No matter which political party is in the news, the members of “The Second City’s Free Speech! (While Supplies Last)” touring company are equal-opportunity offenders.
“We touch on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but we try to keep it even,” said Jeffrey Murdoch, a member of the touring company. “But comedy is a liberal bastion, so we probably hit Trump a little more.”
“The Second City’s Free Speech! (While Supplies Last)” will be presented at 8 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. In addition to Murdoch, the troupe features Emily Fightmaster, Carley Moseley, Scott Nelson, Chucho Perez and Julia Weiss. The show is rated R for adult language and content.
Murdoch believes that getting along with his fellow cast members is an important aspect to the show’s success.
“We hang out together before and after the shows,” he said. “They’ve got to have your back when you’re on stage. We have to work as an ensemble. You do whatever you can to make the show look better.”
“Free Speech! (While Supplies Last)” provides an irreverent look at America’s election process. The show features political satire made famous by Second City stars like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Keegan-Michael Key. The six cast members and one musical director, Mary Mahoney, who plays the piano for the show, present satire on numerous political topics, poke fun at the Electoral College and parody political marketing.
“We show a passion for politics and a compassion for people,” Murdoch said. “A majority of the show is sketches, with some improv slots.
“The improv slots have a loose theme around them,” Murdoch continued. “We are doing a scene about being at the end of the world and we ask the audience for input, so the show is not straight improv.”
With its roots in improvisational games, The Second City began in 1959 and developed a new way of creating and performing comedy. The comedy of The Second City went against the conformist culture and spoke to a younger generation.
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Today, The Second City has become a diversified entertainment company with Second City Training Centers in Chicago, Toronto and Los Angeles and four touring companies performing Second City revues all over the world.
“I’m a Midwestern kid,” said Murdoch, who grew up in the Detroit area, “so I knew all about Second City and the huge names who have gone on to do great things. A lot of people attend Second City because of the big names that once performed there, but then they love our work.”
Randall G. Mielke is a freelance writer.
“The Second City’s Free Speech! (While Supplies Last)”
When: Aug. 27
Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
Tickets: $35-$45
Information: 630-896-6666 or www.paramountaurora.com