Archive for Second City
Panel: Stephen Colbert on the WHCD, Glenn Beck and more
Posted by: | CommentsHello, everyone! I hope you all had lovely Christmases and other holiday celebrations. I had a nice trip home, myself; it’s always good to see family at this time of year.
Catching up on my Colbert news now …
I still await audio and/or video from this terribly awesome-sounding panel (especially since it obviously exists!), but here’s another wonderful recap from the Second City panel with Stephen and the Colbert Report writers; I’ll excerpt just a bit of what they said about Beck. From The Atlantic:
Colbert Dishes On Bush, Glenn Beck, and MSNBC
Dec 23 2009, 9:23AM
James Warren. . .
As for Glenn Beck, the panel discussed the challenge of maintaining a separation between reality and satire when so many TV pundits are simply, premeditatedly over-the-top.
“I said, ‘Let’s start doing some Glenn Beck stuff but in praise of Glenn Beck,’” said Colbert. “But every time we do one, he will have done something dumber. He raised the stupid bar and now it’s nearly inapproachable.”
“I worry that if we use that as a model….if somebody doesn’t believe what they’re saying, it’s very hard to out-stupid them,” said a decidedly analytical Colbert. “Because then there’s no place to sink our hook into, there’s no mountain to climb there. I can’t climb Glenn Beck since there’s nothing there.”
. . .
There’s much, much more in the full article (on the WHCD, Olbermann and Maddow, etc.), so get reading, everyone!
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New York Times features clip of the infamous “Maya Angelou” sketch
Posted by: | CommentsThe New York Times has come out with an excellent review of the Second City show:
Second City Looks Back in Laughter
By LARRY ROHTER
Published: December 15, 2009Second City’s 50th anniversary occurs at a moment when the company’s influence and prestige may be at a peak, even as television itself seems desperate to find new forms and approaches. Alumni of the troupe represent three of the most highly praised shows on the air right now: Steve Carell in “The Office,” Mr. Colbert on “The Colbert Report” and Ms. Fey on “30 Rock.”
Ms. Fey was not part of the weekend’s events, though several other “30 Rock” actors and writers who also trained at Second City were, including Scott Adsit and Jack McBrayer. But an alumni reunion show on Saturday night included Mr. Colbert and Mr. Carell, who revived a surreal sketch in which they return to Mr. Colbert’s Southern hometown only to find themselves transformed into elderly black women named Shirley and Sarah.
But the coolest part of the article is the fact that embedded about midway through, is two minutes or so of the infamous “Maya Angelou” sketch that was performed on Saturday night. So go watch, and come back and review! While it is not the complete sketch, this gives me hope that it will eventually end up available in its entirety.
Click here to visit the New York TImes article – “Second City Looks Back in Laughter”
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More news and reviews from the Second City 50th anniversary weekend
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Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello perform at Second City's 50th anniversary
Howdy, Zoners! I hope you’ve all been enjoying the stories coming out of the Second City anniversary weekend as much as I have. It looks like it was a weekend full of laughs, and for the lucky people who were able to attend the special alumni show on Saturday night, a rare opportunity to see dozens of talented and successful Second City “graduates” go back to their roots. The reviews are still coming in and all of them, without exception, cite the two sketches featuring Stephen Colbert as highlights of the show. We’ve already had our own reviews of the weekend from Zoners MaryLovesColbert and Wildlymissingthemark, and now I’ve got a zeitgeisty roundup of the best articles here to share with you.
The Second City alumni show
- The Second City: masters old and new gather and triumph at 50th Fest laugh marathon – Chicago Tribune: Colbert and Carrel dominated the show in many ways. But they did so in all the right ways. Not because of their mutual fame, but because their performances were so sharp, focused and funny.
- Behind the scenes at Second City’s 50th – Chicago Tribune: “When we were rehearsing before — this sounds very corny — but I got chills going through some of these scenes because they were such strong and positive memories that I have of this place, and they all came rushing back,” Steve Carell said Saturday evening while renewing connections in the lounge area.
