Boom Chicago

rdf:langString Boom Chicago

rdf:langString Boom Chicago is an international creative group, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that writes and performs sketch and improvisational comedy at the Rozentheater. The group was founded in 1993 by Americans Andrew Moskos, Pep Rosenfeld and Ken Schaefle, who named it after their hometown and the home of improvisational (improv) comedy. In 1994, they moved from the Iboya on the Korte Leidsedwarsstraat to the Lijnbaansgracht in the space that later became the Sugar Factory and today Lovelee. In 1998, they took over and restored the Leidseplein Theater in the city's theater and club district. Over the years, Ken Schaefle left and Saskia Maas became CEO. In 2013, the comedy show moved to their more spacious home on the Rozengracht, while the Chicago Social Club remains at the Leidseplein. Today the group performs their own shows and hosts outside productions at the Rozentheater. The venue with three theaters also houses Boom Chicago for Business and their training arm, the Boom Chicago Academy. Boom Chicago addresses Dutch, American and world social and political issues like privacy, the role of technology, Europe, the extreme right, Pim Fortuyn, 9/11, social media, the gig economy, AI and the Metaverse. Their unique mixing of comedy styles combined with technology has been popular with audiences and critics alike. 2019's The Future is Here... And it is Slightly Annoying used AI to program a robot to improvise with the cast on stage. 2020-21’s show was about the rediscovery of 1990’s TV comedies. And the 2022 production, Meta Luck Next Time explored the future of the Metaverse. Boom Chicago were the creative forces behind Comedy Central News (CCN), a news show on the Dutch Comedy Central TV for two seasons. The group is currently owned by Moskos, Rosenfeld and Saskia Maas.