This is a fun and engaging show for the family. The performers are skilled and work hard to entertain.

We are long time patrons of ComedySportz since it's time on Belmont and I'm always singing its praises and telling people it's so underrated and a well kept secret. We bring every single visitor to CSZ! But, since new ownership, it's just. not. funny. Last visit was Mar 15 or 16th and the games chosen were hard to follow and oh, so boring. The cast had one - at most two - actually funny people. I was so disappointed that I raved about this to our guests and no one laughed. We couldn't wait to leave. No wonder the place is less than half full. Please bring back "brown bag foul", more audience participation and less of that final gibberish game that goes on FOREVER. Wayyyy too long it's easy to lose focus. Keep things simple and step up the funny please and we will be back. Giving it a final shot later this month. Praying it's improved. read more

I attended the Comedy Sportz winter/holiday battle on a Friday night. It was a funny show with talented performers (Vinny and Camille were our favorites). I liked that the show wasn't raunchy and want over the top holiday themed, but was festive. Comedy Sportz is a fun and affordable option at the Second City! read more

Heartbreaking. We've been fans of Comedy Sportz for years and years . We saw shows at the old venue (on Belmont), then at Piper's Alley, and last night, at the newest location at iO on Kingsbury. Unfortunately, the 8pm show was not the usual competition, but instead,a sort of long form called Trapped in a Musical. It was the least funny thing I have ever seen. The actors were not following the most basic improv rule of "yes, and": they were talking over each other and disagreeing. They took maybe 3 suggestions to start (just from folks in the front row), didn't use one at all, and so there wasn't even the fun audience involvement. Most of the laughs came from the actors themselves, which was cringey. How is this the Saturday, 8pm offering ? Comedy Sportz has always been entertaining and funny: the ref, the "loyal audience", the talented rotating "teams". I know that some nights have featured other types of shows, but Fri and Sat used to be consistently team formats. Please go back to that. read more

Intimate setting makes for great crowd interaction. Very funny and engaging cast, Fun for our whole family!

2 stars might be a little harsh, but with all the great comedy in Chicago, this show just didn't stack up for me. Great concept, but since they change up the improvisers and teams for each show, it seems hit or miss. My friend and I went to a Friday night 8 pm show and there were a lot of families in attendance. I suspect it must be more difficult to completely improvise if you have to sensor yourself for a younger audience. But basically I just didn't think the show was that funny. I did like the bar setup right outside the main theater, with some high top tables. But the intermission was a bit lopsided in timing, making it awkward if you got a second drink (I had barely drank any of it and the show was over!). Prices for drinks were comparable to other comedy clubs around the city, as was the seating setup but there always seems to be a good deal on tickets if you do want to check out this show for yourself. read more

Our family had a great time! Kid-friendly while still entertaining for adults. Loved the amount of audience participation--it was a good balance of watching and interacting with the actors. read more

Just saw their pride show and they were awesome. All the performers were lgbt and they all did a great job. So clever and endearing and funny. I went back for another one and the drag queen and the other performers were soooo much fun too. And it wasn't like they threw the gay stuff at us all condescendingly and forced; it was actually really cool and family friendly. A great way to introduce people in the burbs and kids to different cultures. And they're so funny and clever! It really is a great time especially when you've got kids. Or if you're out with friends and need something light and easy and just fun. read more

I spent approximately seven hours at The ComedySportz Theatre today, and those hours flew by... We used the facility mostly for corporate training on our own in groups, but we broke up the day with an hour long improv session led by Rich. It was a blast! It was interactive and so much fun... Bottom line: I know that if I can enjoy a "work day" at The ComedySportz Theatre, their shows must be really hilarious. I hope to return on a future visit to Chicago... whether you go for their free night of comedy on Wednesdays or one of their specialty shows, I am sure you can't go wrong. **The fliers for the show "Smashed: The Improvised Bachelorette Party" stood out to me more than the others... if i ever get to plan a bachelorette party in Chicago (ahem, perhaps for my sister), I think that would be the perfect activity for it... read more

I remember when this show first opened back in the 1980s - and it has been going strong ever since. The show is a mix of straight improvised sketch comedy and theater games - held together by a rather strict format which makes it a safe bet that the show will be entertaining. On the surface the show appears to be a competition - like a baseball game made out of comedy. Overall - it offers a fun evening of entertainment. read more

