Baby Wants Candy: Bringing improv mastery back to Overture's Fringe Festival

The world-renowned improv comedy ensemble Baby Wants Candy returns to Madison with two popular shows, “Baby Wants Candy” and “Shamilton,” at Overture’s second annual Fringe Festival running Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1, 2026.  

For Al Samuels, the group’s leader, improv has been a lifelong passion. Growing up outside Chicago, he frequently hopped the train downtown to see shows at Second City.  

“I always loved it,” he recalled.  

In college, Samuels was asked to audition for the campus improv group, which quickly became a new outlet for his love of comedy and theater. He later toured in a two-person troupe before briefly switching gears to business school. Still, improv kept pulling him back until he finally returned to Chicago to pursue it professionally. 

“There’s nothing like doing an improv show—a musical improv show specifically,” Samuels said.

The magic of "Baby Wants Candy” lies in the audience. At the start of each show, audience members shout out suggestions and vote on which title will be performed. From there, a brand-new musical unfolds in real time, complete with songs, choreography and plot twists no one could predict. 

“Recently at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, we got suggestions for ‘From Coldplay to Foreplay,’ ‘Muppets on Love Island’ and even ‘John Wilkes Booth and his Magical Talking Tooth,’” Samuels shared. “The audience cheers and chooses what they want to see. It’s exhilarating because we must be ready for anything!” 

The result is a show that’s fresh every night.

“It’s a little bit of positive nervousness,” Samuels explained. “Unlike a scripted show, we don’t know what’s coming, so it stays exciting. The things people come up with are crazy and so much fun.” 

Back in Madison 

Madison is a favorite tour stop for Samuels and the cast.  

“The audience is hip, smart, funny. Midwest people are the funniest in the country,” he said. “They get what’s funny without being mean-spirited.” 

He also praises Overture Center as a venue, calling it “unbelievably gorgeous.”  

Samuels added, “Coming back for Fringe is great because whether it’s a brand-new crowd or returning audience, they’re going to see a whole new show.”

From Stage to Workshop 

In addition to last year’s performances, Samuels and the cast led an improv workshop. What stood out to him most was the talent in the room. 

“Usually when we teach beginners, we walk them through a simple song structure: chorus, verse, bridge and so on,” he explained. “But this group was really advanced. They did a scene so funny and well-acted that we were talking about it for days after.” 

In fact, an improv group of Madisonians made up of participants from that workshop has since formed.  

Quoting Hamilton, Samuels said, “‘It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see’, but in this case, we do get a chance to see the garden.”

Overture will once again offer audiences the chance to learn directly from the masters of musical improv. The Beginner Musical Improv Workshop with “Baby Wants Candy” will take place on Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1 from 1-3pm, inviting community members to step into the spotlight. 

Whether you’re experiencing Fringe for the first time or returning for more, get ready for brand-new surprises. Don’t miss “Baby Wants Candy” on Saturday, February 28, at 5 pm and Sunday, March 1, at 4 pm, and “Shamilton” on Saturday, February 28, at 8 pm and Sunday, March 1, at 7 pm. Be prepared to laugh until your sides hurt at the hilarious, creative—and usually remarkable—outcomes! 

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