Tim Meadows to Host 2nd Annual Break Out Comedy Festival
NBCUniversal and The Second City announced that they will be holding their 2nd annual Break Out Comedy Festival in Chicago on June 3rd and 4th this year, and this event is a must see event if you are in the area. The festival will be hosted by Saturday Night Live and The Second City alumnus Tim Meadows, who is co-starring in The Lonely Island crews new movie Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping, which also premieres June 3rd.
The Second City, from Chicago, is the oldest comedy troupe in the U.S., and has a long history of producing some of the finest comedic minds in the entertainment industry. Many of the troupes alums have gone on to star in various iterations of SNL and other NBC shows (as well as on countless other networks and films,) hence the partnership. The Second City has put an emphasis in recent years on their diversity and outreach program, seeking out multicultural performers and even teaming up with NBCUniversal to offer a mentorship program (the Bob Curry Fellowship Program) for performers from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Created just last year, the goal of the festival is to shine a spotlight on some of the most promising young comics of color in the country today and give them some serious attention. The festival will feature a diverse roster of stand-up, improv, and character acts taking the stage, including The Defiant Thomas Brothers, Erica Clark, Joel Kim Booster, Sonia Denis, Sammy Arechar, Alex Kumin, Felonious Monk, Marlena Rodriguez, Chris Redd, and guest performers from the Bob Curry Fellowship Program.
“The Second City has a proud history of providing opportunities for diverse, young talent,” said Dionna Griffin-Irons, The Second City’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion. “It’s something we’re very serious about and our theater has become a talent pipeline for some of comedy’s best and diverse performers of color.”
While diversity and showcasing are the goals of the festival, all you need to know is that it is that last year’s show was an expertly curated comedy show. Last year’s festival was pretty brilliant, with Undateable’s Ron Funches and The Daily Show’s Al Madrigal each hosting one night of the event at UP Comedy Club. There was a wide array of performers at the event, who may be emerging talents, but they performed like headliners with impressive performances from acts Chucho Perez, Ramon Rivas, Martin Morrow, Aisha Alfa, Dave Helem, Calvin Evans, and Rebecca O’Neal, to groups like Dominizuelan. This years festival will expand on that diversity, and if last year was any indication, the tickets are bound to go fast, so get yours while you can!
Tickets can be bought via the Up Comedy Club’s website or by phone at 312-662-4562. UP will host both nights of the event, with shows taking place at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3rd and Saturday, June 4th.
