EVERYTHING IS GREAT AGAIN written and performed by Brandon Hackett, Devon Hyland, Lindsay Mullan, Colin Munch, Paloma Nunez and Ann Pornel (Second City, 51 Mercer). Limited run. $25 and up. secondcity.com. See listings. Rating: NNN
American politics have left their mark on Second Citys 79th Mainstage revue. In fact, Donald Trump (portrayed by Ann Pornel) even makes a brief appearance near the end. Unfortunately, most sketches play it safe and refrain from taking controversial swipes. This significantly lowers the shows approval rating.
Everything Is Great Again features returnees Pornel, Brandon Hackett and Lindsay Mullan, plus newcomers Devon Hyland, Colin Munch and Paloma Nunez. The ensemble members have excellent chemistry, so its disappointing that they dont deliver more laughs.
The opening number is an unfocused mishmash that devolves into a fight scene. Things pick up with a strong sketch in which Hyland plays an American citizen pondering a move to Canada and Pornel a Canadian warning him about electoral reform and the dangers of poutine. The twist ending offers a funny payoff.
Another memorable sketch takes place in an Ohio elementary school. Munch plays Mullans Trump-supporting dad, who answers an onslaught of uncomfortable questions from her classmates as she struggles to control the room like a publicist in a media scrum.
In the second half, Nunez and Pornel nearly break your heart retracing the history of two BFFs in a wordless scene performed in flashbacks. And boundaries get pushed at a yoga retreat that leaves Hackett, Nunez and Pornel bent out of shape confronting increasingly hilarious ethnic assumptions.
Physical comedy provides standout character moments. Nunez earns laughs with her elastic facial expressions of pain and remorse as a tea-swilling aunt from hell Munch makes an amphibious splash at Ripleys Aquarium and youll get swept up by Pornels exuberant stage presence as she dances with a broom to Beyonce.
As usual, the audience lends a hand. Suggestions are incorporated into an improvised eTalk Daily spoof that results in a song later in the show. When an audience member pilots a plane for the act one finale, the sketch gets generous chortles of support but still takes a nosedive.
An old-timey feel pervades with spiffy black-and-white costumes, a vaudevillian act two opener and Camellia Koos art deco-inspired arch. Director Kerry Griffin keeps the pacing quick, but with too many lulls between laughs, this revue doesnt completely get my vote.
