Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...I wouldn't say new director Anneliese Toft's revue is fully secure in its own skin; it's funny and it knows how to hit hard against soft targets, but the key to excellence in this format is what lies beneath, which means homing in some aspect of shared terror at the horrors of our own shared existence."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Among the cast, the most striking presence belongs to Emily Fightmaster, a tall, androgynous figure with a stinging wit, the better for mocking a bubbly nurse who’s ruining her night in a hospice ward, or misreading the coffee customer requesting a “roast” and jabbing him with a withering insult. One showcase moment has her singing as an alien touting an LGBTQ-friendly utopia that welcomes Unidentified Sexual Objects and bans khakis. In another, set at a Sport Clips-style salon, she’s a gangly, bespectacled, over-the-top oddball in a wig right out of “The Carol Burnett Show.”"
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...For some years The Second City has promoted inclusiveness in its companies, so it seems somewhat retro when they call attention to inclusiveness, but they do. Cast member are introduced with nicknames such as "Tall Gay One" ( Emily Fightmaster ), "Ethnically Ambiguous One" ( Sayjal Joshi ) and "Really White Man" ( Knox ). Other players are "Short Troll Man" ( Jasbir Singh Vazquez ), "Skeleton Nerd" ( slender Alan Linic ) and "Thicc" ( plumpish Katie Kershaw ). All of them are talented, energetic players and very evenly matched as an ensemble under director Anneliese Toft. By the end of the show, however, Vazquez stands first among equals for his skillful physical work. Jacob Shuda is the stellar keyboard man and composer, and proves how integral sound and music are to revues such as this. Also contributing to the show's success are Abby Beggs' lighting design and veteran Bob Knuth's set design, a clever wall of doors with clerestory windows above."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...It’s easy to think that humor is subjective — until an entire audience’s spontaneous guffaw undermines any such abstraction. Often enough, thats the situation in Second City e.t.c.’s 42nd revue. In the bilious realm known as Gaslight District, a customer can humiliatingly get the wrong kind of coffee roast; an Office Depot clerk can dream of being Beyoncé’s backup dancer — and just miss working for Paula Abdul by one inconvenient phone call; or, in the evening’s cleverest conceit, a player can step out of a scene to comment on its subtext, then suddenly find himself locked out, trapped in an alternative universe of empty apostrophes."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended
"...So if you are looking for a hilarious night of fun with an overall theme of entering the "The Truth Zone" this is it. The 42nd REVUE has some very provoking moments that come with the right amount of punch that will not offend an adult audience."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...The show, which covers almost two zany hours ( two acts with one 15 minute intermission) takes us from Aliens to alienated and leads us to a place where truth cannot cross barriers. What would happen if we step beyond the wall ( dare I say wall ?) and we can only speak truths? What is we could not get back to our “safe zone”?. Like all of the other 41 cleverly written and performed shows, this one takes us to a place where our real lives disappear ( at least for two hours) and we just laugh our A–es off!"
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...I left the theater full of admiration for the cast and for the selection of material. The performers resisted the temptation to simply take cheap shots at obvious targets. Opinions are stated with comic deftness but no axes are ground. The sketches don't include an abundance of home runs but they are consistent in their freshness. And that extended moment of shocked recognition when Vazquez's immigrant reveals he is returning to his brother will stay with me for a long while."
The Hawk Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Like Saturday Night Live, audiences know they can turn to The Second City for a response to what is happening in the world around them. Gaslight District, the 42nd revue from The Second City e.t.c., attempts to take on almost everything in the news from the past year or so. Thanks to the talented ensemble, the results are uproarious."
Picture This Post - Highly Recommended
"...Second City's 42ND REVUE is a great combination of topical comedy that fits into the overall theme of the show with entering the "truth zone." The show has some thought provoking moments that pack just the right amount of punch without hitting their audience over the head with it."