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Love Is Dead
A NecrRomantic Musical Comedy
Book & Lyrics by James Asmus & Andrew Hobgood
Directed & Choreographed by Andrew Hobgood
At Annoyance Theatre
4840 N Broadway
Chicago, IL
Call 773-4665, tickets $15
Fridays at 8 pm
Running time is 1 hours, 40 minutes with intermission
Through October 26, 2007
Crude, raw and worthless musical isn’t ready for the stage
My first trip to The Annoyance proved disastrous. I should have guess when the youngish crowd dashed to the bar to order stiff drinks. Next the theatre had a blasting of air conditioning that made the room like a meat locker. The chairs weren’t raked so all the rows were the same height making for many poor sight lines. The show started late. The speakers blasted loud pop rock music that attacked with a vengeance.
Once the show started, the horrible, atonal meek voices started to instantly irritate. A musical without anyone who can sing quickly gets in trouble. Next, the story line about a nerdy loser mortician, Orin (James Asmus) who has sex with the cadavers is the hero. That is to be expected since Asmus is one of the writers of this lame musical. In a series of uneven, poorly acted scenes we find a stupid story that would insult a group of six graders playing ‘theatre’ in their basement.
I can’t remember seeing such a poorly designed and poorly sung show as this one. There wasn’t one element that was stage worthy in this juvenile production. It wasn’t camp, not biting satire; just junk. Amazingly, the audience cheered as each number ended. They over laughed at the corny and unfunny jokes and bits. Did I miss something? Maybe because I don’t drink? Annoyance must have a cult-like following?
This show was so weak, so boring with such lousy singing I just had to make a statement by leaving at the end of act one. It is not my policy to leave a show before its ends but this show was so terrible that I simply had to leave to vent my frustration.
The sad thing about this waste of time and money is that younger people think they have seen quality theatre. Talk about “dumbing down” theatre. Forget this awful show.
Not Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007
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