November 18, 2008

• Enjoy holiday music, eggnog before shows

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Alys Stephens Center presents "Second City's Dysfunctional Holiday Revue" at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. S., Birmingham. Tickets are $45, $35 and $25; students $20. Enjoy holiday music and eggnog one hour before each show. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org for more information.

Second City's Dysfunctional Holiday Revue is the perfect alternative to the same old holiday shows. It's a raucous blend of sketches, songs, improvisation and seasonal satire, from the famous troupe known as the training ground for comedy's brightest stars, including Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert and more. An evening with The Second City gives audiences the chance to see comedy stars in the making, and they'll see absolutely hilarious satire and cutting-edge improvisation. No topic or subject matter is off limits. If your parents asked you not to speak about it at the dinner table, chances are it will be made fun of in an evening with The Second City. The performance will feature some of the best sketches, songs and improvisations from The Second City's near 50-year history.

Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City alumni list reads like a who's who of American comedy: Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, George Wendt, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Tim Meadows, Chris Farley, Horatio Sanz, Ryan Stiles and countless others.

This show is part of the Beyond Comedy Series. Sponsors are The Birmingham News, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Viva Health.