The Second City brings side-splitting stories to the James Lumber Center

The Second City presents “Laugh Harder, Not Smarter” at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 30 on the Mainstage Theatre at the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at CLC. This hilarious array of sketch comedies, songs, irreverent improv and fresh new favorites will be a celebration of legendary American comedy 65 years in the making. The only way these jokes won’t land is if you aren’t there to hear them.

On a snowy winter night, a small cabaret theatre opened its doors in Chicago in 1959, and a comedy revolution began. The Second City, which has since expanded to include locations in Toronto and New York, is one of the most influential hubs for humor and improv in the world. With an empire built entirely on laughter, this ever-growing group of professional goofballs and visionary jokesters hasn’t stopped cracking up rooms since they got started.

A lot has changed since 1959, but the core of The Second City has remained the same: give people a good laugh — and with alumni like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Keegan-Michael Key, we’d say they’re doing a pretty good job. With performances that revel at the intersection of humor and art, it’s no wonder these electrifying acts have continued to pack theatres across North America year after year.

Tickets are available online at jlcenter.clcillinois.edu, by phone at (847) 543-2300 or in person at the JLC Box Office, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and two hours before each performance. To avoid ticket scams, only purchase tickets through the website of the official JLC ticket vendor: Etix.