|
The Beastly Bombings
Libretto by Julien Nitzberg
Music by Roger Neill
Directed & Choreographed by Kevin Remington
Musical Direction by Michelle Hackman
At Trap Door Theatre
1655 W. Cortland Ave.
Chicago, IL
Call 773-384-0494, tickets $20 2 for 1 Thursdays, $20 Thursdays &
$25 Saturdays
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 7 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through May 3, 2008
Comic operetta sings and dances deftly
“ You’ll Fall In Love With Terrorism All Over Again!”
Trap Door Theatre loves to stretch things theatrically and their last show, The Beastly Bombing, sure does that. It is a Gilbert & Sullivan style operetta that satirizes terrorism, its players, and our attitudes toward our government. Using the quaint styles of G & S including their patter songs, anthems and cute rhythms underscores the mockery nicely. Roger Neill’s tuneful music on Julien Nitzberg’s smart lyrics fuel the satire.
This satirical comic piece finds two skinhead white supremacist and two Al Qaeda terrorists plotting to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge. This hilarious take on modern politics, the war on terrorism, fundamentalism and prejudice entertains us as it throws the absurdity of extremism back into out faces.
From the first patter song, “A Delightful Little Bomb,” we meet the lovable idiot bombers. Next, we meet the ditzy twin drug using sluts and daughters of the President. There is a song about a ultra-conservative Jew who mocking his own in “Song of the Secular Jew.” An Al Qaeda and a skinhead (both men) fall in lover and a Nixon-esque yet George Bush type bumbling President (played by the intensely funny Stephen Lydic).
This show finds our ZOG’s (Zionist Occupation Government) responsible for all our troubles. This show attacks, mocks and spoofs everyone in the news from pedophile priests, Jews, Muslims, drug addicts, cops, government officials, etc.
The satire is played out in singing rhythms, charming Victorian music with smart dances that add zing and a sharp edge. Comic movement produced enough laughs to satisfy. The cast of non-Equity players performed their comedy and dances with aplomb. Steve Konet, Noah Durham, Tiffany Bedwell, Melissa Law, John Gray, Alzan Pelesic, Gabriel Pastrana, Alyssa Nocile Larson, Matt Gottlieb, Andrew Luckenbill, Stephen Lydic and Michelle Hackman sang and danced effectively.
The Bestly Bombing could become a local cult hit as it gets its message across with comic charm. I liked the energy and playfulness of the show. There is nothing like funny music and witty lyrics to make a political statement. Trap Door’s production is tight and polished.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2008
|
