Eventhough sketch comedy can be perilously inconsistent, there’s something vibrantabout its imperfection that can add depth to a city’s theater community. Theall-female sketch group Broadminded, a recent addition to the Milwaukee scene, opened a promising,monthlong show at the Alchemist Theatre on Kinnickinnic Avenue this past March. Thegroup returns to the Alchemist on June 20 with its new show, Broadminded: Now in 3-D! Broadmindedbrings occasional flashes of brilliance that go well beyond the usual sketchcomedy fare. Even in its less successful moments, Broadminded has a passionabout its comedy that makes it feel less disposable than other sketch groups.
Thegroup’s four members all have day jobs, and they refrain from the sense ofdesperation that often permeates other sketch groups that are looking to launcha larger show-biz career. Of the four women, two (Megan McGee and Stacy Babl)studied comedy at SecondCity in Chicago; theother two (Melissa Kingston and Anne Graff LaDisa) honed their skills withComedySportz in Milwaukee.
Thehumor they staged in their last show was an uneven mix. With no central themeto tie the show together, sketches varied wildly in quality, and the show hadan overall feeling of inconsistency. But this time around, the group seems tohave a strong overall concept.
Accordingto Kingston,the “Broads” have crafted Now In 3-D! as a humorous look at themass media. Expect comedy centered around news programs, TV shows, commercialsand the like. The overall theme may be common fodder for sketch comedy, butBroadminded has shown a capacity for taking the overdone and making it lookfresh. The shows in March featured some sophisticated comedy culled from suchtried-and-true subjects as competitive workplace atmospheres, pregnancy andpartisan politics. Promising segments for NowIn 3-D! include a jab at increased parental “programming” of children in arecurring “Dateline” segment.
“Asalways, our aim is to make sure our audience can relate to our sketches andlaugh with us at the human condition,” Kingstonsays.
Broadminded: Now In 3-D! runs through June 29 at theAlchemist Theatre. Broadminded will also be performing in the third annualMilwaukee Sketch and Improv Festival at the Off-Broadway Theater this August.
