Displaying items by tag: Black Excellence Revue

Five years in, The Second City's Black Excellence Revue continues to bring bold comedy, fresh perspectives and an unmistakable sense of joy to the Chicago stage. Returning February 5 – March 13 to UP Comedy Club, the annual production celebrates Black creativity and comedic talent with an all-new lineup of original sketches, music and The Second City's signature improvisation. Now in its fifth year, the revue has become a much-anticipated part of the theater's season, showcasing the voices and talents of Black performers and creatives while finding plenty to laugh about along the way.

Rob Wilson returns to direct this year's production, featuring a standout cast: E.J. Cameron, Montrez Hawkins, Chandra Russell, Kimberly Michelle Vaughn, Lauren Walker, and PJ Walker. Tony Belsito returns as Music Director and Laura Courtney joins as Stage Manager.

The 2027 Black Excellence Revue runs February 5 – March 13, 2027, with performances on Fridays at 8pm and Saturdays at 6:30pm and 9:30pm in February. Performances in March are on Saturdays at 8pm only. All performances take place in UP Comedy Club, located at 230 W. North Ave., on the third floor of Piper's Alley in Chicago.

Tickets start at $39.00 and are available at The Second City Box Office, by phone at 312-337-3992, or online at www.secondcity.com. For groups of 16 or more, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for exclusive deals.

Want a behind-the-scenes experience? Don't miss Black Excellence Sketch Pad, an exclusive look at the creation of this year's show. Catch the comedy taking shape during previews on January 7, January 14, and January 28 at 7pm in Donny's Skybox at Second City. Tickets for these previews are just $5.

About the Artists

TONY BELSITO (Music Director) is a Chicago-based musician and performer originally from Duluth, Minnesota. Tony previously served as music director for The Second City's National Touring Company (RedCo) and plays guitar in the local supergroup Kid Copter, signed to Ersatz Records.

E.J. CAMERON (Ensemble) is an alum of The Second City's e.t.c. (Grinning from Fear to Fear and The Best Decision You Ever Made) and Mainstage (Do the Right Thing, No Worries If Not) and is excited to return for this show. He has also performed and trained at iO and ComedySportz.

LAURA COURTNEY (Stage Manager) graduated from Illinois College in 2008 with a B.A. in Fine Arts: Theatre. Since then, she has worked primarily in Chicago and throughout the Midwest with companies and organizations including Pulse Theater, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Brave New Voices, Kuumba Lynx, and MPAACT, as well as other Chicago-based performers in both guerrilla and professional theater settings. She has served as a stage manager, production manager, road manager, and co-coordinator of the Chicago Hip Hop Theater Fest (CHHTF). Her production credits include Dandelions, Once on This Island, Tad in 5th City, The House That Will Not Stand, Sun Tea, In the Continuum, and City of Water.

MONTREZ HAWKINS (Ensemble) is a Chicago-based actor and comedian by way of Atlanta who has performed in plays, stand-up, and improv in both cities. He completed The Second City's Bob Curry Fellowship, co-starred in the award-winning short film Pistachio, and performs in iO Theater's Dare Dropouts. He also continues to perform stand-up and characters throughout Chicago. In addition to his stage and film work, Montrez is a voiceover artist and has appeared in commercial campaigns for companies including Insure On the Spot, Bright Speed Internet, and Four Season Air Condition. Montrez is represented by Gray Talent Group.

CHANDRA RUSSELL (Ensemble) is a Chicago-born actor, writer, and producer best known for playing Officer Zenobia Turner on Max's South Side. Her screen credits include Between the Aisles, written and directed by Anthony Lucero; All Happy Families, written and directed by Haroula Rose; and IFC's Sherman's Showcase. As a writer and creator, she has developed projects including Superior Breeds with Max, Warner Bros. Animation, and Gaspin Media; Black Girl Magic for NBC, produced by Gabrielle Union; and Downtown Girls for TBS, with Warner Bros. and Elizabeth Banks' Brownstone Productions. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Russell is also a member of the comedy trio The Downtown Girls and co-creator and co-host of the podcast Unglamorous Truths.

KIMBERLY MICHELLE VAUGHN (Ensemble) is a SAG-AFTRA actor, award-winning filmmaker, and graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a B.A. in Theatre. A Second City Mainstage alum, she has appeared in Epic Rap Battles of History as former Vice President Kamala Harris, Hallmark's Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, Chicago Med, and more. She is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. 

LAUREN WALKER (Ensemble) is a writer and comedian from Chicago. She has written for the Emmy-nominated Book of Queer (Discovery+), RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1), American Auto (NBC), and South Side (HBO Max). As a member of The Second City National Touring Company, Lauren has traveled the country performing improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy. She also wrote and performed in the 2021 ViacomCBS Showcase and served as a consulting producer for the 2022 ViacomCBS Showcase.

