Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
273
on two stages (the st oried main stage and the smaller S econd City ETC) and
a hugely popular training school . The main-stage ensembles change fr e-
quently, and the sho ws can swing wildly back and f orth on the hilarit y meter.
(I'd recommend making this a par ents' night out—the subjec t matter is usu-
ally best appr eciated b y adults!) I n r ecent y ears, the club has adopt ed the
long-form improvisational program pioneered by ImprovOlympic (see belo w
listing), which has br ought much bett er r eviews. Check the theat er r eviews
in the
Reader,
a fr ee local w eekly, f or an opinion on the curr ent sho w. To
sample the S econd City experience, catch the fr ee postshow improv session
(it gets going ar ound 10:30pm); no ticket is nec essary if y ou sk ip the main
show (except Fri). 1616 N. Wells St. (in the Pipers Alley complex at North Ave.).
&
877/778-4707
or 312/337-3992. w ww.secondcity.com. Tickets about $20.
Subway/El: Brown Line t o Sedgwick.
ImprovOlympic
Finds
ImprovOlympic engages the audience as the talented
cast solicits suggestions and cr eates original per formances. Once a theme is
decided, a series of skits, monologues, and songs are built around it. Unscripted
nightly performances have included a variety of themes, from free-form pieces
to shows loosely based on concepts such as
Star Trek
or dating. Like all improv,
it's a gamble: It could be a big laugh, or the amateur performers could go down
in flames. Successful alums include Mike Myers, the late Chris Farley, Tim Mead-
ows, Andy Dick, and Conan O'Brien's former
Late Night
sidekick, Andy Richter.
3541 N. Clark St. (at Addison St.).
&
773/880-0199.
www.iochicago.net. Tickets
$5-$18. Subway/El: Red Line to Addison.
10
The Segals' latest outpost is the new
Joe's Be-bop Cafe and Jazz Emporium
at Navy
Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. (
&
312/595-5299
), a Southern-style barbecue restaurant with
live music nightly .
806 S. Plymouth C ourt (in the hist oric Dearborn Station bldg .).
&
312/
360-0234.
www.jazzshowcase.com. Tickets $20-$25. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand.
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Ages 12 & up.
A major American opera company , the
Lyric attracts top-notch singers fr om all o ver the world. N aturally, this is not the place
for toddlers, but if you have kids in 7th through 12th grades, you might want to expose
them to opera thr ough the company 's student matinees. Kids should be pr epared for
performances to r un appr oximately 90 minutes. Their L yric NE xT pr ogram offers
steeply discounted student tickets to the O pera's r egular pr oductions—as lo w as $20,
when regular-priced seats are going for almost $200. Just soaking in the ambience at the
glamorous and opulent opera house is quite an experience (even if you leave at intermis-
sion!). The handsome, 3,563-seat Ar t D eco Civic O pera H ouse is the second-largest
opera house in the countr y, built in 1929. A dd to that the magnificence of the L yric
Opera Orchestra and chor us, the amazing sets and costumes, and the beautiful v oices,
and it's an experience y our kids won't soon forget. Kids ar e encouraged to dr ess up for
the occasion, and proper etiquette is expected. Ticket prices are $5 for the upper balcony,
