Chicago Improv Festival Features World's Funniest Improv and Sketch Acts

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) April 18, 2004

120 hilarious live acts, ensembles from nine countries, and more than 700 improv and sketch performers will converge at the Seventh Annual Chicago Improv Festival (CIF - http://www.cif.com ) April 30-May 9.

CIF 7 will feature comedy standouts from film and television, including:

MAD-TV's Improv Jam featuring entire MAD-TV cast: Ike Barinholtz, Mo Collins, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael MacDonald, Josh Meyers, Nicole

Parker, Ron Pederson, Jordan Peele, Gillian Vigman and Stephnie Weir; Thursday, May 6, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles' The Groundlings celebrating their 30th anniversary in a CIF/Gilda's Club benefit performance with Laraine Newman (former Saturday Night Live cast member and Groundlings alum) emceeing the show and sharing moments from her friendship her friendship with Gilda. The show features: Tim Begley of Will & Grace; Patrick Bristow of Ellen; Daniele Gaither of MAD-TV; Michael Hitchcock of Spinal Tap,A Mighty Wind, and Best In Show; Karen Maruyama of Whose Line Is It Anyway?; Michael McDonald of MAD-TV; Tim Stack of Scary Movie; and Mindy "Frau" Sterling of Austin Powers; Friday, May 7, 8 p.m.

The Chicago debut of Los Angeles' Totally Looped, starring Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons, Joe Liss of 3rd Rock From The Sun, SNL alum Gail Matthius, and BET's Hey Monie co-star and Chicago-native Angela Shelton; Friday, May 7, 10 p.m.

The Second City Almanac Writer All-Stars, featuring SNL alum Tim Kazurinksy and MAD-TV's Keegan-Michael Key and other book contributors, in celebration of the release of "The Second City's Improv Almanac" edited by Anne Libera; Saturday, May 8, 8 p.m.

Jeff Garlin's Combo Platter show,; Saturday, May 8, 10 p.m.

Europe's acclaimed improv and sketch troupe, Boom Chicago, direct from Amsterdam in their only 2004 Chicago shows; Friday, April 30 at 8

p.m. and Saturday, May 1, 8 p.m.

Performances will be held at the Athenaeum Theatre located at 2936 N. Southport Ave. Tickets: $25, and are on sale at Ticketmaster (312-902-1500 or http://www.ticketmaster.com) and at the Athenaeum Theatre Box Office.

For a complete schedule of CIF performances and events, please visit http://www.cif.com/

CONTACT: Maggie Burleson, of backtalk press, for The Chicago Improv Festival, +1-972-740-0023, mburleson@backtalkpress.com