The Second City has announced the 8th annual event: The Second City That Never Sleeps: Letters to Santa - 24 consecutive hours of improvisation by Second City performers and alumni featuring a variety of special guest artists - a tradition that provides presents for needy children during the holiday season and this year wraps up a weekend of events around The Second City's 50th Anniversary.

Doors will open at 5:45pm. The show will begin on Tuesday, December 15th in The Second City e.t.c. (1608 N. Wells St, 2nd Floor of Piper's Alley) at 6:00pm and will conclude on Wednesday, December 16th at 6:00pm.

An ensemble of Chicago's best known improvisers (along with alumni of The Second City) will take the stage for an entire 24-hour period. Improvisational games, scenes, songs, monologues and random acts of weirdness inspired by sleep deprivation will accompany performances by such artists as Robbie Fulks, Jeff Tweedy, UCB's ASSSCAT, Bonnie Prince Billy, The Mountain Goats and The Blisters.

Listed below is the current performance schedule. For schedule updates, visit www.secondcity.com.

  • 12/13/09 - 7:00pm: Jeff Tweedy
  • 12/13/09 - 10:00pm: Robbie Fulks
  • 12/14/09 - 12:00am: UCB's Asssscat with Matt Walsh, Horatio Sanz and Chicago friends
  • 12/14/09 - 3:00am: Flash-mob Marching Band
  • 12/14/09 - 6:00am: Bonnie Prince Billy
  • 12/14/09 - 7:30am: BabyCo
  • 12/14/09 - 12:00pm: Nina Nastasia
  • 12/14/09 - 2:00pm: The Mountain Goats
  • 12/14/09 - 4:30pm: The Blisters
Tickets for The Second City That Never Sleeps: Letters to Santa are $15.00 for the 24 hour period and can be purchased at the door. The event is open to all ages. Alcohol will be available to those 21 years and older from 6:00pm-2:00am and from noon-6:00pm. In addition to raffle prizes offered during the event, there will also be an auction to win a private performance with Jeff Tweedy.