Pep Rosenfeld

"Boom Chicago Presents the 30 Most Important Years in Dutch History" by Andrew Moskos and Pep Rosenfeld is an absolute gem of a book that immerses readers in the fascinating world of the iconic comedy improv group, Boom Chicago.

This book is a delightful blend of comedy, history, and personal anecdotes that offers a unique perspective on Dutch history through the lens of this talented improvisational troupe. Moskos and Rosenfeld's writing style is engaging and witty, capturing the essence of show more their comedic genius and making history come alive.

One of the standout features of this book is the way it seamlessly weaves together elements of Boom Chicago's journey with key moments in Dutch history. The authors cleverly connect their own experiences and sketches to significant historical events, creating an entertaining narrative that educates while keeping readers thoroughly entertained.

The incorporation of personal stories and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the group's performances adds an extra layer of authenticity and intimacy. It allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the creative process, the challenges faced, and the impact of Boom Chicago on the comedy scene in both the Netherlands and beyond.

I particularly enjoyed how the book showcases the versatility and adaptability of Boom Chicago as they transform historical events into laugh-out-loud comedy gold. The authors' ability to find humor in even the most unexpected historical tidbits is a testament to their comedic brilliance and their deep appreciation for Dutch history.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the humorous aspects of the book, I believe it could have delved a bit deeper into the history itself. While it provided an entertaining overview, I found myself yearning for more in-depth analysis and context at times. However, this minor critique did not detract from the overall enjoyment of the reading experience.

"Boom Chicago Presents the 30 Most Important Years in Dutch History" is a must-read for fans of comedy, improv enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone seeking a fresh and entertaining take on Dutch culture and heritage. Moskos and Rosenfeld skillfully combine comedy and education, leaving readers with a newfound appreciation for the significant moments in Dutch history.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, and I'm awarding it a solid four stars. Prepare to laugh, learn, and be amazed by the incredible impact of Boom Chicago—a comedy improv group you probably don't even realize you already know! show less

I confess to never having heard of Boom Chicago, the Amsterdam-based, English-language improv comedy troupe, before receiving this book. (YouTube was not much help for background research despite having a Boom Chicago channel.) But the list of alumni—which includes Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Jason Sudeikis, and Amber Ruffin—and the projects they’ve worked on since as creators, writers, directors, and actors, is impressive indeed. Moving chronologically from 1993 to 2023, each chapter show more features an oral history by Boom Chicago cast members past and present, centered around either some contemporary event or social phenomenon (the rise of reality TV, the switch to the euro, 9/11) or some unique facet of Dutch culture (a rare Dutch royal wedding, the curious and controversial Christmas tradition of Zwarte Piet). Interviewees relate their reactions to events, their experiences as expats, and what was happening with Boom Chicago at the time. As interesting as this is (and it's pretty interesting), there’s no real sense of what it’s like to attend a Boom Chicago show as an audience member; the comedy sketches as described left me with an I-guess-you-had-to-be-there feeling. In fact, I probably learned as much if not more about contemporary Dutch culture than I did about Boom Chicago. As a fan of both travel books and social and cultural histories, I’m fine with that. show less

I'm somewhat conflicted about this book. Boom Chicago, having launched the careers of so many talented comedians, actually has rather humble origins. After reading this, I would now go so far as to say its entire history has been remarkably humble. So humble, in fact, that this near-500 page book barely seems to acknowledge much about its history at all, but perhaps that's the point.

Boom Chicago tends to focus more on (some 0f) the comedians who brought themselves up through it, but Boom show more itself really was more of a stepping stone until something else came along for most of the people who have stories to tell about it, and as a stepping stone, it isn't really that interesting. Seeing where most of these comedians came from and how some of them knew each other as amateurs is fun, but overall, there isn't really a lot to tell. The book mainly consists of "We did a lot of drugs, and here's some minor information about what we perceive to be Amsterdam's local identity."

The writing style is different and took a little bit to get used to. There is a central "narrator", basically setting the scene and giving some background information, but the bulk of this book takes place in the form of conversations these comedians seem to be having with each other. I'm not sure if this was done in email exchanges or phone calls or if they actually gathered around a table somewhere and had conversations about the very specific topics that each chapter delved into, but something about it feels unnatural. Everybody has the perfect story to springboard into another topic that the book happens to want to go to, there's quite a bit of small talk taking up entire pages, it just feels sort of awkward. I do wish the central narrator compiled most of these stories into a single cohesive narrative rather than just having a big book of conversations.

(They must've been audio recording these conversations and intentionally railroading the topics, right? It's just a little weird and unnatural for me.)

For being a book about comedians, you would expect there to be a good amount of comedy. There is, but it's hard to write jokes on the page that need so much delivery to work properly. The jokes don't really land because Boom is such a visual show, everything funny happening has to be illustrated through text and by the time you get that out of the way, it's hard to land the joke properly. Even their one-liners didn't ever really land and that's a huge shame.

