Best Venues for Comedy in Chicago
From its incredible influence in the worlds of sketch and improv, to its current thriving scene of stand-up clubs and theaters, the Windy City continues to dominate the comedy world as a home for up-and-comers and established acts alike.
With so many options on the table, however, it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve compiled a few of the best big venues for comedy in the city to cross off your list. Take a look at our favorites below.
Check out our list of upcoming events in Chicago. Don’t forget to use code TBA20BLOG at checkout to save $20 off any purchase of $100 or more!
The Second City
The Second City is spoken about in hushed tones by comedy nerds who have never bothered to get involved with the actual process of creating it. The venue is anything but a museum, though, training improv troupes constantly and showing off their work just as often. Names like Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Keegan Michael Key have moved on but the Lincoln Park institution is a great place to try and catch their next star before they become huge.
Annoyance Theatre
The Annoyance Theatre has put on oddball, gross-out and surrealist shows for well over 30 years and they show no signs of stopping. Grab a drink and catch a show at their new-ish Lake View space.
Laugh Factory
The original Laugh Factory is still going strong out west, but there’s a lot to be said for this Midwest outpost in a strong comedy city. Like its LA counterpart, it’s a great place to catch local talent in between headliner sets, showing you who’s buzzing and bubbling under in Chicago at any given time.
The Revival
The North Side doesn’t have a monopoly on Chicago comedy. Hyde Park’s The Revival brings improv back to where it supposedly began, in a small theater where the city’s first improv troupe performed.
iO Theater
Improv is a form by and for comedy lifers. Rather than spending time at a polished set by a comic who is working as hard as possible to be funny, improv folks show up in the hope that they’ll see some funny manifest as if by magic. It’s for people who are in it for the long haul. And going long is exactly what this venerated theater specializes in. iO perfected the improv style known as “The Harold,” a show that blends all of the scenes throughout the night into one chaotic, hilarious mess.
Check out our list of upcoming events in Chicago. Don’t forget to use code TBA20BLOG at checkout to save $20 off any purchase of $100 or more!
