FROM THE SECOND CITY
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But when we finally got to see Second City, we were disappointed. Maybe it could never have met our expectations. It was always hit or miss, a hilarious sketch followed by a clunker, an inspired improv followed by a predictable groan. By the time we got there Second Cities were sprouting up all over and seriously diluting the talent pool. We would leave the theater fantasizing about what it must have been like to see the original company members performing their revolutionary sketches, imagining that we had just seen the efforts of a young Mike Nichols or Elaine May. We’d sadly acknowledge that Second City wasn’t what it used to be, and quietly wonder if it ever had been.
From the Second City, the Second City’s greatest-hits show currently on display at Court Theatre, attempts to re-create the magic using an alumni company to perform a selection of goodies from the archives. Director Bernard Sahlins, Second City cofounder, has chosen a seven-member troupe and a representative sampling of works from the company’s illustrious 30-year history.
The ambience of Court Theatre only adds to the sterility. The advantage of the Wells Street space is that the show’s quality increases in direct proportion to the number of drinks served. The classical theater setting here makes the show seem even more staid. The audience laughs in all the right places, but the laughs seem empty. You’re left at the close of the show wondering if two hours of mildly amusing sketches are all that remains of the magnificent Second City.
