91 revues…you read that correctly. 91. It’s honestly a feat of nature that Second City has managed to avoid a major PR crisis or internet cancellation this long. Keep on at it, Second City. You’ve got this.

Y’all, I have loved Second City since I saw my first show in high school. I went to undergrad in Chicago, so I kept going throughout university. To be invited to an opening night…I was honoured, and very excited. We’re in the big leagues, people.

For those who may not know, here’s a brief summary of Second City: it’s a comedy institution, founded in Chicago in 1959, with its second outpost in Toronto in 1973. They offer classes, stand-up, smaller shows, and tour across the country, but they’re best known for their annual/semi-annual Mainstage Revue – a sketch comedy show featuring top-tier talent, often capped with a bit of improv at the end.

The evening kicked off with a plaque unveiling by Mayor Olivia Chow and deputy mayor something-or-another to commemorate…I don’t know. A new plaque fabricator, perhaps? If you were wondering why Olivia Chow has been seemingly silent in the media lately, she was preserving her energy for this performance. After pandering to the audience for a bit, they unveiled the plaque (which was pretty cool, I’ll give them that). People to our right were clapping enthusiastically; people to our left were muttering gruffly under their breath. Comedy – it brings us all together. Anyway, then the second show began.

I’m not sure if the Second City team realized this, but my husband and I had actually seen a version of this same revue a few weeks earlier. Between the closing of the old revue and the opening of the new one, the cast spends a month or two workshopping the material. The show was not widely advertised as a work-in-progress (I had to dig to figure that out), and I probably wouldn’t have initially bought tickets had I known. The revue 3 weeks ago was…a bit rough, if I’m being honest. The cast is clearly talented, and there were a few genuinely brilliant moments, but overall it didn’t feel as polished as other Second City shows I’ve seen. I was excited to catch the final iteration of the show and to see how much it had grown.

The verdict: it’s way better. It’s still not my all-time favourite revue, but I had a great time. Let me elaborate further:

1. The energy was up. The cast was absolutely electric last night. The room was packed (unlike the half-full house I saw on a Friday night a few weeks earlier). The audience’s good vibes fed straight onto the stage, and you could feel it last night. Second City really is such a fun night out. You can get food and drinks delivered to your seat, and the new venue is gorgeous and a cool place to hang out.
2. The scenes were mostly the same, but noticeably improved. The timing was tighter, the delivery was more confident, and many jokes were edited or tweaked. There was one scene I preferred in the earlier version – the one about male friendships. They flipped the scene so the person proposing the friendship in the first version was now on the receiving end. I preferred it the other way, but the new version works better overall – it’s punchier and doesn’t drag. That’s the writing process for ya.
3. My favourite parts of the evening were, in both iterations, the improv sets. This ensemble really shines in these moments, and I could have used more. My only disapointment on opening night was that they cut the notorious “3rd act” (an improv set at the end of the show). Standout improv highlights include an improvised corporate sales presentation by Gavin Pounds (great name) and Tim Blair (for the UChicago folks – same height, different guy), and a hilarious scene with a kid named Timmy (Chelsea Larkin) exploring career options. At our first show, they picked on my husband and his career, which was wonderful. Imagine if they’d picked me – “Uhh…I review theatre.” Fun.
4. There weren’t too many overtly political jokes – really just one scene talking about “illegal cows.” I like when jokes are specifically relevant to the time and place we’re living in, and many of the individual scenes felt a bit non-specific in that regard.
5. After seeing this show twice, I’ve really grown to root for this cast. Individually, they’re all quite likeable, and it was a joy watching them perform:
   • Chelsea Larkin is so effortlessly funny; she makes everything feel so natural. Her pigeon “coo” had me howling.
   • Gavin Pounds and Tim Blair are dynamic, especially together. Their crime scene with Larkin was a highlight. Both were excellent. Tim Blair also had killer moments during the Bachelor and Foot Locker scenes. So good, so good.
   • Monica Garrido Huerta is fantastic with physical comedy, and I loved her partially improvised Jesus scene. Audience member: “Why is there war?” Monica (as Jesus): “I just love drama.” Great answer.
   • Gillian Bartolucci is a great all-rounder with excellent timing on both her line deliveries and physical comedy beats.
   • Lance Oribello (subbing in for Antony Hall, who was out) held down the fort well, and didn’t stumble or feel under-rehearsed. Hall was great a few weeks ago, so you’re in good hands either way.

So, overall, Second City Toronto’s 91st revue is a decidedly good time. Is it my favourite show of all time? No. But I’m so glad I got to see a more polished version, because it really was much funnier than it was 3 weeks ago. And it is, truly, such a fun night out. We as an audience need to keep showing up and filling those 240 seats – it makes the night so much better for everyone.

Thanks again to the Second City team for the invite to this show. It meant a lot to me! I can’t wait to catch the next one.