About
Marty O’Connell is a native of Chicago’s southside. The seventh of eight children in a large Irish family, Marty has catalogued a lifetime of colorful experiences which are the foundation of his comedic stories and insights. His stage has grown from relatives’ living rooms to variety show performances in the Catholic parish he grew up in to larger venues including the Beverly Arts Center where his multiple sold-out show, “Waiting for Life to Catch Up” is currently in production.
The son of the late Tom O’Connell, the Chief Spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department, Marty has been no stranger to the spotlight. It was the strings his father was able to pull that gave Marty his first taste of the limelight: selected by the magic arrows to participate in The Bozo Show’s Grand Prize Game! Though he got no further than Bucket #5, there was later a commercial with Mr. T.
Marty spent many years as a successful trader at the Chicago Merchantile Exchange. However, the floor of the Board of Trade was not the stage Marty had in mind. Always writing, always peforming his schtick at local gatherings and parties, he finally threw caution to the wind and has begun pitching his brand of comedy to anyone needing a laugh.