- Second City celebrates 50 years – CANOE — JAM! Theatre: But a bit from ’94, taken from an audience improv suggestion of “Maya Angelou goes home,” provided easily the most sublime moment of surreality. Back then, Colbert and Carell took that near impossible improv assignment for two white guys and turned it into a veritable Twilight Zone episode in which Colbert takes his best friend “Steve” to his home town, where he inexplicably is addressed lovingly by the townsfolk as “Shirley Wentworth.”
- Second City turns 50 – TheStar.com: They played out a scene of turgid romance with deadpan sincerity, building to the moment when Colbert passionately kissed Razowsky on the lips. The capper of the scene was the hitherto-dumbstruck Carell bursting out in anger at the racial inequality that had occurred so many years ago and launching into one of his firecracker rages that prove so hilarious. It was a moment of sheer, anarchic, comedy bliss, first improvised 16 years before by two young men who were then struggling unknowns but were now at the top of their profession.
The Colbert Report panel
- Panel discusses ‘the guy’ behind the ‘Colbert Report’ – Chicago Tribune: Colbert said he “thinks of the show as one continuous scene” that just happens to be extended day after day. “Truthiness is the thesis statement for the show,” Colbert said. “I always tell the audience to have a good show because they are the second character in the scene.”
- Second City my ass – Peter Sagal’s blog: As Colbert said of his character, “He really wants to help people and help the country — he’s just really bad at it.” And then Colbert (the person — this does get confusing) said something that sounded like a practiced line, but was still wonderful: “Every night I say something I actually believe… I’m just never going to tell you what it is.”
Eye candy, etc.
- The Chicago Tribune has a photo gallery up at their site that includes pics from the whole weekend.
- ChicagoNow.com has a post up with videos from the early days of the Stephvens in Chicago. The clip featuring Steve Carell is especially interesting because supposedly the sketch was written by Amy Sedaris. I can’t confirm this, but it’s a hilariously twisted bit of comedy that certainly seems like it could have come from the hilariously twisted mind of Ms. Sedaris.
- And of course, we have a photo album from Zoner Chloe. Thanks for sharing with us!
(h/t Jennie and DB)
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“The Second City Alumni: One Night Only” featuring Stephen Colbert – A Review
Posted by: | CommentsAgain our Zoners come through in helping us get the word out to Stephen Colbert fans who could not make it to an event. Thanks so much, Wildlymissingthemark, for the fantastic writeup!
Stephen Colbert (L), Steve Carell (C) and Scott Allman perform a skit as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of improv theater, The Second City, in Chicago December 12, 2009.
Just wanted to give you my report from the Alumni show. I was so fortunate and blessed to be there, I flew in just for the weekend, and I was not disappointed.
I
Stephen actually participated in 3 scenes. He and Paul were the first alumni to appear onstage. They perform a scene from 1993. In the first scene, Stephen and Paul are brothers, and they are playing some kind of fantasy basketball game with that hilarious cheapy little hoop. They stalk around the stage, in slow motion, and doing that hissing cheering thing. They keep inserting Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s names and narrating some kind of playoff game. (It kind of sounded like the Dana Carvey show skit when Stephen is doing that endless narration about the basketball playoffs.) In pops their mother Amy, who comes over to see if they have thanked their father for giving them some money or something. She gives them some sidelong glances, makes her usual assortment of faces, and goes back in the house.
As they are playing, the subject comes up that Paul has lent his younger brother Stephen $2,000, and he supposed to be going to school or doing something for his career with it. Stephen is unemployed, and Paul becomes upset because Stephen informs him that he has purchased a ticket to go to Africa instead. Paul is telling him that his peak earning potential is at age 35, so he’d better get his act together before this golden opportunity passes him by. You could tell that they keep the actual script from 1993 in tact, because Stephen’s character says “In 6 years I am going to be 35,” and Paul says rather hilariously, “You really aren’t taking good care of yourself.” Stephen broke character just a touch at this, and it was adorable.
While they are arguing, Amy comes out again briefly, but it happens so fast it is hard for me to remember exactly what she said.
