I WENT TO the opening of the new Second City show Second City for Mayor with great anticipation. Municipal politics?
The election we’re about to have has been rife with scandal, anarchy and general weirdness — just ripe for satire.
When I got to the theatre, there was a picket line of protesters set up. It didn’t take me long to realize it was a set-up for the show, but I took it as a good sign that we were in for some political comedy.
Just before the show, I ran into mayoralty hopeful Rocco Rossi, who said to me, “Uh-oh … I hope they don’t go after me too bad.…”
He needn’t have worried. There wasn’t one sketch that actually referred to Toronto politics.
The first thing I noticed in the Second City showroom was that the traditional set of drywall and doors had been stripped away, leaving a maze of catwalks and fire escapes, which gave the show a more immediate, urban feel.
The lighting and music had been changed, as well, giving the show a tougher, more industrial atmosphere. Good moves on director Melody Johnson’s part.
The first sketch was a nice curtain raiser, with a South Asian passenger in a taxi fascinated by the exoticism of his white cabbie, “You all smell like grilled cheese!” in a neat reversal deserving of its passionate response.
And then … I got bored waiting for something with bite or at least relating to the title. By the end of the first act, I was actually looking to leave.
I’m glad I stayed, though. The second act picked up nicely. It began with a musical improv about places that are worse to live in than Canada, with the audience suggesting various countries.
Reid Janisse gets the evening’s MVP award for his ability to rhyme “Liechtenstein” with … well, shout it out, when you attend the show, and you’ll see.
I also liked a dark sketch that reunites a Guantanamo prison guard with one of his detainees in a coffee shop here in Toronto.
But the majority of the evening was taken up with yuppie social satire about raising children and dating that seemed tired a decade ago, although it must be noted that the audience was howling in recognition.
But the show is called Second City for Mayor, so where are the jokes about Giambrone? David Miller? Rob Ford? Yes, there are some symbolic takes on our local issues, via a superhero’s comeuppance for his personal life and vices, or a sketch revolving around a dead cyclist.
Some may be satisfied with the abstract wit, but I want names to be named and reputations to be tarnished! Long ago, shows like Toronto, Toronto ran for months, even years, with songs and sketches about this city.
I’ve noticed that there hasn’t been so much interest in the political life of this city since the days of the Spadina Expressway debate. All over the news, the question of what kind of city we want to live in has been in the foreground. The plethora of mayoral candidates is one example but so is the constant dialogue about design, architecture, transit and culture in this wonderful city of ours.
Is it too much to ask for our comedians to join in?