Second City Touring Company to perform in Libertyville for Rotary fundraiser
The Libertyville Sunrise Rotary for decades has been raising money for dozens of charitable organizations and causes, including $85,000 last year. But its 2023 annual spring fundraiser won't be the typical dinner and dance.
Howard Jaffe, a retired banker who has been a member of the service organization for 31 years, joked that everybody else stepped back when the call went out for someone to chair the spring event. Actually, Jaffe already had something in mind when he volunteered.
"I thought I'd try something different," he said.
On March 11, the Second City Touring Company will perform two sets of sketch comedy and a third improv set live onstage at the Libertyville High School auditorium benefiting the Rotary.
Second City is renowned for performers who have emerged from the venerable club over the years to become stars on Saturday Night Live, movies, television and elsewhere.
That includes Rachel Dratch, who created and portrayed the Debbie Downer character on SNL and often cracked up castmates on live television in the process.
"You never know who's going to be become famous," Jaffe said. "You're getting really talented kids - it's very competitive to get selected for Second City," he added.
Famous alumni include Dratch, who was in the Second City cast that performed at the old post office - what is now the Libertyville Civic Center - in the late 1990s.
Jaffe was involved with that show, too.
"I've been going to Second City since I was a teenager," said Jaffe, who hired the touring troupe for corporate events and got them back in town.
Dratch did a short promo video for the upcoming Libertyville event, saying it would be a real downer if anyone watching missed it.
Sunrise Rotary's typical spring fundraiser is a dinner, dance and auction at Independence Grove forest preserve just east of town. This year, Jaffe said he wanted to stage a "Why go downtown when you can have it in Libertyville?" type event.
"We wanted to demonstrate you can have a 'downtown' experience here in Libertyville," he said.
That's long been the case, said Jennifer Johnson, executive director of MainStreet Libertyville. Visitors don't have to pay for expensive parking or face frustrating commutes to enjoy night life, weekly local improv shows and restaurants with menus and service that rival those in Chicago, she said.
Sunrise Rotary is partnering with nine local restaurants, which will offer preshow special seating for ticketholders. Besides the show, there will be a silent auction and raffle, as well as a free after party for ticketholders in the Amber Room at Mickey Finn's Brewery.
"We hope area residents already see this in downtown Libertyville, and we are pleased that the Rotary Club is helping to promote all that downtown Libertyville provides locally all year round," Johnson said.
Organizers will sell up to 650 tickets for the Second City show. Prices range from $65 to $125 per ticket. Dinner is optional and extra.
Jaffe noted Sunrise Rotary has given away more than $3.5 million since it was founded in 1987 to support various organizations and vocational and scholastic scholarships.
"It's for a good reason," he said of the fundraiser.