The Second City bringing 55 years of comedy to Poway

Prepare to laugh at over half a century’s worth of The Second City’s best sketch comedy material.

The Second City, the Chicago-based sketch comedy troupe known for producing several Saturday Night Live stars, is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year with a tour that will be making a stop in Poway at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 28 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road.

Tickets for the show range from $33 to $39 for adults, $14 for youth 18 and under with the purchase of an adult ticket. Tickets are available online at www.powayarts.org, at the box office, or by calling 858-748-0505.

Dinner on the Plaza is also available for this show for $25, which will include a gourmet, buffet dinner provided by Café Merlot, as well as one complimentary beverage (beer, wine or non-alcoholic). Tickets to The Second City are required for admission to dinner. Heaters are provided on cool evenings.

The show will feature the best sketches from the last 55 years, performed by The Second City’s touring group. “The best material from anywhere in the (55-year) time period, as well as some improv,” said Maria Randazzo, a member of the touring group who has been with The Second City for a little over a year.

Audience members can expect to enjoy a wide variety of sketches, ranging from 30 seconds to five minutes or longer, said Randazzo, ranging from old favorites to brand new material.

Though the show will feature 55 years of comedy, Randazzo said that most of the sketches will be focused from the 1980s on due to how comedy has changed over the years and how sketches that were funny and topical decades ago might not be anymore.

Established in Chicago in 1959 as an improvisational comedy troupe, The Second City has expanded to include locations in Toronto and Los Angeles, as well as touring and performing on cruise ships.

They are also the largest training center for improvisation and acting in the country, serving more than 13,000 students a year. The training center encourages students to continue their growth and development of skills in comedy and improvisation.

“The Second City created a creative community that attracts thoughtful and intelligent people who enjoy looking at the world through a satirical lens,” said Randazzo.

It boasts a number of Saturday Night Live alumni and other comedy superstars, including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis, Steve Carell, Mike Myers, Martin Short, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, John Candy, Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Chris Farley and current Saturday Night Live cast member Cecily Strong.