Paul becomes despondent when it becomes clear that the money is gone and Stephen may or may not have just spent it all on a trip to Africa to “find himself.” He sulks in the corner, and Stephen tries to get him to play the basketball game again. Gradually Stephen wins him over again, and they go back to “playing” their “game.”
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EYE CANDY: Second City 50th Anniversary – “The Second City Alumni: One Night Only”
Posted by: | CommentsWe’re still waiting for the reports of what looked to be a very interesting (and hysterical!) show, but for now, here’s some pics that have come out that feature Stephen Colbert on the stage with Steve Carell and Dave Razowsky, as well as Stephen in a sketch with the lovely and adorable Paul Dinello. Enjoy!
Comedian Stephen Colbert performs a skit on stage to celebrate The Second City's 50th anniversary Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, in Chicago
Stephen Colbert (L) and Steve Carell perform a skit as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of improv theater, The Second City, in Chicago December 12, 2009.
More after the cut!
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Second City’s ‘Colbert Report’ panel featuring Stephen Colbert – A Review
Posted by: | CommentsThanks so much to one of our longtime Zoners MaryLovesColbert (who also blogs over at LiveJournal as shoebox_addict if you’d like to friend her) for this lovely writeup on the event earlier today.
Tom Purcell and Stephen Colbert - Second City Colbert Report panel
Okay. Oh my. This is going to be as coherent as I possibly can be. I feel like I need decompression time or something after that. Wowza. Okay…here we go I guess! Let’s make sense of the notes that I scribbled in the car on the way home!
First off: the roster. Writers Peter Grosz and Peter Gwinn were there. So was the co-executive producer, Tom Purcell. Naturally, Stephen was there. And – as a total surprise to me and, I think everyone in the place – Allison Silverman was there! I swear she was not listed as a guest. So very awesome. Everyone was dressed very casually. Stephen had on jeans and a pullover thing – well, you can see in the picture above. His hair was all fluffy and normal, you know, and that smile…my God.
Anywho! The moderator was Peter Sagal, of “Wait, Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me” on NPR. Stephen got, like, all excited and jumped up when they announced he was the moderator. He already knew, of course, but he said that was his reaction when they told him on the phone. Awesome. Peter Sagal related a story that Stephen told him – that Stephen cuts up his vegetables for soup while listening to Sagal’s show. So sweet! But he said that’s caused a reaction so that whenever he hears NPR, he has to pick up a knife.” Have to keep it off in the car…”
They began the panel by having everyone tell their stories of their time at Second City. Stephen told us all what I’d already heard many times – that he used to take acting very seriously, he wore a beard, etcetera. He said that he bussed tables, answered phones, and sold t-shirts (held the record for selling the most, too!). Peter Grosz bragged about getting into the National Touring Company of Second City on his first try and Peter Gwinn “glared” at him – it was very funny! They all ribbed Allison a bit, because I think she wasn’t actually in Second City.
Stephen joked about the Google v. Viacom deposition that he was at – fairly recently, I think. He said that he couldn’t give much away, but he did say that, during the deposition, they had to differentiate between him and his character. So, the lawyers would ask him about a clip and he’d say, “Well…are you asking me or my character?” So, they devised a system whereby Stephen would move his coffee cup to the left or the right and that would signify whether he was himself or his character. So funny! He remarked that his character never got all the way through the documents – i.e. “Ah, well, ‘people’ is spelled wrong here…you’ve got a dangling modifier here. What is this? No, YOU’RE out of order!”
Sagal, the moderator, asked them all if they were worried about trying to get the show done for four nights a week. They said that they were at the very beginning, but it passed. But Stephen said he still gets it sometimes where he’ll think for three months, “Oh, this is do-able.” And then for a month he’ll just be thinking, “This cannot be done, I’m a fraud!” Stephen and Allison re-enacted a situation at the beginning of the show when David Cross came in (he was, apparently, going to play a ‘liberal nemesis’ type of character to Stephen) and simply couldn’t believe they were going to put on the show every night.
