Join Emmy-winning journalist Zack Newmark, host of the Dam Yankee podcast, for a chat with American comedian and Boom Chicago cast member, Katie Nixon. Now living in Amsterdam, Katie discusses how she transforms the anxiety of the news cycle into comedy, including a song about doomscrolling from the improv show The Good, the Bad and the Algorithm.
Katie recounts her move from the boisterous laughs at Second City and iO in the Chicago improv scene, to the far more reserved audiences in the Netherlands, the surreal experience of seeing ICE raids intensify in her former Chicago neighborhood, and the cultural differences she faces.
Hear her take on using political comedy as a powerful "release"—screaming about billionaires and political figures—while acknowledging that not every moment needs a huge laugh. She shares how the Boom Chicago team handles tricky, real-time audience input on stage.
Don't miss this candid conversation on life as an expat comedian, teaching improv, and hosting the monthly Laugh Out Proud queer comedy show.
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Katie Nixon, Amsterdam, Chicago, Boom Chicago, doomscrolling, comedy, Comedian, Dam Yankee, entertainment, immigration, social media, United States, Donald Trump, anti-immigration, Illinois, Improv comedy, Chicago Improv, Second City, Improv Olympic, Political Comedy, Improv, Zack Newmark, Laugh Out Proud, ICE raids