Second City ETC Rides A CLOWN CAR NAMED DESIRE

(Special thanks to Second City for providing complimentary admission to this show)

Sometimes, there's a fine line that blurs reality and dreams, of wondering whether this is as good as it gets or does it get better.

It's with that preliminary question that Second City ETC's 37th revue, A Clown Car Named Desire, goes into full gear, delivering some great scenes and - well, let's face it, some easily-earned laughs.

From hipsters to mismatched friends, from a Tron-inspired dance routine to a sketch namechecking the Notre Dame football player "Mandy Patinkin", A Clown Car Named Desire is a very well-rounded, super-sharp show...in fact, this is one of the few times at Second City that I never thought, "Hmm, which one of these cast members is due for bigger and better things?"

(Only because the entire ensemble does such a great job throughout the evening, it's hard to pick out one person and say they have "that thing." Of course, had the tall blonde cast member pointed to me when she sang, "I'll make out with you after the show"...I might be writing a different kind of blog post. But it's safe to say - singling out one person out of a stellar cast is unfair and really unnecessary).

And you may wonder what the difference is between Second City and Second City ETC (which is where this revue is running). Rather than give you a long, lengthy explanation, let me point you to this brief snippet from their FAQ page).

It's rather difficult to find a Second City revue that doesn't hit on all cylinders - most of the time, a revue has much that works, and some sketches that don't. However, A Clown Car Named Desire manages to fire on all cylinders, providing a nice, lengthy ride full of laughs, and is much more enjoyable than a Cubs or Sox game.

And yes, there is the obligatory Tennessee Williams joke...but A Clown Car Named Desire is one of the highlights of Chicago theater, and well worth your time.