Playwright: The Cast
At: The Second City in Piper’s Alley
Phone: (312) 337-3992; $17-$19
Runs through: open run
Celebrating its 45th anniversary this month, The Second City has opened back-to-back revues by its mainstage and etc (experimental theater club, although it’s not experimental) companies. Rick Reed’s critique of the mainstage show, Red Scare, ran last week.
The etc troupe is the Triple A farm team for the mainstage, although it gives the mainstage gang a run for the money and even outclasses them occasionally. Among etc alums are Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson’s voice), Jeff Garlin, Adam McKay, Horatio Sanz and Keegan-Michael Key. The six-person cast of this new revue already has been signed by Sony Pictures Television to develop a sitcom all their own during the upcoming pilot season. Odds are good that at least one or two are future stars, so catch them while you can!
From Fear to Eternity isn’t as political as Red Scare, but it’s a fast-paced showcase for a confident and talented cast, edited and directed to razor sharpness by Sue Gillan. Despite several recurring scenes and situations the show isn’t a ‘Harold,’ the name used to denote a tightly structured improvisational revue built around recurring characters and themes. This one takes the standard shot-gun approach, with pot shots at rebuilding the Democratic Party, politically incorrect Top Gun pilots, the Bulls portrayed as children, a parody of a number from Cabaret and even a sweet improvised scene with a couple in the audience.
A clever all-male scene about cell phone envy, and a scene about how poll-takers wind up with such odd results, are stand-outs. But the scene that cuts closest to the bone of post-election America is the Southern Jesus Car Dealership, a satire of Christian Right religiosity that’s almost too true to be funny. Along the way, there are lines designed to offend everyone: ‘You’re lesbian and you’re Jewish? I thought you people couldn’t eat clams.’ Or, ‘A diet of Subway sandwiches is not a diet. A foot of food will make you fat!’
Among the cast, Ithamar Enriquez displays an excellent singing voice and is very funny as a fired employee. Aggressive Frank Caeti is Mr. Versatility even daring to channel the great Belushi with a cartwheel and a kip. Matthew Craig draws attention by height alone, but has chops, too. Jennifer Bills and Peter Grosz make much of a phobia-laden dating couple, while Rebecca Drysdale closes each act in a bowler hat ala Fosse. Half-way between composer and sound effects man, musical director Trey Stone adds more to the proceedings than usual. There’s even a pretty set—a skyline and moonscape—by Aaron Carney.
At less than $20 (with no food/drink minimum), The Second City etc remains an affordable and entertaining way to catch a rising star.