Oh Snap! My little league team only won 2 games this season? And what was that Jaquan? Those 2 wins were only by way of forfeit? Yo... kids.. put the bat down, I can explain... It was a rebuilding year.. I swear! (see page 6 of the coaches manual - chapter: There is such a thing as a good excuse) Here's the thing though. Even though we lost all our games, my little guys stuck with it and had fun even as they lost. In fact we held it together to almost beat the #1 Cardinals and their bastard coach in the playoffs! Recognize! We's needs to rewards these boys! All of 'em! Even if it means stretch awards like the "Heart and Soul" award (got some creative coaches on staff). So, thanks to a tip I got from this woman I met at an Iowa truck stop, (no rest for the weary gents), I learned of a great venue for such things: Comedy Sportz. David M, my assigned handler at Comedy Sportz, was organized, helpful and not annoying. When I got there, I knew I had not been led astray. What a great place for a little league awards ceremony! Fo' sho. Comedy Sportz has stadium seating and a huge stage, great for speeches, awards or even a break dance fight (see picture). They also have screens all over the place and happily piped in a picture slide show to keep the ninos dazed while we got organized. No food, but that's ok, they've got an address and are delivery friendly. May I suggest Ranallis btw? (5 star review pending) All in all, Great Venue + Gracious Handler + Gleeful 10 year olds = 5 stars.. easily. Rent it out for your own event or just stop by for the comedy show.. I hear it's good. read more

Malarkey Comedy - Little League event at Comedy Sportz - I think they are break dance fighting - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm still LOL'ing and ROFL'ing and LMAO'ing after seeing this show. Thanks Yelp, for complimentary tickets to check this out! Those guys on stage are experts at thinking on their feet, and we had a great time. I definitely recommend this as a fun evening outing and would have no issues paying full price to come back and see them again. Since they take audience suggestions for the content of their games and jokes, no show will be like the next. Keep it up, Comedy Sportz! read more

Love comedy sportz. Played back In HS and lead an improv troupe a few times in my 20s. The theater and sound were great. I was a little worried with about 40 ppl in the audience on a Saturday holiday weekend. The actors did great with their suggestions. They did seem to lose some energy during the second half however. My only gripe would be with ref consistently getting suggestions from 1 person in the audience. I feel this really limits great suggestions that could make for great scenes. I would definitely check this out again to compare. read more

We had a blast! What a good show and the staff was superb. I gave a little wave to our server and our drinks were on the way. One of our group was celebrating a birthday and this was a great way to celebrate. This is our third time and we'll be back! read more

Malarkey Comedy - Comedy Sportz - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fun improv for the whole family!!!! If you are looking to do something different kid friendly and adult entertaining. Give comedy sports theater a chance! There usually is discounted tickets on Goldstar , which is nice! The actors really get into it, and the audience is asked for input, good- wholesome entertainment! read more

Great family friendly comedy. The act is very funny with no dirty language or inappropriate tones which presents the prefect experience if you're visiting like we were. Its our 2nd time here and I'd definitely bring friends back. I recommend for younger kids, families, or work gatherings. read more

Malarkey Comedy - Showtime!!!! - Performing Arts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I probably wouldn't have decided to go here on my own. I'm typically suspicious whenever I see a Z masquerading as an S. It makes me expect whatever it's representing to be childish. But at the same time, I love improv, and the cast members probably had nothing to do with the naming, so I decided not to judge it before I had experienced it. Eh. I definitely enjoyed myself, but was it worth the price? I'm not sure. I would go back if there was some kind of promotion and I got free tickets, or if I somehow could get considerably cheaper tickets, but I wasn't completely sold on the whole thing. I liked the idea that the teams were competing against each other, as I would think that would make everything funnier. It didn't really turn out that way for me. I wasn't really impressed with the theater, either. It seemed kind of cheap-looking and didn't really seem to fit the atmosphere. Yes, I realize I'm being picky here, so this has nothing to do with my rating. I laughed a few times. There were certainly times when it was funny, even hilarious. But other times, I thought the jokes fell a little flat. I was probably smiling through most of the show, but I've certainly seen better improv. Was it good? Yes. Was it $20 good? I'd have to say no, but maybe I'm just cheap. read more

Hahahahahahahaha ah! I really needed a good laugh but (and I'm just being honest here) I didn't have much faith in Chicago improv theaters to make me roll around the floor. I doubted my hubby-to-be when he bought two tix to ComedySportz on a whim. Boy was I wrong (and that's a good thing!). Of course! Chicago improv theatres, the birthplace for so many awesome comedians, are going to make me laugh. It was grrrrrreat! Or maybe I had one too many drinks? They do "incentivize" you to buy as much liquor-oriented drinks as possible... Hey, it helped me laugh so I'm not gonna complain! read more

Amazing experience for all ages!! So much fun watching all of the actors on stage have so much fun. I look forward to my next visit! read more

Great option for comedy in Chicago! For a city known for its comedy options, this is a fun take on the traditional stand up or sketch shows out there. The show involves two teams playing different improv games with a ton of audience suggestions. They also take it seriously to not be crude or vulgar, so it's a nice option for families or people who just appreciate comedy that doesn't rely on explicit humor. Would come back again! read more

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Amazing show and cast!!!!! We laughed so hard that apparently if you do you are hushed. We had a young blonde girl come to us and tell us we were too loud. I was very confused. The entire audience was engaged, laughing, and having a great time. This was my first time in Chicago and was extremely excited until then. Very disappointed. read more

Such a fun show! Very talented and smart cast. Kept us laughing all the way through.

