LAKEVIEW — The second annual Chicago Podcast Festival will bring more than 30 locally- and nationally-produced podcasts to Chicago this week, with three of the six participating theaters located in Lakeview.
Lakeview theater presentations begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Chicago Theater Works and wrap up with the festival at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday at the same theater. For more information, tickets and the full schedule, visit www.chicagopodcastfestival.org.
The podcasts cover a range of topics, like movies, food, horror stories, music and more, and all will be recorded in front of a live audience during the festival.
Three nationally-known podcasts will be presented: "Crybabies," "improv4humans" with Matt Besser and "Up and Vanished."
Local and national celebrities will be present, including Conan O'Brien's sidekick Andy Richter, chef Rick Bayless, actor Tim Meadows, founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade Matt Besser, WGN host Nick Digilio, Chicago Tribune columnist Rex Huppke and more.
"Last year was a huge success for the first ever Chicago Podcast Festival, and we are so excited to be able to bring some of the same podcasts back to perform again, as well as introduce a slew of new podcasts to Chicago audiences in a live setting," said Jonathan Pitts, co-founder and executive producer of the Chicago Podcast Festival, in a press release.
This year, the festival is making an effort to highlight podcasts produced in Chicago, with more than 90 percent of the lineup featuring locals.
"We hope audiences come to see a podcast that they've heard of, but end up finding even more great podcasts they can fall in love with," Pitts said.
The shows will take place at six venues: The Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago Theater Works and the Laugh Factory in Lakeview, as well as The Apollo Theater, Beat Kitchen and Old Town School of Folk Music. In addition, there will be a free festival party at Chicago Theater Works on Thursday and a free town hall for podcasters at 2112 Inc. on Sunday.
