Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Saturday Night Live" has Alec Baldwin on tap to play — and greatly annoy — the president-elect. The very funny new show at the Second City e.t.c., "Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno," goes one further. It's hit up some modeling studio and brought in a many-tentacled monster to take over its liberal ship of dreams. And with each atrocity getting its own appendage, and its own victim, every shipmate argues in turn they are not themselves directly affected and thus need do nothing.
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...The best sketches in this show all deal with immigrants (or those whose ethnicity suggest they might be). The presence of two performers — Jazbir Vazquez and Tien Tran, who are fluent in Spanish and Vietnamese, respectively — turns out to be a tremendous plus. In one scene, the two are on a date in a rowboat, with each speaking enthusiastically in their “native” language, and neither understanding a single word — which, of course, might be a plus. Without giving too much away, it is worth noting that they share at least one pop culture reference involving the Titanic."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Each member of the ensemble contributed hilarity with Julie Machiand and Jasbir Singh Vazquez particularly engaging players. This cast features many new Equity actors that fearlessly demonstrate their comic chops in a fresh style that ekes a soft yet sincere comic style that gets the audience to enjoy. A ‘love one another’ theme emerges from the comedy. This is a more relaxed revue from the new management team that plays most effectively. This show is fun!"
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...With the exception of Ms Marchaino, these are all fresh newcomers to Chicago and the host of Second City opportunities. Many of you know that they do shows all over the world, but still call Chicago home. This is where it all started and this is where people visiting Chicago feel that they will have a great night of laughter. While, over the years, there have been many delightful experiences at the different venues located at Second City, keeping up with the pace is often hard, and the bar has been set so high, the future has a difficult time keeping up with the past. This show, however, is two hours of fun-filled laughter, filled with current events, a little less improve than in the old days, but some wonderful bits."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The success of “Fantastic Super…” comes as a relief after the troubled presentation of “The Winner…of Our Discontent” on the Mainstage a few weeks ago. e.t.c. has found itself a gold mine of compatible young performers able to smoothly manage a wide assortment of skits and bits. The e.t.c humor isn’t forced and there isn’t the Mainstage’s frequent emphasis on four letter words to prod the audience to laughter. Not that “Fantastic Super…” is wholesome fun. Heaven forbid. But it comes by its laughs honorably and the ensemble oozes a ton of talent in the bud."
The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended
"...Returning Second City Director Ryan Bernier (Panic on Cloud 9, We're All in This Room Together) expertly helms a cohesive, laugh-filled, life-affirming revue featuring one of the most appealing Second City casts in recent memory."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Integrating suggestions in true Second City tradition, both cast and audience were up to the job. In a View-like talk show sketch, the host takes questions from the crowd for her novelist guest; and audience members responded with questions that were both appropriate and funny. When Vazquez, playing a Latino in a food court, is challenged by immigration officers, he invites a Spanish-speaker in the audience to serve as his interpreter. The brave volunteer who stepped up was a worthy scene partner."
