Second City has some of the best PR agents ever and this past weekend definitely proved that.
There's even a separate website for the 50th anniversary! With coverage on all the Chicago news shows, newspapers, and radio. CBS Sunday Edition ran a nice piece as well. So this will be my Last Entry about the Second City 50th Anniversary. However, yesterday, the New York Times had a great piece on the event.
But what does it mean to work at Second City? So many people claim to have worked for the venerable institution but to "have worked" as a performer at Second City really applies just to the Touring Companies, the etc stage or the Mainstage. Even in my travels around the world, spreading the word of Good Lady Improv, I meet people who have taken classes from someone who "worked at Second City." I've been here in Chicago for 15 years and I'm a big comedy nerd so if I don't recognize the name I ask a few questions like, "How long ago did they work there?" or "What stage were they on?" Usually, it's not someone who worked at Second City... it's someone who took a class or once or twice it's been someone who was in a show at the rental stage upstairs, the Skybox, that Second City manages.
Anyway, here's a great video rant by etc alumni, Mike McCarthy (who currently lives in LA and...) well let's let him tell you his background here in Chicago. (there's a couple of cuss words in this vid.)
Filed under: Chicago, classes, Second City, SNL
Tags: 50th Anniversary, LA, Michael McCarthy, New York Times
That video was amazing. I watched it twice. Thank you, Jason Chin.