ENTERTAINMENT: The Second City to leave Flamingo

  The Second City comedy troupe will be leaving the Flamingo when its lease runs out at the end of July.
  “I firmly believe we’re not leaving Las Vegas,” says Steve Flynn, the local publicist for the Chicago-based comedy institution. The owners are negotiating with other casinos on the Strip, hoping to lease another casino space “where we have a little more control over our theater,” Flynn says.
  The Second City moved into a Flamingo cabaret space in March 2001, replacing “Forever Plaid.” The troupe has been sharing the room with “X Burlesque” since February 2007. “We argued against it when it happened,” Flynn says of the roommate situation. “We got along very well with our neighbors, but didn’t like losing that element of control."
  It didn’t help the company to give up late shows of the sketch-comedy or “Unscripted” improv showcases that lend themselves to a late-night drinking crowd, Flynn added.
  The troupe might better prosper in a location that could address any or all of the following:
 — A more locals-friendly location. Despite a reasonable price point ($57, but easily found in two-for-one offers) and a show that changed content at least once a year, producer Kelly Leonard said recently that locals still account for only a small percentage of ticket sales.
— A location more appealing to Second City alumni. Flynn says the cabaret-size venue made it hard to lure back big names as guest stars. A Hurricane Katrina benefit in November 2005 sold out the larger Flamingo showroom with alumni including George Wendt, Richard Kind, Tim Meadows and Jason Sudeikis. “We sold that out on a Sunday afternoon. That format absolutely works,” Flynn says.
— A lease where The Second City operates the venue and controls liquor sales as well as the show. This format is what the company is used to in Chicago, where a bar area accounts for a big part of revenue.