The Best of The Second City

The Best of The Second City


Performed by:

 

Lisa Albano, Tristan Lee Griffin,
Patrick McCartney, Colin Rourke,
Miranda Rozas & Winnie Stack

Director: Ashley Blair

 

Musical Director & Sound Design: Jonathan Wagner

 

Choreographer: Marc Kimelman

 

Stage Manager: Mel Ryan

 

Artistic Director, Second City Brooklyn: Alan Kliffer

 

Producer, Second City Brooklyn: Matt Prigge

 

Lead Technical Director: John Kelly

 

Technical Director, Second City Brooklyn: Kurt Cruz

 

All actors and stage managers are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union for professional actors and stage managers. All musicians are members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802.


The Ensemble

LISA ALBANO

LISA ALBANO/Ensemble is an actor & writer based in New York. With a degree in International Relations and zero desire to work for the government, she moved to Chicago where she studied & performed improv and sketch at various theaters including iO Chicago and Logan Square Improv. When Lisa’s not performing at The Second City, you can find her performing around New York with her improv team, The Good Time, or online at @lisa.albano on Instagram and @girlfriendlis on TikTok. Thanks to Mom, Dad, Mike, Rose, David & Erika, I couldn’t do this without you!

TRISTAN LEE GRIFFIN

TRISTAN LEE GRIFFIN/Ensemble is a NYC-based comedic actor and writer, originally from Rome, Georgia. From 2017-2020, he was a house sketch comedy performer at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre.  In 2019, Tristan performed at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal as a New Face: Characters. He’s very excited to be part of Second City’s NYCo cast. Tristan’s acting credits include: Dickinson, White House Plumbers, That Damn Michael Che, American Horror Story, WeCrashed, The Politician, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and The Intern.

PATRIC McCARTNEY

PATRICK McCARTNEY/Ensemble is an actor and director from New York City. He moved to Chicago when he was 18 to be a part of the Second City and is beyond thrilled to be an actor at its first NYC location. He has been a part of just about every major improv theater in one way or another for almost 20 years. When not at Second City NYC Patrick can be seen improvising with his duo partner Jenny Bareilles, teaching acting and improv classes and directing “Lifestyle” a new live show for Hyperobject Industries. He dedicates this and every performance to the memory of his mother Nancy who loved to laugh.

COLIN ROURKE

COLIN ROURKE/Ensemble Hailing from Chicago, Colin Rourke is an actor and writer who has trained under and performed for The Second City, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, iO Theater and Logan Square Improv. He’s been featured in Buzzfeed and Comedy Central’s “The Gag” and was selected as one of the creators to watch at the 2022 NY Comedy Festival, along with his sketch team “Please Stop Crying”. You can catch him improvising weekly with his best friends “The Good Time” at BCC, and follow him on social: @ballin_rourke. He wants to give a shout out to his nieces and nephew, even though they cannot read yet. Oh well, Uncle Colin loves you!

MIRANDA ROZAS

MIRANDA ROZAS/Ensemble  is a Brooklyn-based improviser, musician, and actress. Originally from Louisiana (and she won’t shut up about it), Miranda moved to Chicago where she trained and performed with The Second City, the iO Theater, Logan Square Improv, and CIC theater for 6 years. When she’s not performing with Second City, you can catch her improvising every Thursday night with “The Good Time” at 7pm at BCC, or around the city singing and jamming original songs with her band “Spare Room”. Follow her on instagram @sexydragonbuttmuncher or Tiktok @thesexydragon. She accepts any and all discussions about crawfish and how good it is.

WINNIE STACK

WINNIE STACK/ Ensemble moved to New York in 2019 and was cast on the Upright Citizens Brigade Maude Sketch team “Peaches.” In 2021 she developed her one-woman comedy show “@JennaFischer” which features original journal entries from her tween years about how “The Office” actress was her gay awakening. In the last two years Winnie has performed “@JennaFischer” to sold out audiences in NY and LA, and the show received a rave review in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Winnie performs with her sketch groups “One Bad Egg” and “Sleepover” throughout New York, as well as her improv team “Scubsy.” Winnie is thrilled and honored to be a part of the “NYCO” team and perform the best of Second City sketches! (She’s actually so excited that when she heard the news she was cast she forgot where she was and ran directly into a wall and broke her toe! It still hurts sometimes!)


