Knat Scatt Private Eye
Encyclopedia
A two act, 1930's style film noir
musical
, featuring a young Steve Carell
which played for an extended run at The Theater Building in Chicago
in 1985. It was based on a one act musical with the same title which was originally produced earlier that year by Players Workshop for The Children's Theater of The Second City
, and performed on The Second City
stage in Chicago. Both versions of knat Scatt Private Eye were written and directed by Eric Forsberg
with music and lyrics by Charlie Silliman.
in Chicago
in 1985. The original production was produced by Players Workshop, the improv school and production company that trained young performers in sketch comedy for The Second City
stage. After attending a performance of Knat Scatt Private Eye at the Second City
, independent producers, Robert and Marion Mortimer commissioned the writers to rework the one act musical into a two act Broadway style production for adults. Composer and lyricist, Charlie Silliman, and script writer, Eric Forsberg rewrote the original children's show to be more appealing to a general audience. The new version of Knat Scatt Private Eye was remounted in its new form at The Theater Building in Chicago later that year.
The second production of Knat Scatt Private Eye starred Walter Lewis, Mary Weiss, Lori Hammel, Tim Scott Ferguson, Steve Carell
, John Richmond Kenney, Collette Hawley, Marla Cahan, Carla Kendal, Don Neason, Brian-Mark Conover, Travis Lawhon, Phil Martini, and Marilyn Rudnick. Sets were designed by Martin de Maat
. The cast of 14 performers play over 40 characters in 2½ hours. Steve Carell
played the numb-skull henchman of Ben Behemoth, where one of his bits was burping the alphabet (a gag later used in one of his films). Steve Carell
also played Tony, the tough, opera singing Mafioso, as well as Ching, the singing and dancing Chinese tough who shakes down a neighborhood restaurant owner before Knat Scatt beats him up and saves the day. The second production opened to good reviews from the Chicago Sun-Times
and the Chicago Tribune
. The play ran for six months on The Theater Building's main stage.
and Los Angeles
. Martin de Maat
went on to become the head of The Second City Training Center. Eric Forsberg went on to make feature films. And Steve Carell
went on to become a member of The Second City
comedy troupe, and later the star of blockbuster movies like 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, and Little Miss Sunshine
.
See "Steve Carell's lost film" at http://www.filmstew.com/showArticle.aspx?ContentID=16536
See Chicago Sun Times review at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3768966.html
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, featuring a young Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
which played for an extended run at The Theater Building in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1985. It was based on a one act musical with the same title which was originally produced earlier that year by Players Workshop for The Children's Theater of The Second City
Second City
Second City or The Second City may refer to:* The second largest city in a country. See: List of largest cities and second largest cities by country...
, and performed on The Second City
Second City
Second City or The Second City may refer to:* The second largest city in a country. See: List of largest cities and second largest cities by country...
stage in Chicago. Both versions of knat Scatt Private Eye were written and directed by Eric Forsberg
Eric Forsberg
Eric Forsberg is the writer and director of the feature film Mega Piranha, as well as the writer of the feature film Snakes on a Train, a mockbuster produced and released by The Asylum. He also wrote the screenplays for 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea and War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, also for...
with music and lyrics by Charlie Silliman.
Background
The 1930s style musical comedy thriller, Knat Scatt Private Eye was first produced as a musical for young audiences at The Children's Theater Of The Second CitySecond City
Second City or The Second City may refer to:* The second largest city in a country. See: List of largest cities and second largest cities by country...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1985. The original production was produced by Players Workshop, the improv school and production company that trained young performers in sketch comedy for The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
stage. After attending a performance of Knat Scatt Private Eye at the Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
, independent producers, Robert and Marion Mortimer commissioned the writers to rework the one act musical into a two act Broadway style production for adults. Composer and lyricist, Charlie Silliman, and script writer, Eric Forsberg rewrote the original children's show to be more appealing to a general audience. The new version of Knat Scatt Private Eye was remounted in its new form at The Theater Building in Chicago later that year.
The second production of Knat Scatt Private Eye starred Walter Lewis, Mary Weiss, Lori Hammel, Tim Scott Ferguson, Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
, John Richmond Kenney, Collette Hawley, Marla Cahan, Carla Kendal, Don Neason, Brian-Mark Conover, Travis Lawhon, Phil Martini, and Marilyn Rudnick. Sets were designed by Martin de Maat
Martin de Maat
Martin de Maat was a teacher and artistic director at The Second City in Chicago. He also taught at Columbia College and Players Workshop. He studied under Viola Spolin...
. The cast of 14 performers play over 40 characters in 2½ hours. Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
played the numb-skull henchman of Ben Behemoth, where one of his bits was burping the alphabet (a gag later used in one of his films). Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
also played Tony, the tough, opera singing Mafioso, as well as Ching, the singing and dancing Chinese tough who shakes down a neighborhood restaurant owner before Knat Scatt beats him up and saves the day. The second production opened to good reviews from the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. The play ran for six months on The Theater Building's main stage.
Members of the Knat Scatt Private Eye cast move on
A number of members of the production went on to much bigger things. Mary Weiss was one of the creators of The Real Live Brady Bunch at The Annoyance Theater, which lead to a series of feature film remakes. Marla Cahan went on to become a big casting director in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Martin de Maat
Martin de Maat
Martin de Maat was a teacher and artistic director at The Second City in Chicago. He also taught at Columbia College and Players Workshop. He studied under Viola Spolin...
went on to become the head of The Second City Training Center. Eric Forsberg went on to make feature films. And Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
went on to become a member of The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
comedy troupe, and later the star of blockbuster movies like 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, and Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer...
.
See "Steve Carell's lost film" at http://www.filmstew.com/showArticle.aspx?ContentID=16536
See Chicago Sun Times review at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3768966.html