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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Category: Comedy Clubs [Edit]
51 Mercer St.Mon-Fri 12 pm - 9 pm
Sat 10 am - 12 am
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I have been going to Second City for about 4 years now, pretty much every time they change up the main show. I have to say, I LOVE it. I have no issues with the shows. They indeed make me laugh hard. Now you are looking at spending just under 30 dollars for your tickets, however when you consider you are watching a show the price isn't too bad. Also the whole atmosphere is pretty cozy and intimate with the performers. These are generally skit com's which are well thought out and draw you into the different performers acting.
They have a pretty good menu which includes all sorts of alcohol and pub foods which are pretty tasty. The servers are very friendly and really work hard at keeping you happy.
While you are watching the show you can't help but feel the legacy which the place is. So many great Canadian comedians started here and they have there's cast member pics posted all the way though the theatre.
The one draw back I can think of is the seating. It's pretty tight as well as the tables generally being shared by your nabour making your side pretty small. I would say this makes for a great second or third date, but not a good first date.
I will keep going whenever new shows are brought out.
I L.O.V.E. this place! The servers, host/hostesses are absolutely fantastic. I always make a tradition to check out each new revue they pump out.
By the end of the night, with booze and plenty of laughs throughout the night, this is where I always go to to as a date night venue.
I can't speak of this place highly enough.
Did you know that even Canadians make fun of Canadians?
I think this is what struck me most about this show. I've seen Second City before, and was prepared, as usual, for an evening of delightful sketch comedy. I didn't expect quite so many jokes playing on, basically, all the jokes that Americans make about Canadians. Hm.
But, as usual, the Second City troupe was fantastically entertaining!
You'll want to arrive at least half an hour ahead of the show to stake out a good place to wait for the doors to open. It's tricky, because there's no clear line. You could grab a drink at the bar (or at the adjoining Wayne Gretzky's restaurant), but everyone pressing up to the theater doors is going to get in there ahead of you. Not that it matters too much in such a small place--you'll surely feel a part of the show (or maybe even really BE a part of the show).
We watched the more scripted part of the show but didn't stick around for the brand new improv bits after--it was getting late and we were tired.
You're seated at small tables and there's service so you can order drinks (including ice cream drinks like mudslides....so tempting!) and snacks....could get confusing, though: the menu says they'll split checks by table, not by person. What if you've got two couples who aren't there together and don't know each other seated at one table (as we did?). We didn't order anything, so really it didn't matter. But these are the kinds of things I fret about.
We used a little card we picked up at our hotel to get 20% off the tickets--discounts make me happy!
This was a fun, entertaining, and lively way to spend an evening in the city.
I'm so pleased. I didn't know what to expect here, but I had a really good time and the stuff was really funny.
We went to the Friday night show. The tickets were sold out, but good thing I bought tickets before hand. (tip: if you're in a hotel, check the wall with all the minicard discounts. I got 20% off my ticket)
Get there earlier to grab a good table, they assign them as you get in. I wish I knew this earlier, but parties of 7 and over, can pre arrange tables, and get there max 10mins before the show starts.
We got there about 15 mins before the show started and goa nice table at the back of the bottom section. Although in the back row, kudos foe giving us stools rather than normal chairs. Great seats.
They have full bar service at the tables, and you can get finger foods too. i didn't expect. glasses of beer at $5.95 and pitchers are $19.95 = 7 glasses.
Had sweet potatoe fries with mayo. Good, but got cold and soggy quickly.
The show was AWESOME. After the scripted show (which was really just a bunch of random skits that got melded together nicely), they had FREE IMPROV (which they had everynight at 9:45) I expect this to be theatresports style, but it was just the players doing skits that were purely improv. Still good.
Also another tip. Found free parking on Blue Jay Way in front of soho met, and the cora's. You can park there after 6pm. No standing from Apr-Nov until after 12pm. Does no standing inherently mean no parking? Not sure.
Would come again!
The shows stay up to date by changing often. However, this can also lead to a lot of new, less finessed material being shown. In the two times I have been, one was constant clapping and cheering funny, the other was the occasional chuckle kind of funny.
Improv shows run at 10pm every night of the week except Saturday for FREE! Saturdays it is Free, but starts closer to 11pm.
Support Canadian comedy and bring all your friends.
Listed in: A tourist guide to the T-dot
The Second City is a nice cozy theater. It's hard to find a bad seat, and the ticket prices are reasonable. I can't tell you that every show is going to be laugh out loud pee-your-pants hilarious, but I have enjoyed the shows I've seen there.
