Was Alan Alda ever a member of SCTV?
Steven
Bacon costar) and Eugene Levy were but was Alan ever a member of that
comedy troupe? If yes therefore was he, at least for a time, doing stand
up comedy? I hope to Almighty God he was. I read in a book on movie
stars that he was. If so I feel he is not a great comedic talent wasted.
I thought Alda only did dramatic stage work and I always found it a
horrible shame as he clearly is so damn funny. I found renewed hope in
reading of Alan's working with the SCTV gang as it puts him more on par
with stand up comedy. Something I always felt strongly he should be
doing (remember his Groucho impression in Yankee Doodle Doctor?).
JayZ755
>Bacon costar) and Eugene Levy were but was Alan ever a member of that
>comedy troupe?
No. Alda had already been on M*A*S*H for several years before SCTV came on the
air. The only prominent cast member in SCTV's early days who left was Harold
Ramis.
>If yes therefore was he, at least for a time, doing stand
>up comedy?
SCTV did sketch/improv comedy, not standup, for what it's worth.
Jay
This space intentionally left blank.
Rob Morris
'Neil Simon's Nutcracker Suite' :)
JS577
Second City stage comedy troupe"? Because Second City was formed in Chicago in
1959.
David Brunt
> What I think this guy means to ask is, "Was Alan Alda ever a
> member of the Second City stage comedy troupe"? Because
> Second City was formed in Chicago in 1959.
AFAIK from various biogs Alda spent 1958-1962 teaching in Cleveland and the
following two years as a jobbing actor in New York, which was when he began
the US version of 'That Was The Week That Was'.
He may have done something for SC while in Cleveland, but it's a long way to
commute from there to Chicago for an evening appearance...
David
JayZ755
It looks like Alda was a member of The Compass Players, a New York based Second
City predecessor. The Compass Players were active from 1955-59. Their
complete roster (I am assuming that few if any were with the outfit for its
entire run):
Alan Alda
Jane Alexander
Howard Alk
Alan Arkin
Larry Arrick
Rose Arrick
Ed Asner
Sandy Baron
Lloyd Battista
Walter Beakel
Shelley Berman
Haym Bernson
Roger Bowen
Hildy Brooks
R. Victor Brown
Jack Burns
Mona Burr
Loretta Chiljian
Del Close
Robert Coughlan
Barbara Dana
Severn Darden
Bob Dishy
Kornel Michael David
MacIntyre Dixon
Paul Dooley
Andrew Duncan
Tom Erhart
Theodore J. Flicker
Barbara "Bobbi" Gordon
Mark Gordon
Philip Baker Hall
Larry Hankin
Valarie Harper
Barbara Harris
Jo Henderson
Mo Hirsch
Kenna Hunt
Henry Jaglom
Lee Kalcheim
Linda Lavin
Martin Lavut
Sid Lazard
Mickey LeGlaire
Richard Libertini
Ron Liebman
Freya Manston
Allaudin Mathieu
Elaine May
Paul Mazursky
Anne Meara
Lucy Minnerle
George Morrison
Mike Nichols
Tom O’Horgan
Robert Patton
Nancy Ponder
Diana Sands
Reni Santoni
Linda Segal
Suzanne "Honey" Shepard
David Shepherd
George Sherman
Peg Shirley
Paul Sills
Viola Spolin
Leslie J. Stark
Jerry Stiller
Ron Weyand
Collin Wilcox
Mary Louise Wilson
JayZ755
>following two years as a jobbing actor in New York, which was when he began
>the US version of 'That Was The Week That Was'.
>
Was 'That Was The Week That Was' sketch comedy, or was it more really short
bits like Laugh-In?
quincywagstaff
Second City was indeed an improv sketch group (the most important and
influential one ever.) Though based in Chicago the organization has
at various times formed groups in other areas. The list of alumni of
these various companies reads like a Who's Who of comic acting. Alda
was a member of the New York company in the early '60's. The SCTV
series began in 1976, written and performed by members of the Toronto
and Chicago companies. Check out the book, "The Second City," by
Sheldon Patinkin, for a thorough history and a rundown of the cast
members.
George Hiebert
"Rob Morris" <bright...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:4414-3D3...@storefull-2337.public.lawson.webtv.net...
> One of the SCTV alumnus did a wicked AA imitation, though. Such as in
> 'Neil Simon's Nutcracker Suite' :)
That would be Joe Flaherty. He did Alda in a few different sketches,
Nutcracker Suite being one of them.
quincywagstaff
> City predecessor. The Compass Players were active from 1955-59.
He was in the New York company of Compass in the Fifties (Compass and
Second City were both born and bred in Chicago), but was also in
Second City at the Square East in New York in 62-63.