PJ WALKER (Ensemble) is an actor and comedian born and raised in Chicago. This is his second production with The Second City, following his work as an understudy for the Mainstage revue This Too Shall Slap. In 2024, he was selected for The Second City's Bob Curry Fellowship. He has performed stand-up at venues including The Laugh Factory, The Annoyance, iO Theatre, and The Lincoln Lodge. He hosts and produces I Said What I Said, a reality TV-themed comedy show, and The Rewine podcast. In 2025, he was a runner-up for "Best Stand-Up Comic" in the Chicago Reader.

ROB WILSON (Director) is a Chicago-based creator and the Artistic Director of Development and Touring at The Second City. Second City directing credits include: The Devil Is in the Detours; Black by Popular Demand; and Thank You Goodnight. His sold-out Dance Like There's Black People Watching went on to Woolly Mammoth Theatre in DC. He also directed Shamilton  for Baby Wants Candy. As an actor, his credits include Shameless, Empire, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, South Side, and The Big Leap. As the creator of The Black Excellence Revue, he is endlessly proud of every writer, performer, director, and artist who has helped make it what it is today.

The producing team includes James Colquhoun (Co-President), Elizabeth Howard (Co-President), Jen Ellison (VP, Head of Creative), Jeremy Smith (Managing Director), and Bryon Henderson (Producer).

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improvisation and comedy. For over 67 years, The Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet.

For more information on The Second City, visit www.secondcity.com and follow The Second City on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

As a longtime comedy fan, seeing a show at Second City has been on my bucket list for years, so when the opportunity to attend Black and Highly Flavored came up, I jumped at it. That excitement, however, was paired with some hesitation: I questioned whether I was the right person to review a show rooted in experiences I do not personally share. By the end of the night, after laughing until I cried, those concerns were completely put to rest.

At a time when diversity in comedy too often comes at the expense of BIPOC performers rather than celebrating their lived experiences, Black and Highly Flavored stands out as a rare gem. Now in its fourth year as Second City’s Black Excellence Revue, the show is a sharp and joyful two-act performance that blends sketch comedy, improv, music, and dance to uplift Black artists while remaining accessible, engaging, and enjoyable – and even relatable – for everyone in the audience.

Jam-packed from start to finish, this comedy show includes upwards of 20 sketches, ranging in length from a few minutes to as short as 15 seconds. The content of the skits is just as wide-ranging, pulling from everything from 70s laugh-track sitcoms to ChatGPT, and from John Steinbeck to Janet Jackson. With such varied material, it’s inevitable that not every joke lands with every audience member; however, the lightning-fast pacing of the show means that even if a joke doesn’t land for you, the show has already moved on to its next laugh.

Not only are the scripted parts of the show hilarious, but it also features improvisation at many points throughout the night. Black and Highly Flavored is particularly smart about how and where improv is incorporated, utilizing the famously divisive style of comedy to connect with the audience through tailored, rapid-fire one-liners, maintaining the polish of the longer, scripted skits.

Under the direction of Julia Morales, the six-person cast is stellar, and each actor truly brought their own distinct charm to the show. Tyler Vanduvall delivers off-the-charts physical comedy to the stage, throwing himself – sometimes literally – into every role, human or not. Kimberly Michelle Vaughn wears her heart on her sleeve on stage, exuding talent and joy, as she sings, dances, and laughs like no one is watching. Lauren Walker’s characterization is unmatched, making every one of her (many, many) roles just as animated and memorable as the last. EJ Cameron engages with the audience like no other, skyrocketing the intimacy of the show through his charisma alone. Jillian Banks is spunky and larger-than-life, adding both laughs and layers to any scene she’s in. Last, but certainly not least, is Jason Tolliver: the improv king of the night. Tolliver is sharply funny – and he knows it – allowing his genuine self-amusement to shine through on stage, making you laugh first at the joke, and then again at his reaction to himself.

Although not technically complicated, Black and Highly Flavored’s production was incredibly well planned and curated. Every lighting cue, sound effect, prop, and costume felt perfectly curated to the skit without overwhelming the show. The use of screens on stage was balanced well to be additive, rather than taking away from the joys of real-life theatre by being overbearing. The production from start to end was incredibly well-paced, void of any painful transitions or dead moments. This is undoubtedly a team effort but could not have been accomplished without Music Director and live musical performer Cesar Romero, who both beautifully and comedically underscored the whole evening. Add to that an in-your-seat food and drink menu, and Second City’s UP Comedy Club might just have it all!

Black and Highly Flavored is running at Second City’s UP Comedy Club on Thursdays and Fridays through March 20th. Tickets are available at www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/the-second-city-black-excellence-revue-chi.