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Chicago City Limits
Chicago City Limits (CCL), is the longest running improvisational theatre company in New York City, New York. History Chicago City Limits is New York City's seminal improvisational theatre company, founded in 1977. George Todisco started the group in Chicago with actors participating in the workshop program at The Second City, studying under Del Close. Among the players were founding members Todisco, Linda Gelman, Bill McLaughlin, Carol Schindler, Paul Zuckerman, Rick Crom and Christopher Oyen. Oyen served as The Second City's stage manager, and Todisco, McLaughlin, Schindler and Sandy Smith (an early member of the troupe), all appeared in "The Del Close Farewell Salute to Chicago" in 1978. In 1979, Chicago City Limits relocated to New York, performing regularly at Catch a Rising Star, the Improv, the Duplex, Folk City and other notable NYC clubs. It established its own theater (now the José Quintero Theatre) in the summer of 1980 on W 42nd Street, thus creating NYC's mos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, he is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom ''Mork & Mindy'' (1978–1982). After his first leading film role in ''Popeye'' (1980), he starred in several critically and commercially successful films, including '' The World According to Garp'' (1982), ''Moscow on the Hudson'' (1984), ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989), ''Awakenings'' (1990), ''The Fisher King'' (1991), '' Patch Adams'' (1998), '' One Hour Photo'' (2002), and ''World's Greatest Dad'' (2009). He also starred in box office successes such as ''Hook'' (1991), '' Aladd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Improvisational Comedy
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script. Improvisational theatre exists in performance as a range of styles of improvisational comedy as well as some non-comedic theatrical performances. It is sometimes used in film and television, both to develop characters and scripts and occasionally as part of the final product. Improvisational techniques are often used extensively in drama programs to train actors for stage, film, and television and can be an important part of the rehearsal process. However, the skills and processes of improvisation are also used outside the context of performing arts. This practice, known ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the List of United States cities by population density, most densely populated major city in the United States, and is more than twice as populous as second-place Los Angeles. New York City lies at the southern tip of New York (state), New York State, and constitutes the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass. With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020, New York is one of the world's most populous Megacity, megacities, and over 58 million people live within of the city. New York City is a global city, global Culture of New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York (state)
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state by area. With 20.2 million people, it is the fourth-most-populous state in the United States as of 2021, with approximately 44% living in New York City, including 25% of the state's population within Brooklyn and Queens, and another 15% on the remainder of Long Island, the most populous island in the United States. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east; it has a maritime border with Rhode Island, east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the north and Ontario to the northwest. New York City (NYC) is the most populous city in the United States, and around two-thirds of the state's popul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Second City
The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959, and has since become one of the most influential and prolific comedy theatres in the English-speaking world. In February 2021, ZMC, a private equity investment firm based in Manhattan, purchased the Second City. The Second City has produced television programs in both Canada and the United States, including '' SCTV'', ''Second City Presents'', and '' Next Comedy Legend''. Since its debut, The Second City has consistently been a starting point for many comedians, award-winning actors, directors, and others in show business, including Del Close, Alan Alda, Alan Arkin, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Candy, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Colin M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Del Close
Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was one of the influences on modern improvisational theater. Close is co-founder of the iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as "ImprovOlympic"). Life and career Early life Close was born on March 9, 1934, in Manhattan, Kansas. He ran away from home at the age of 17 to work in a traveling side show, but returned to attend Kansas State University. At age 19 he performed in summer stock with the Belfry Players at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. At age 23 he became a member of the Compass Players in St. Louis. When most of the cast—including Mike Nichols and Elaine May—moved to New York City, Close followed. He developed a stand-up comedy act, starred as the Yogi in the Broadway musical revue ''The Nervous Set'', and performed briefly with an impr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
José Quintero Theatre
