"Chicago's temple of improvisational comedy." --New York Times
Since opening in 1959, The Second City has transformed the state of
comedy as we know it, creating a wickedly funny culture of improvisation
and training thousands of artists--who now dominate popular
entertainment--in the art of improv-based theater.
This newly revised and expanded edition of The Second City tells the
story of the legendary comedy institution and the Emmy-winning sketch
comedy classic SCTV, folding new material and commentary in with tales
of The Second City's storied past. The giants who got their start at The
Second City in its earlier years--including Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd,
John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, Eugene Levy, Tim Meadows, Bill
Murray, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara, Gilda Radner, Joan Rivers, Martin
Short, and Fred Willard--are joined in these pages by more recent alumni
like Aidy Bryant, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey,
Keegan-Michael Key, Jack McBrayer, Bob Odenkirk, and Jason Sudeikis.
The real stories of The Second City and its performers will make you see
the comedy juggernaut in a whole new light. Did you know John Belushi
got his start lifting jokes from The Second City? Or that many cast
members--including Stephen Colbert and Nia Vardalos--sold tickets or
waited tables at the theater before they made it to the stage?
The Second City takes you behind the scenes of the world's leading
improv theater. Now spanning six decades, the story of The Second City
is both funnier and more poignant than anyone could have imagined.