These guys are amazing! What an absolute blast this was last night. So glad I took the opportunity to come see their show for my friend's birthday. HIGHLY recommended!!! Best improv comedy show I've been to in ages, buy the tickets! They're so talented! read more

Loved seeing "Trapped in a Musical" at Second City! Inventive cast and quick with the random selection of Shawshank Redemption as their prompt. read more

Went to all ages show and had a lot of fun. I used my Goldstar app for tickets that were $12.50. At this price point I thought it was a great value. At $25 I may have given this a slightly lower rating. At the higher price point I would prefer to go to IO or Second City - however those venues may not cater to families. Would recommend and will likely go back. read more

I cannot say enough about this family-friendly show! Went at 8pm Thursday with my wife and 10-year old. (Bought tix on Groupon and saved 10 bucks.) The people at the theater and the performers could not be nicer. Loved the inclusive atmosphere and diversity. So much fun shouting out suggestions to the performers and watching them make sense of it all. Afterwards, we all got to meet the cast and take some pics. Take the kids. Go. GO! P.s. would also highly recommend going to Mia Francesca around the corner for dinner before the show. Get the meatballs. read more

I came here for a lab as part of Chicago Ideas Week last month and loved it. The lab I attended for CIW is similar to some of the corporate training and leadership development programs CSz Business puts on. Matt Elwell was our trainer and he did a fantastic job. One of the main things I appreciated was how far they went to make sure you knew you weren't going to be thrust on stage any time soon. These exercises were intended to get you thinking about your body language, countenance, openness to the ideas of others and your ability to encourage the free flow of ideas, as well as your willingness to put yourself and your ideas out there while asking others to do the same. I know (even as someone who is pretty much an open book) how much I could benefit from some more of these trainings and classes. I used my professional development budget for the year to attend CIW. If I could find something like the improv for professional development and leadership that CSz offers in OKC, I think I'd happily sign up for some more in-depth classes. If you're lucky enough to live in Chicago, I highly recommend checking out their offerings. read more

I'm a Improve Olympic (or now the I.O.) junkie through and through. Though, I've never taken a class of any kind*. I will never stray from this building, give even a simple smirk to any other "improve" company, or discuss any other possible... MONKEY BUTLERS**?! ahahhahhahahaha Damn you CST!! You're like a hard nut cracker, with jokes pinchers and cold shiny tongs of destructive hilarity! You squeeze my hard shell till I rupture with laughter. If I had a hallow leg, you could fill it with funny banter and your quick witted responses. There isn't the letters F,O,O,L,S in ComedySportz Theatre (ok, fine there are the O's and the S. So I guess most of the letters are in there but you KNOW what I'm trying to say!), though you will see plenty of fools on stage. But gosh darn it, those are some talented fools!! It really doesn't matter what show you see, they are all a hilariously good time! Though, I my opinion the early show is almost better, trying to make people laugh with out profanities is really fucking hard. I'm just saying if I had to fucking get people to laugh without fucking profanities, I just don't know if I could fucking do it man (no Matthew not do A man). Tickets are cheap, place is clean, and they have drink options. Fine, I lied... I only think everyone is funny because I'm currently a student at CST and they demand (!!!) that you think that their entire crew is funny. They once made me laugh at the janitor (so cruel, yet... kind of funny). They work you to blood, sweat, and tears! They do this till the very day it happens... YOU can work "Monkey Butlers"** into a line and then... you can finally call that you bone you have... (pause for serious tone) funny. I seriously recommend checking out their class. Best Improve class I've ever taken* ;) j/k Curse you CST, you had me at OPP, with your sweet Doe, Ray, Me!! Yes, ComedySportz you MAY use that line. **Monkey Butlers was just for you teacher Nick (Best and coolest name in the WOOOORLD), cheers!! P.S. I thought I was funny before, now I know I'm not funny at all. Hope that helps. read more

