- Hardcover: 216 pages
- Publisher: Sourcebooks MediaFusion; Har/Com edition (Oct 1 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1570715610
- ISBN-13: 978-1570715617
- Product Dimensions: 27.6 x 25 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 1.6 Kg
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,124,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Patinkin was one of the early directors at the Second City, the risk-taking comedy cabaret that opened in Chicago in 1959. Second City's potent impact on theater, film and TV is revealed in its lengthy alumni list, which includes the likes of John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Betty Thomas, Tim Meadows and Ryan Stiles. Combining interviews, research and rare photos with his own memories, Patinkin traces the origins of Second City back to 1955 when the Compass (which featured Mike Nichols and Elaine May) opened in Chicago. Second City spawned a cult of its own: in addition to Second City clubs in L.A. and other cities, there were recordings, touring shows, SCTV and a Broadway production. A dazzling lineup of talent is profiledDMartin Short, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Andrea Martin, Fred Willard, Severn Darden, Bonnie Hunt and Del Close. Along with a salmagundi of sidebars, blackout bits, quotes and anecdotes, there are contributions written by Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, George Wendt, James Belushi and Harold Ramis, plus a long-ago look at an afternoon rehearsal, as documented by an anonymous author in 1973. Janet Coleman's brilliant and unforgettable history, The Compass, would be difficult to top, but the influence of the Compass and Second City was so vast that Patinkin makes a solid contribution with fresh material in an entertaining package. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The Second City celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 1999, so it's fitting that this entertaining retrospective be produced to showcase the theater's output thus far. Second City's ensemble has included much of the Saturday Night Live cast, the SC-TV cast, as well as Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Peter Boyle, George Wendt, Shelley Long, Dan Castelleneta, and dozens of other now-familiar voices in American comedy. Established, and still based, in Chicago (a second theater opened in Toronto in 1973), Second City has always offered polished scenes rooted in improvisation; its satire and silliness are an unusual blend of high and low cultural references. Patinkin's engaging narrative is presented with dozens of profiles, essays, and quotes from cast members and hundreds of photos from the archives. The package wisely includes two full-length audio CDs featuring more than 30 scenes, narrated by Robert Klein. These recordings include Bonnie Hunt as a telephone "on-hold" entertainer, and an early recording of Chris Farley's classic "motivational speaker" Matt Foley, who lives, as many of us know, "IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!" James Klise
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
I put up a bunch of reviews there,
By humplover (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Second City (Hardcover)
Sheldon's portion is great. It's an interesting background on a philosophy. The rest is the most masturbatorial text you'll ever read -- and it praises the tragically mediocre. I worked there over the course of the two managements. It's horrible now. Of course, nobody asked me or fellow cast members who could actually make me laugh.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for comedy fans,
By Daniel M Mont (Derwood, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Second City (Hardcover)
If you are already a fan of Second City -- or of comedy in general -- this is a very entertaining and informative book, containing many nuggets that elucidate the overwhelming impact Second City has had on comedy in the US. But if you know nothing about them, it is not the greatest introduction. It doesn't give a real sense of the improv process. It is accompanied by two CDs of performances. The CD of the early years has pretty bad sound, and some of the performances are dated. THe second CD is great.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pioneers in Improvisionational Entertainment,
By
This review is from: The Second City (Hardcover)
It is important to understand what this package (ie book and two audio CDs) is not. It is not a definitive history of the group, nor does it provide detailed biographical information about the group's most prominent members, nor is it a probling analysis of the broader and deeper context in which the group was established and then evolved. Yes, the reader is "taken backstage at the world's greatest comedy theater" but the experience (albeit enjoyable) very much resembles what a family member or friend would probably encounter when literally allowed backstage. After having read the book, I understood more about the group's development and the interaction (onstage) between and among the principals. Perhaps you have seen the Olivier film based on Henry V in which, during the first 12-15 minutes, the viewer is transported back to the Elizabethan Age, to the London theatre world, and to the stage on which Shakespeare's play was performed. Brief scenes backstage are included. When reading this book, I had the same sense of being allowed limited access. Only when the two audio CDs are heard are the unique talents of the various performers brought to life. I view the book as being supplementary to the CDs. Together, they provide exceptional entertainment to those who enjoy comedic improvisation.
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