- Todd Rosenberg
- Hubbard Street and Second City try out the ole song and dance to make ’em laugh.
Hubbard Street Dance and the Second City are cultural institutions in Chicago. And, if you think about it, they’re pretty similar at their cores—each uses improvisation and new ideas to create a contemporary version of an ages-old art form. In fact, when I talked with comic Tim Mason and dancer Robyn Mineko Williams for the Fall Arts guide, both seemed pleasantly surprised at how similar their processes were once they started working together. Really, it seems weird that these companies haven’t come together before now.
The entire show skillfully balanced moments of pure dancing, moments of pure sketch, and, when it was at its best, moments when the two overlapped, which often manifested as musical numbers. Proving that the two groups wanted the performance to be innovative beyond its initial conceit, one such number was performed entirely on the floor, and an overhead camera captured the movements of dancers as members of the Second City ensemble stood at the front of the stage and sang “Oh! You Pretty Things”—just one of five David Bowie songs used throughout the night, much to my delight.
