Is improv comedy troupe The Second City coming to Indianapolis? Yes, and they will be at Butler on Oct. 29! Photo courtesy of Butler Arts & Events Center.
AMELIA MAXWELL | STAFF REPORTER | amaxwell1@butler.edu
The Second City, a comedy troupe based out of Chicago, is set to come to Clowes Memorial Hall on Oct. 29. Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Bill Murray, Keegan-Michael Key and Chris Farley are just a few of the countless comedic legends that have gotten their start at Second City.
The Second City has been performing comedy shows for over 60 years. Beginning in the 1950s, The comedy show started showing improvisational games on stage in Chicago and has now expanded to multiple improv troupes at each location in Chicago, Toronto and Hollywood. This is an opportunity for Butler students to see a Chicago-based show on their own campus.
Keya Fowler, a junior accounting and finance major, said that she can’t wait to go see the show with her friends.
“I am really excited to see the show where many of the big named comedians got their start,” Fowler said. “I am looking forward to laughing nonstop for the entire duration of the show.”
Butler is making up for lost time since COVID-19 and has been host to a large number of shows in recent months, especially comedy shows. Most recently Jeff Foxworthy, host of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” held a show in front of a packed house at Clowes.
Senior computer science major Alex Kuhn said he is grateful for the opportunity to see such an amazing show so close to home.
“It’s a really cool show coming on tour and with Butler having these kinds of tickets,” Kuhn said. “I just figured it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
The Second City takes a different direction in its form of comedy than other stand-up comedians that have performed in the past. The Second City is focused on improv, an unscripted form of comedy, which makes every show a unique experience.
Junior strategic communication major Grace Gordon, a co-leader of Butler’s improv troupe BU Improv, is hoping that The Second City will expose people to the world of improv comedy.
“I think that improv, in general, is super fun and more accessible than people think it is,” Gordon said. “I think this would be a fun opportunity for people to just get acquainted with [improv] for the first time.”
The Second City has built up their reputation through their superstar casts and people can rest assured that it will be a worthwhile show. Comedy shows have been a big hit at Clowes recently, and there are many more where that came from. Comedians like Leanne Morgan, Fortune Feimster and Bill Burr are all set to perform at Butler this semester.
The Second City will perform at Clowes Hall at 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 29. With the cast of Jillian Ebanks, Kiley Fitzgerald, Claire Favret, George C. Owens and Jordan Stafford, this performance is sure to impress. You can find tickets on the Butler Arts & Events Center website.
