Windy City bows to hilarious ‘Broad City Live’ performance

Abbi+Jacobson+and+Ilana+Glazer%2C+the+comedy+duo+of+Comedy+Central%E2%80%99s+acclaimed+show+%E2%80%9CBroad+City%2C%E2%80%9D+brought+their+live+act+to+Lincoln+Hall%2C+2424+N.+Lincoln+Ave.+on+Nov.+12.

Courtesy of LANE SAVAGE

Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, the comedy duo of Comedy Central’s acclaimed show “Broad City,” brought their live act to Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave. on Nov. 12.

By Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson may be known for their Comedy Central show, the hilarious and critically acclaimed comedy “Broad City,” but they proved their unlimited array of talent Nov. 12 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.

The Brooklyn-based pair, who earned their comedic chops at New York City’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, gained national praise last year following the massive success of “Broad City’s” first season. With the backing of executive producer Amy Poehler, the TV show was born from a web series following the tribulations of two New York City 20-somethings trying to get by. The show aired on Comedy Central in January 2014 and quickly established a devoted audience in just 10 30-minute episodes.

The smash hit nature of the show’s premiere caused the duo to postpone a scheduled live tour, “Broad City Live,” from its original date of March 15 to make time for its season two pickup and writing schedule.

Although the wait for a live tour seemed to last forever, the duo did not disappoint when “Broad City Live” finally hit the stage in the Windy City. With a mix of singing, dancing, drumming and stand-up comedy, Glazer and Jacobson displayed their multi-faceted talent on the small Lincoln Hall stage. 

After waiting outside in the snowy weather to see the beloved comedic stars, eager attendees shrieked with excitement when the duo finally set foot on stage. Glazer and Jacobson set the fun, high-energized tone for the night with a three-minute dance routine to Beyoncé’s “Get Me Bodied,” complete with audience high-fives, lip-syncing and the occasional twerk here and there.

The TV series builds on the chemistry of its stars, and the live performance was no different. Jacobson’s neurotic stage character complemented Glazer’s raunchy goofiness. With the “Soundtrack To Our Lives” segment of the performance, in which the duo gave examples of songs relevant to key moments in their lives, the “Broad City” pair’s strong bond and loveable friendship was evident. For example, when the two performed their favorite “F–k Jams,” Jacobson got “a little too into” a sensual rendition of a Christian hymnal. Glazer stood to the side of her comedic partner, playing the straight-woman to Jacobson’s literally “orgasmic” rendition of the song.

The next portion of the show was a highlight of the night, which involved Jacobson pretending to share a deep, dark secret that she is dying to get off her chest with the audience. During the monologue, Jacobson shared her fear that people will fall in love with her “silky smooth seal feet,” joking that it was the reason why she never reveals her feet in public or on “Broad City.” Through the outlandish monologue, Jacobson’s nervously-delivered jokes made the audience howl with laughter.

Glazer’s “micro-impressions” of famous celebrities such as Lil Wayne and Beyoncé stole the show. Her hilarious three-second impressions of the similarities between Alanis Morissette and Miley Cyrus were spot-on and earned raves from the crowd. Glazer’s easygoing delivery sold the performance, making audience members feel as though they were part of the action.

After a series of recorded videos from the show’s other stars Hannibal Buress and Josh Gemberling, the duo came out to “do their own stunts:” a roller-skating routine complete with ribbon twirling and hilarious synchronized movements.

The pair ended the strong set with a drum-off in which Glazer alternated between rock and jazz drumming while Jacobson played the foil to Glazer. Jacobson played on her “Razor Burns” drum set while Glazer accompanied on her “P—y MD” set, playing off each other and meshing together with the same chemistry they put into their comedy. Jacobson stole the stage with her amusingly pathetic drumming skills, but Glazer held her own thanks to her surprisingly exceptional and rhythmic musical skills. They both closed the show with a mash-up of the drums, ending the night like rock stars.

For a comedy duo known for television acting, the pair proved to have more layers to their act. Through the “Broad City Live” performance, “Broad City” proved there is much more to it than what is seen on TV. With a plethora of skills and humor to complement, Glazer and Jacobson are not going anywhere anytime soon.