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FEATURED ARTICLES           Thursday, September 09, 2010                                Email to a Friend

Second City Has First Rate Laughs

Kavi Guppta

Last updated: Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

If you’re tired of the downtown club district and you’re looking for something fun and entertaining, you don’t have to look far. Head south on John Street, hang a right on Mercer and you’ll find The Second City Toronto Theatre tucked away in the corner. Hugging up against the famous Wayne Gretzky’s and under the shadow of the CN Tower and Rogers Centre is the world famous comedy and improv club that has been selling laughs for decades.

The building is steeped with tradition. Walk in and you’ll find the smiling faces of many alumni that have graced the stage plastered on the walls. Dan Akroyd, Jim Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy—the list goes on. A star-studded roster of the comedy elite has kept the name alive, but it’s also the burgeoning talent of today that keeps the seats full.

It’s an interesting mixture of nightlife and fun. Audience participation is key, and it fuels the energetic cast as they tackle joke after joke. The content is current—ever changing to reflect the state of international and homegrown newspaper fodder, a satire on the seriousness of life. Politics, celebrity, finance and more, the vibrant cast tackles it all and leaves no stone unturned. From the moment the show starts there’s no reason to leave your seat. Wait staff will approach you and audience members can order any drink or light meal from an inexpensive selection. It’s pub food with great live entertainment, and it’s not a blow to your wallet.

0% Down, 100% Screwed is one of the theatre’s latest revues, and includes an ensemble of young Canadian talent that are slowly emerging into comedy greatness. With the economy in a slump and a man promising change to the free world, no subject is safe. With America being promised all this hope, what do the Canadian’s get? Side splitting laughter as you watch the cast enact scenes from your living room to the office of the Prime Minister.

It’s a refreshing change of scene from the usual club hopping. There’s no long line up, no drunken crowd, and no loud thumping music to deafen your ears. At reasonable prices and group rates, it’s a night out anyone can enjoy. Old and young, the crowd is eclectic.

Old men driving down an imaginary street share double entendres, Hilary Clinton makes a sexual pass at our Stephen Harper and select crowd members reconnect with acquaintances of the past through a not-so-talented psychic medium. It’s amazing to see the performers on stage transform from young kids to seniors in a matter of seconds! The cast members are groomed for spontaneity. They feel the crowd and gauge what will work. Jokes can fall flat, but it’s the rebound that can make or break a sketch.

I nearly choked on my drink watching Reid Janisse—a cast member—leap from one side of the stage to the other yelling obscene and arrogant comments about his guests on an imaginary talk show. Titled Shockwave, the host insults his guests who are a hodgepodge of Canadian politicians. Knocking them for their hypocritical views and unwillingness to work together, our Shockwave host also manages to squeeze in at least one hundred pelvic thrusts toward the audience.

At times it can get racy, but the crowd loves it. While the drinks are flowing and the kitchen is still serving, the atmosphere is a great way to experience some real Toronto entertainment. With a few other comedy clubs lurking around the corner, Second City Toronto offers more than usual stand up routine. It’s like watching segments of thought or snippets of something passing you by when you’re channel surfing late at night. It’s real life television; every punch line is timed to perfection and no joke overstays its welcome.

If you really enjoy the show, feel free to stick around for free improv after. No matter how hard your abdominal muscles hurt from laughing, the cast plows on to provide up to another forty minutes of hilarious content!

The Second City Toronto Theatre is located at 51 Mercer St. at Blue Jays Way, next to Wayne Gretzky's. For tickets visit www.secondcity.com or call (416) 343-0011.

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