Funny time in the city
THE NY Comedy Festival’s Nov. 7 to 12. Sixty shows, six days, 14th year, 200 types like Bill Maher at MSG Theater, Nick Of
ferman at the Beacon, Conan at the Apollo. Everything the same. Maybe even the jokes.
A funny thing happened on the way to this festival. Mama Bear Caroline
Hirsch of Carolines comedy club and Papa Bear producer Andrew Fox added a Second City Pop-up Training Center.
Assuming some newborn comic exists on some far-off galaxy like, say, Utah, Jack McBrayer — whom we love from his Conan O’Brien shots, his stuff on “SNL,” his Emmynominee job on “30 Rock” and his current character on ABC’s “The Middle” — explains Second City, from which he came.
McBrayer: “In Chicago, it’s the kindergarten of comedy. Graduates include Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Steve Carell, the whole alphabet.
“It teaches the art of comedy. Being there taught it to me and if you might look to follow a Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer
or Jon Stewart, the best professional training is Chicago’s Second City.
“Their idea began al- most 60 years ago and teaches sketch comedy, improv, timing, and the topical political stuff that’s used today to poke at current events or the modern crop of those in office. You learn to explore and be immediate. “The ability to loosen up and work improvisationally frees a performer. That’s the art Second City developed. You learn to not be afraid if you forgot what you memorized from a paper. You do revues. Ensembles. The art of thinking on your feet, which is improvisational, is freeing. They’ve perfected that method.”