For the love of the “6” and a fun night out you’ll want to check out The Hotline Always Blings Twice at Second City in Toronto. This latest Second City stage show was created by the stellar cast which includes Leigh Cameron, Kyle Dooley, Becky Johnson, Etan Muskat, Kirsten Rasmussen and Kevin Whalen.
The all-new comedy show consists of fast, furious and topical content that doesn’t hold back. Many of the sketches are based on relatable experiences of those living in the city and then pushes situations beyond expectations but not uncomfortably. TTC gets a jab as does our good looking Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and even our unofficial city mascot the raccoon.
Political nods don’t stop at the Canadian border either. Donald Trump is worked in quickly in a strong opening by Etan Muskat referencing the “we will build a wall” speech that I would have loved to have seen evolve into more because there’s just so much content to be had there.
The Uber sketch, with the mood of Old Glam Hollywood, hits the nail on the head as Leigh Cameron, Kyle Dooley and Kevin Whalen play out the parts here. It gets all the laughs with audience members nodding in agreement.
A few sketches had me saying “well, I didn’t see that coming!” including a Blue Jays game scene with a father and daughter outing that went a route that wasn’t expected.
Aside for the local humour there are much broader topics that were touched on. Blind-dates, Netflix binge-watching (totally relatable for me and my dude), doting parents, a wing-mom and Facebook unfriending are just a few. However a couple of sketches just felt a bit out of place or needs a little more bling. The Monkey sketch has me only recalling Rasmussen’s role and for the life of me I cannot remember what it was about 12 hours later.
For die-hard fans of Drake’s wildly popular tune Hotline Bling, keep your hope levels in check. Not even one full play of the song or even a minute? Insert sad face. Was it just a catchy title for the show to lure us in? My guest and I left scratching our heads wondering. BUT maybe, and just maybe, if you like to dig sort of deeper on this…just maybe Second City is trying to tell us something? Go check out the lyrics to Drake’s song. Okay, Second City, I won’t take you for granted and you’ve reminded me that you’re still one to turn to when I need some of that late night (comedy) love…and I’ve traded in my champagne glasses on the dance floor for some of your “Bling Juice”.
The Hotline Always Blings Twice is an entertaining night out and worth checking out for sure! Great for a date night or with friends. Tickets are reasonable (starting at $25) on stage until July 3, 2016.
Visit their website for tickets, schedule and other details.
