Seth Green

Chicago is apparently Peter Griffin’s kind of town.

To mark the start of Family Guy’s sixth season and its entry into national syndication, mastermind Seth MacFarlane is taking a theatrical version of Fox’s Emmy-winning hit ’toon on the road.

Family Guy Live! will feature the show’s creator and core cast members Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green and Mike Henry in a stage show inspired by the satirical animated series. Two performances are set for the Chicago Theater on Sept. 15.

As in previous productions, the cast will perform an uncensored live reading of a classic episode chosen by MacFarlane, as well as some of the more memorable musical numbers to grace the cartoon comedy.

They’ll also screen never-seen footage of Peter, Lois, evil genius son Stewie and the rest of the Griffin clan, conduct a Q&A with fans and offer a sneak peek of the season premiere, a special Star Wars-themed episode that has received the blessing of Lucasfilm.

MacFarlane and company premiered Family Guy Live! at the 2004 Just for Laughs—the Montreal International Comedy Festival. The flesh-and-blood Family Guy was such a resounding success the stars staged it again to sold-out crowds in New York and Los Angeles the following spring, not long after Fox announced it was uncanceling the series.

They revived the show for this summer’s Just for Laughs, which sparked the idea for the latest gig.

"Over the past few years, the cast has had a fantastic time performing classic episodes live on stage in Montreal, Los Angeles and New York. We hope the good people of Chicago will come out to see us as well...and that they’re not easily offended by jokes about pedophilia and sexually transmitted diseases," cracked MacFarlane.

The Second City engagement will be a coproduction of 20th Century Fox Television and Just for Laughs.

"We are working hard to make a name for ourselves in the U.S., and this is a great way for us to showcase what we do best," said Bruce Hills, Just for Laughs’ chief operating officer.

The brain trust settled on Chicago for the show in part to drum up publicity for the Tribune Company’s launch of Family Guy into syndication next month.

Tribune, which is headquartered in the Windy City, has already begun building buzz with billboard and bus-shelter ads featuring Family Guy characters paired with lyrics from hit songs: patriarch Peter and Kelis’ "Milkshake"; gin-swilling family dog Brian and Amy Winehouse’s "Rehab"; and megalomaniacal tot Stewie and the Pussycat Dolls’ "Don’t Cha."

Tickets are now available for purchase via Ticketmaster or at the box office of the Chicago Theater.