New Second City Touring Show Opens at City Theatre (Thurs., 4/9/26)

The Second City is such a legendary comedy company that journalists are tempted to write awful sentences like “The Second City is second to none.” But it’s true. Evidence can be seen in Pittsburgh when the company’s touring troupe visits with a show called Laugh Harder, Not Smarter. It’s billed as a mixture of new material with classic favorites—of which there are many to choose from, by now. The Second City was founded in 1959 by a group of young theater artists in Chicago. They named themselves after a satirical book that belittled their hometown, Chicago: The Second City, by New York journalist A.J. Liebling. The founders first won notice with the then-radical idea of turning improv from an actors’ exercise into live performance for an audience. Over the years, The Second City has pioneered other innovations in comedy, spun off TV shows, and helped to launch the careers of famous alumni including Bill Murray, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Steven Colbert, and more. You might catch a few next-generation stars in Laugh Harder, Not Smarter. The show is directed by Jeff Griggs with music direction by Adam O’Dell. The cast includes Zoe Agapinan, Grace Goze, Phylicia McLeod, Kevin Noonan, Dominic Rescigno, and Cat Savage. The stage manager is Rebecca Gilman. The show is presented by City Theatre and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in a nine-performance run through April 18. Opening night kicks off tonight at 7:30 p.m. City Theatre Mainstage, 1300 Bingham St., South Side. (M.V.)

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