"The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro" Review

My final review for the ATC this year:

Review of ATC’s Production of

The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro

by Marc Hansen

The famous Chicago-based comedy group The Second City, with alumni including basically every famous comedian, ranging from Bill Murray to Tina Fey, has come to Arizona, as is so clearly stated in ATC’s cheekily titled production of The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro. Over the season, we’ve had everything from book adaptations to musicals to famous plays, and now, fittingly, we have a collection of comedy shorts to bookmark the fabulous season. Though a fun, mindless way to end the season, the overall play is a mixed bag.

There’s no overall story linking the skits together; they’re just individual and unrelated skits. Although this doesn’t provide an emotional connection to the play, it doesn’t really matter. This is comedy after all, and the Second City is aiming for clever jokes, not emotional connection. Think of it as Saturday Night Live, but actually live and with an Arizonan twist. However, because the skits are separate, the overall play is rather hit-or-miss. Some of the skits, like reoccurring gags with speed cameras and a father teaching his daughter how to drive in Arizona (she has to put on oven mitts to keep herself from burning), are absolutely hilarious. At other times though, the skits just drag on and aren’t really that funny, like one about a widower who comes to Arizona to get it on with old ladies or a spelling bee competition (that was already done hilariously in The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee) So, it really does depend on the skit; it could be really funny. . . or not so much.

The cast, however, really holds the production together. Even when it’s not necessarily the funniest skit, you totally believe that these actors are the characters they’re playing, which is saying a lot considering the wide range and diversity of the wild characters they portray (and with the exception of Andy Samberg, that’s way more than I could ever say about the current cast of Saturday Night Live). In fact, the cast even showed their dedication by doing lots of improv and playing off audience participants. However, even this could be really good or really bad, depending on how interesting or funny the audience participant is.

While the material may not be entirely consistent, the play and cast certainly created a very fun atmosphere, and the audience was having a ball. The fact that the whole play is centered around Arizona makes it more fun, since the jokes are more relatable and relevant to us, the audience, though sometimes it’s clear the writers are outsiders, especially when they focus on Arizonan topics that, though certainly unique to Arizona, aren’t very relevant to most residents (like the Ostrich farm or Sheriff Joe). Perhaps all that doesn’t really matter though. The Second City has always been more about introducing the next great comics, and with such a talented cast, don’t be surprised if you hear one of their names again ten years from now.

Grade: B

I think that sums it up pretty well. But since this is the last show of the season, and what a great season it's been, I thought I'd give out a little end-of-the-year awards to some of the plays (Not you, George is Dead, you get nothing).

So, the Best Music and Vocal Ensemble/Singing awards go to Ain't Misbehavin'.

The Best Performance award goes to Barzin Akhavan in The Kite Runner.

The Best Lighting, Direction, and Recycled (as in, the show was written a long time ago) Screenplay awards go to The Glass Menagerie.

And finally, the awards for Best Acting Ensemble, (Relatively) New Screenplay, and Overall Best Production goes to [title of show].

Thanks to all the contestants and congratulations to all the winners. It really has been a great season, and I'm so lucky, fortunate and thankful to have gotten to see all the wonderful plays I saw (and George is Dead). But seriously, it was the best batch of plays I've seen, compared to the Broadway in Tucson ones, which have maybe one good play a year. See ya next year!