Second City, a staple in Chicago’s theater scene, recently celebrated 50 years. The roster of alumni reads like a Who’s Who in television comedy, quite a few of whom most of us grew up with. They are still churning out new comedians not only here in Chicago but at their other locations in Toronto and Hollywood. Knowing just a bit about their pedigree and having seen a show previously I was delighted to attend the opening night of their new show “The Absolute Best Friggin’ Time of Your Life” playing on their Second City Etc stage. This is billed as their 34th review and as such it was riddled with political jokes taking jabs mostly at the (very far) right, and a few at the left, but it was done tastefully enough and was hilarious.
The show is written by the 6 talented cast members and uses an innovative technique to move between scenes (which I won’t tell you about here, you just need to go see it fer yerself). Not to be left out is the lone musician who is an integral part of the show providing music and drums between scenes and well-placed sound effects.
The seating is cabaret style, which means cozy (read: a bit cramped) but makes for a fun atmosphere, especially when trying to juggle drinks and food. The menu is limited, but you don’t go for the cuisine. It’s good enough to tie you over to your next meal.
If you’ve never been to a Second City show, you can’t consider yourself a card-carrying Chicagoan until you do. If you have, this show is well worth making another visit.
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