LINCOLN PARK — The brand-new iO Theater is celebrating its grand opening with a bang.
The new theater complex at 1501 N. Kingsbury St. is set for a soft opening Thursday, but the real bash is set for the weekend of Aug. 29-30.
Dozens of iO alumni are coming back to Chicago for a weekend full of improv.
"It's just going to be madness," iO owner and improv legend Charna Halpern said. "So much fun."
Paul Biasco details the iO opening bash:
There are shows planned for each of the new theater's four stages, but the main event "The Armando Diaz Grand Opening Experience" will be packed with more than 20 stars.
Those set to play include David Koechner (the "Anchorman" series), Lucas Neff ("Raising Hope"), Jack McBrayer ("30 Rock"), Tim Meadows ("Saturday Night Live"), Joel Murray ("Mad Men"), Jordan Klepper ("The Daily Show") and more.
Tickets to that show, which starts at 10 p.m. Aug. 29 and 8 p.m. Aug. 30, are $50.
A red-carpet event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 30 and a free buffet of edibles from the full-service kitchen.
Other special events include the "Brian McCann's Leisure Hour" hosted by McCann, who has written for Conan O'Brien for 17 years.
A "Two-by-Three" improv show on the Mission Theater on Aug. 29 will feature a combination of two-person shows by TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi ("TJ & Dave"), Stephnie Weir ("Mad TV"), Bob Dassie ("WeirDass"), Jon Lutz ("30 Rock") and Scott Adsit ("30 Rock").
On Aug. 30, "Daily Show" correspondent Klepper will host the "Whirled News Tonight," improvising on local and national news stories picked out by the audience.
Also set to perform Saturday are "Beer Shark Mice," a veteran group composed of Koechner, Pete Hulne ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), Pat Finn ("The Middle") and Mike Coleman ("Factory").
A full schedule of performances and list of performers is available at ioimprov.com. Tickets went on sale Tuesday and are extremely limited.
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