The Long and Hilarious History of The Second City

Founded in Chicago in 1959, improv troupe The Second City is responsible for launching the careers of countless iconic comedians and actors. The troupe recently expanded into New York City – a bit ironic considering the origin of Chicago's "Second City" nickname, which was coined by a journalist from The New Yorker who meant it as an insult to Chicago in comparison to New York City.

The troupe's theater space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is owned by one of Broadway Stages' affiliates and was once a record shop and club. Today, it is a 12,000 square-foot facility that includes a 200-seat mainstage, 60-seat second stage, several classrooms, and a restaurant.

While the six current players are making new history in Brooklyn, the original troupe's origins go back nearly seven decades and include a brief stint in the Big Apple.

Howard Alk, Bernie Sahlins, and Paul Sills, the University of Chicago students who founded The Second City, began their improv careers with The Compass Players (named after the bar where they first performed in 1955). Members of The Compass Players included future EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner Mike Nichols and his comedy partner Elaine May, the husband-and-wife comedy team of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, and future six-time Emmy Award winner Alan Alda.

By 1959, the troupe was performing as The Second City in a new location near Lincoln Park. Two years later, members of the ensemble (including future Oscar winner Alan Arkin) performed the musical "From the Second City" at the Royale Theatre on Broadway (now the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre). The production ran for 87 performances and earned two Tony Award nominations. That same year, future comedy legend Joan Rivers joined the troupe and made her sole appearance in its seventh revue, "Alarums and Excursions."

In 1973, the theater company opened its first location outside of Chicago, at "The Old Fire Hall" in Toronto. Many future comedy stars would go on to perform there, including "Saturday Night Live" alums Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Mike Myers, and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" regulars Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie.

In 1976, members of the Toronto outpost established the sketch comedy show "Second City Television" (also known as "SCTV"), which launched the careers of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, and Dave Thomas, among others.

Over the decades, the original Chicago location drew the likes of future "Saturday Night Live" stars John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and Aidy Bryant, as well as beloved comedic performers Fred Willard, Harold Ramis, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Bob Odenkirk, Richard Kind, Amy Sedaris, Jane Lynch, and Keegan-Michael Key. Even "Cheers" alums George Wendt and Shelley Long performed with the troupe in the 1970s.

We are so excited to support the next generation of comedy legends by playing a role in bringing the group to Brooklyn. The troupe is currently performing "Ruthless Acts of Kindness" on the mainstage, and tickets can be purchased here. If you'd like to learn more about the history of The Second City and its legendary alums, click here.

The Second City: Chicago Comedy Titans Bring It to Brooklyn

Brooklyn's vibrant cultural scene just got a whole lot funnier with the arrival of The Second City, the legendary comedy troupe that has birthed some of the biggest names in comedy. Earlier this year, The Second City kicked off its residency at a facility owned by one of Broadway Stages’ affiliates. The Second City converted the former record shop and club into a 200-seat mainstage, a 60-seat second stage, several classrooms where improv and comedy writing are taught, and a restaurant. But wait, there’s more! The Second City also offers creative professional development services via Second City Works that use the same methods pioneered on their stages to drive individual growth and organizational improvement.

For decades, The Second City has been synonymous with cutting-edge comedy. From the early days that saw the likes of Bill Murray and Tina Fey grace its stages to the current era that boasts talents like Keegan-Michael Key and Stephen Colbert, The Second City has consistently pushed boundaries and redefined the art of sketch comedy and improvisation. Audiences can expect nothing short of wild laughs and bold sketch comedy. From uproarious antics of seasoned performers or the fresh, innovative humor of rising stars, there's something for everyone at The Second City. And let's not forget their world-famous improvisation, where quick wit and on-the-spot creativity reign supreme, ensuring that no two shows are ever alike.

In a city known for its hustle and bustle, The Second City offers a welcome respite — a chance to laugh, create, and connect in the heart of Brooklyn. So, get your tickets, spread the word, and get ready to embark on a comedic journey like no other. The Second City has arrived, and they're here to make you laugh like never before! For information about tickets, the restaurant, classes and professional services, click here.

A Deep Dive Into the Costumes of HBO's "The Gilded Age"

HBO spares no expense in costuming the stars and designing the sets of "The Gilded Age." Currently in its second season, the period drama is filmed in locations across the state of New York, including a Broadway Stages set that serves as the beautiful interior of the van Rhijn/Brook brownstone. The new season took more than 100 days to film, and the production pumped more than $100 million into the local economy, supported more than 250 local businesses, and employed more than 1,500 people.

The New York Governor's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development and Warner Bros. Discovery recently hosted a webinar in which lead costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone and members of her team discussed all of the hard work that goes into designing and creating the luxury threads that embodied the age of opulence in New York City in the late 19th century.

A period drama with a large ensemble cast such as "The Gilded Age" requires a surfeit of custom-made lavish costumes and accessories. Across two seasons, Maimone and her team (with lots of help from local artisans) have carefully crafted more than 1,200 women's dresses, 1,000 men's suits, 750 women's hats, 400 men's hats, 100 tiaras, and 4,000 pairs of shoes.

