Sept. 14--Second City's Mainstage Theatre will reopen Thursday, a few days earlier than anticipated, after an extra-alarm fire destroyed the comedy company's Old Town offices last month, a Second City spokeswoman announced Monday.
The first performance at the Mainstage Theatre will be a private show for Chicago firefighters at 8 p.m. Thursday. The Mainstage will continue with its regular performance schedule through the weekend, while the UP Comedy Club will begin performances Sept. 22.
Performances of "Soul Brother, Where Art Thou?" at the e.t.c. theater will start Sept. 24. Donny's Skybox performances will begin Friday.
Second City representatives had previously announced the relocation or cancellation of all performances in the Mainstage, e.t.c. stage and UP theaters through Sept. 20 so the cleanup could continue after the Aug. 26 fire that originated in the neighboring Adobo Grill restaurant, 1610 N. Wells St.
While the theaters were in good condition after the blaze, carpet, wiring and lighting had to be replaced, Second City CEO Andrew Alexander said.
"We are so excited to be headed back to Old Town to begin performances this week," Alexander said in a statement.
Ticketholders were given the option of refunds or rebooking shows. Tickets for all performances will be available at SecondCity.com and UPComedyClub.com.
Contributions will be collected after all performances through the end of the month and will be donated to to the Chicago Fire Department Gold Badge Society, which provides outreach to the families of firefighters and paramedics killed in the line of duty.
Three firefighters, a medic and a building employee suffered minor injuries, according to a Fire Department spokesman.
