In 1959, a group of like-minded Chicagoans joined forces to open a hip new venue dedicated to coffee, cigarettes, conversation, and comedy. The res...
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Jul 30, 2011
Rebecca
rated it: 
I didn't know too much about Second City. I know loads of comics and actors came from it, but I didn't know much about the history. I read the SNL book a few years back, and this book was formatted like it, which I enjoyed a lot. So it wasn't like a straight up history book, more like a compilation of bits from other people all put together in some sort of format. This story was a little all over the place. In the middle of some chapters, it would like break into an event that effected the brand
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Mar 07, 2010
Jim
rated it: 
Not as good as the SNL oral history (Live From New York), and I'd only recommend it to serious comedy nerds. It spends a lot of time with the deaths of John Belushi and Chris Farley, tragic moments in the history of Second City, to be sure, but also events that have been covered better and in greater detail elsewhere (The Chris Farley Show, Belushi). The authors also weren't able to interview some major players in Second City's history (Bill Murray, Mike Meyers, Steve Carell), and the book bec
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Jan 25, 2010
Peter
rated it: 
An incredible array of famous and not so famous alums reflect on their Second City experiences. They tell stories, talk about learning and performing improvisational comedy, and impart the history of the Second City Theater one anecdote at a time. There's little narrative here; author Mike Thomas strings together material from interviews and creates three dimensional richness through the players' differing interpretations and revealing disagreements about great performances, big decisions, horre
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Dec 22, 2009
Ken
rated it: 
There is a very rich, storied history to tell about Second City, given the fresh new comedy style it promoted and the terrific group of performers who performed there through its fifty-year history. But Thomas doesn't do that. In fact, he tells us very little.
Most chapters contain a short introduction, one or two paragraphs, from him, followed by comments from various performers, not necessarily connected to each other.
Since these comments aren't edited or changed, they More...
Most chapters contain a short introduction, one or two paragraphs, from him, followed by comments from various performers, not necessarily connected to each other.
Since these comments aren't edited or changed, they More...
Nov 30, 2011
Jerry
rated it: 
If you live anywhere other than Chicago or Toronto, and/or don't consider yourself to be a huge comedy nerd, then you're probably not going to like this book very much. Or maybe at all. Who knows? But if you're like me and just recently moved to Chicago and signed up to take classes at Second City, then you may also think that this is one of the GREATEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN. (You may be a little biased, too, but I'll be willing to let that slide. Just as long as you promise me that you won't turn
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Jan 17, 2011
Marty
rated it:
Recommended to me because of my love of LIVE FROM NEW YORK, a similar oral history of Saturday Night Live, THE SECOND CITY UNSCRIPTED is ultimately, nowhere near as engaging.
But that didn't mean it was an enjoyable read. Sure, I feel like that it's ultimately more for comedy and improv nerds like myself, but I did enjoy the stories of how such iconic comedic actors like John Candy, John Belushi and Chris Farley truly changed the scope of improv, and how their shadows still cast today. More...
But that didn't mean it was an enjoyable read. Sure, I feel like that it's ultimately more for comedy and improv nerds like myself, but I did enjoy the stories of how such iconic comedic actors like John Candy, John Belushi and Chris Farley truly changed the scope of improv, and how their shadows still cast today. More...
Oct 18, 2009
Sheela
rated it:
This collection of short stories/anecdotes from comedians, producers, and writers of the Second City theater was not interesting, but maybe I went into this thinking the book would include funny stories and juicy information. However, I felt like you had to be part of their community to understand all the stories. I also did not like the set-up of the book and the way they presented the little anecdotes. I did enjoy the pictures of a young Steve Carrell, Nia Vardalos, and many other comedians.
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Feb 14, 2010
Alisa
rated it:
It was fun to read, and I especially liked learning more about the Toronto branch. I think Thomas' approach of interweaving various perspectives and stories into each other is as effective as he could be when an actual chronology isn't really possible. Nonetheless, I found the approach difficult to read through at times. Still a great book for anyone who loves improv, SNL, or general American comedy greats. Or wants a different cultural slice in Chicago, New York and Toronto's histories.
Jan 09, 2010
Katie
rated it:
This book was not what I thought it would be. Instead of continuous prose, things were broken up into quotes taken from interviews. Although the flow was not really interrupted, it did take me a while to get used to reading 4 people's views on the same subject. The second half of the book was more interesting, but perhaps that's because I knew more of the people being discussed. Not the laugh-out-loud book I had hoped for, but interesting to learn some of the history of the place.