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Stephen Colbert in the Zeitgeist – Second City Anniversary Edition
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Hey, Zoners! We’re already seeing reports from this weekend’s Second City anniversary festivities, and personally I can’t wait to hear more about this morning’s panel discussion. I’m also really looking forward to a review of tonight’s special alumni show. In the meantime, stories about Second City and its importance to the development of comedy on stage and screen have been showing up this week, so here’s a quick rundown of those, your Second City zeitgeist in honor of their 50th anniversary.
First up, the Chicago Tribune takes a close look at the work of Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert and their influence on television comedy. The article sees them as contributing toward a looser and more improvisational art form that nevertheless depends on material that has been finely honed. It’s a pretty detailed examination of how these three particular alumni use their Second City training to great success on TV.
- Colbert, Fey and Carell: Comedy’s power players – December 6, 2009
On “The Colbert Report,” Colbert is performing, essentially, the longest-running sketch in TV history. Yet, his impersonation of a Bill O’Reilly-following boob of a TV presenter has, instead of fading in its fifth year on the air, only grown richer and deeper.
To watch him try to hold character each night — to say the things “Stephen Colbert” would say while actually making the opposite satirical point — is one of the pure joys in contemporary television. Given the demands of the character, his interviews with authors are often extraordinary feats of improvisation. It’s a fearless performance, exactly the kind of thing you learn from getting up onstage and pretending to be a bus driver one moment, a lion in front of the Art Institute the next.
Metromix Chicago has an interview with Mick Napier, Second City director and improv teacher who is directing tonight’s alumni show. He has some interesting comments about how Second City has changed during his tenure and about alumni he’s worked with in the past, including some guy named Steve.
- Just for laughs: Local master of sketch comedy directs a Second City milestone – December 8, 2009
Will you get star struck this weekend? I think so. It’s weird: Second City is asking me to come in and direct some of these guys in their scenes [for the anniversary shows]. Steve Colbert is a friend of mine. He was in the very first class I ever taught at Second City, but I haven’t seen him in about five years — since “The Colbert Report” — and I’m actually asking myself, ‘How am I going to be around Steve?’ and I don’t even know.
Anyone else you’re especially excited — or nervous — about seeing? I’m certainly looking forward to seeing Amy Sedaris. She’s probably the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life. When I see Amy, I have to decide whether or not to go up and say ‘Hi’ to her because I will start crying in laughter in about 10 seconds after I say hello.
Both the L.A. Times and the Wall Street Journal have given nods to the legacy of Second City and the many talented performers who began their careers there. These articles have a lot of good background information, though they’re less focused on any one particular performer.
- Second City’s first rate legacy – L.A. Times, December 6, 2009
But Second City has always insisted that it be viewed and treated as a theater (it has a contract with Actors’ Equity) as distinct from a comedy club. Although many people think that its shows are wholly improvised, they are actually shaped, honed and tightly scripted.
“We use improv as a tool,” says co-founder Bernie Sahlins, “not a performance form. Material rises out of improvisation, but it has been written, tried out and tested before it goes into the show as a finished piece. The improvisation is basically public rehearsals.”
- Fifty Years of Second City – Wall Street Journal, December 9, 2009
The Second City, which took its name from a series of derisive articles about Chicago by the New Yorker writer A.J. Liebling, has good reason to take a bow. It has changed the tone and shape of comedy on stage, in film and on television. “We’ve had an influence in every decade,” said Mr. Alexander. “It was particularly true in the ’70s with ‘Saturday Night Live’ and with Harold Ramis’s films, into the ’80s with Mike Myers, and there’s the new generation with Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey.”
So many great names in TV comedy came out of Second City, and as someone who grew up as a fan of the original Saturday Night Live cast, I’ve long appreciated how these talented people have been able to make me laugh. I’d practically sacrifice a limb to be at tonight’s alumni show, because I’m sure it’ll be an amazing experience. But since I can’t be there, I’ll look forward to reviews of the show, and hope that we hear about some particularly hilarious doings.
(h/t Jennie)
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EYE CANDY: Second City ‘Colbert Report’ Panel edition
Posted by: | CommentsPlease enjoy these lovely pics, courtesy of the Life.com archive.
Courtesy of Life.com
Click through for more!
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