The Second City comedy troupe has been around for 65 years with a home base in Chicago. Dozens of superstars, from John Belushi and Gilda Radner to Amy Poehler and Jason Sudeikis, got their first big breaks with the group.
A touring group from The Second City is bringing a show to the Franke Center in Marshall on Friday.
Troupe member Kevin Noonan jokes in his biography that he’s still eligible for the NBA draft.
Originally from Kansas, Noonan has worked in comedy in Los Angeles and New York, and now in Chicago at The Second City.
“I like to think that I’ve failed my way sideways and diagonally to everywhere I’ve ever gotten,” he quipped. “I’ve ended up here. I’m happy to be wherever I am.”
Success in live comedy can hinge on skills like doing impressions or being quick on your feet. Noonan is, indeed, quick with a joke when asked what he brings to a Second City show.
“I would say, first and foremost, I’m funny to look at. It’s an important part of the skill set for any comedian," he shared before becoming more sincere.
“I think my strengths, loathe as I am to consider them, is I really love doing this, and I really love laughing, and I really love seeing an audience laugh, and I really love seeing my castmates laugh.”
The Second City has long been a feeder system for the upper echelon of modern comedy, “Saturday Night Live."
To Noonan, making that jump can boil down to having a great night when the right people are in the room.
“There are probably more qualified people than they will ever be able to hire for that job, and so I really feel like it’s one of those things that, if you are putting in the work and you really love doing this, and the stars align and it’s meant to be, you get your chance, and if not, that happens too, and you can have a happy and fulfilling career in this regardless.”
How does a Second City show compare to watching "Saturday Night Live?"
The audience will see two acts. According to Noonan, it’s a mixture of improvisation and pre-written material. Some of that material is new; some is from their archives, dating back as far as the 1980s. For the improv section, the cast takes audience suggestions and then make up scenes on the spot.
Kevin Noonan sums up what the audience can expect at a Second City program this way:
“You’re going to laugh. You’re going to laugh a lot. You’re going to laugh with us. You’re going to laugh at us. You are going to go home, hopefully, and laugh on the way home.”
The Second City will be at the Franke Center for the Arts in Marshall Friday night at 8 p.m.
UPCOMING ARTS EVENTS
Second City isn’t the only comedy on tap this weekend. Grewal Hall in Lansing has Leah Rudick performing on Sunday, March 8. Johnny Mocny opens the show. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for this all-ages show.
The Further Adventures of Fat Boy and Jive Turkey perform Thursday, March 5 at Urban Beat in Lansing. The music starts at 6:30 p.m.
The Jackson Symphony Orchestra’s Celtic Festival returns with the Tannahill Weavers for two nights. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Weatherwax Hall in Jackson.
