Yawp Mag ISSUE 16: SKETCH COMEDY | Page 19

humour and began setting the standard and formula that we continue to laugh at today. Just like “Saturday NIght Live” is a stepping stone to major opportunities, “The Second City” also grew and produced ?ne comedians of their own. John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Chris Farley are just some of the talented members of both “SNL” and “The Second City”. They brought in new ways to view and poke fun at modern day life. Over time, “Saturday Night Live” became the more popular of the two. “SNL” never really looked back as the show continued to grow and gain recognition in the eyes of the general public. This never stopped “The Second City”. The sister city in the bordering the country of Canada soon developed their own sketch comedy series. They brought to the fore a stellar cast including Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty and Rick Moranis. The formative years would see the groundbreaking comedy groups expanding at a rapid rate, even quicker than the early years. This exceeded their wildest dreams. As the years rolled on and on, the comedians pushed the boundaries of what would normally be accepted in everyday society. This is what kept them in the game and what keeps the audience tuning in and laughing week after week. “The Second City” did continue to grow, just not the way “SNL” happened to. In 1991 they went ahead to debut in Scotland. In 1993 they opened in Detroit, Michigan in 2001 and Las Vegas now has a “The Second City” theatre. They have training centres in Chicago, Toronto and Hollywood, allowing more people to learn the craft of sketch comedy, which is a remarkable effort to grow and nurture upcoming talent. Whilst all this was happening, “SNL” was also in that growing stage and grow they did. As “Saturday Night Live” grew, so did the list of people putting their hand up to appear on the show. A guest appearance on the show would de?nitely help your standing in the industry. There was an aura that came along with hosting a show. New sketches appear in every episode and there is a constant 'live' appeal. Then of course, there is a crowd full of anticipation and ready for the wild unknown. It is a mix that has everyone constantly guessing what may happen next. All that is assured that when you arrive, there will be laughter, tears of joy and at times, disbelief. Equally important to the show being successful would be the host and hosting Saturday Night Live is an honour. So many hosts from so many different walks of life have had this honour bestowed upon them. Just a few of these heavy-hitting comedians include Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Robin Williams. To say this a platform to build your dreams into a career may well be the biggest understatement ever. Bring on the next crop of comedy lovers. For now, it's Saturday Night, LIVE FROM NEW YORK.