A wigged choir instructor sporting glittery, cat-eyed glasses commanded Boston University students ‘Kiki’ and ‘Dickie’ to conduct her choral group as they sang ‘America the Beautiful’ Saturday night in the George Sherman Union.
‘I want you to conduct as if you are making love to America,’ shrieked the crazed teacher.
No, it wasn’t a bad scene out of a 1970s porno film. It was Chicago comedy group Second City’s show at BU, organized by the Student Union Programming Council, when the group displayed their crazy, comedic antics in front of more than 300 students.
The actors based entire skits on suggestions from the audience during the event Saturday night. When they asked ‘What was the last thing you purchased with your credit card?’ the audience answer was an unexpected ‘Cheese!’
The result was a skit about a dysfunctional family trying to pose for a Christmas picture.
One of many song interludes was a dance number about ‘aglets,’ the plastic tip of shoelaces, which COM junior Jeremy Bent said was his favorite part of the show.
‘I love the aglet song,’ Bent said. ‘There’s nothing funnier than a mundane idea made into funny concept.’
Bent is also a member of BU’s improv comedy group, Slow Children at Play, who all attended Saturday night’s event.
Second City, which specializes in sketches, songs and improvisations, has been performing for more than 40 years.
‘They put people in Mad TV and Saturday Night Live very frequently,’ said Meredith Beard, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and SUPC spokeswoman. She said Second City alumni includes Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Bill Murray, John Candy, Chris Farley and Mike Meyers.
Many audience members said they were already familiar with the group, which a few said is legendary across the country.
College of Communication freshmen Alex Harris and Emily Swan, who said they come from the Chicago area, have seen the group several times.
Swan said she was most looking forward to seeing the group’s audience-input part of the show, which she said is the funniest.
‘The best part is the improv, when they ask for audience input,’ she said. ‘People come up with the most bizarre words. And these people are really professional, you never see them trip up or even laugh.’