Andrew Alexander
| Andrew Alexander | |
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| Born | London, England |
| Occupation | Chief Executive Officer of The Second City |
Andrew Alexander is a theatre, film, and television producer, known most widely for his leadership and co- ownership of The Second City, and for executive producing the television show SCTV.
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[edit] Early life
Andrew Alexander was born in 1944 in London, England.[1] His father, in the aeronautical industry, moved the family to Canada in 1951. He studied at Tri-State College in Indiana and Ryerson University in Toronto.[1]
After Ryerson, Alexander worked around Toronto in the arts scene, most notably at Global Village Theatre, producing late night shows. He was eventually hired by the Ivanhoe Theatre in Chicago, where he met Bernard Sahlins, owner and co-founder of The Second City.[1]
At the time, The Second City's Toronto location was failing. Alexander offered to assume the Toronto theatre's debts in exchange for the rights to operate The Second City in Canada. Bernie Sahlins agreed, and in 1974 Andrew Alexander took over The Second City Toronto.[1]
[edit] Career at The Second City
As head of the Toronto theatre, Alexander produced and developed live theatre revues and launched the careers of comedians Gilda Radner, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty and others. Two years later, Alexander joined Len Stuart in starting The Second City Entertainment Company, a TV and Film production company. Their first production was the television show SCTV. After almost a decade of developing the Entertainment Company, Andrew Alexander and Len Stuart became owners of The Second City Chicago in 1985. Alexander has actively led The Second City in Canada and the US since then.
Andrew Alexander has produced or executive produced over 200 Second City revues in Canada and the United States. Over the past 35 years, The Second City has operated resident theatres and/or improv training facilities at one time or another in Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Edmonton, London, Ontario, New York, and Cleveland. Additionally, Alexander expanded The Second City’s Training, Touring and Corporate Services divisions from niche offerings to boutique business lines in their own right.[2][3] Most recently, Alexander has expanded the Second City TV and Film Division to include offices in Los Angeles and Toronto.
[edit] TV and Film Career
During Andrew Alexander's career as television producer, he co-developed and executive produced over 185 half-hour shows and produced over 150 hours of television comedy for SCTV. Throughout the length of its run, the series garnered an ACTRA Award, 2 Emmy Awards and 13 Emmy Award nominations.[4]
Andrew Alexander has developed television programming for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox Television, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, A&E and the CBC. Andrew Alexander has had co-production deals with MGM Television, Imagine Films, Disney Studios, United Artists and has produced movies and television shows with Ed Asner, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Bonnie Hunt, Shelley Long, Andrea Martin, Steve Carell, John Candy, Mike Myers, Catherine O’Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.[4]
Recently, Mr. Alexander Executive Produced I Martin Short Goes Home. Andrew Alexander was executive producer for Second City’s Next Comedy Legend on CBC (2007). Andrew Alexander was also executive producer of the Canadian feature film Intern’s Academy (2004) written by Dave Thomas and featuring Dan Aykroyd, Dave Foley, Dave Thomas and Maury Chaykin.[4]
Andrew Alexander was a founding shareholder of the Pay Television service, Super Channel, and served on the Board of Directors.
Andrew Alexander serves on the Columbia College Board of Trustees. He is Chair of the Gilda's Club Toronto Honorary Board, an Honorary Member of the Chicago Gilda's Club Board and has also served on the Board of the League of Chicago Theaters and the Canadian Walk of Fame. In 2008, Andrew Alexander facilitated a reunion of the cast of SCTV in Toronto launching The Alumni Fund, a fund that, in its first months, raised over $200,000 to assist actors and support staff during times of illness or economic hardship.[5]
[edit] Awards and honors
Andrew Alexander has received the The Canadian Comedy Awards’ Chairman’s Award, Gilda’s Magic Award from Gilda’s Club, The League of Chicago Theater’s 2009 Artistic Leadership Award and named 2009 Arts Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Tribune.[5][6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Sennett, Frank (Nov. 26, 2009). "Second Citizen". Time Out Chicago. http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/comedy/80961/second-city-ceo-andrew-alexander.
- ^ Jones, Chris (Dec. 27, 2009). "Alexander Expanded Second City Brand". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-12-27/news/0912240403_1_andrew-alexander-brand-chicago.
- ^ Rohter, Larry (Dec. 15, 2009). "Second CIty Looks Back in Laughter". New York Times. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-12-27/news/0912240403_1_andrew-alexander-brand-chicago.
- ^ a b c "Andrew Alexander". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0018249/.
- ^ a b "Andrew Alexander Bio". The Second City. http://www.secondcity.com/page/andrewalexander/.
- ^ "Andrew Alexander, Theatre Chicagoan of the Year". Chicago Tribune. 2009-12-26. http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/2009/12/theater-chicagoan-of-the-year-alexander-expanded-second-city-brand.html.
[edit] External links
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