THE GREATEST HITS
SECOND CITY TOUR SERVING THE OPPOSITE OF CANNED LAUGHTER AT PITTSBURGH PUBLIC’S O’REILLY THEATER
The list of successful Second City alumni is impressive: Alan Alda, Scott Adsit, Alan Arkin, Ed Asner, Dan Aykroyd … and those are just the “A’s.”
There are winners of Oscars ( Adam McKay), Tonys ( Andrea Martin), tons of Emmys ( Stephen Colbert, Ed Asner, Tina Fey, among them) and current Emmy nominees including Bob Odenkirk, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.
It’s quite the legacy for a comedy troupe operating on the simple theory that making people laugh is even better if you do it through live improv. The Second City brings three shows of its “Greatest Hits, Vol. 59” to Pittsburgh Public’s O’Reilly Theater, Downtown, Friday and Saturday.
The Second City has theaters in Chicago, Toronto and Hollywood and more than one tour out on the road. The show’s content can vary from venue to venue; Pittsburgh will likely see a PG- rated version.
Rob Wilson, part of the six- member ensemble coming here, said working on the road is a rush.
“As a comedian, I feel like home base is set up for us to succeed in that the audiences kind of have our same sorts of sensibilities … I want to test my mettle; I want to make sure I’m funny in Okoboji, Iowa and Tuscaloosa, in the middle of the country as well as our home base in Chicago.”
“One of the really great things about being a touring company is we are constantly pitching new ideas for scenes,” said Jenelle Cheyne, another member of the troupe. The remaining four are Dan Bazaldua, Andrew Bolduc, Claudia Martinez and Julia Morales in a production directed by Jonald Reyes.
“It’s a collaborative process — sometimes someone will bring in a script and we might work through that to punch up jokes or work on different moments,” she added. “But we perform with the same six actors all the time so we are constantly working as an ensemble, which is super great.
“Not all the responsibility falls on you.” The Second City’s title of “Greatest Hits” is an homage to not only some of those great performers of seasons past ( throw in Joan Rivers, Pittsburgh’s Joe Flaherty, Mike Meyers, Gilda Radner, Steve Carell and Bill Murray, among others), but takes on classic scenes.
Many people know The Second City for providing much of the original cast of “Saturday Night Live,” or by the 1980s latenight “SCTV.” The company originally launched in December of 1959 in, naturally, Chicago.
Growing up, Wilson said, he tried acting and was eventually drawn to comedy. He said he wasn’t certain of a career path but auditioned for Second City “because of that lore and all those insanely funny people. That was something I wanted to be part of.”
In a similar vein, said Cheyne, moving to Chicago to pursue classes in improv seemed like a natural career choice.
They also agree that their short run of shows in Pittsburgh is fool- proof entertainment.
“I have confidence in every single person in the cast. I know that I have good taste, as far as comedy is concerned, and if they’re going to make me roll on the floor, then they might kill someone in the audience,” Wilson said, laughing.