The warmly charismatic David Pompeii has a wit that can cut political fallacies and dopey politicians into shreds. An excellent stand-up comedian, he makes you laugh–and think. Unfortunately there’s little stand-up material in this 45-minute show. Instead Pompeii’s “one-man cabaret” is an unsuccessful melange of quirky videos from the Internet, a DJ mix of dance and hip-hop beats, and wandering comedy sketches that quickly grow tiresome. But maybe the show would be better with a more raucous audience. Pompeii clearly wants interaction–he’s set up “the people’s mike,” available for audience members to disagree with him, cheer him on, or tell their own stories. But the crowd on the night I attended rarely got up the courage to speak. Through 11/23: Tue 10 PM. Second City E.T.C., Piper’s Alley, 1608 N. Wells, 312-337-3992 or 877-778-4707. $8.
