Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...If you despair of dumb TV and stand-up comedy — defendings of cavemen and the like — and typically look across the Atlantic to the likes of Eddie Izzard or Ricky Gervais for your preferred humor, then the Brooklyn-born Quinn will surely satisfy. He doesn't free-associate and improvise like Izzard nor outrage or tear down like Gervais. He doesn't pause for laughs or even fully articulate what he's saying in his thick Brooklyn accent — which has the fascinating effect of creating rolling responses as different people figure out different elements of different things at different times. But his apparent lack of comfort works. And when you combine the erudition and incision of this material with Seinfeld's carefully structured and fast-paced staging, you get a very stimulating show that proves once again that when you refuse to pander or dumb things down, a whole lot of smart folks come out of the woodwork. (Why is it only solo artists and writers seem to ever get the power to follow through with that?)"
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Working on David Gallo’s clever set, which suggests both a Greek theater and an Aztec temple (with projections of antique maps and various iconic images from Eastern and Western civilizations, as well as a Queens, New York, street jammed with shop signs that suggest “the U.S. has become a food court of all the fallen empires of the world”), Quinn takes us on a wild ride through time. But he always brings things back to the school room and the bar room — and to the eternal shift of power between the intellectuals and the tough guys."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...Also, for those who might bristle at paying up to $65 for what is essentially a brainy stand-up routine, Long Story Short does feature plenty of stage extras like a tiered set suggesting an amphitheatre, some cleverly chosen photo projections and a series of computer animated graphics to help place all of Quinn's comic commentary into context. Plus, Long Story Short boasts superstar comedian Jerry Seinfeld as the show's director, so you do get what you pay for in terms of brand-name comedy."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"...It’s nice to see the work of a hard-working, thoughtful craftsperson. I have a lot of respect for Colin Quinn, and I wholeheartedly recommend his show. I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did."
Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended
"...Colin Quinn Long Story Short is a tour de force of wonderful wit, conversationally charming delivery and explosive laughter. This not only takes on a trip back to the history of humanity but it also takes us back to a time when comedy was a thought provoking thesis camouflaged with ingeniously generous humor."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Still, those characterizations tip just a bit too often into easy and reductive ethnic-stereotype gags, with Quinn shifting into lightly rehearsed Arab, Indian or West African accents. At least the dialect bits prove the gravelly voiced mutterer can actually enunciate."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"... His rawness lacks the bite and depth of a George Carlin and the bravado of Lenny Bruce. His ‘dee’s-and-doo’s’ speech pattern reminded me of the guy whose always sitting at the end of a neighborhood bar drinking a beer and telling anyone who’ll listen the history of the world. To me, that’s a bore. Too bad George Carlin isn’t around. Still Colin Quinn has a huge following and his show in Chicago probably will be a hit. I guess I’m just out of touch with today’s comedy scene. Quinn fans will appreciate his efforts."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...Like a true standup, sober-faced Quinn applies wry psychological observations (about false pride and insincere apologies) to human behavior. Except the genius of this show is to project all these seemingly contradictory truisms retroactively onto all of history. Quinn cleverly applies his facile findings to a much bigger field of observation than the usual standup standards, like men vs. women and hip vs. square. The audience eats it up. I did too--the first time I saw this. The second time it seemed too calculated. So only see this once, which I’m sure is fine with Colin."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Here is a funny man, with some marvelous anecdotes about history, family and almost every part of the world. Yes he starts with the Greek Philosophers, takes us to Rome, England,France, and covers America,South America ( in particular the Mayans, Mexicans and Peruvians) Canada,Africa. Haiti , Russia and even touches Germany and Australia ( questioning whether they are even a part of this planet). He travels to China, India and of course the middle east and does this all in just a bit over 75 minutes. Was Caesar the original Mafia leader? Did Nero burn down Rome for the insurance money? How did England, while being the best dressed army, take over so many countries? How do the economical leaders allow our economy to keep falling? Why is it that Mexicans climb rocks and go under fences to come to America so they can get jobs at health clubs watching Americans simulate climbing mountains and scaling walls and going under fences? In his special satirical way, Quinn shows us that we keep making the same mistakes and yet the world goes on."
Chicago Theater Beat - Recommended
"...I love Colin Quinn: Long Story Short. It isn’t a gut-busting stand-up routine. It’s a succinct, ingenious, global love fest. Quinn brilliantly breaks down the barriers of cultural differences and brings the world together with one poignant notion: ‘We’re all assholes!’ Progress? Here! Colin Quinn is the perfect facilitator for the next round of peace talks."