Revue Review
We've been running our show for a week now, and we've been having a lot of fun. I noticed this after the last opening and it's happening again now - though to a lesser extent I think - that unfortunately I think our best shows start about a week after opening. Now we've had time to get comfortable with the running order and we're getting to know where the laughs are sometimes even finding new ones. I do think though that this time around we were luckier in that we had a little more time to run the show as it is before opening, so it didn't feel quite a raw as Iraqtile did.
It's really starting to bug me when people do that kind of hiss-laugh thing. Hard to describe, but it comes across as really condescending. So cut it out.
Some of you in the improv community (and possibly beyond) are aware of a fairly harsh "review" of our show written and posted on the internet by Tim O'Malley, who teaches at Second City and used to perform on the mainstage with the likes of Tim Meadows and Chris Farley. He's also a recovering alcoholic who credits his recovery to his newfound faith in God. We have a couple of religious jabs in the show that set him off, and that led him to basically say that the show was so bad it made him angry and that we're disgracing Second City's name. Most of us were not really bothered by his rantings, I think due in large part to the fact that we really like our show and we're proud of it. We've gotten very positive reviews from all the papers and from our friends whose opinions we respect. Anyway, Tim caught a lot of flack for what he wrote, from members of the community and from some higher-ups at Second City. I don't know if he was slapped on the wrists for not liking the show - I really hope not and I'd like to think that isn't the case. I think/hope that it was more out of concern for him and whether he should teach at a place whose work he apparently has such a beef with. But then he took down all of his posts (that were posted on 3 different websites) and issued an apology, essentially saying he was looking for attention. He also sent us a note along the same lines, also apologizing specifically to the people whose names he had used.
I only mention this occurrence because I know some people don't know the resolution of it - if you can call it that - and I know people have been curious about the cast's reaction. I personally thought it was kind of disturbing, but I wasn't really hurt by it. I think that's the general feeling among the cast, and more importantly I think we're glad it seems to have come to an end. I hope you'll all come see the show. And if you're moved one way or another enough to post your own review of it, that's cool by me. I'd say just keep the personal attacks to a minimum.
It's really starting to bug me when people do that kind of hiss-laugh thing. Hard to describe, but it comes across as really condescending. So cut it out.
Some of you in the improv community (and possibly beyond) are aware of a fairly harsh "review" of our show written and posted on the internet by Tim O'Malley, who teaches at Second City and used to perform on the mainstage with the likes of Tim Meadows and Chris Farley. He's also a recovering alcoholic who credits his recovery to his newfound faith in God. We have a couple of religious jabs in the show that set him off, and that led him to basically say that the show was so bad it made him angry and that we're disgracing Second City's name. Most of us were not really bothered by his rantings, I think due in large part to the fact that we really like our show and we're proud of it. We've gotten very positive reviews from all the papers and from our friends whose opinions we respect. Anyway, Tim caught a lot of flack for what he wrote, from members of the community and from some higher-ups at Second City. I don't know if he was slapped on the wrists for not liking the show - I really hope not and I'd like to think that isn't the case. I think/hope that it was more out of concern for him and whether he should teach at a place whose work he apparently has such a beef with. But then he took down all of his posts (that were posted on 3 different websites) and issued an apology, essentially saying he was looking for attention. He also sent us a note along the same lines, also apologizing specifically to the people whose names he had used.
I only mention this occurrence because I know some people don't know the resolution of it - if you can call it that - and I know people have been curious about the cast's reaction. I personally thought it was kind of disturbing, but I wasn't really hurt by it. I think that's the general feeling among the cast, and more importantly I think we're glad it seems to have come to an end. I hope you'll all come see the show. And if you're moved one way or another enough to post your own review of it, that's cool by me. I'd say just keep the personal attacks to a minimum.
