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Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, 2003 |
Hilarious Armaget-It-On
New Second City show marks company's 30 years
By Bruce Raymond
Originally Published: 2003-10-19
For the 54th time, a new revue is opening at Toronto's Second City. Like all revues, some skits are hilarious, some funny, and some less so. However, those which miss the mark don't do so by very much and after a few performances, will undoubtedly improve.
The cast members are all familiar to Second City patrons. There is Paul Constable. Like all the performers, he appears in several skits. I enjoyed him most as the frustrated Al-Jazeera director trying to get Osama Bin Laden to be more frightening in his weekly television broadcast to the Infidels of the West. Matt Baram is the terrorist fugitive, busily eating Cheerios while muffing his lines.
Matt Baram crosses the religious divide from being an Arab to being Jewish in one of the funniest skits, that of a Jew whose overly-ecumenical Christian roommate gives Matt a one-way ticket to Israel to give him a chance to discover his roots, an invitation which Matt finds less than attractive. In another skit, Matt plays Garfunkel to Jennifer Goodhue's Simon in a parody of the famous couple pondering a comeback, "if we're not too old!"
Jennifer also appears as a motivational speaker trying to unmotivate a suicide bomber, played by Paul Constable. Jennifer is equally funny as a Little Mexican who can be bought as an accessory in a trendy boutique.
Sandy-Jobin Bevans joins the others trying to buy clothes at a high-class store which offers too much customer service. Later he delivers a not-bad impression of Ben Mulroney, commenting upon our famous blackout. Another skit based upon the blackout is less successful and should be trimmed or replaced.
Naomi Snieckus pops in and out of several skits. She is particularly successful in her brief moment as a harried driver being delayed by a pigeon who refuses to budge from the middle of the road. Jamillah Ross makes several appearances. I liked her best as the giggling bearded sidekick to Osama Bin Laden.
The skit with the most cutting edge involves a group of Canadian battle-weary soldiers hoping to be able to leave their war and emigrate to the United States in order to avoid going to a "gun-crazy" Canada.
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