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All Paths Led to a Laughter-Filled Life in Comedy for Andrew Alexander

Making millions of people roar with laughter is a dream career for many people who fantasize about the spotlight. From our earliest memories of giggling over cereal and cartoons to graduating to late nights watching edgy stand-up comedy or even guilty-pleasure rom-coms, it’s sometimes easy to picture a life where joy is the currency and true success is marked by smiles. While these ambitions can be a relentless driving force, they can also be just as paralyzing. How do you manifest a dream into reality?

Enter Andrew Alexander: a lauded comedy producer, a successful entrepreneur, a trusted guide, and a respected mentor to hundreds of hopefuls who crossed his path as he built comedy force The Second City into an empire. While his path was winding, it’s also grounded in themes that shed invaluable light onto the way others can get their foot in the professional comedy door, one laugh and one step at a time.

From Fanboy to Boss Man

No one gets into the business of comedy because they hate to laugh. People drawn to the field all share one glaring trait in common: they love it, plain and simple. Passion and appreciation for the art of laughter is a must; it’s the force that makes the hard times worth the struggle and the good times all the more satisfying.

Appreciating comedy is more than just being down to watch the latest comedy blockbuster or stream a buzzy stand-up special, however. There are lessons to be learned in the stories behind our heroes and their bodies of work. Who influenced them? How did they hit it big? And how did they discover their unique voice that stood out among the rest? Learning those answers can provide a roadmap and a foundation for one’s own version of success.

Andrew Alexander is quick to agree with this sentiment. Long before he found himself at the helm of The Second City, he was just an audience member. He often reflects fondly on his early days of watching improv comedy from the cheap seats, the room thick with the smell of stale beer and sounds of raucous laughter. Even back then, he felt a certain spark from the craft, and he knew that a career in the field was his calling. He used that drive to work towards a future that was fueled by both gut instinct and a desire to understand all nuances of turning a passion into a career.

Not All Fun and Games

Another mark of the many pros who’ve become successful in the world of comedy is, ironically, living a life outside of it. While many competitive careers require jumping in early and pursuing nothing else, this can actually be detrimental to a career in comedy. Sound counter intuitive? It’s not. This is because the biggest laughs come from the truth, from universal experiences. You don’t need gimmicks in this business; you need the ability to bring an element of truth and real-world understanding to your efforts. It can sometimes be difficult to gain this level of understanding while exclusively pursuing a career in comedy.

This come to life again in the colorful background of Andrew Alexander, who held a number of diverse jobs before kicking off his career in the field. This included work as a tree salesman, a truck driver, a magazine editor, and even a cab driver. While these jobs aren’t on the “comedy producer prerequisite list, it’s still worth mentioning how jobs like these are the comedy producer’s perspective on the world. With that perspective, he was able to see opportunity in the field of theatrical comedy and also scout performers to shepherd into stardom.

Andrew Alexander, Anti-Overnight Success

Chances are the anyone you hear called an “overnight success” in comedy actually spent years honing their craft, failing publicly, brushing themselves off, and taking some major leaps before landing a big break and then having the creative freedom to build on that momentum.

After finding major success in Toronto, Alexander knew that staying confined to Canada would only limit his success and possibly relegate him to one-hit wonder status. He bet on himself and decided to take some major risks by expanding his comedic territory, launching groundbreaking productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Las Vegas, and more, bringing his work to new and appreciative audiences around the world.

Making Friends with Change

If there’s one constant in the field of comedy, it’s that it’s always changing the game. Even living legends who have proven themselves time and time again are savvy enough to realize that thriving means evolving and reimagining their material to stay true to their point of view, but that also appeals to changing tastes, platforms, and social mores. The more that artists can embrace this reality and adapt to it, the more successful they can often be in building a comedy career that endures.

For Theater Producer Andrew Alexander, we see this through not only his expansion into new cities, but also the manner in which he’s brought his work to new mediums. Though he first built his career through work with stage comedy, he eventually also added bold forays into film and television. Those efforts helped earn him a number of awards, including Emmys, that serve to underscore the benefits of looking for new avenues of expression.

While a thriving career in comedy can be a driving ambition for many, it’s not a straightforward goal to achieve. The pursuit can entail a number of factors that may not seem obvious at the outset. This can include the importance of laying a solid foundation of appreciation for the field, a colorful background of real-world experience, a desire to build on success, and an adaptability to change. Andrew Alexander stands out as a prime example of these ideas in action. Those who are seeking success of their own may want to take a closer look at his efforts and consider how his story can launch their own adventure in comedy.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes

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