Second City taps celebrity alums for 50th anniversary bash

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: Second City taps celebrity alums for 50th anniversary bash : As part of its upcoming fiftieth anniversary, Chicago's Second City comedy theater will host a one-night-only Chicago reunion of the cast of the iconic SCTV comedy series, featuring personal appearances by Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and Dave Thomas, Second City is to announce later today. : There will also be special guests at both live SCTV shows, which are slated for Friday Dec. 11 on Second City's mainstage at 1616 N. Wells St. : Also expected to perform on stage and/or sit on panels during the anniversary weekend: Jim Belushi, Jeff Garlin, Alan Arkin, Dan Castellaneta, Tim Meadows, Jack McBrayer, Tim Kazurinsky, Richard Kind, Fred Willard, Dick Schaal, Scott Adsit, David Rasche, David Steinberg, Robert Klein and many others. Invitations have also been sent to other powerful Second City alumni, including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Rachel Dratch, Steve Carell, Mike Myers, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. : Many of those high-wattage stars are expected to show up for special alumni shows slated for Sat. Dec. 12 on both the mainstage and the attached e.t.c. stage. Panels on various aspects of Second City and the history of the theater and its art will take place all weekend. : All of the shows are billed as benefits for the Second City Alumni Fund (a fund that supports former Second City employees who have hit hard times) and thus will command a hefty but yet-to-be-announced ticket price. Tickets are not yet on sale, but they will be available to the public. : SCTV Canadian sketch-comedy show, originally an offshoot of Second City's Toronto company, was created by Bernie Sahlins and Andrew Alexander and aired in syndication throughout Canada and the U.S. Alexander is the current proprietor and executive producer of the Second City. : The December event will feature the entire original SCTV cast (along with Short, who joined the show in its fourth season), with the exception of the late John Candy. Short, who joined the show in its fourth season, will take Candy's place. : "This is like a high school reunion with all the good and bad friendships, the love of your life - ex-girl- and boyfriends and the teachers you loved and hated," Alexander said, in an e-mailed message. "The extra pounds and grey hair. It will be a blast." : For more information, visit www.secondcity.com/50. : (Chicago Tribune)

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