The José Quintero Theatre was an off-off-Broadway theatre venue located in New York City's Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen. The 93-seat theatre existed inside a former brownstone residential housing building that was constructed in 1887. In 1923 the building was converted from residential housing into a nightclub, the Sleepy Owl Club, which operated until 1954. The theatre was used as a comedy venue during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1980 it was purchased by Linda Gelman and Paul Zuckerman of the improvisational theatre company Chicago City Limits, and opened as the Chicago City Limits Theatre in the summer of 1980. Producer Martin R. Kaufman purchased the theatre in 1987, and the theatre operated under the name the Martin R. Kaufman Theatre until Kaufman's death in 1996. The Kaufman Theatre opened with a celebrated revival of Cole Porter's ''Gay Divorce'' in March 1987; a production which earned actor Joaquin Romaguera a nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jan Hus Presbyterian Church
Jan Hus Presbyterian Church is a Christian congregation associated with the Presbyterian Church USA. It is the oldest Czech Presbyterian congregation in the US, having been founded in 1877, and the church building was opened in 1888. The church is named for Jan Hus, a Bohemian priest who was a theologian and reformer. The church is in the area that was once known as Little Bohemia. Once a center of the Czech community, the church now has a diversified inclusionist congregation. The church ran an active Neighborhood House that promoted music, theater, and culture and operated a homeless outreach program. The church basement includes a 150-seat theatre that was home to Gilbert and Sullivan performing groups almost continuously from 1952 to 1975. Chicago City Limits performed there throughout the 1980s. Since then, several arts organizations have been based at the theatre. In 2019, the Session of Jan Hus Presbyterian sold the church building located at 351 East 74th Street, New Yo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy Club
A comedy club is a venue—typically a nightclub, bar, hotel, casino, or restaurant—where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, impressionists, magicians, ventriloquists, and other comedy acts. The term "comedy club" usually refers to venues that feature stand-up comedy, as distinguished from improvisational theatres, which host improv or sketch comedy, and variety clubs (which may also host musical acts). Types Comedy clubs are usually broken down by comedians into "A rooms", "B rooms", and "C rooms": *A rooms usually cater to people with movie deals, people with television shows, and generally well known acts. *B rooms are where the best aspects of both A rooms and C rooms meet. Young comics need B rooms as a stepping stone. These are rooms where someone doing a 10- to 15-minute set (hosting/MCing) can be asked, after they've been going up long enough, to do a 20-minute set (featuring) and so on. These ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rick Crom
Rick Crom (born March 15, 1957) is an American actor, singer, comedian, lyricist, and composer. He has appeared in numerous television shows and specials, Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, as well as written several off-Broadway revues, and has 3 times been nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics. Performer In 1993, Crom made his Broadway acting debut in ''The Goodbye Girl''. He was an understudy in ''Footloose'' and appeared in '' Urinetown: The Musical'' as Tiny Tom/Dr. Billeaux. His off-Broadway acting credits include the 1994 revival of '' Merrily We Roll Along'' and the ''Encores!'' productions of ''Fiorello!'' and ''Li'l Abner''. As a comedian, Crom has appeared with the Chicago City Limits, and performed stand-up across the country, most frequently at New York City's Comedy Cellar. On television, he has been seen on ''Chappelle's Show'', ''Caroline's Comedy Hour'', and ''Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn''. He also appeared on the FX sitcom ''Louie'', st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eugene Cordero
Eugene Cordero is an American actor, writer, and comedian. Frequently appearing in comedic roles, he has been featured as a series regular on the comedies ''Other Space'' (2015), ''Bajillion Dollar Propertie$'' (2017–2019), ''Tacoma FD'' (2019–present), and '' Star Trek: Lower Decks'' (2020–present). His television appearances also include recurring roles on ''House of Lies'' (2014), ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' (2015–2017), ''The Good Place'' (2016–2020), and '' Wrecked'' (2018). Outside of comedy, he has been a series regular on the Disney+ series ''Loki'' since 2021. Cordero's film roles include the comedy-drama ''The Kings of Summer'' (2013), the monster adventure '' Kong: Skull Island'' (2017), and the crime drama '' The Mule'' (2018). Early life and education Cordero grew up in the northern suburbs of Detroit. He later moved to New York City to attend Marymount Manhattan College. He began improv with Chicago City Limits before taking classes at Upright Citizens Brigad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kimmy Gatewood
Kimmy Gatewood is an American actress, director, writer and singer. Gatewood is a native of Silver Spring, Maryland, and was educated at Paint Branch High School. She has been in a long-running comedy duo with fellow '' GLOW'' actress Rebekka Johnson. The Apple Sisters Gatewood is co-creator of The Apple Sisters, a World War II musical comedy trio. The group, which consists of herself, Rebekka Johnson Rebekka Johnson is an American actress, comedian and writer, producer from Staten Island, New York. Johnson is best known for playing Dawn Rivecca on Netflix's wrestling comedy '' GLOW''. She was featured on MTV's prank show ''Boiling Points'' ..., and Sarah Lowe, started in 2007 in New York City. They received critical acclaim at the 2008 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and moved the group to Los Angeles where they continue to perform. Filmography Film Television References External links * * * Living people American film actresses American televisio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
