From sagebrush to Sheriff Joe, from Green Valley to kokopelli - it's time to batten down the barrel cactus because The Second City is on their way to the Grand Canyon State to do a no-holds-barred world premiere comedy revue all about Arizona. THE SECOND CITY DOES ARIZONA is an original revue of comic sketches and songs aimed at skewering everything and everyone that is unique, ridiculous and wonderful about the land of rising temperatures and falling real estate.  The Second City Does Arizona plays in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center from April 29 through May 16.


Following an intensive tour (fueled by refried beans and Sonoran hot dogs) of greater Phoenix, lesser Tucson and points in between (including the Ostrich Ranch at Picacho Peak), writers from The Second City (closely monitored by photo radar) are creating a show just for Arizona Theatre Company. The writers have assured us that they found plenty of targets-uh, material- to keep Arizona audiences in stitches. Famous for their hilarious sketch comedy and for equally famous alumni like Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Gilda Radner and a whole slew of others, The Second City's troupe of expert Chicago comedians have created a topical revue about the special challenges of the high life in the low desert. And as we like to say here in the Southwest: "It's a dry wit."

"I wanted to put a 'wild card' into our season—something that would be totally unlike anything ATC has done before, but something that maybe would serve to lift our spirits," said Arizona Theatre Company’s Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein. "I looked at some very silly comedies but felt that our audience would appreciate something with more bite and texture.  A society that can't laugh at itself or loses its sense of humor, even in the most complex of times, is a society that is in trouble."

The Second City Does Arizona was created by writers Tom Flanigan and Ed Furman along with director Matt Hovde, Musical Director Matthew Loren Cohen and a cast of six experienced Second City performers: Ryan Archibald, Amanda Blake Davis, Cody Dove, Lauren Dowden, Martin Garcia and Andel Sudik.

Tickets start at $26, depending on date and section choice and are available at www.arizonatheatre.org or by calling the box office at (602) 256-6995. House Seats are available for select performances. Call for details.