their latest show is flying off the shelves! “Liquidation Sale” is a night of fun and lascivious sketch comedy that’ll have you skanking in the aisles! Come see your favorite Uncle Tommy, a podcast from an undead humanoid, or watch love take flight. All these sketches must go— but just like the weather, nobody knows what’s going to happen next (Sponsored by Pointecliffe & Pointecliffe) Directed by Andy Bolduc

A sketch show about growing up, getting stronger, learning how to be an adult, and maybe a little about milk, okay like 2% about milk.

Coors Memories is a late-night nostalgic sketch show – 4.2% ABV and 95.8% core memories. In our 60-minute sketch revue, we’ll share old memories and make new memories… and it’ll take you back to the nights you used to gab with your best friends until the sun came up, without any of the pressures of adult responsibilities. Grab a drink, find a comfortable chair, and the sketch comedy is on the house. Cheers!

Our cast turns audience-suggested parties into long form improv extravaganzas. Each week, one of our performers takes the reins as the party host, leading you through the celebration. Meanwhile, our quirky characters stop at nothing to ensure they get exactly what they want out of the party.

Insomniac is a late-night variety show that breaks all the rules with new weekly eccentric guests that do everything from magic to drag to bubble art. Witness mind-bending performances from offbeat celebrities and underground artists followed by improv from some of the best comedians in the city. Forget sleep— this show thrives in the chaos of the after-hours, where anything can happen and weird is wonderful.

History Reheats Itself is a brand new sketch show that blends satirical styles, both old and new, with a flair for the theatrical and a certain je ne sais quoi never seen before. This madcap show parodies modern life through historical sketches, musical numbers, and improv. This Monty Python meets Mel Brooks-type show, featuring some of the brightest up-and-coming talent Chicago offers, is the newest Don’t Quit Productions show you don’t want to miss. Join us as we take you back through time and leave you with a new perspective on life.

Join the CinEvil Society as they search for the world’s most evil film! Be the test audience as your villainous host screens a select horror movie to see if it can terrify you into submission. Unfortunately, the aging VHS tapes used to copy these fiendish films from late night tv in the 80’s have degraded over the years, and the missing scenes must be re-created by a cast of damned improvisers freshly summoned from the netherworld. Even though they’ve never seen the original movie. What creature will feature next? The hungry C.H.U.D.? The groovy Ghoulies? Or the big balls of Phantasm? Dare to buy a ticket to this late night fright and find out!

Comedy Charcuterie is back for it’s second season of stand up and storytelling based comedy! Come watch as premier Chicago stand ups inspire the minds of veteran professional improvisers.

Featuring:

Nick Davis

Laura Dellis

Max Thomas

Colette Gregory

JOY!

Join us for a comedy variety show presented by Basketball Crush, an all-female improv team that seamlessly blends musical theater and improv into a symphony of laughter, creativity, and harmonious spontaneity. Replay is more than just a show—it’s a celebration of diverse voices that features Chicago’s best female and BIPOC led acts. A night full of bold creativity and musical slam dunks. From the first chord to the final curtain, every moment will leave you wanting an instant replay.

Now That’s What I Call…History? Tragedy? Comedy? Ahhh, none of those work. Now That’s What I Call F*&k It! A hilarious sketch comedy show featuring a variety of themes that makes it more diverse than that mixtape you made for your High School crush. Except this show is actually good.

In an attempt to win back the American people’s trust, the US Government is releasing “redacted information” once deemed too sensitive for the public. These are those files.

Veteran Chicago improviser and current Second City faculty member, David Montgomery, performs with different improvisers each show. Sometimes it’s with an existing improv team. Sometimes it’s with fellow veteran improvisers or former students. Each Sunday night is different so come laugh and see who’s performing with David! There will also be 2 opening acts performing before David M & Friends.

The one stop shop for light hearted, side splitting comedy that everyone can enjoy. Get your tickets before they are gone! Because everyone needs a “pretty good laugh”.

Fresh off of their sold out run as The Davenports, these fan faves are back as…The Kensingtons! Showcasing an improvised style family dramedy. Laugh, cheer and gasp as billionaire rival families The Kensingtons and The Wentworths plot, scheme, slap and sleep their way through each improvised episode. Dynasty? Revenge? Scandal? Indulge in your soap opera fantasy with… The Kensingtons!

Second City’s premier long form show featuring both current ensemble members and alumni of the theater’s professional roster of improvisers.

Millennials take on Generation X in a battle to see which generation is funnier. The audience votes at the end of the show. Featuring some of the best comics in Chicago, Hosted by Todd Glover

Can we steal you for a sec?

Join us as we improvise an entire season of The Bachelor all in one, dramatically hilarious hour. Date cards will be given, hearts will be broken, secrets will be revealed, and ultimately a proposal will be made.

We’ll bring the roses – all we need is a little help from the audience’s suggestions as we bring Bachelor Nation to the Chicago stage.

Created by Sarah Force & directed by Alex Bellisle, Improvised Bachelor plays every Saturday in March in Judy’s Beat Lounge

Drunk Chicago Sports History is a sketch and improv comedy show where we take you on a wild, hilarious ride through Chicago’s most iconic sports moments – all with a twist. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a casual observer, or just someone who enjoys the vibes of cracking a cold one in the bleachers on a hot summer day, this show has something for you.

From the super bowl shuffle in ‘85 to breaking the curse in the 2016 World Series, we’ll reimagine Chicago’s legendary sports history moments through a lens of improv, teamwork, and a lot of laughs. Watch as we take key moments from the city’s storied past and give them our own comedic spin.

Get ready for sketches, unscripted moments, and a vibe that’s more about celebrating the good times with friends than anything else. Whether you’re reliving classic sports memories or just cracking up with the crew, Drunk Chicago Sports History is the ultimate love letter to the city’s athletic culture – served with a side of belly laughs and a few too many drinks. Bring your game face, your sense of humor, and an appetite for a good time!

Hello Travelers! Welcome to RPG-13, the comedy company that combines role playing games with improvisation, where fate and funny collide! Join our Tavern Keeper, as they invite a volunteer from the audience onstage (maybe you!), and will help you create your very own role playing adventure! With the help of our Game Master and company of Adventurers, you will create your character, pick which Adventurer will play your character, and discover the location and genre of your adventure. However, as the story unfolds, the random roll of the dice will be the deciding factor on how well everything goes. Roll a 20, a glorious success! Roll a 1, a hilarious disaster! Come see how the dice roll, and enjoy your adventure!

The Kidz are back by Propular demand! You bring props, we bring props, and the fun begins. Our dynamic troupe specializes in prop-based improv, ensuring each performance is a unique experience. From rubber chickens to mystery boxes, The Propular Kidz bring a wide array of knicks and/or knacks to every show, guaranteeing you’ll be prop-erly entertained. Join us for a one-of-a-kind event where even your own prop might end up stealing the spotlight!

Take Two is a longform, narrative show consisting of TWO never-before-seen, made-up-on-the-spot movies! Give us a song, we’ll give you a movie! Based on a song lyric supplied by the audience, this group of movie buffs use their knowledge of cinema and genre to create two sometimes-logical 30 minute movies, making fun of the tropes found in your favorite genres: Romcoms, horror, action, holiday, and more! Take Two is a celebration of the things we love about our favorite flicks!

Go All-In on longform improv with host team Lavalier. Six teams play for a chance to win completely worthless prizes awarded by our esteemed panel of improv judges, followed by a performance by the judges themselves. Seven teams, six weeks, two hours of hilarious improv comedy. Nothing has been scripted or prepared in advance. It will all be made up before your very eyes!