BOOM CHICAGO

'Boom Chicago' is a sketch and improvisational comedy theater, founded in Amsterdam in 1993 by a group of American tourists, who named it after their hometown. In the beginning, the city of Amsterdam refused to include it into the official list of Dutch theaters, because Boom Chicago was considered "foreign."
Boom Chicago's comedy show has since become a part of the city's cultural life, creating long-running stage performances which number among the biggest in Amsterdam in terms of ticket sales. In addition, the group travels to theaters and festivals around the world including Edinburgh International Festival, the Chicago Improv Festival, and the Singapore Comedy Festival.
Boom Chicago has not shied away from address important issues including dangers of emerging extreme right, xenophobia in the post Pim Fortuyn Dutch society, conspiracy theory, and satire on 9/11 attacks or government bureaucracy. Mixing political and social issues with traditional cabaret elements has made the show popular with audiences and critics alike.

Contents

History

Current performers

See also

External links

Past Productions

History

In 1997, they moved into the 300 seat Leidseplein Theater, the theater where Dutch legends Wim Kan, Wim Sonneveld, Toon Hermans began in the 1930s. Boom Chicago renovated the theater, added a kitchen and installed tables and chairs. Co-founder and Ken Shaefle designed the space with sound and lights influenced by live rock shows. This raised the technical levels past those of a traditional improvisation show and gave the shows their signature spectacle.
Three years later they hired their first video director, Jamie Wright, to help introduce multimedia into their shows incorporating live and recorded video and fitted the theater (and the Leidseplein outside) with cameras. Soon they added a green screen studio and live internet, making Boom Chicago one of the most technically advanced comedy shows in the world.
Boom Chicago Video Productions was launched in 2004 after the world-wide success of the Florida Voting Machine Video, where an American citizen tries to vote for Kerry, but the rigged machine only allows him to vote for George Bush. Today comedy videos are a major component of their comedic output, and they create topical videos for TV, internet, mobile phones and business campaigns. In 2006, Boom Chicago mounted a major initiative around the World Cup. A live show, ''Kick This: A World Cup Comedy With Balls'', was complimented by a daily internet and mobile video series The Unlikely Fan which was seen by almost a million people on various networks including MSN, ZoomIn/FTV and KPN.
In September, 2006 BCVP took another step forward under director and editor Matt Chapman. Boom Chicago built an additional video studio, hired Becky Nelson as an additional video director, revamped their website and doubled their video output. Two weekly series, Full Frontal News and Slacker Fantasy Football, premiered on Sprint Mobile in the U.S.
Also in September, their new live show about media and technology Me, MySpace and iPod opened to their best reviews to date. Merijn Henfling wrote in Het Parool the show was "Genius... We are once again grateful that [Boom Chicago] decided to make Amsterdam their home." Peter de Bie and Francisco van Jole raved on TROS radio that "people are saying this is the best Boom Chicago show ever, and we would agree." NRC Handelsblad's Henk van Gelder called the show, "Sharp and interactive. They have created an entirely new form of theater; call it digital comedy." Leading tech bloggers Dutch Cowboys said Me, MySpace and iPod was "a surprising show you have to see."
In 2007, Boom Chicago continued their growth in video with a launch of boomchicago.tv a content aggregation website, a dedicated channel on Joost and a pilot on Comedy Central (NL).
Seth Meyers was a member of Boom Chicago in the late 90s. Other famous alumni include Josh Meyers (That 70s Show}, Ike Barinholtz, Jordan Peele, Colton Dunn (MAD TV), Jason Sudeikis, Liz Cackowski (Saturday Night Live), Allison Silverman, Pete Grosz (Colbert Report), Kay Cannon (30 Rock). Nicole Parker recently starred with Martin Short in Fame Becomes Me on Broadway.

Current performers

★ Rob AndristPlourde

★ Hilary Bauman

★ Jennifer Burton

★ Michael Diederich

★ Lauren Flans

★ James "T" Kirkland

★ Mike Orton-Toliver

★ Dan Oster

★ Gregory Shapiro

★ Andel Sudik

★ Lolu Ajayi (understudy)

★ Dave Schmoll (musical director)

★ Steven Svymbersky (technical director)

★ Paddy Dawson (technician)

★ Matt Chapman (video director)

★ Ash Lim (technician)

★ Neil Towsey (technician)

★ Becky Nelson (video director)

★ Andrew Moskos (executive producer/co-owner)

★ Jon "Pep" Rosenfeld (artistic director/co-owner)

★ Saskia Maas (co-owner)

