Improv All-Stars
WHAT: Improv All-Stars (Comedy)
WHEN: Every Monday at 8pm from January 21 – April 29 (with an additional performance on January 24 at 8pm)
WHERE: UP Comedy Club (230 W. North Ave.)
RUN TIME: 60 minutes, no intermission
PRICE: $16.00 (Online and phone orders incur a $3-$7.50 fee)
OUR RATING: Chance It!
In Chicago, you can’t get more classic than The Second City. Founded in the 1950s at the University of Chicago, it is a cornerstone of comedy, and so, we expect only the best chortles when appreciating their interpretation of the artform. Improv All-Stars at UP Comedy Club, comprised of Second City-ites, certainly made us chuckle, but fell short of the mark and ultimately left us believing that you can only do the same routines so many times before they become old and worn.
(upcomedyclub.com)
We’d previously been initiated into the UP Comedy Club scene a few months ago to see a few stand-up acts by Maribeth Monroe and Erik Griffin from the show Workaholics. The space, located on the third floor of Piper’s Alley in Old Town, and just adjacent to their presenter Second City, is pretty unique, offering two levels of cabaret-style seating, as well as a full service kitchen and bar.
Under the direction of Mick Napier, Improv All-Stars features highly interactive improvisational comedy, with a mix of traditional games you’ll see elsewhere in the Chicago improv scene with some long-form pieces. We will admit that some classic routines, including shout-outs from the audience to construct a story told by each member in succession (including robots and Asians) and a full musical sung about completely wacky subjects, with the accompaniment of an acoustic piano, were really fun and could not be replicated by other groups.
(upcomedyclub.com)
Improv All-Stars really plays on their ancestry, once in awhile speaking about the development of the improvisational art form and the uniqueness of Second-City comedy. This segwayed into a simple, but rather lengthy, two-person improvised scene based entirely on one suggestion from the audience.
(upcomedyclub.com)
However, perhaps what bothers us the most about UP is not the content or locations, but the little things that seem to get in the way of a good evening. The price, at $16, is steep for an hour of comedy (even if it is Second City), and especially so when the material is not really that new. Add to this the service charges (we could talk about how nauseating annoying these are in another post entirely) and you have tickets costing over $20 for only 60 minutes of performance. That’s more than a just-minted college grad makes in 2 or so hours, and they are literally just running around the stage playing games! And then there are the wait staff. Our advice to them: stop harassing patrons who are clearly not going to buy anything, especially since there isn’t a drink minimum (if we’ve said no once, do you really think our answer is going to change over the course of an hour? And if it did, we’d just wave you over to help us out).
(upcomedyclub.com)
Seeing comedy in Chicago is kind of like playing Russian Roulette, and with the cast of Improv All-Stars constantly rotating, there is such a thing as an on or off night. So, our advice to you (if you have the $20 to spare) is go and try it out. You’ll have a good time regardless (it’s funny), but only if you are willing to part with your Jackson with no hard feelings.