Boom Chicago: 60 Minutes Explores the Dutch Comedy Theater Behind America’s Funniest Stars

Update: This segment has been postponed for a future episode.

This week on 60 Minutes, correspondent Jon Wertheim takes viewers far from the typical stomping grounds of American stand-up and sketch comedy. In a surprising and delightful twist, the story unfolds not in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago—but in Amsterdam. There, nestled in the heart of the Dutch capital, is a theater that has quietly nurtured some of the brightest minds in comedy. Boom Chicago, an English-language improv troupe founded in the early 1990s, has grown into an unlikely comedy powerhouse, launching the careers of household names like Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Amber Ruffin, Jason Sudeikis, and Brendan Hunt.

The segment, part cultural feature and part comedic history lesson, highlights Boom Chicago’s significance at a moment when comedy itself is being reexamined. As America’s comedians grapple with shifting cultural norms and tighter creative spaces, this Amsterdam-based troupe stands as a reminder that comedy can still be fearless, global, and—most of all—funny.

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A Theater Born From a Joke, Now a Comedy Institution

Boom Chicago began with what sounded like a punchline. Two American college friends, Andrew Moskos and Pep Rosenfeld, landed in Amsterdam in 1993 with the idea of starting an English-language improv group. At the time, it seemed like a quirky experiment—why would a Dutch audience care about American-style improv? But the risk paid off. The shows were a hit with locals, tourists, and expats alike, and the theater quickly carved out its own comedic niche.

In the 60 Minutes segment, Wertheim takes viewers through Boom Chicago’s early days, revisiting the modest stage where so many future stars got their start. Through archival footage and interviews with the founders, audiences get a sense of the theater’s scrappy beginnings and the unique freedom it offered performers far from the pressures of the American entertainment industry.

An Unlikely Launchpad for American Comedy Royalty

What makes Boom Chicago so fascinating isn’t just its existence abroad, but the caliber of talent that’s emerged from its stage. The list reads like a late-night writer’s room roll call: Seth Meyers, now host of Late Night; Jordan Peele, the Oscar-winning director behind Get Out and Nope; Amber Ruffin, a bold voice in sketch comedy; Brendan Hunt, co-creator and star of Ted Lasso; and Jason Sudeikis himself, the Emmy-winning actor and writer.

60 Minutes interviews many of these alumni, who speak with nostalgia and gratitude about their time in Amsterdam. They credit the theater’s anything-goes atmosphere, international audience, and political detachment as key to their growth. Boom Chicago gave them space to take risks, bomb, get weird, and ultimately refine their comedic voices—without the career stakes that often hang heavy in New York or Los Angeles.

A Safe Haven in a Changing Comedy Climate

The segment arrives at a time when American comedians are increasingly navigating tightropes. Jokes that once went unquestioned now face new scrutiny. The line between edgy and offensive is blurrier than ever. In that context, Boom Chicago stands out as a place where comics can still push boundaries and experiment freely.

Wertheim captures how the Amsterdam audience—international, multilingual, and culturally fluid—embraces satire without flinching. The performers are encouraged to be bold and topical, but also collaborative and thoughtful. That balance, the show suggests, might be the secret to why so many successful comedians came through Boom’s doors.

The segment also explores how the theater has adapted over time, evolving its material to reflect current events while holding true to its irreverent spirit. From political sketches to absurdist improv, Boom Chicago remains a space where comedy is treated as both an art and a craft.

More Than a Stage—A Cultural Bridge

Boom Chicago’s impact extends beyond laughs. The 60 Minutes piece positions the theater as a cultural bridge—a space where American and European sensibilities meet, clash, and blend into something new. It’s not just a place to see comedy; it’s a place to understand the world through humor.

Jon Wertheim underscores the theater’s role in keeping American comedic traditions alive abroad while also allowing them to evolve. By filtering U.S. pop culture through an international lens, Boom Chicago serves as a feedback loop of sorts, reflecting American quirks back at their creators and sharpening the material in the process.

For the comedians, the Amsterdam experience often broadened their worldviews. It gave them time to play and reflect without the career anxiety that often haunts up-and-comers in the States. That time and freedom, they argue, made all the difference.

Still Booming Three Decades Later

As Boom Chicago approaches its 33rd year, it remains a vital force in the comedy world. The theater continues to stage nightly performances and run training programs for young comics from around the globe. Its alumni keep returning, sometimes to perform, sometimes just to reconnect with their roots.

60 Minutes closes the segment with a reflection on why this unlikely venue has endured. Perhaps it’s the city, with its laid-back charm and open-minded spirit. Or maybe it’s the founders’ relentless belief in improv as a vehicle for both laughter and connection. Whatever the reason, Boom Chicago has proven that great comedy doesn’t need to come from New York or L.A.—sometimes, it blooms in the canals of Amsterdam.

For viewers, the segment is a reminder that humor knows no borders—and that some of the biggest laughs come from the most unexpected places.