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WBEZ Producer's Comedy Show Flips the Script on Chicago Politics For Laughs

By Mark Konkol | December 19, 2014 6:44am
 WBEZ producer Justin Kaufmann has been performing as "53rd Ward Ald. Ed Bus" for about 16 years — no time at all compared to how long actual aldermen have served on the City Council.
WBEZ producer Justin Kaufmann has been performing as "53rd Ward Ald. Ed Bus" for about 16 years — no time at all compared to how long actual aldermen have served on the City Council.
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Justin Kaufmann

BUCKTOWN — There are a lot of reasons I like Justin Kaufman. I have more hair than he does, for one thing.

But I respect him because the guy's a double threat — something of a bipolar news junkie.

By day, the WBEZ radio executive producer manages to craft interesting news talk shows about wonky news topics that aren’t always as boring as they could be.

And by night, he’s a driving force behind the longtime sketch comedy team Schadenfreude — which taken from German means “pleasure derived from the misfortune of others” — that has performed at just about every theater in the city since 1998.

Along with Kate James, Sandy Marshall, Stephen Schmidt and Adam Witt, Schadenfreude manages to create comedy sketches about wonky topics that are actually funny — even if you don’t know anything about TIF districts and zoning ordinances.

Kaufmann’s character, 53rd Ward Ald. Ed Bus, has been around for about 16 years —  no time at all compared to how long actual aldermen have served on the City Council.

“We've been performing the character Ald. Ed Bus since the beginning. We created the character in the late '90s as we observed some of the classic aldermen hanging on as the world around them changed. [Former Aldermen] Bernie Stone, Burt Natarus, Ed Kelly, Bernie Hansen, Ed Smith, etc. It was our throwback,” Kaufmann said.

"Chicago is always changing. So it's nice to have a character that wants to keep it like it was. It's a great way to mix the old and new of Chicago politics. Chicago needs us. We are like investigative reporters ... but for comedy. Ald. Ed Bus (53rd) reminds us of what Chicago once was. And frankly, how we haven't really changed that much."

And Friday night, Schadenfreude ’s “53rd Ward: After Dark” — billed as half late-night talk show and half community meeting — takes the stage for yet another show at the Hideout in Bucktown.

The other day, “Ald. Bus” invited me to show up for his show/meeting. He wants to talk to me about “stuff, t’ings and dat guy over by dare.”

And I’ve learned over the years that the easiest way to avoid trouble with an alderman is to just play along.

I figure the same is true for a fictitious ward boss from a pretend ward.

So I’ll be there.

And because I’m less likely to get shaken down for a campaign contribution if the room is filled with witnesses … I’m inviting you. And the feds.

See you there.

I’ll be the one wearing a wire.

If you go:

Where: The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia St.

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday

Tickets: $10 on sale here.

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