NYE@GUP - New Year's Eve show and party

GENEVA – The Geneva Underground Playhouse, in conjunction with Papa Severios Pizzeria, will present its second annual New Year's Eve party and fund-raiser.

NYE@GUP is a party, and a performance, with comedy, music, drink and food to welcome in 2011. It will feature the talents of several area comedy groups, poets and musicians, include a countdown to the new year and a party atmosphere, all for the one price of $35 a ticket.

Hosting the performance will be Lord & Schwartz, a folk music comedy duo who have performed throughout the Chicago area. Made up of sketch comedy veterans Steve Lord and Eric Schwartz, the duo has performed at theaters, clubs and coffee houses throughout the Chicago area. They are two members of the long-time suburban Chicago-based comedy group Gag Reflex Comedy Theater, which has been performing throughout the Midwest since 1993.

Both Lord and Schwartz are Geneva Underground Theater Board members, and are proud to be performing at "home" for New Year's Eve.

Also performing will be Acid Reflux, a talented group of young comedians who are considered one of the house groups at GUP, although they perform throughout the Chicago area. During this past year, they have had strong showings in two Chicago sketch comedy competitions.

Rounding out the comedy will be the Dave & Ben Ensemble (featuring The Third Guy), an Aurora-based comedy trio that performs throughout the area and has graced the GUP stage before.

In addition to Lord & Schwartz, there will be music from Will Burdin, another area theater veteran, and Chicago area actress and singer Maggie Bieritz.

Rounding out the entertainment will be the incredible talents of Russ Devereaux, a St. Charles based spoken word poet who will make you laugh, cry and definitely inspire. Devereaux is another veteran of the GUP stage, performing both his poetry and in mainstage productions.

Doors will open about 9 p.m. and the show begins about 9:30 p.m. and will run up to midnight, when the full cast will participate with the audience in a countdown to the New Year. Somewhere in the mayhem, Papa Severio's Pizzeria, 605 W. State St., one of the shows sponsors, will deliver piping, hot pizza right to the stage.

The $35 tickets include pizza, soft drinks, coffee, water and other beverages, as well as the show, but do not include alcoholic drinks. Alcohol will not be served.

Tickets are available at the Geneva Underground Playhouse website, guptheatre.org, or by calling for reservations at 630-677-1725. Information about the show is available there, too. Tickets also will be available at the door, unless the show sells out.