Hi guys

This is not a letter I ever thought I’d have to write, so please excuse me if it’s not that eloquent. Nevertheless, a statement has to be released, and I feel as though that responsibility falls on my shoulders. Some of you may already know what I’m about to say, while others may have heard things but aren’t sure what’s real and what’s rumor. So here we go:

Second City has canceled The Late Live Show.

They however are nice enough to let us perform this Saturday August 20, which will allow us to have and appreciate a finale. While I do not agree with this decision, it is theirs to make, and I have to respect that. They’ve given us this time-slot and venue for well over a year now, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

I want to make it clear that their decision was in no way influenced by our performance in ticket sales or the quality of our product. For a Saturday midnight show in a relatively obscure theater, our attendance rates were impressive. And for anyone who’s seen the show, I don’t think I really have to defend the show’s quality. I have never worked with a more talented, committed group of people from the writers to the camera crew to the artists to the stage-hands and beyond. If I get to have it my way, I will be working with all these people again very soon.

I also want to make it clear that this decision was final. I would not post this if there were any chance of us continuing our relationship with Second City. Unfortunately, I’ve been told that it definitively ends here, no matter how much we may want to fight it.

From here, the future of The Late Live Show is uncertain but hopeful, and we will be exploring our options very soon. Our party fundraiser on September 4 is still happening, as we’re serious about both archiving all the previous shows and keeping the spirit of the show alive. Also, this Saturday’s finale is probably going to be a lot of crazy fun. We’ve got Beth Melewski (Cash Cab: Chicago) and Tyler Jon Tyler. Oh and it’s the finale. Tickets are still available.

Thank you for your support and your laughter, and I’ll see you on Saturday.

-Joe Kwaczala
Host, The Late Live Show

P.S. I don’t like delivering bad news without something to counter it, so here’s EVERY VAL KILMER JOKE WE’VE EVER DONE.