This place gave me an ab workout. Get it? Cause I laughed so much, not cause I did any sports (sportz?). We went to the Sat. 10pm show, which is clean. The emcee/referee explained this is because sometimes in improv dirty prompts or when performers do profane or toilet humor it can lead to lazy jokes or cheap laughs. It was proof you don't need to make fun of someone, curse up a storm, or see someone fall down to chuckle (although those are, admittedly, funny). And it was really funny and well-executed. The theme tied in with the name-Comedy Sportz- where two teams battle it out in rounds for an audience vote. This also fit the neighborhood, Wrigleyville, which has a lot of sports fans. Even the Comedy Sportz home team wore Cubby Blue : ) The competitions were varied and imaginative. The bartender and sound guy/musician were impressed my girl and I remembered when they were at their OLD location. What an upgrade! Ten years ago they were in a dank, very small basement without a bar. It's pretty nice now. A bar waiting area and an auditoreum seating around a hundred with small, cozy tables. The drink sizes and strength were good. Our server Brenden who, according to the emcee, was America's Next Top Model cycle six Winner, seemed to have recovered from that experience and became a great server. He was awesome and smiled witchhiz eyes. Tyra and Miss J. would be proud. I'll be back because I love to laugh and need to maintain my sexy abs. read more

Brought my family here this past Saturday night for the 8pm show. Not impressed. From the reviews I knew it would be more "family oriented," but it was WAY too clean. One of the performers was pretty funny, but the other 6 were BOring. Maybe I'd recommend this for a pre-teen birthday party or something, but probably not. Compared to the improv we saw after the mainstage Second City show on Thursday, Comedysportz could not even begin to compare. read more

I've been attending stand up comedy from nearly it's beginning... Improv, however, is somewhat new to me. tonight, Yelp treated us to a delightful evening with a spin on improv that, for me was unexpected -- but very appropriate given Chicago is somewhat a "sportz" city; two baseball teams, and a football team, a hockey team -- vying for the 2016 Olympics, but I digress .... Delightful - positively delightful!! The group at Comedy Sportz puts on a show you could bring your children to! I couldn't stop laughing!! I don't know who chose the music, but it was outstanding! Will I be back? oh HELL yes! The location is RIGHT off the Red Line at the Belmont stop!! Many thanks to Yelp for introducing us to this fantastic option for a night out! read more

There are a lot of improv comedy venues in the Chicago area, but few that you can safely take your pre-teen children to. That's because ComedySportz plays it "clean." Not so much as a doo-doo reference got through, which is great even if you are child-free because when you think about it, working blue can be a cheap, easy way to get a laugh. Neither of my Yelper friends Ross or Kurt was performing at the 6 p.m. show I attended with the family, but there were some really intelligent, creative people on stage who impressed me a lot. The format is that two "teams" of three performers challenge each other to a series of games. Many involve guessing clues that the audience has thrown out (the Referee makes an effort to elicit responses from the whole house, but one or two loudmouth jerks in front tended to get picked most often). Much hilarity ensues. The winner is chosen from an "applause-o-meter," but the point is the game itself, not the points that are racked up. The front of the house is cabaret-style, so you can order drinks from the roving servers. There is a parking garage around the corner if you are driving in. read more

Went to the show tonight and I was very disappointed. I can't believe how canned and childish the whole act was. 90 percent of the crowd was below the age of 18 and I guess the were catering to their audience. Hard to believe this was the late night show. The jokes were all about Dumbledorff, Hermine Granger, and Hunger Games!! There were better jokes in an After Hours Episode of Punky Brewster. The comedians have a very canned & boring routine and they try to over compensate by overacting. I know without a shadow of a doubt, that my group of friends and I could put on a better show. This town deserves a better class of Comedy! If you go to this show, the only Joke will be on you!! The only positive experience I had was the waitress was quick on the drinks. I think this had everything to do with the fact that I was one of 5 people of drinking age during a sold out late show on a Saturday Night. I felt bad for her and left her a great tip for her troubles. read more

I found myself zoning out halfway through the show. Was it not funny? Not engaging? Had I had too many $5 cans of Amstel Light? I will return on a night when the regular ensemble is performing... and perhaps to a late night/ R rated version. * Wednesday evenings are FREE all summer long. Update to follow... read more

The new ComedySportz location was worth the wait! As always, the performers were quick, funny and can really engage the audience. For those who were used to the old Halsted/Diversey location or their long-term temp space at Chicago Performing Arts building, this will be a different experience. The space now has tables and waiters (set up resembles the Second City main stage spaces). There is bench seating for those not lucky to get a table, complete with seat cushions. Those seats may not be most comfortable, but we did not have a problem with sight lines. The stage is lower so the performers were able to interact with the audience a little better - adding to the energy and excitement. The theater, lobby and full bar is on the second floor, and the box office is at ground level. Kudos to ComedySportz for making the theater handicap accessible; there is a large, new elevator to the second floor. It's a great space, and a great time will be had by all! read more

