Second CIty: Pandemonium, Please Hold
Eddie Mujica, Bill Letz, Preston Parker, Yazmin Ramos, Zoe McKee, and Cat McDonnell.
Second City Presents 114th Mainstage Revue PANDEMONIUM, PLEASE HOLD Review - Let The Intrusive Thoughts Win
TLDR: Speaking the language of the internet and incorporating current pop culture references, Second City’s Pandemonium, Please Hold is smart writing that captures our current state of mind while being able to laugh about it. It has all the high notes of a traditional sketch comedy show from long form, to short bits, to musical numbers that keep the audience laughing from start to finish.
Yazmin Ramos, Zoe McKee, Preston Parker, Bill Letz, Eddie Mujica, and Cat McDonnell.
Capturing Today’s Mindset
Imagine, the year is 2026 and the AI chatbots have infiltrated everything. As if we’re not already afraid they’re going to take our office jobs, they have also taken over the jobs in comedy as well! Eddie Mujica as Second City’s resident AI bot eyes the crowd looking for someone in the front row to enter a prompt.
Chaos is the name of the game at Second City’s 114th Mainstage Revue, Pandemonium, Please Hold. As the AI bot finds their person to enter her sister’s wedding into his suggestion box, the other cast members pop out from backstage for this “generated” scene. The groom has ten fingers. The bride might just be a ginger guy with a button down shirt thrown over “her” head. And the flower girl changes between throwing confetti to a more “realistic” version of the bride.
The Second City’s newest revue hits all the current pop culture references from food delivery robots, to Bad Bunny, to Disney adults while also throwing in non-sequitors like a centaur cowboy, the iconic drum solo from In The Air Tonight, and a tarot card reader. The cast creates these scenarios that we recognize, but still can’t predict what’s going to come next!
Eddie Mujica and Yazmin Ramos
The Ensemble That Can Do It All
Like any sketch comedy show, there’s a mix of long sketches like a chisme filled, typical Latino family gathering and a friend group vacation intermixed with quick bits about Southwest Airlines and Tesla. No matter the form, each ends with a punchline that hits exactly the right note at the end to wrap things up nicely or give us an unexpected throwaway to blackout.
The other piece this ensemble brings to their revue is music. Right away we start the show with two members on electric guitar and the ensemble belts an opening rock number welcoming us to the show. Then, placed in between the other sketches, ensemble members get to to show off their musical talents from a song on the piano about their childhood dream of bringing value to shareholders to another rock encore that feels like a mash-up of “We Didn’t Start The Fire” and “What’s Up” listing everything that’s messed up in society.
Pandemonium, Please Hold is smart and clever comedy writing as it brings us topics close to home while also surprising us with twist endings and quippy bits.
Yazmin Ramos, Zoe McKee, and Cat McDonnell
The After Party Thoughts
Pandemonium, Please Hold is a personification of internet culture and an experiment of letting the impulsive thoughts win. This show definitely speaks to me as a chronically online millennial who is fed up with the current state of the world but also copes with all of it through black humor and jokes. Each scene brings up a new, yet familiar topic and has us turning to our friend and laughing to each other as we applaud and wait for the next scene.
For those that are looking for a comedy show that makes fun of the state of the world while also not being afraid to be stupid and funny about it, Pandemonium, Please Hold would be a good fit for you!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Eddie Mujica, Bill Letz, Cat McDonnell, Yazmin Ramos, and Preston Parker
When
Now through February 2027
Where
The Second City Mainstage
1616 N Wells St.
Chicago, IL 60614
Runtime: 1hr 45 min, including an intermission
Tickets
$40+
Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 312-337-3992 or through the Second City website
Photos
Timothy M. Schmidt
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Preston Parker, Bill Letz, Zoe McKee, Eddie Mujica, Yazmin Ramos, and Cat McDonnell
CAST
Bill Letz
Cat Mcdonnell
Zoe Mckee
Eddie Mujica
Preston Parker
Yazmin Ramos
CREATIVE
Carisa Barreca (Director)
James Dugan (Assistant to the Director)
Ryan Miera (Musical Director / Original Music Composer / Sound Designer)
Devonte E. Washington (Stage Manager)
Kyle Anderson (Lighting Designer)
Shayna Patel (Scenic Designer)
John Kelly (Lead Technical Director)
Abby Beggs (Associate Technical Director)
Daniel Parsons (Assistant Technical Director)
Charlette San Juan (Production Assistant)
Kiernen O’Connor (Lead Carpenter)
Ziva Armstrong (Painter)
Mattie Switzer (Painter)