FLAT

The Second City’s current road show review, “Fair and Unbalanced” is billed as a “best of” collection from the “best brand” in sketch/improv comedy.

After seeing last night’s performance in Spartanburg, I’d say that The Second City is much better at propping up a half-century old comedy brand, than creating fresh and funny comedy.

Male players on stage in suit coats and ties, flash scenes and corny songs, broadly mugged punch lines, daffy suburbia spoofs…yes, this is definitely The Second City. Not much has changed since the theater was founded in December of 1959.

And that’s the problem, frankly.

“Blue company” boasts of five sharp actors who frequently shine with the material they’ve been given. It’s the material that lays flat on the stage.

The sketches are unimaginative, barely clever…as punchy as jokes from a brick-wall comedian who’s been presenting the same jokes every night for the past twenty years.