Revue Review: Second City's Talent-Rich 'Dream Freaks Fall From Space' Amuses, To An Extent

Theater / Comedy / Improv Review

Dream Freaks Fall From Space
106th Mainstage Revue
The Second City, Chicago
Thru May 31
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I think a lot of people think a lot of things are a lot funnier than I do.

I mean, I don’t want to believe that I’m a humorless grump, and I actually think laughing often is vital to living in today’s world.

Without suggesting that I’m particularly funny, I offer up puns, witticisms and wisecracks pretty much on a daily basis.

But while realizing that great comedy should spark new insights as much as loud guffaws, I very rarely LOL at anything.

I almost never watch Saturday Night Live these days, as I haven't found it to be great for years, save some occasional political impersonations.

Neither have many if any Mainstream American comedy movies of recent vintage much tickled my funny bone, and though I've seen and enjoyed many legendary stand-up comedians, very few have kept me constantly in stitches.

The fact that Steven Wright still consistently does may suggest that I'm drawn to a more unique type of comedian, but I've generally laughed more at humorous plays--including the recent The Legend of Georgia McBride and the ongoing Yasmina's Necklace--than at comedians or improv/sketch shows.

Nonetheless, I still believe comedy should be part of my live entertainment diet, but it has candidly been a rather small one.

So I was delighted to be invited to The Second City to review their 106th Mainstage Revue, titled Dream Freaks Fall From Space.

Which, in not knowing what that title is meant to reference, may reiterate that I could well be at fault for not loving the show, though I did enjoy much of the material, the six cast members and the overall experience.

In being admiringly deferential in lieu of profusely laudatory, I can perceive overdoing the Trump bashing, including in a revue's title, can come off as far too obvious and even trite.

Although...Tyler Davis' song insisting a potential paramour not have voted for the Donald, or must now express regret for that decision, was one of the show's clear highlights.

Each of the other writer/performers, adorned in white jumpsuits, had plenty of fine moments as well, whether in group sketches, smaller scenes or solo bits.

An oddly but enjoyably anachronistic Where's Waldo piece, featuring the consistently good Nate Varrone as the hard-to-find, cap-wearing cartoon figure, definitely made me laugh, and I found Tien Tran's song speculating that "Maybe your baby is gay" both amusing and astute.

There was a considerable amount of live music performed by the talented cast--also including Ryan Asher, Kelsey Kinney (the only veteran from a past mainstage revue) and Jeffrey Murdoch--and I also enjoyed a bit featuring the lip syncing of famed songs pertinent to particular characters, only to have others point out that the lyrics incorrectly matched the memories.

So certainly there were plenty of inspired moments over 2 hours of stage time, and not only isn't comedy universal-- Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune loved this revue--even for the most talented practitioners in the realms of sketch & improv, it's gotta be daunting to work in the shadows of Belushi, Ackroyd, Murray, Candy, Myers, Farley, Fey, Colbert, Carrell, etc., all still hanging around on the famed venue's walls.

While I have to be honest in my assessment that it was a fun night with appreciable efforts and some fine entertainment but well short of fantastic--and a friend alongside, who has taken improv classes and performed in various shows, neither was overly enthused--I certainly wouldn't dissuade anyone from taking in this show.

I hadn't been to The Second City for 10 years, which really has been too long, and I think this was only the second mainstage revue I've ever seen.

So I don't have much to compare it to, nor a good gauge for measuring the level of delight & insight provided vs. fair expectations.

I can easily imagine returning--perhaps for more of an improv show than a mostly pre-written revue--and perceive Second City to be one of Chicago's best options for date night.

Yet while I liked the experience, the performers and the beignets I ordered during Dream Freaks Fall From Space, the truth is I just didn't fall in love.

Saturday Night, Live, with Prime Time Comedy and a Stellar Musical Act -- Review: TJ and Dave, plus Ike Reilly

Theater / Improv / Music Review

TJ and Dave (an improv duo)
with opening act Ike Reilly (a singer)
July 14, 2012
Theater on the Lake, Chicago
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As this blog reflects, I've been to many types of performances at a great number of venues in and around Chicago (and beyond). But until Saturday night I had never been--or even ever seriously considered going--to one of the city's most venerable theatrical spaces: Theater on the Lake.

