Kelly Leonard is the Executive Vice President of The Second City and The President of Second City Theatricals. He has worked at The Second City since 1988 and has overseen productions with such notable performers as Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Jason Sudeikis, Keegan Michael Key, Amy Sedaris and a host of others. Mr. Leonard co-founded Second City Theatricals, the division of the company that develops an eclectic array of live entertainment all over the world. Recent productions include The Second City Guide to the Opera starring Renee Fleming and Sir Patrick Stewart with Lyric Opera Chicago; America All Better” which was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award at The Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC; and the collaboration with Hubbard Street Dance, “Art of Falling,” that premiered at The Harris Theatre in Chicago in October of 2014. Mr. Leonard also brokered the deal that brought The Second City to the high seas where the company maintains full time ensembles aboard a number of Norwegian Cruise Line Ships. He has received many honors, including being named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40 list and named one of the top 40 cultural figures in Chicago by Time Out Magazine. He recently received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Lake Forest College and his first book, “Yes, And,” will be published by Harper Collins in February of 2015. Mr. Leonard lives in Chicago with his wife Anne Libera and their children Nick and Nora.
