Not as much of a club as it is an institution, some of the most famous comedians of American history got their start at Second City. Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Mike Meyers and Chris Farley are just a handful of the hundreds of stars that Second City nurtured. Today, the Second City is still churning out the funniest improv talents in the world, and shows can be seen every weekend.
Second City
1616 N Wells St
Chicago, Illinois 60614-6002
(312) 337-3992
www.secondcity.com
The most popular national comedians make their Chicago stop at Zanies. Located just down the street from Second City on Wells, Zanies hosts acts who are regularly seen on Comedy Central (Jeff Garlin, Gilbert Gottfried, Bill Bellamy, David Alan Grier, Richard Lewis, Norm MacDonald, among others) Tickets start at $22 and a two item minimum purchase. Shows usually start at 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 p.m and later on weekends.
Zanies
1548 North Wells Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610-1308
(312) 337-4027
www.chicago.zanies.com
Comedy Sportz doesn't really have anything to do with sports, but rather makes its performances to be a sort of comedic competition. The comedians do improv, and many of the shows are actually suitable for an all-ages crowd. Two comedy teams do skits that battle for laughs and the audiences decide what's funniest. Comedy Sportz usually gets audience members involved in the skits, so it's become a popular option for holiday and corporate party events.
Comedy Sportz
929 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60657
(773) 549-8080
www.comedysportz.com