The Second City Returns to Overture Hall

For immediate release: Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Contact: Sarah Knab | 608.258.4438

Click here for images, video and list of alumni.

The Second City Returns to Overture Hall for One Night Only

Chicago-based Comedic Ensemble to Perform their ‘Summer Blockbuster’

Madison, Wis. – The Second City’s Summer Blockbuster will play in Overture Hall for one night only on Friday, June 2, 2017, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and are available in person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street), online at overture.org or by phone at 608.258.4141.

This performance features:

Jul Kostelancik

Nick Gage

Ryan Asher

Emily Fightmaster

Laurel Krabacher

Carley Moseley

Jeff Murdoch

Scott Nelson

The Second City, which opened its doors in Chicago in 1959 as a small cabaret theater, has become the most influential and prolific comedy theater, turning out stars like Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler and Wisconsin’s own Chris Farley.

With its roots in the improvisational games of Viola Spolin, The Second City developed an entirely unique way of creating and performing comedy. Founded by Spolin’s son, Paul Sills, along with Howard Alk and Bernie Sahlins, The Second City was experimental and unconventional in its approach to both theatre and comedy. At a time when mother-in-law jokes were more the fashion, The Second City railed against the conformist culture with scenes that spoke to a younger generation.

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 theater’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.

Soon, Second City’s sister-theater in Canada developed its own sketch comedy series, SCTV, hailed as one of the greatest comedy series of all time and featuring an all-star cast that included Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty and Rick Moranis.

By the 1980’s, The Second City had become much more than a small cabaret theater on Chicago’s north side. In the middle of the decade, The Second City would begin a new era as Second City Toronto proprietors Andrew Alexander and Len Stuart would buy out Bernie Sahlins’ interest in The Second City Chicago and set in motion a new era of innovation for the company.

Today, The Second City continues to produce the premiere comic talent in the industry. From Mike Myers to Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert to Tina Fey – The Second City imprint is felt across every entertainment medium. Additionally, The Second City has grown well beyond a single stage to become a diversified entertainment company. Second City Training Centers in Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles teach thousands of students every week; four touring companies perform Second City revues all over North America and abroad; Second City Communications has become an industry leader in bringing improv-based methodologies to the corporate sector; and Second City continues to create unique media in television, film and the digital realm.

For $15, attendees can come early (6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 2) for Overture’s Get Social program to expand upon their experience and receive a discounted performance ticket. A Get Social ticket activities, appetizers, themed-drinks and more. Overture’s Get Social is presented by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

The Second City’s Summer Blockbuster is intended for mature audiences and is part of the Mirror34 Comedy Series, with additional support from Workloud by ScheduleSoft.

OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wisconsin, features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org  

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Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation Gives $82,630 in Grants So Far This Year

Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation is proud to be a part of such a giving community where good people strive to make life better for everyone. We are pleased and proud to announce that during this grant period we have given a total of $55,630 to 13 non-profit organizations. One of our priorities this giving period is to contribute to the new Waunakee Public Library in our home community, so we are pledging $150,000 to sponsor the History Hall in this exciting project. Our family business of Endres Manufacturing Company celebrated it’s 90^th birthday in 2016, so we have a long local history, and are eager to share the history of Waunakee with all visitors to the new library. Among the May grant requests awarded are:

• CareNet – $2000 for their new initiative Fathers Matter! program which encourages and supports men who are facing an unplanned pregnancy.
• Centro Hispano – $5000 for their youth programs which provide services for an estimated 250 academically under-performing students in grades 6-12.
• World CranioFacial Foundation – $250 to support a benefit concert to raise money for the cause.
• Holy Wisdom Monastery – $1000 for a tractor mounted skidder winch which is used for ecological restoration.
• Institutional Ministries – $1880 to support their program that works with incarcerated inmates to provide the returning citizen with a completed GED and provide a social readiness to enter the community and workplace.
• Lussier Center – $1500 to support their LEAP 2 College program which offers tutoring, mentoring, and family visits to close achievement gaps for elementary-school and middle-school youth.
• Madison Audubon Society – $1000 for their Forces of Nature: Empowering Kids Through Discovery program, which is a six to twelve week after-school and summer program for elementary and middle school students incorporating STEM concepts and promoting literacy.
• MadREP – $2500 for their Inspire initiative which helps students and educators gain a solid understanding of the career fields available at local businesses in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson and Sauk Counties.
• Second Harvest Food Bank – $2500 to support their FoodShare (food stamp) Outreach program. This program now accounts for nearly 20% of total meals distributed annually.
• Vera Court Neighborhood Center – donating $5000, with a pledge to donate another $5000 next year as well to support the Vera Vision 2020 campaign, which is committed to providing the resources and support necessary to close the achievement gap for their neighborhood by 2020. This will be accomplished by doubling the size of their overcrowded center, provide one-on-one tutoring and academic case management, and obtaining educational materials and technology.
• Village of Waunakee – $2000 to complete the Waunakee downtown mural along the west-facing wall at Waunakee Furniture. This was produced by Dane Arts Mural Arts which engaged High School at-risk students, High School Art programs, and a community paint day.
• WAGS – $1000 to support their Reading Dog program, which allows students to practice the skill of reading in a relaxed setting.
• Waunakee Public Library – $30,000 with a pledge for 5 years to total $150,000 to build the new library. We will be sponsoring the new History Hall which is a public exhibition and gallery space dedicated to celebrating the history of Waunakee.

