2ND CITY TO PERFORM IN COSTA MESA

Veteran comedy troupe the( Second City--whose alumni have gone on to star on “Saturday Night Live,” appear in movies and host late-night talk shows--will return to Orange Coast College for a performance tonight at 7:30.

The original Second City was born 27 years ago in Chicago, taking its name from the title of an unflattering profile of the city published in the New Yorker. Before long, the ensemble’s shows in Chicago, across the country and in Canada accumulated such a large following that the group decided to form additional Second City companies.

The one based in Toronto produced such “Saturday Night Live” and “SCTV” stars as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy and Martin Short, who have all parlayed that experience into film careers.

Others affiliated with one or more of the companies over the years include Alan Alda, Shelley Long, John Belushi, Mike Nichols and Elaine May. Two Second City graduates are hosts on their own talk shows this season: Joan Rivers (on the new Fox Broadcasting Co. network) and Robert Klein (on cable’s USA Network).

The Second City appearances typically involve both rehearsed and improvised material. In last year’s show at Orange Coast College, the troupe not only created skits from audience suggestions but also performed some pieces in the audience. Making its third visit to the college, the Second City will present its show in the campus’ Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. For more information, call (714) 432-5880.