In its 53-year history, the improvisational comedy troupe the Second City has launched the careers of Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey.
That’s some pretty tall cotton. Might those discussing the Second City’s legacy add Barry Hite’s name to that list one day? You never know.
“You can’t think about it too much because then it becomes something else entirely,” Hite said about the Second City’s legacy, speaking by phone from a grocery store in the Chicago area. Actually, aisle three, coffee and tea, of a Jewel-Osco, to be exact. “From the moment you get officially fully hired, they do remind you of the history of it in a fun way.”
The Second City’s Laugh Out Loud Tour performs at the Lansburgh Theatre on Friday and Saturday.
| Onstage |
| The Second City Laugh Out Loud Tour |
| Where: Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW |
| When: 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: $25 to $45; 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org |
Hite grew up in Mechanicsville, just north of Richmond in Hanover County. The D.C. trip will be a bit of a homecoming for him.
The Second City’s D.C. shows will feature plenty of political jokes, especially considering it’s an election year.
“You like to tailor the show to the audience a little bit,” Hite said. “That’ll be the great part about playing D.C. We’ll get a little bit more political than we normally would.”
Hite attended the University of Virginia, where he picked up the comedy bug and started an improvisational comedy group called the Whethermen. After graduating from U.Va., he abandoned aspirations for law school and moved to Chicago, the mecca of improv.
“I’ve been sidetracked ever since,” Hite joked about his never-realized law career.
For the past two years, Hite has been part of the Second City’s touring group, following a stint performing for the troupe on a cruise ship. The Second City has been around since 1959, launching the careers of big-name comedians for more than five decades.
“It’s a great gig,” Hite said. “It’s wonderful, which is why I’ve been doing it for two years. You get to travel places and meet people.”
Traveling is a big draw for Hite. Recent destinations have included anywhere from Arkansas and California to Austria and Belgium.
“You meet a lot of interesting people,” Hite said. “You just get these experiences that aren’t quite repeatable. It’s just so fascinating getting to travel and to meet these people. You’re just sort of like, ‘Am I really doing this?’ It’s really a lot of fun.”