It's improv meets Super Double Dare. At least the show we saw was (8pm on Sat) There were many children in the audience. They came with their parents in a bus which was parked outside. My companion said "looks like a church group". I dunno, could be Now I like me some improv. Didn't used to, but I've been sold after going to some of the many theaters in Lakeview. Comedy Sportz however...ehh. Sorry, but it was really not that funny. And, it's kind of high end. You could go to Second City for about the same money and they're funny I could never buy-in to the format. There's this "ref" who takes up like half the show explaining the "rules". Then the two teams compete in a "challenge" and the winner gets "points" based on audience applause at the end of the "challenge". Ugh. To make matters worse, towards the end of the show the "challengers" clearly threw the "game" in favor of the "bosses" when they got disqualified using the same joke. Something about harvesting wheat which evidently wasn't allowed. I heard that the "bosses" are always supposed to win. Kinda ruins the whole concept Also...and this blew my mind... towards the end, the "ref" informed us that we should all order up red ("bosses") or blue ("challengers") drinks because whichever color dominates will result in a two point bonus for that team. This happened. Really To be fair, I do think that the performers are good performers. They seemed to have quick wits and I probably would like them in another type of a show. But, what can I say...this one kinda sucked read more

Being from Chicago, I'm always looking for non-tourist things to do. Boy can it be hard sometimes. You sure do get sucked in on "What's going on on Michigan Ave..." or "Let's see the Sears Tower"...I was very eager to entertain my brother when he came in this week, so I decided to go to Comedy Sportz from all the great yelp reviews this place was getting. Oh boy this place sure does deliver a side splitting, interactive good time. I loved the fact that this improv show was based on the audience participation. We went to an earlier show because we were gonna get a late night dinner somewhere, it was kept clean because there were some children in the audience, however it was still hilarious. My brother & I even got to participate in a few rounds. (Hooray) For going up we got a $10.00 gift card to Bucca, and two free tickets to another show. It was so worth raising my hand. Drinks were served at the bar, and the service was fantastic. I recommend this place to anyone, and everyone. It was great to find a gem in the city, I can't believe I haven't been here before! I'll for sure use those tickets again! read more

I went to the 10pm Saturday night show. Having seen ComedySportz in another city, I thought this one was on par. Most of the improv was impressive and on the spot. I got a lot of chuckles, especially because it was 80s night. Good times. I did, however, stay for the free Hot Karl show...advertised as a more "adult" version improv. I wasn't impressed. It just seemed like an excuse for the comedians to swear as much as possible and act like humping idiots. I'm all for sex jokes, but this just wasn't funny. Not to mention the racist slams...Hmmmm. Much to my dismay, I'd recommend sticking to the early "family fun" show. read more

The new location is pretty nice..seats are comfortable, drinks aren't too unreasonable, and the theater is really nice. I saw the Hot Karl show-- because that's just the kind of girl i am...seeing that the rest of their shows are so "family oriented" i was really hoping for some really out there stuff at the Hot Karl show. There were obviously a lot of Comedy Sportz people there...and they thought the show was funny...but the rest of us didn't get the inside jokes...one of the players seemed to realize that is what was happening and tried to change the tide but it was too late. Making fun of your mates is for the bar and your classes -- not a paid performance but whatevs...The rest was actually really funny...but not all that dirty (but i have high standards since i'm a sicko). It was worth the $10 but I probably wouldn't go again unless someone else wanted to go... UPDATE: one of the players was nice enough to PM me and apparently it was an alumni night...which explains the inside jokes...didnt expect "customer service" from a show -- so well done and an extra star! read more

Ok, so I've been to a total of 3 comedy-ish shows, so bear that in mind regarding my "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" rating. My boyfriend is a fan of stand up and improv so when Yelp Gets Cultured offered free shows, I signed up. I didn't expect much because I thought this was going to be sports-related improv. I figured I wouldn't even get most of the jokes. So it was a nice surprise that the Sportz part of ComedySportz is the competition between the two teams, not the content. I'm not one to laugh at everything, but I was cracking up. My boyfriend (who IS the type to laugh at everything) was laughing so hard that he kept slapping my leg. I was limping after the show. If you stay for the next show, Hot Karl, you get half off. If you sign up for the email listserve, you get a free ticket, plus another ticket for your bday. I plan on staying for the late night show when I use my free ticket. Great show, definitely worth paying full ticket price. How many times have you paid that much for a crappy romcom? read more