Seth Myers and the rise of the Chicago writer-performer
Back in 1999—a gut-wrenching 14 years ago—a theater just north of Wrigley Field was filled on weekend nights with the nervous laughter of people on dates. Entitled "Pick-Ups and Hiccups" (a title with admirable descriptive prowess), this hugely popular sketch-comedy show poked fun at the absurdity of the mating ritual, a time-honored way to attract a crowd. It was the work of a couple of wildly disparate …