Cupid Has a Heart On: A Musical Guide to Relationships

WHAT: Cupid Has a Heart On: A Musical Guide to Relationships
WHEN: 8pm on Saturdays
WHERE: Stage 773 (1225 W. Belmont Ave.)
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 30 minutes, no intermission (can vary)
WHO: The Cupid Players
PRICE: $20

OUR RATING: Do It!

The fact that Chicago is the King of Comedy shouldn’t be surprising to any reader by now. But, if all you’ve seen is The Second City, you’re just scratching the surface of this vibrant and evolving scene that is perhaps best reflected in small productions at less well-known venues. The Cupid Players’ weekly show at Lakeview’s Stage 773 is Chicago creativity at its best and is in fact funnier than most of its more mainstream counterparts elsewhere. An all-musical production with big ensemble pieces and hilarious solos, each night is an extravaganza and completely different to the last.

Adam: There’s one word that comes to mind when thinking of The Cupid Players: ensemble. This is a strong team who, after at least a decade of work, have become flawlessly enwoven to create a wonderful variety of hilarious, all original works.

Located in 773’s Cab theatre, decked out cabaret style with tables, chairs and booths, the intimate space allows for maximum interaction with the characters being forged before you, who sometimes jump right into your seat. And expect them to be singing something extremely dirty while they’re coming for you…that’s part of the game. With musical genres deriving mainly from Broadway, but also Rock and Barbershop, the group moves effortlessly between characters, highlighting everyday troubles in the most elevated manner, from the walk of shame to more taboo topics in songs like “Bathroom Time” and “Parents.”

Witty, vulgar, fun and full of energy, I was laughing through every minute of their material. After being around for over 14 years, let’s hope they stick around for another 14 and more.

Alicia: The Cupid Players and their production moved from the iO Theater to Stage 773 back in 2011, and both Stage 773 and their Cab Theatre serve as the perfect venue for this intimate and hilarious crew, named by the Chicago Reader one year as “Best Sketch Comedy Group”. Directed by Brian Posen, this talented crew of comedians were the longest running revue in iO history and continue in popularity on their newer stage.

I’ve had the opportunity to see The Cupid Players perform twice, each time incorporating different material with a few of the same songs here and there, all originally written and all completely hysterical. The repertoire is diverse, with anything from ballads to pop, and even a little bit of rap and rock n’ roll, just to keep things interesting. They even mix things up, with some numbers performed by a single individual, but with plenty of group numbers to kick things up a notch. And sure, most of their songs are a little raunchy, so this probably isn’t the kind of thing you want to take the kiddies to, but the songs are smart and catchy, so it all balances out in the end to create a night of extreme fun.

Final Thoughts: Relationships might be painful, but the only pain you’ll get with The Cupid Players and their musical guide to relationships will be the pain in your side from laughing too hard. Go for a crazy fun night out, and laugh the night away.