What's in a Ticket? Second City's 50th Anniversary Alumni Performance Sells for $1,800 a Pop

As previously reported, Second City, the famed comedy theater in Chicago will be hosting a star-studded 50th Anniversary celebration from December 11 - December 13. The celebration includes an alumni show on December 12, and performances, panel discussions and screenings at its intimate theatres on Wells Street and in The Piper's Alley Complex in Chicago throughout the weekend.

Some of the weekend highlights include the "SCTV Reunion," a benefit for The Second City Alumni Fund, on Friday December 11, 2009 featuring Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, AndRea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and Dave Thomas with special guests. Alumni panels and screenings will take place during the day on Sat. Dec. 12 and Sun. Dec. 13, and alumni reunion performances in all spaces the evening of Sat. Dec. 12. 

In numbers that put Broadway to shame, theater critic Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that tickets for the alumni show are being scalped for as much as $1,800 a piece.  

According to Jones: "On Craigslist, there now are pages of requests from those looking for the sought-after ducats (which sold out fast last weekend at the price of $125). One recent poster says he is willing to pay $750 a ticket...And there are a few tickets for sale. One lister (who says he somehow managed to snag 12 tickets and plans to sell 12 of them in groups of 4) wants $1,800 each."

Other scalpers who are promoting their stock as an opportunity for a one-in-a-lifetime experience are selling their share for as much as $1,250 a piece.

Featuring alumni from every generation performing classic scenes from The Second City archives. The list of alumni slated to return to the theatre is still growing, but currently includes such former Second Citizens as Scott Adsit, Jim Belushi, Steve Carell, Dan Castellaneta, Stephen Colbert, Jeff Garlin, Ian Gomez, Fred Kaz, Tim Kazurinsky, Keegan Michael Key, Richard Kind, Jack McBrayer, Colin Mochrie, Bob Odenkirk, Harold Ramis, Horatio Sanz, George Wendt, Fred Willard and many, many more. Face value tickets are marked at $125 

To view a complete line-up of events for the 50th Anniversary Celebration, click here.

For more information and tickets to all events, visit www.scfifty.com.

Beginning as a small cabaret theatre on Chicago's north side in 1959, The Second City has grown to become a comedy empire - building a robust business based on its core improvisational methodologies. Resident theatres in Chicago and Toronto create topical sketch comedy revues that satirize politics, culture and news of the day. 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 enroll over 3000 students; a corporate division works with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies in areas of training, marketing, entertainment and brand services; and The Second City's forays into television and new media include the classic, Emmy-award winning comedy series "SCTV" as well as a number of new productions originating from The Second City Entertainment's offices in Los Angeles.

The Second City is best known as the incubator for North America's best and brightest comedy superstars: Alan Arkin, Ed Asner, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, John Belushi, Peter Boyle, John Candy, Steve Carell, Dan Castellaneta, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Bonnie Hunt, Robert Klein, AndRea Martin, Elaine May, Jack McBrayer, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Mike Nichols, Catherine O'Hara, Amy Poehler, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Joan Rivers, Amy Sedaris, Martin Short, Nia Vardalos, Fred Willard and many, many more all have roots extending to The Second City.

Proceeds from the shows will go to The Second City Alumni Fund. The Alumni Fund of the Second City was established by Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, AndRea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, and Martin Short to assist and aid current, former or retired performers, technicians, support staff or other members of the creative and productions teams employed by The Second City theatres and in connection with the SCTV television series.

Sponsors for The Second City's 50th Anniversary Festival Weekend are Miller Lite, Southwest Airlines, PUMA, Hub 51, Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba, Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Food Life and Lou Malnati's.