Colin Quinn’s one-man show

Colin Quinn tours his funny and alluring one-man show

Colin Quinn: Long Story Short by Colin Quinn

Directed by Jerry Seinfeld

Broadway in Chicago at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut, Chicago 60607

Runs August 24 – September 10, 2011

Tickets $40 – $65, available at www.broadwayinchicago.com, (800) 775-2000

Review by Kaylee Holt

After a long run on Broadway and an airing on HBO, Saturday Night Live star Colin Quinn brings his one-man show Long Story Short to Chicago. In the 75-minute show, Quinn sets out to prove that human nature has essentially remained the same throughout all time. He touches briefly on several time periods, from the ancient Greeks to the modern day. Overall, the production is wildly funny, yet manages to be surprisingly thought-provoking as well.

The show runs like stand-up, but with more consistency from night to night. Plus, says Quinn, “I’d never be able to talk about one topic for this long in a comedy club. After about twenty minutes people would get upset and want to hear a joke about dicks.” As such, the pace of the play feels like that of a traditional stand-up set: it drags at moments, but before you know it you can’t seem to stop laughing. One nice thing about the theater setting is that the audience doesn’t have to deal with the heckling that happens so often at comedy clubs; everyone is much politer, and genuinely wants to hear what Quinn has to say. It also allows Quinn to make use of some elaborate platforms and a TV screen, which, while a bit unnecessary, did add to the ambiance of it all.

Quinn borders on controversial at times, but because he goes after so many different groups, his jokes never feel truly offensive. Plus, through the comedy, Quinn’s says some surprisingly insightful things; he got me thinking about general patterns of civilization, whether things are going to stay the same or how they might change in the future. It’s fun to see such a pro at work; Long Story Short is quite a fulfilling night out.