Feb 04, 2010
Lori
rated it:
Sometimes how a story is told can overshadow the story itself.
The Second City Unscripted is the perfect example. Witnessing the births (and sometimes tragic deaths) of comedy all-stars *should* lead to incredible storytelling. But in this format -- a paragraph or two of introduction and then mostly unedited quote passages from said stars and other Second City folks -- makes it incredibly hard to follow and often just boring.
With the depth and breadth of the research prese More...
The Second City Unscripted is the perfect example. Witnessing the births (and sometimes tragic deaths) of comedy all-stars *should* lead to incredible storytelling. But in this format -- a paragraph or two of introduction and then mostly unedited quote passages from said stars and other Second City folks -- makes it incredibly hard to follow and often just boring.
With the depth and breadth of the research prese More...
Dec 14, 2010
Kevin
rated it:
I thought it was decent, but not nearly as in depth as it could have been. It just made me want to read Live From New York all over again. Steve Carell is barely mentioned, and is not interviewed at all. Neither is Bill Murray. Fun stories that I've never heard before, but it's just not enough. This book could have been terrific, but in the end it doesn't deliver.
Nov 25, 2009
Rachel
rated it:
Eh. Weird weird formatting made this totally hard to read. Consists entirely of quotes from people who worked and performed there, but in a random disjointed fashion. Loved the stuff about Farley and Tina Fey. Hidden bonus: makes me want to go to Chicago and/or Toronto to catch shows. It is mecca for comedy/SNL fans.
Jun 06, 2010
Chris
rated it:
Like many oral histories, this is a little disjointed. But it is frequently entertaining, and it points out the huge influence that the Second City comedy troupe has had over the last fifty (!) years. I knew there were a lot of great comedic actors had come out of Second City; what I didn't realize is that almost ALL of them had.
Dec 29, 2009
Jim
rated it:
A great companion to Dave Thomas' SCTV history. Mike Thomas collects interviews from Second City alumni from 50 years of casts and paints a great history of the theater, with plenty of exciting anecdotes about shows that were great and shows that were awful. Definitely recommended for fans of Second City.
May 29, 2010
Lena
rated it:
I enjoyed reading about how so many famous people got their start. It reminded me of the book "Live From New York" about SNL, but the players had a different mind set. Second City was all about the acting, where SNL was just about putting on a tv show each week.
Mar 12, 2011
Chris
rated it:
It's probably unfair to compare this book to Tom Shales' Live From New York, but given the similar styles and subject matter, it's inevitable. I enjoyed parts of Second City Unscripted, especially the areas detailing the creation of SC and the space given to the troupe's recent success in the late 1990's... but man oh man, this book is hurting for some key interviews.
Many big Second City stars are missing (Mike Myers, Bill Murray to a lesser extent) as are a lot of perspectives from More...
Many big Second City stars are missing (Mike Myers, Bill Murray to a lesser extent) as are a lot of perspectives from More...
Dec 03, 2009
Nicky
rated it:
The inside stories were interesting, but the author was far too present in the narrative. I'm also deducting a star for terrible fact-checking. Who in their right mind would say Cheers was on ABC, not once, but twice?
Apr 07, 2011
Shaun
rated it:
Good history of the personalities behind the scenes and on stage of the Second City. Might be confusing to people who have never seen or participated in the second City or any of their training programs.
Sep 23, 2010
Deb
rated it:
lots of anecdotes about famous and semi-famous people. Not enough about how they did it, and how improv works.
May 11, 2011
Trace
rated it:
I wish there was more from the new cast and how they formulated their acts.
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Nov 11, 2009
Aughadan
rated it:
I did like it, but it was difficult to get through at times. I learned a lot about Second City and it was nice to hear from so many different people that were involved over the years, but I feel like it could have been shorter and more focused; some of the same ground was covered over and over. A comprehensive history for those interested and a solid three, but it could have been much more.
Jul 15, 2010
Weemcnab
rated it:
This book was inspiring. It rightfully paid homage to the industry alma mater for so many comedians and actors. There is much to be said for territory that is covered when like minds apply themselves to the same pursuit. Such a thing does happen other places, but it is nice to see the history traced through the years of Second City.
May 22, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
It's a bit long, but that said, when covering a place as influential as The Second City there's a lot of ground to cover. Filled with great and hilarious stories, if you've enjoyed comedy from any era you might as well give this a read.
Nov 18, 2009
Tara
rated it:
not nearly as funny as i was hoping for. and the anecdotes were more bitch sessions about the management of Second City than actual stories about their work and their fellow actors/comedians. not bad, but not great.
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