Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Surely, the times they have suddenly a-changed, and to its great credit, the cast of "A Red Line Runs Through It" clearly gave considerable thought to what, exactly, you are seeing when those doors open on the right. Or the left. Or when trains running express take you right past your stop. Where you may not want to stop anyway. Not anymore."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Enemy No. 1: Rahm Emanuel. Scott Morehead’s ditty about loving the mayor despite his misdeeds escalates into a full-cast, full-thunder hip-hop harangue accusing Chicagoans of obsessing over the trivial (Movies in the Park, ketchup-free hot dogs) and ignoring the injustices. To their eyes, it’s a given that Emanuel covered up the Laquan McDonald video to win re-election, a charge repeated several times for maximum effect. The ideas are powerful and at times borderline unfair, and all along the way, they’re funny in their audacity."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Over the past few years Second City has lived in my mind as a stale representation of the comedy world. While I'll never deny the impact the theater/training ground had on some of my favorite talents, like Bill Murray and Chris Farley and the queen herself, Miss Tina Fey, the shows themselves haven't broken free of the same sort of Murray-Farley-Fey formula. Yes, Second City revues will always be entertaining; I could watch comics do their own version of Chris Farley's Matt Foley sketch over and over again and still laugh. But what the comedy club's needed for years is something entirely different to prove it's on the pulse-and that that pulse is going strong.:
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...The Second City e.t.c.'s 40th revue has some pointed and topical material, notably including a musical number eviscerating Mayor Rahm Emanuel and another song that frames the fight over appointing a new Supreme Court justice as a Hamilton-esque rap battle between Mitch McConnell and President Obama. What it lacks, despite the title, is much of a through line."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Alluding to the elevated Chicago subway that courses through the North Side, A Red Line Runs Through It proves a theme as much as wordplay in this 40th revue from The Second City e.t.c. Our evening of comedy sketches begins and ends with passengers in a mystifyingly stopped "el" car, stalled in stationary hell and donning Guy Fawkes' masks to demonstrate their despair. This "train of fools" rides rocky rails over the next 100 minutes."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...A Red Line Runs Through It features a lot of lighting and music that, far from merely complementing the skits and atmosphere, are integral to the show as a whole. For instance, the show opens with the cast riding an El-train, bored and impatient at a delay; then, inexplicably, the emergency lights go out and a black light comes on to reveal the entire cast wearing Guy Fawkes’ masks (also inexplicably) and eerily dancing. Absurd? Yes. Amusing? Inexplicably so. Some of the best skits also involve singing, such as a political rap battle, an ironic love song to Rahm Emmanuel, and an improvised song based upon an audience call-out (in this case, crazy drivers), among several others."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Second City is a proven commodity. A lot of the time, for me at least, it feels like performances there are merely trying to live up to the name on the marquee rather than actually put on a great show. This is not one of those performances. This is a spectacular show helmed by director Matt Hovde. It's funny, it's poignant, it's interesting, it's different. Sure it has its flaws, but this was the first show I can remember actively thinking "oh no, it's almost over, I wish there was more.""
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Jeff Award director Matt Hovde, which as always is written by the performers, Lisa Beasley, Aasia Lashay Bullock, Peter Kim, Katie Klein, Julie Marchiano and Scott Morehead, who truly bring high energy to this romp through new mother blues, Black Girl Magic, Local news as done in different localities, coming out, driving and a very special salute (if one can call what they offer a "salute") to Mayor Rahm Emmanuel-it is adorable and scary! With music by Justin Case, we are treated to almost two hours (there is a 15 minute intermission) of rip -roaring laughter."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The revue features much more political content than we’ve seen in the past several revues. Typically, a Second City presentation leans markedly toward the liberal side of the aisle, the heaviest barbs aimed at political conservatives and whatever smacks of right wing attitudes in American life. We will expect shots taken at Donald Trump, but the Democrats are not spared by e.t.c. Hillary, Barak, and Bernie draw stiletto-sharp lampoons, with Rahm Emanuel attracting particularly heavy fire."
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"...The chance to gather in a comedy club with others who share these fears and anxieties, to let us know we’re not alone in what for so many of us is a love-hate relationship with the Windy City, is a specialty of The Second City. In this spring of 2016, it’s a particularly welcome comfort."
