Arts & Culture Community Commentary Featured Fara Illich May 4, 2010

The opening number declares that Arizona is perfect, nothing is ever wrong in Arizona, well, except for those times when things are not perfect and when things are wrong.
If you appreciate good satire and are in the mood for laugh out loud entertainment, get tickets to see Second City Does Arizona or Close But No Saguaro. Second City is a comedy group, so this isn’t a show with a main character and a beginning, middle, and end. It’s a sketch comedy show, like watching Saturday Night Live, only funny.
Most of the sketches (but not all) are related to Arizona culture and politics. (They even sang a rap song about
javelinas!) The writers of the show were in town in January scoping out our fine city and state and they spent time in Phoenix and Tucson.
They mined some comedy gold and wrote sketches that poke fun at some new Arizona laws, McCain, Brewer, speed cameras, snow birds, the summer heat, life in Sun City, and even a jab at Alice Cooper.
All the actors really shine in improvisation. (As they should, it’s kind of what the Second City is all about.) The actors took one woman up on stage and convinced her to run for Governor, and in accordance with Clean Election Laws asked the audience for 250 $5 checks (they got $15!) then asked the unsuspecting volunteer a few questions. Based on her answers the actors made a political commercial, then a smear campaign before our very eyes. One of the final sketches was built around some ideas the audience yelled out: Queen Creek, a parent-child relationship, and the phrase “You’re so pretty.” I still chuckle when I think about the hilarious situations they managed to make with those ideas.
I left the theatre feeling jolly and giggling to myself as I walked over to Hanny’s for a drink.