Production Team

ALAN KLIFFER / Director / Artistic Director, Second City Brooklyn is originally from Canada, and has been producing, writing, directing and teaching comedy for over twenty years. He recently served as Artistic Director of Asylum NYC, where he helped to launch the award winning Off-Broadway sensation Titaniqué. In addition, Kliffer has produced industry audition showcases for Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, and Just For Laughs, as well as award winning plays and musicals. Aside from his work in New York, Alan has produced and directed shows in Toronto, Los Angeles, London and Edinburgh. Kliffer’s most recent project has been developing a free National high school improv program with the New York City Department of Education.

 

Mel Ryan / Stage Manager is thrilled to be working with the inaugural production of The Second City Brooklyn. She is a New York City based stage manager who has worked from Broadway to the high seas on Norwegian Cruise Lines. She would like to thank her partner Bradley and her family for all their unwavering love and support. And thank you to The Second City for welcoming me into the family! 

 

MARC KIMELMAN / Choreographer Originally from Toronto, Marc is the associate choreographer for the Tony-award winning Jagged Little Pill, Broadway’s A Bronx Tale, the Kennedy Center’s Next to Normal, and assistant choreographer for Broadway’s revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. He has choreographed Saturday Night Fever, Billy Elliot, RENT, Play It Cool and The Apple Boys (Off-Broadway) and Once on this Island (Dora Award for Outstanding Choreography). TV/Film credits include: Disney Plus’ World’s Best and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Marc was movement consultant for Vogue magazine (Annie Leibovitz, Charlize Theron) and has worked with Katy Perry, NYC Ballet, Neil Young and Chaka Kahn. @kimelman

 

MATT PRIGGE / Producer, Second City Brooklyn is thrilled to be producing The Second City Brooklyn’s inaugural sketch revue. Before starting with The Second City, Matt served as Producing Artistic Director at The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT NYC), after producing dozens of sketch shows at the theater. Matt’s eclectic producing background includes commercials, narrative short films, audiobooks, web series, and campaign ads. He’s also an experienced arts educator, who has taught hundreds of NYC public school students through organizations such as The Story Pirates. Matt is a proud alumnus of Ithaca College’s Theater Department, and studied at the Moscow Art Theatre through The National Theater Institute.

 

John Kelly / Lead Technical Director (he/him/his) is very excited to be part of the team to help bring the first NYCo Revue to stage. Previous Second City revues as Technical Director include Chicago MainStage: Don’t Quit Your Daydream, Chicago e.t.c.: Eat, Pray, Bigfoot in Love and Oh! The Places You’ll Glow!; Toronto MainStage Revues: Skylines the Limit and Chaos Menu: Disorder Up. He wants to thank the amazing team of designers, technicians and stage managers for their amazing work. Outside of his work as Technical Director, John has worked as a lighting designer and is an ensemble member with Strawdog Theatre Company in Chicago. For his design portfolio, please visit www.johnkellydesigns.com

KURT CRUZ / Technical Director is a musician, comedian, and Technical Director. Previously, he was the Technical Director at the Upright Citizens Brigade – Hell’s Kitchen and Caveat NYC. He is also a freelance audio mixer, podcast editor, and live-stream technician. When he’s not behind the tech booth, you can find him performing improv and music at various venues throughout NYC. Check out his solo indie music project, Kuko, on all streaming platforms. kukomusic.com

