The Second City’s Unwrapped is currently on-stage in Toronto; with great audiences response.

Comedy shows are often hit and miss. Unwrapped is set as a series of satirical sketches and songs. Some of the sketches and songs poke fun at tacky traditions, garbage gifts, and the family feuds that come with festive celebrations. When not making fun of holiday traditions, the topics can get dark but also very funny.

Although not for everybody, some outstanding songs for me included the one about dysfunctional family relations (including cheating husbands, alcoholic wives, and really unstable children), and also one about being the woman who is sexually harassed at a bus stop. Not-so-delicate topics but the songs make us laugh-out-loud at the awkward and terrible aspects of these situations.

Unwrapped’s cast features Roger Bainbridge, Brandon Hackett, Devon Hyland, Lindsay Mullan, Ann Pornel, and Alessandra Vite. The cast works impeccably together. All members interact with each other rather well, and frankly make the sketches and songs quite funny. The material is certainly enhanced by the cast. Direction under Frank McAnulty, music director Lee Cohen, and stage manager Natalie Moore, also makes the show a success.

If you’re looking for a good time, with include laugh-out-loud funny material, Unwrapped will not disappoint. The cast members are sometimes joined for an Improv Session post show. This is optional, as improv sketches can most certainly go ‘south’ early on. Again, this is optional and it will not interfere with the good laughs from the main show.

Unwrapped continues at The Second City until January 4, 2016. All Tickets, including group packages, are available online at secondcity.com, or The Second City box office at 416-343-0011.

Photo by Racheal McCaig.
Cast, from left: Roger Bainbridge, Devon Hyland, Alessandra Vite, Brandon Hackett, Ann Pornel, Lindsay Mullan.