Service is good and drinks are strong and fairly priced.
Tip! Look on the website for the student shows on weekend afternoons. Those shows are free and really fun. FREE IMPROV.
paid the student rate for 15$ a ticket (not including tax) and it was well worth it.
But I can't say it was amazing or that I would have preferred it to standup.
went to see 0 down 100% screwed. the show was long (2 hours) and so i felt it was alright in terms of the time/price ratio. but I wasn't laughing my ass off at every single point.
I had out of towner friends with me and I'm no Ontario/Toronto veteran so some of the jokes went right past me as they referenced local things a lot.
Even when I did understand the reference it wasn't taht great.
I feel like I need to drink more before the show. Which is easy to do because the drink prices are fairly reasonable and comparable to any bar.
I think part of my three-starred review was the specific show I went to see as well. I think I'd give 2nd city another try.
Oh, and then was also delighted to get more bang for my buck when I foudn out they were gonna do an improv show right after the show. But the improv was more awkward than funny and well.. yeah... I was pretty disappointed. Again, I'd give 2nd city another try since it gets rave reviews but for now I'm just 3 starring it.
I'm a big fan of laughing. I think it is listed in my profile as one of my top fav things! As soon as I'm done writing this review I'm going to check that laughing is listed cus it really is the best.
I had heard so so so much about how great Second City is and when their new show got a good rating a had to check it out.
I showed up 15 minutes before their show "0% down, 100% screwed" was said to start. It was sold out. I knew the show was good and all but I thought I'd be able to still grab tickets! GET TICKETS BEFORE HAND! CALL! I have now learnt my lesson.
Anyways! The staff at the ticket box where helpful and kind, and got me on a stand by waiting list. Lucky some people didn't show up (a horrible mistake on their part, but awesome luck for me), and I was able to get in and only miss the first couple minutes of the show.
DO NOT THINK THAT YOU CAN BE AS LUCKY AS ME. GET TICKETS OR RESERVE THEM.
Trust me.
Other things you should trust?
- The wait staff is great!
- The pictures all over the hallway walls of past actors are great!
- The washrooms are pretty clean and thus great!
- There are also FREE improv shows that are so great!
It is all great. Just go. Now.
I'm not really sure, but I think that Second City may well have found their home. But by God, it seemed to take them forever. Having used to be housed in the Old Firehall on Lombard Street, they moved to what is now the Diesel Playhouse (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). After more than exorbitant rent and fees that bordered on extortion, the Second City found a place right behind Toronto mainstay Wayne Gretzky's (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...).
The problem with Second City is that any new location that was found would have a lot to live up to in the memory of the Lombard venue. If you've been to the Second City in Chicago (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) or were fortunate to see a show on Lombard, you know that the crowd is packed in night after night to the point that you almost can't move to laugh. This is in fact by design. By having the crowd so tightly packed, you create an environment where it is almost impossible not to laugh. The move from there to what is now the Diesel took that away. A nice amphitheatre with ample room for servers to bring drinks and food, it does not carry the necessary environ for improv let alone sketch comedy. Bring forth the Behind-Gretzky's location.
In the new place, Second City gets a new lease on life, with a design similar to that in Chicago. You're packed in tight for what is consistently one of the best shows in any given week in Toronto. I could go through the menu and beer list for you, but that's not why you go there. It's all about going out, seeing live performances, and feeling like you're part of the crowd. That's what this place provides.
This is usually a fun, low-key evening out. The humour does tend to be fairly local, which I like. The performance itself is normally funny - not hilarious all the way through, but definitely amusing. The improv after the show is often even better. Improv starts around 11 pm.
Free Improv most nights. Now that's a great deal!
Great venue. Needless to say that the mainstage revue is a must see in Toronto but what few people know is that the mainstage actors are offering just after the revue one hour of amazing free improv. And when I say free, it is not only for those who saw the show but for everyone!
Just like a trip to Chicago isn't complete without catching a revue at The Second City, a trip to Toronto isn't complete without a show at The Second City. I love improv and the revues I have seen in both cities are witty, hysterical and well-written and executed by a troupe of talented performers. Alumni of The Second City Toronto include Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. I can't think of a better way of spending an evening than laughing one's ass off at The Second City.
Its an awesome place. They are hilarious. I haven't laughed so much like that in years.
Great entertainment, helpful staff, delicious cocktails, and inexpensive. Second City is a must when in Toronto.
Listed in: Toronto: Beyond the Maple Leaf
Toronto, ON
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