I haven't watched Ted Lasso but there's a lot of it in this book. It feels like the most recent thing they're the most proud of and for good reason, it seems to be an extremely popular show. The problem is there's so much time spent on this one show being a huge success that you realize it doesn't really have anything to do with Boom Chicago at all. The actors who worked improv at Boom typically went on to do greater things, and Boom is sort of left behind in its own story as it starts to follow one person instead of what the company's up to.

This is also a shame, because I got the impression throughout the book that Boom was a background character in its own story. It set people up to succeed, but the success stories that did happen are typically years or even decades removed from their time at Boom. It gives the impression that Boom Chicago was relegated to "first entry-level job" status. The comedians typically only spent a couple of years here before moving on, if that. It feels like an awkward high school reunion where its entire claim to fame is what the alumni managed to accomplish many years after leaving it behind.

The book itself is definitely bloated, especially in the front half, but there isn't a lot to really learn about. At a point the years start speeding up to the present day, very briefly touching on 9/11 and then immediately speeding towards COVID-19. This gave the impression that nothing really happened for most of these years and I don't find that surprising.

Boom Chicago's primary success, judging by this book, seems to be in living vicariously through its accomplished comedians. It's good to have a successful alumni but if the pride of its past lies in the futures of comedians who haven't been cast members in literal decades, one has to wonder how much Boom Chicago actually contributed to their careers and how much of it was the luck, work, and decisions made only after leaving it.

Thanks to Andrew Moskos, Pep Rosenfeld, Akashic Books, and Boom Chicago for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It was very much appreciated. show less

BOOM CHIGAGO presents THE 30 MOST IMPORTANT YEARS IN DUTCH HISTORY (2023) by Andrew Moskos and Pep Rosenfeld. Usually I am not a big fan of tribute books. In the past dozen years I have reviewed perhaps three or four that were agreeable to me, and I was almost without hope when this book arrived on my doorstep. I was very wrong because I loved this book. Akashic Press has yet another great read on there hands.
For those, like me, who didn’t know what a BOOM CHICAGO was, you will wonder how show more you missed it. Thirty years ago two guys from Northwestern University, just north of Chicago, wanted to go into comedy with eyes on Second City. But, as so many young comics know, that is almost impossible, especially if you want a slot that actually gets paid. So, tired of waiting tables and other meaningless jobs that wouldn’t get them on stage, they decided to head to Amsterdam.
After all, there were and are lots of drugs there, so why not.
Somehow they were inspired to open their own improve club there and, despite the difficuties, not only beat the odds, but also became a proving ground for a vast array of great talent. Rather than suffering through the grind that getting onstage at an improv club in the States provided, they and the comics, actors, writers and unheralded geniuses who showed up, gave birth to a showcase where an aspiring artist could hone their craft not maybe once a week, but nightly. Many would step off a plane from the states and be performing that evening or the next day.
The chapters of the book are arranged in order by year. Each opens with a few paragraphs about what was happening in Amsterdam at the time, or in the States, or in the world in general. That is followed by a conversation among the actors who were part of the group at that time. They talk about comedy and being in a foreign land for the first time. One section is on the odd rituals and customs that Christmas presents. Soccer is a chapter almost by itself. Drugs and sex and how different attitudes are about both were surprising and welcoming to all. Race is discussed. The ability, nay the need to become good at every aspect of performing, is stressed throughout. The actors were also writers, producers of their material, sometime hawking tickets on the street or distributing the show’s flyers or magazine to the public. In short this was a place where you learned quickly what improv, comic acting and writing, and what it takes to put on a daily show, was all about
Toss in a slew of corporate shows that had to be tailored to the individual client and you have an ongoing, ever changing comedy machine producing many talented writers.
There is an early section that highlights a great number of the cast through the years. A short list includes Jordan Peele (Oscar winner), Seth Meyers (as in SNL and Late Night With…, Amber Ruffin (the first black woman to host a late night talk show with The Amber Ruffin Show, Kay Cannon (writer/director of 2021’s Cinderella reboot and director of Blockers and worked on the Pitch Perfect movies). The rest of the list contains many of the best writers, actors and what-have-yous in the television and film industry today.
And to think it all started with a smoke dream.
This is an oral history of a time and a place that makes you wish you had been a part of it. If you were lucky enough to have been in the show, I envy you. If not, this book will give you an insider’s look.
And do not pay full price for a bike if you are planning to stay in Amsterdam for a few weeks, because there is always another way. And speaking of soccer, the FIFA Women’s World Cup play is happening (Go U.S.A.) and the show Ted Lasso is chock full of BOOM alums. show less