The Second City's "Live Long and Pro$per."Dan Abramovici
Second City continues its winning streak with Live Wrong and Pro$per, a snappy new riot of sketches and an endless stream of funny about dreams and desires, and about one waiter who gets everything off his chest and one passion-starved fellow who gets dollops of whipped cream on his nipples. "I stopped at a Dairy Queen on the way home," he tells his suspicious wife. Second City offers no Peanut Buster Parfaits, but here are five comic treats worth your indulgence.
Nigel Downer: He's one of those guys who doesn't have to try very hard to be very funny, but it's awesome when he does. Catch this animated jester, before he moves on to bigger things.
Service with a snarl: Talented Alastair Forbes plays a waiter from hell, serving curses and rudeness promptly. "I took the liberty of bringing you a glass of milk because you seem like a huge [kitty cat]" he tells one taken-aback male customer. Meow!
Little Tommy O'Shea puts the pain in campaign: A savvy son accuses his father of being homophobic – after all, he did marry a woman. A savage series of attack ads ensure dad loses the vote on the family vacation decision.
Rob Ford: He's another one of those guys who doesn't have to try very hard to be very funny, but, again, it's awesome when he does. In an absurd sketch, a perplexed Batman is called by Toronto to deal with a curious mayor who awkwardly struggles to climb down from his platform.
Director Chris Earle : Not every sketch is fully formed, but the production as a whole is well paced and woven together marvellously, with reoccurring references lending continuity.
Brad Wheeler
Tuesdays to Thursdays (8 p.m., $24); Fridays and Saturdays (8 and 10:30 p.m., $29); Sundays (7 p.m., $24). 51 Mercer St., 416-343-0011.
Brad Wheeler