The Chicago-based improv institution The Second City, which counts comedians Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and Jordan Peele among its alumni, is opening its New York City location Monday night, the institution announced.
The new venue will be located in Williamsburg at 64 North 9th St. and opens months after it was expected to begin programming. The 12,000-square-foot space features two theaters, a training center and a restaurant and bar called the Bentwood.
Second City is known for the interactive component of its shows, where performers take suggestions from the audience and build on them in improvised scenes. Performers also write and perform their own original sketch comedy material.
That tradition will continue in Williamsburg, starting with a mainstage production called “The Second City Presents The First City Revue,” an original sketch comedy performance.
Another show on the calendar is “The Best of Second City,” which will feature sketches from Second City’s archive, including material written by Colbert, Sedaris and Sam Richardson, among others.
“Each of our locations has its own flavor and part of that flavor comes from its interaction with the audience,” said Jen Ellison, the artistic director for all Second City locations.
Ellison said the Williamsburg shows will feel local, particularly because they’ll take suggestions from New Yorkers in the audience.
The Big Apple cast will include comedians Jackie Uweh, Ashley Leisten, Ben Rameaka, Yazmin Ramos, Drew Reilly and Jordan Savusa. Some in the group trained at the now-closed Second City in Los Angeles, while others moved from Chicago. Reilly and Rameaka have been around the New York City improv scene for years.
“This is a pretty unique group of people, meaning that they all have their own different point of view, they have their own voice comedically,” said Ellison, noting Second City New York will feature a mix of absurdist humor, musical improv and political…
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