Maimone said that the creative process always starts with the material. In the case of "The Gilded Age," series creator Julian Fellowes established the time period, place, and characters while the creative team, led by director Michael Engler, determined how best to approach that period. Maimone said the team's main inspiration for the visual approach came from paintings.

"We looked at endless amounts of paintings, and that created very quickly this key to the door of how to approach this period, because the painters naturally heightened the beauty, heightened the contrast, heightened the colors, and we needed that language of heightened reality for our story," she said. "We know that we are not making a documentary. We know that we are creating new material, a new story, that has to live within the framework of the period and be very much inspired by the period."

The production employs a researcher who created a library of about 36,000 images from the time period (around 1877 to 1900). The team also had digital access to museum collections of garments and dresses as well as fashion magazines from the period to provide additional inspiration.

Maimone created a distinct look for each character, keeping in mind that old-money aristocrats such as Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) would have a very different wardrobe than the nouveau riche Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon).

"Bertha for sure was definitely a fun character to design. She's a character who breaks some rules. I mean, she's trying to belong to the society. She's desperately trying to belong... At the same time, she challenges the society. So my framework was quite specific. It has to fit within the norms of the historical reality."

For Bertha's look, her team drew from the latest European fashion of the time and looked beyond the precise year of 1882 so she would stand out.

"Her persona is so different than the old guard," she said. "For the old guard I chose those classic jewel colors, the deep maroons, deep, deep navies, the jewel tones, and for Bertha, it was the colors of newness and the colors of freshness."

She also raised the point that the nouveau riche didn't just dress differently to stand out and flaunt their newfound wealth, but also because they lacked traditions (such as precious heirlooms passed down from their ancestors) and were looking to establish new ones.

"I always compare the two guards like two museums that are here in New York: Metropolitan and Whitney Museum," she said. "They exist at the same time. We experience them both, but it's a completely different collection of art," she said.

Once assistant costume designers Isabelle Simone and Caroline Spitzer receive Maimone's completed design, it can take four to six weeks to create one dress. Head Tailor Sue Bakula makes many of the pieces in-house, but the team also relies on the hard work of local artisans to ensure that every sleeve, bustle, and bow is just right, and every button, fabric, and pattern fits the time period. In fact, these local artisans play a key role in helping the team authentically capture the period. In the 1880s, each character would likely have had her own favorite dressmaker with whom she would work to build out her wardrobe.

"We sort of approach it that there's one maker per character for the most part… there's one person making her clothes so you can see consistency through her entire closet," Simone said regarding each character. "It also takes about three fittings per dress, maybe four with the actor to get everything ready to be seen on camera."

Aside from the dresses, no woman of high society would dare be seen in public without proper accessories, like intricate hats, elegant jewelry, stylish shoes, and long gloves. The team works with local jewelry makers to reproduce iconic pieces from the era and create custom looks for each character — even the hundreds of extras.

For the first season, the team focused on creating the characters and figuring out the logistics of designing all the pieces. The new season provided the team with the opportunity to dig deeper into the time period and the emotional journey of each character.

"It became this really beautiful discovery," Maimone said. "I'm surrounded by designers, each one of them has this incredible talent and what they bring to the table. It really is this beautiful collaboration that made the show happen."

If you haven't watched HBO's luxe period drama "The Gilded Age" yet, what are you waiting for? Take a trip back to the opulent days of Manhattan and Newport in the 1880s. Broadway Stages is thrilled to be part of this stunning production that supports New York's booming film and television industry.

"The Gilded Age" Coming to HBO on January 24

If the pandemic has prevented you from traveling over the last two years, you may find comfort going back in time via Julian Fellowes’ new HBO show “The Gilded Age.” The creator of “Downton Abbey” (2010-2015) and screenwriter of “Gosford Park” (2001) will transport viewers to 1880s New York when his latest period drama launches on January 24. At Broadway Stages, we cannot wait to see how our facilities help bring that turbulent period in New York City’s history to life.

A brief history lesson before you travel back in time: The Gilded Age (1870s-1900) was a period of rapid economic growth and industrialization in America. Skyscrapers transformed the skylines of Chicago and New York City while wealthy Americans built massive mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. It was a period of widening disparity between the rich and the poor and a constant battle between old money aristocrats and nouveau riche industrialists over who ruled high society.

“The Gilded Age” centers on Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), a penniless and orphaned young woman who moves from rural Pennsylvania to New York City in 1882 to live with her aristocratic aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon). Marian brings with her Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start. Marian finds herself in the middle of a war between Aunt Agnes and her “new money” neighbors, the ruthless railroad tycoon George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife Bertha (Carrie Coon).

Others in the cast include Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, and Jack Gilpin. Jeanne Tripplehorn, Nathan Lane, and Audra McDonald (Baranski’s co-star on “The Good Fight,” also filmed at Broadway Stages) will guest star.

This project has been in the works for years, but it is finally arriving at the perfect time for television viewers eager to travel without leaving home. This interview of Christine Baranski on The Late Show with Steven Colbert, provides insight on the authenticity of the period costumes. For more about “The Gilded Age” check out the trailer below.