Although I had long presumed that this was some kind of small outdoor amphitheater, the theater space is inside a building just east of Lake Shore Drive at Fullerton.

Built in 1920 as a sanitarium--not for insane people but babies with tuberculosis--the red brick structure has presented summer Theater on the Lake programming since 1953. At least in recent years, if not longer, it seems TOTL stages productions by various local theater groups, typically works those troupes have presented during the past theater season.

I've seen some shows that have been reprised at TOTL, but Saturday was my initial visit to the lakefront venue for a summertime production, and rather than a play or musical, I took in an improv duo preceded by a rock/folk singer.

As the program notes indicate, TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi have been performing as TJ and Dave for over 10 years. They can be seen weekly at iO Chicago--where I caught them once--and every other month in New York at the Barrow Street Theatre.

Rather than take any suggestions or stimulus from the audience, they simply play off each other for the better part of an hour, seemingly with a central scenario around which tangential dialogue revolves and occasionally intersects.

Saturday, their primary strain of improvisation was a job interview, including preparing for it, arriving at the office, being greeted by an employee and finally being interviewed by a manager, in the company of the greeting employee. That TJ and Dave each at times played the interviewee and the manager, while TJ also played the "greeter," should give some indication as to how quick and adaptable these guys are.

I rarely found it laugh out loud funny, as the woman next to me did seemingly non-stop, but much of it was quite humorous. Especially in the far too warm Theater on the Lake, I was glad TJ & Dave didn't go on much longer than they did, but they made for a worthy enticement to check it out.

Especially with Libertyville's Ike Reilly playing a solid half-hour set accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. I came to know of Reilly a few years back and have been tremendously impressed by full-band gigs I've seen by The Ike Reilly Assassination. Ike wasn't quite as exciting on his own, but certainly reiterated that he's a gifted songwriter and singer.

Highlights included "Devil's Valentine," whose lyrics come from a poem Ike's late father had written in 1942, a new song whose title I didn't catch and the closing "Commie Drives a Nova"

The same combination--TJ & Dave with Ike Reilly--performed at Theater on the Lake Wednesday through Sunday. Although you've missed this run (unless you didn't), either act--let alone both--is well worth your time for an enjoyable evening of entertainment.

As for Theater on the Lake, I'm glad I went, but am not planning to rush back real soon. That might be more the fault of the crazily hot weather than the programming--a couple other shows on their schedule did catch my eye--but although it was a satisfying evening, a bit more A/C would've been nice, or, on a cooler evening, simply the outdoors.

Still in the Dark About 'Too Much Light'

Theater Review

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
The Neo-Futurarium
Chicago
Open-Run
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What do I know?

I mean who am I to say that Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes doesn't seem like anything special? After all, it is the longest running "play" in Chicago, dating all the way back to 1988. And there is also a long-running New York production.

In Chicago, people start lining up an hour before the 11:30pm weekend shows just to make sure they get in to the 150-seat theater. And from my newbie attendance on Saturday, after participating in the Neo-Futurists prime-time show (Crisis: A Musical Game Show), it was apparent that many in the audience were hardcore devotees, as they knew precisely when to shout out numbers that decided the order that 30 pre-written mini-plays would be performed within an hour.

So I won't tell you that TMLMTBGB was bad, while noting that it supposedly changes substantially week-to-week and is totally different every couple months. So maybe the material I saw isn't indicative of how good it usually is.

And I won't tell you not to see it; that's up to you.

But I will tell you that I didn't like it.

Perhaps it's one of those things, like Reality TV and Nickelback, that millions of people love, but I just don't get. Or maybe it's the format; I'm doubtful that Shakespeare, Miller or Mamet could regularly write 3-minute plays that I would find compelling, insightful and/or hilarious.

But whatever the reason, and sure, maybe it's just me, but in the 60 minutes I was there--though on my watch it sure seemed like 67 minutes--I almost never laughed, was made to think or ever really cared. I guess I must've missed something, but it seemed like a concept better served by improv, not pre-scripted pieces. While watching it, The Emperor's New Clothes fable kept running through my head.

The performers were energetic and likely quite talented, but the whole thing really did nothing for me. So next time I have an hour to waste, I think I'd be better off avoiding 'Too Much Light.'