The Second City’s latest mainstage offering opens with an ominous voice announcing that “there’s a shit storm coming.” The quote is a riff on the Anne Hathaway line in this summer’s blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. In the movie, Hathaway, as Catwoman, foreshadows the film’s chaotic events. Thankfully, We’ve Totally (Probably) Got This is anything but chaotic. However, it does have its own dark moments.
As you probably already know, according to those pesky Mayans, it’s quitting time for Earthlings come Dec. 21. It’s no wonder, then, that The Second City’s last show for 2012 would dance with the devil in the pale moon light. Or maybe that devil is really just a bratty know-it-all kid (Jason DeRosse) who, after making his parents (Alastair Forbes and Stacey McGunnigle) feel like morons, says to them, “Remember, Lucifer was just a fallen angel,” reminding us that a tinge of darkness resides in everyone.
Whatever the case, the pulse of We’ve Totally (Probably) Got This races equal parts electrifying and ice-cold, and it’s in the jolts of “I can’t believe they just went there” where the show really finds its rhythm.
Such bits include the gals (Carly Heffernan, Ashley Comeau and McGunnigle) lamenting the lack of sex appeal found in Canadian women (“Thai boys are sexier than Canadian women”) before transforming into dancing, lisping Brazilians. Another stand-out moment is Nigel Downer going Chuck Norris on a group of pigeons who won’t let him eat his sandwich (particularly for Downer’s innate nimbleness and Bruce Lee-like facial expressions), as is the security guard sketch, where McGunnigle, Forbes and Downer all showcase their masterful agility and matching comedic timing.
A bus sketch that includes the participation of an audience member (in this case, a long-haired and bearded senior, and overall good sport, named John) was also fun, even if it ventured into Karen Klein territory.
But that’s what The Second City does best: it illuminates societal afflictions — however serious or stupid — and turns them on their heads.
Add in the fine direction of Melody A. Johnson and the innate chemistry amongst the ensemble (even if McGunnigle is a new addition to the cast, you wouldn’t know it), and The Second City’s got its most entertaining revue since Dreams Really Do Come True (And Other Lies).
Though I recommend seeing the show sooner rather than later out of pure enthusiasm, the production does run until the end of the year. In fact, the last listed date is Dec. 30, proving that, despite the dark underlining of We’ve Totally (Probably) Got This, the show remains optimistic that the world won’t end on Dec. 21.
As George Carlin once said, “The planet is fine. The people are fucked.”
We’ve Totally (Probably) Got This, The Second City, 51 Mercer Street, 416-343-011. Now – Dec. 30