The Second City comedy troupe came to the Steel City to share laughs and a good time.
Colorado State University-Pueblo welcomed the act on Wednesday in the Occhiato Student Center. The six-member act performs their sketch and improv acts to a big audience with members of all ages.
The comedians perform acts about the economy and politics and include audience members in the routine.
The Second City opened Dec. 16, 1959 in Chicago by a group of University of Chicago students. The next decade, the company recorded its first comedy record, had a run on Broadway and appeared in London and Toronto.
In the 1970s, Saturday Night Live debuted and starred The Second City alumni John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Bill Murray the next season.
In the 1980s, the comedy troupe made the jump from live theater to television and was nominated for seven Emmys. The Second City won an Emmy for “Best Writing for a Variety Show.”
The 1990s gave the act the opportunity to perform overseas. The act visited Vienna, Austria and Edinburgh, Scotland. The 90’s also premiered the talents of current comedians Tina Fey, Rachel Drach and Jon Glaser.
The new millennium promised the company bigger and better ventures. The Second City toured the Middle East and Asia and opened a revue at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The company launched “Second City Radio,” a weekly comedy talk show in Chicago.
In December 2004, The Second City celebrated is 45th anniversary.
The comedy troupe has opened doors for many comedians and continues to give aspiring ones chances to perfect their craft.
Tara Defrancosco, a comedienne with The Second City Chicago, has been touring with the company for about three years. She said she moved to Chicago after college and auditioned for the company.
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she said she enjoys performing improvasation skits and her favorite troupe alums are Tina Fey and Rachel Drach.
Like The Second City performers before her, Defrancisco has big plans for the future. She said she wants to keep performing with the troupe and hopes to have the chance to write for television for shows like “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.”
