The organization is powerful; it’s the top dog of comedy training, boasting a huge number of alumni such as famous comedians Steve Carrell, John Belushi, and Chris Farley. 

Unfortunately, none of them came by to Boulder. But that’s okay, because the cast that did arrive were ready to give us a show, their title bringing no extra pressure to their performance, I’m sure. 

Did they live up to it? 

Eric and Lea Hitchcock, a middle-aged millennial couple, said that they liked the show. 

“I like this kind of stuff,” said Eric, looking down at me from his impossibly tall stature. “At comedy clubs, you know, out of three or four people lined up, there’s usually only one who hits their marks, but these fellas are doing a great, great job.”

The cast of George Owens, Jillian Ebanks, Jordan Stafford, Kiley Fitz, and Leila Gorstein were not only some great fellas, but knocked it out of the park. 

Their farces included pre-written sketches that focused on punchy jokes over the situation and setting. The cast went around the circle with each member saying which Harry Potter house they were in – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Owens, Ebanks, and Fitz did an incredible job acting like idiots while gleefully cheering out each house.

When Gorstein spoke, she shrugged her shoulders, squinched her brow, flapped her hands, and said, “I’m an adult!” That earned a huge laugh from the crowd, including me, especially because I think people who talk about Harry Potter like it’s some sort of religion deserve to be ridiculed. 

The beautiful cast of Second City’s “The Absolute Best Friggin’ Time of Your Life” also made jokes and jabs at the expense of Boulder. One sketch featured the three women of the cast going on a girl’s road trip, and upon going past “Pearl Street,” they said, “that street sucks!” 

Of course, mentions of local landmarks are a great way for a performer to connect with an audience and get “hey, I know that” laughs, but it felt, to me, that all they did was plug in something local into their already good sketch. 

What I needed more of was Boulder really being the butt of the joke. I understand the cast members are busy and touring (they’re in Alaska now), but people in Boulder, “the best place to live in the United States,” really deserve to be shaken off that high pedestal.

I was about to sit up and scream this point from my seat, but Jordan Stafford, right near the end of the show, calmed my fears. The scene was made up of little kids attending a driving class. Stafford played a hyper-sexualized, very rude, and “Dead Poet’s Society” type driving teacher, and when turning towards his students in impassioned speech, he screamed something along the lines of: “I bet you wake up in the morning and drink kombucha like those annoying ass Boulder people!” 

That, rightfully so, got a lot of laughs. 

Gorstein also worked the crowd, demanding answers from unlucky couples sitting in the front row about their darkest relationship secrets, which she would repeat in her microphone for the whole crowd’s amusement. Gorstein herself admitted during the show that she was “torturing” these poor people, but she said it with a gleaming smile, and was met with bellowing laughter. 

Turns out making people publicly uncomfortable makes some people laugh. I enjoyed that part of the show very much, and would highly recommend shelling out money for some front row seats. Your pride and comedic ability will get checked in front of a massive audience, and there’s almost no better way to build character than trying to make trained comedians laugh. 

When asked about the show, Noel Outlaw, a millennial man with glasses and a beret, said that it was good. Outlaw then went on to describe how he wasn’t a comedy fan, and did not want to comment on why he was at the show in the first place. A little mystery never hurt no-one! 

“It was really funny,” said Kelle Walsh, another millennial aged show-goer. “I really appreciate what they do, especially the improv stuff.”

The show seemed enjoyable for all, except one demographic: college students. In fact, I struggled to find any college aged people, although some of the millennial population could pass as college. I think this show’s prime audience was the millennial crowd; that was who showed up, anyway. However, good comedy is meant to be enjoyed by all, as I enjoyed it, and eventually I did find a college student.  

Damon Leaf thought the show was great and funny, and besides being a “big fan” of live comedy, Leaf is a college student, and a former member of CU’s own improv troupe Left Right Tim. 

“Left Right Tim is the premiere improv team at CU Boulder,” said Leaf. “They’re pretty solid, they put up some really good work and really good shows.” 

Left Right Tim plays every Friday at 8:30 p.m. in Hale 270, and admission is only three bucks, unless you’re too cheap, in which case you will have to stand in front of a mirror and pretend you’re doing improv, which is cheaper, no doubt, but you probably won’t be nearly as good as those CU students on stage. 

While Second City represents the very best of improv, comedy can be found everywhere, like in Hale 270, or in the car with your friends, or antics at Smelly Deli, or staring at yourself in the mirror. Laughter is a human right. Sometimes, it’s worth paying for, but sometimes, it comes free and out of nowhere – a welcome invasion of the mundanity of everyday life in these trying times.

If you get the chance, go see Second City, whether on tour or in Chicago, Hollywood or Toronto. But, if you’re like most students and missed the show, don’t fret. Get out of your seat and go see Left Right Tim right on your own campus.