See also

★ Improvisational comedy

★ Comedy

External links

★ Official site

★ Boom Chicago video site

★ Reviews and articles in the press

★ Article about SC theater swap

Past Productions

'1993'
Andrew Moskos, Jon Rosenfeld, Neil McNamara, Lindley Curry, Miriam Tolan, Pam Gutteridge, Doreen Calderon
'1994 Boom / Chicago'
Andrew Moskos, Jon Rosenfeld, Pam Gutteridge,
Emilie Beck, Josie O'Reilly, Greg Shore
'1995 Great Moments in Creation/Culture Shock Therapy'
Andrew Moskos, Jon Rosenfeld, Pam Gutteridge, Greg Shore, Lillian Frances (nee Hubscher), Tami Sagher, Scott Jones, Lesley Bevan, Sue Gillan (nee Gillan)
'1996 Boom Chicago's Laatste Nieuws / Best of Boom'
Andrew Moskos, Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shore, Rob AndristPlourde, Jason Meyer, Karin McKie, Lesley Bevan, Sue Gillan, Jeremy Hornik, Spencer Kayden, + Shane Oman, + Gary Shepard, + Michael Diederich
'1997 boomchicago.nl: the interent and other modern frustrations'
Andrew Moskos, Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shore (Shapiro), Rob AndristPlourde, Pete Grosz, Seth Meyers, Phill Arensberg, Allison Silverman, Gwendolyn Druyor, Lisa Jolley, Kristy Entwistle Nolen
'1998 Think Quick'
Andrew Moskos, Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shapiro-Shore,
Rob AndristPlourde, Seth Meyers, Jill Benjamin,
Holly Walker, John Stoops, Jethro Nolen, Sue Peale, Josh Meyers, Kristy Entwistle Nolen, Josie O'Reilly, + John Schickendans
'1999 Pick-ups & Hiccups'
Seth Meyers, Jill Benjamin
'1999 Everything's Going to Be All Right -- and other lies /
Two Thousand Years Down the Drain: From Jesus Christ to Jerry Springer'
Andrew Moskos, Greg Shore-Shapiro, Rob AndristPlourde, Holly Walker, Josh Meyers, Brendan Hunt, Ike Barinholtz, Joe Canale, Juliet Curry, Jethro Nolen, Kristy Entwistle Nolen, Dave Asher, Liz Cackowski, + Ron West, + Josie O'Reilly, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2000 Live at the Leidseplein: Your Privacy is Our Business'
Andrew Moskos, Greg Shapiro, Rob AndristPlourde, Dave Asher, Holly Walker, Josh Meyers, Brendan Hunt, Ike Barinholtz, Liz Cackowski, Jason Sudekis, Kay Cannon,
Bumper Caroll, Jennifer Bills, David Buckman, + Dave Razowsky + Jamie Wright, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2001 Europe: ­ We've Created a Monster'
Greg Shapiro, Rob AndristPlourde, Rachel Miller, Holly Walker, Josh Meyers, Brendan Hunt, Dave Asher
Lauren Dowden, Nicole Parker, Jordan Peele, Becky Drysdale, Joe Kelly, + Ron West, Andrew Moskos, + Dave Buckman, + Jamie Wright, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2001 Ironic Yanks'
Seth Meyers, Brendan Hunt, + Andrew Moskos
'2001 Nieuwjaarsconference'
Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shapiro, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2002 Rock Stars'
Greg Shapiro, Rob AndristPlourde, Rachel Miller, Randall Harr, Kristi Casey, Joe Kelly, Dani Sher, Colton Dunn, Brendan Hunt, Melody Nife, Lauren Dowden, Nicole Parker, Jordan Peele, + Dave Razowsky + Jon Rosenfeld, + Andrew Moskos, + Jamie Wright, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2002 Here Comes the Neighborhood'
Brendan Hunt, Jordan Peele, + Joe Kelly, + Andrew Moskos
'2002 Yankee Go Home:'
'Americans and Why You Love to Hate Us'
Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shapiro, + Andrew Moskos, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2003 Boom Chicago Saves the World (Sorry about the Mess)'
Greg Shapiro, Rob AndristPlourde, Brendan Hunt, Jordan Peele, Colton Dunn, Dani Sher, Rachel Miller, Suzi Barrett, Heather Campbell, Jim Woods, + Jon Rosenfeld, + Andrew Moskos, + Jamie Wright, + Gerbrand van Kolck
'2003 Going Down: A Comedy Show About Pessimism' Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shapiro, + Andrew Moskos, + Jamie Wright, + David Schmoll
'2004 Why Aren't You Happy Yet? '
Greg Shapiro, Rob AndristPlourde, Rachel Miller, Suzi Barrett, Heather Campbell, Jim Woods, Tim Sniffen, Ryan Archibald, Tarik Davis, Amber Ruffin, + Jon Rosenfeld, + Andrew Moskos, + Jamie Wright, + David Schmoll
'2004 Mr. America Contest:
A Comedy Show about the U.S. Presidential Race'
Jon Rosenfeld, Greg Shapiro, + Andrew Moskos, + Jamie Wright, + David Schmoll
'2005 Bite the Bullet!'
Suzi Barrett, Heather Campbell, Tarik Davis, Matt Jones, Tim Sniffen, Jim Woods, + Andrew Moskos, + Jon Rosenfeld, + Greg Shapiro, + Rob AndristPlourde, + Rachel Miller, + Amber Ruffin, + Jamie Wright, + David Schmoll
'2006 Best of Boom 2006'
Rob AndristPlourde, Hilary Bauman, Tarik Davis, Lauren Flans, Ryan Gowland, Brian Jack, Matt Jones, Dan Oster, Greg Shapiro, + Andrew Moskos, + Jon Rosenfeld, + Laurel Coppock, + David Schmoll, + Vladimir Berkhemer
'2006 Kick This: A World Cup Comedy with Balls' Jon Rosenfeld, Brendan Hunt, + Andrew Moskos, + Jamie Wright, + David Schmoll
2006 Me MySpace and iPod
Hilary Bauman, Lauren Flans, Brian Jack, Matt Jones, Dan Oster + Andrew Moskos + Jon Rosenfeld + Mike Orton-Toliver, + Rob AndristPlourde, + Jennifer Burton, + Michael Diederich, + Gregory Shapiro, + Steven Svymbersky + Dave Schmoll, + Vladimir Berkhemer, + Matt Chapman, + Becky Nelson
2007 Boom Chicago's Wild West Comedy and Gun Show -- Featuring One Real Indian
Jennifer Burton, Lauren Flans, Mike Orton-Toliver, Jim Woods + Joe Kelly + Andrew Moskos + Jon Rosenfeld + Rob AndristPlourde, + Suzi Barrett, + Hilary Bauman, + Michael Diederich, + Dan Oster + Gregory Shapiro, + Steven Svymbersky + Dave Schmoll, + Vladimir Berkhemer, + Matt Chapman, + Becky Nelson