*** Recommended If you’re in the mood for laughs, get to The Second City for We Always Bounce Black: A Black Excellence Comedy Revue. This funny show is built around something called BEN or the Black Excellence Network – on cable or streaming is never specified – with sketches about mini sit-coms, quiz shows and so on. A lot of the content was specific to the black community but I can attest that whites in the audience laughed too as the talented cast pokes fun at most everything. 3 ½ Spotlights
The first time I visited The Second City – probably sometime in the ‘70s – there were five men and two women in the revue. More recently, the performers were evenly divided, three of each. This revue stands out because there are two men, four women. The cast of We Always Bounce Black includes Spencer Hodges, Kaleb Jackson, Wanjiku Kairu, Terrance Lamonte, Jr., Daryn Robinson and Brittani Yawn.
Some of my favorite highlights
- Open mic night at a poetry club – after someone recites, people show approval by snapping fingers
- Say the name – cast members ask different audience members questions, most of which were incredibly easy – until the last one
- Do you ever think about – Brittani Yawn and Kaleb Jackson tried to ‘one up’ each other with absolutely outlandish and nonsensical thoughts
A few of the skits just weren’t very funny, leading to an awkward silence in the audience. I was sitting very close to the stage and occasionally I had a hard time hearing what they said. The cast wasn’t wearing mics, which could be a reason, but some of the people in the audience never stopped talking, which is another kind of problem.
We Always Bounce Black: A Black Excellence Comedy Revue runs through March 29th in the UP Comedy Club at The Second City, 230 W. North Avenue, Chicago. Parking in the adjacent garage is readily available but pricey. Bar-food and drinks are available throughout the performance. Running time is just about two hours, with an intermission. Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $29. FYI (312) 337-3992 or www.secondcity.com.