JONATHON WAGNER / Musical Director & Sound Design is an actor/musician based in NYC. He made his Broadway debut in 2015 as the original understudy for “Dewey Finn” in School of Rock: the musical, performing the role over 140 times. Off-Broadway and Regional Credits include: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Tuacahn – 1st Regional Wonka!), #DateMe (Westside), 25th Annual …Spelling Bee (TATC), The Last 5 Years (Steel Beam), High Fidelity (Route 66) and The People vs Friar Laurence (Second City/Steppenwolf 2nd Stage).Jonathan has been with The Second City on and off since 2001, both teaching and music directing various “Co’s” (including: two of their National Touring Companies, SC Cincy: Pride and Porkopolis, two tours on NCL Second City at Sea and the Severn Darden Graduate Program). He was the MD for the Chicago Improv Festival and their house team Storybox, from 2006-2010. He has also music directed improv teams Baby Wants Candy, ComedySportz (Chicago and NYC), RIFF, Mansical, GULP! and Anarchy: the Improvised Rock Opera. Jonathan has also composed and collaborated on several musicals. His most recent project is a musical adaptation of Ryan Andrews’ illustrated fairy tale, Sarah and the Seed with book-lyricist Juliet Mazer-Schmidt.

KURT CRUZ / Technical Director, Second City Brooklyn is a musician, comedian, and Technical Director. Previously, he was the Technical Director at the Upright Citizens Brigade – Hell’s Kitchen and Caveat NYC. He is also a freelance audio mixer, podcast editor, and live-stream technician. When he’s not behind the tech booth, you can find him performing improv and music at various venues throughout NYC. Check out his solo indie music project, Kuko, on all streaming platforms. kukomusic.com


Understudies 

BECKY ABRAMS

BECKY ABRAMS is a Brooklyn-based actor, storyteller, and voiceover artist. She trained with The Upright Citizens Brigade and was a featured sketch performer on UCBTNY house teams Nipsey, Roanoke, and Moriarty. Her half-hour solo show “Santa’s Girlfriend” enjoyed a run in Spring 2023. She appears in countless commercial spots, and her voice is featured in Audible’s “Heads Will Roll” (alongside the voices of Kate McKinnon, Meryl Streep, and Tim Gunn). She also wrote, starred in, and co-directed a short film called “Always Left Handed.”

CAITLIN HOLLINS

CAITLIN HOLLINS is from Atlanta, GA where she started her comedy journey at Dad’s Garage. She’s a graduate of the Severn Darden Graduate Program in Chicago and former iO Harold Team member. Currently she’s running a film festival, FIFF, with her friend, True Walters, at Flop House Comedy every last Wednesday of the month. So much love to her family without whom she wouldn’t be funny.

AARON LaROCHE

AARON LaROCHE is an actor/writer based out of New York. A graduate of the David Lynch Screenwriting MFA he is a vessel for the absurd. He performs improv all over with his indie team Branded Silk and My Momma’s Biscuits. Besides comedy he is also a drummer and member of the bands Skorts and Ghost Kitchen. He is thankful for his family and friends and anyone who still loves to laugh. Let’s get weird.

HANNAH REHAK

HANNAH REHAK is honored to join the incredible cast at Second City New York! Hannah is a Chicago native with over a decade’s worth of experience in improv and sketch comedy. When not on stage, Hannah can be found producing the pop culture podcast Material Girls, directing short films or rearranging her furniture. Follow her @hmrehak on Instagram or learn more about her work at hannahrehak.com

ANDY ROWELL

ANDY ROWELL (he/him/his) is an actor, comedian, and writer based in Brooklyn. In Chicago, Andy worked alongside his peers at the Annoyance Theatre, iO Comedy Network, and the Second City mainstage. He is best known for his appearance on America’s Got Talent as “The Tequila Guy”, a character described by Simon Cowell as “So stupid, I loved it.” Follow @theandyrowell for more.

MICAH STERENBERG

MICAH STERENBERG started improvising in Chicago over a decade ago. He is a veteran of the Second City, Annoyance, and iO, where he was a member of house teams Meridian and Tone. Currently, he appears in That Damn Michael Che and created the long-running live show Bit Tank and Global Influencer SummitCon. Micah performs at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective with What Makes You Laugh and Demon Time, as well as with NYC’s top improv team, Olestra.

The Cast and Crew would like to thank…

ORGANIZATIONS OUR ENSEMBLE  s

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