PRESS RELEASE

Of interest to editors and journalists covering:
Entertainment, TV/Cable, Film/Video, Theater, Restaurant/Hotel, IL News


Chicago Improv Festival Features World's Funniest Improv And Sketch Acts
 
CHICAGO, IL - April 12, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- 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 - 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-TVs
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 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 .
 

	For more information or to request artwork 
	and/or interviews, 
	contact:
	
	 Maggie Burleson, 
	 of backtalk press
	 for The Chicago Improv Festival 
	 mburleson@backtalkpress.com 
	 +1-972-740-0023


/NOTE TO PRESS ONLY: The CIF 2004 press kit, with bios, 
photos, and complete schedules will be released on April 19.
Logo: http://www.cif.com/images/site/cif7_logo.gif /  

 
 
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