Quite often after Columbus Day comes and goes, the population drops off dramatically in the North Country—even on weekends. There are fewer people on the hiking trails, in restaurants, and at cultural events.

But tonight at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts (LPCA) you'd never know it was off season. The parking lot and lobby are packed. What could draw out a crowd like this on this first off-season weekend of the year?

A small improv troupe of six+ known as The Second City is the answer. This is the famous comedy troupe's second visit to Lake Placid and everyone who may have missed it the first time around is making up for it tonight. The audience is filled with recognizable faces—folks from Saranac Lake, Keene Valley, Wilmington, Jay, Ausable Forks, and other corners of the North Country.

And what a treat it is. This group of six+ is one of the national tour arms of Second City TV based in Chicago. One of their ranks was a recent hire of "Saturday Night Live." Of course, they have multiple SNL alum and comedians like Steve Carrell have hailed from their ranks as well. The group onstage tonight includes Kellen Alexander, Kate Lambert, Eileen Montelione, Tim Ryder, and Daniel Strauss. Laura Hum is stage manager and Alex Kliner is the music director--who is onstage at the piano and is fabulous!

The evening begins with a little history, the cast tells us that The Second City first began in 1959. Some graduates of Second City were Bill Murray, Harold Rames, and Dan Aykroyd—3 out or 4 Ghostbusters ain't bad (it's an early joke). According to the web site: The Broadway success of Mike Nichols and Elaine May, members of The Second City's predecessor, The Compass Players, put attention on the fledgling company. Soon, alumni of The Second City, such as Alan Arkin, Barbara Harris, Robert Klein, David Steinberg and Fred Willard, began to cement the theatre's reputation for developing the finest comedic voices of each generation. With the debut of NBC's Saturday Night Live, populated by Second City Alums--John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner--the theatre became internationally known for its ever-increasing roster of comedy superstars.

Tonight, the humor is fast-paced and clever. The troupe starts by taking four words from the audience, tonight they are mountaintop, film noir, oh shit, and car, and then masterfully demonstrates an improve game called 4 cube. There are no dead moments.

The cast repeatedly looks to specific audience members for input that becomes part of the evening entertainment. During the course of the evening, we are asked to shout out answers to certain questions and then are treated an original skit about Ginger the Wonder Dog in a self-help story.

Of course the full title of tonight's program is: Second City for President and there is no shortage of political jokes and politically themed segments with comedy coming up as the big winner.

Then, just when we think it is over, the audience is invited to view a new holiday skit that the troupe is still working on. Script in hand, the actors take the stage and enact a family holiday gathering introducing Smarnooche, a young man the family is hosting from another country, to the family's holiday traditions. Smarnooche shares a few traditions from his own country that leave the audience roaring.

It is an exhausting evening of laughter. Afterwards we peek downstairs (presumably to exit, our car is parked in the back of the building) but we get to chat with the actors briefly on our way out. They tell us how much they enjoy coming to Lake Placid and how great the audience response is here.

All I can say is, if you like to laugh, don't miss this troupe on their next visit to the North Country or anywhere else you may find them.

For more information on Second City TV, go to their website at: www.secondcity.com

There's more entertainment coming up at the LPCA, this weekend Pendragon theatre takes the stage with "Shipwrecked."

Kathleen Recchia has been enjoying the arts in the Adirondacks for about 20 years—both as observer and participant (acting, directing, and producing). She also enjoys cross-country skiing, swimming, juggling, and hosting visitors to the area at her bed & breakfast in Jay.