These are in addition to pledges and special gifts that were made earlier this year, totaling $27,000:

• $15,000 to Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission,
• $1,000 to sponsor a big brother or sister,
• $10,000 to the Village of Waunakee to commission artists for Trains on Main Street.
• $1000 to Edgewood High School and Queen of Peace for Cubby Wolfe’s (a long-time Foundation board member) memorial.

A sincere “THANK YOU” goes out from the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation for the diligent work done by area non-profits to make our world a better place. We want you to know that we are sincerely grateful for your mission, your passion, and your diligence to improve the quality of life for so many people. If you know of any non-profit organizations who you think the Foundation could help, please let us know and pass on the word to those non-profits. We are here to help better the community! Grant applications can be found at www.endresmfg.com by following the foundation link. Anyone can contribute to the foundation and 100% of the funds are given back to the community.

SVA Welcomes New Human Resources Director

Heather Becker, PHR, SHRM-CP has recently joined SVA has the firm’s new Human Resources Director.

Heather is responsible for executing the HR strategy in support of the firm’s overall business plan and strategic direction. Heather consults with all levels of leadership on company change management, client consulting, HR policies and processes. Her experience includes employee relations, employment and compliance regulations, organizational strategy, performance management, compensation, and employee benefit programs and administration.

“We are extremely excited to have Heather join SVA in this position,” stated Carl Schultz, President and CEO. “With her experience and expertise, we will be able to recruit and retain talented staff members, allowing our team to continue to deliver measurable results.”

About SVA

Since our inception in 1974, we have focused on developing long-standing business relationships.  As our clients’ businesses and personal interests have grown, we have increased our service offerings to meet their expanding needs.

Now over 40 years later, SVA and its affiliates are recognized leaders offering a wide range of professional services including audit and accounting, tax, business information technologies, wealth management, trust and estate administration services.

The cornerstone of SVA will always remain the same, providing service and value to help our clients achieve measurable results, while exceeding their expectations.  SVA is not only dedicated to the clients we serve, we are dedicated to the communities we serve, maintaining a long tradition of involvement and support.

SVA is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, employs over 300 staff, and has additional offices in Milwaukee and Appleton, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois.

www.sva.com

Monroe Joins The Alliance as VP, Network Development & Provider Relations

MADISON, WIS., May 22, 2017 –Kyle Monroe has joined The Alliance® as vice president of network development and provider relations. The Alliance is an employer-owned not-for-profit cooperative of more than 240 employers who self-fund their health plans.

In this role, Monroe will be in charge of developing and maintaining relationships with health systems, clinicians and other providers to support The Alliance’s strategic goals related to moving health care forward.

Monroe comes to The Alliance from Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky. As Norton’s director of managed care, he oversaw payer relationships that accounted for $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Prior to that he was at Humana, a large national payer where he was instrumental in establishing their national contracting strategy and piloted a variety of new payment models in various markets around the country.

Monroe received his Master’s of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the University Of Louisville College Of Business and his Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.

“He brings a wealth of knowledge and fresh ideas to help us establish the right provider partnerships for our cooperative” said Paul Meyer, Alliance chief operating officer.

More than a provider network, The Alliance moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in their health. Members of the employer-owned, not-for-profit cooperative provide coverage to more than 85,000 individuals in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. The Alliance uses its purchasing power as a cooperative to negotiate with and provide access to an extensive network of doctors and hospitals paid to improve quality by performing better not doing more.

NGL receives Business Supporter Award from Operation Fresh Start

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) was honored to receive the Business Supporter Award presented by Operation Fresh Start (OFS). NGL accepted the award during the Fresh Start Awards Luncheon on May 12.

OFS is a nonprofit that provides and promotes employment training, mentoring and education opportunities to Dane County youth ages 16 to 24. Founded in 1970, OFS has offered its services to more than 8,000 youth and adults who were looking to better their lives. NGL has supported OFS programming for five years.

“We understand the value and the need to support an organization like Operation Fresh Start. It’s a beneficial community resource that provides an opportunity for youth to learn not only job training, but leadership skills, education and a solid work ethic. For youth it’s a fresh start down the path to become a productive member of society. It’s an organization that truly makes a life changing impact on a person’s life,” said Mark Solverud, NGL President & CEO.

Solverud continued, “NGL is proud to be recognized for its support of OFS. We want to share that recognition with the corporations and individuals who donate to OFS. In addition, we want to acknowledge and thank all of the employees, the Board, the officers, the volunteers and anyone connected to the organization.”

About Operation Fresh Start

A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, Operation Fresh Start has provided comprehensive employment and training services to over 8,000 youth and adults in Dane County, Wisconsin since 1970. For more information, visit www.operationfreshstart.org.

About NGL

Since 1910, National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL), a mutual insurance company, has been located in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products including specialty and student insurance. Additional information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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