If I Had A Band Pt. 3 "Pierced Scrotum"

Today’s issue of “If I Had A Band” has it’s basis in a discussion I had the other night in which I was mocked for only liking “pop punk” (I do like all forms of punk, however am SHIT at remembering band names so I could only name the more popular bands). In response I said “What so I don’t like bands with pierced scrotum so I AUTOMATICALLY have to be branded as a “pop punk” fan?”  Then the hilarity ensued.  The following is the band I have created in reaction to that conversation..Pierced Scrotum, a band full of screamo punk ex-boy band members.  Instead of having pierced scrotum to personify their band, they had the band name tattooed on their penises (penii, penis’, panninis?), because irony.  The drummer wears a gimp mask and performs on a porta potty seat so he can multi-task and the lead singer lives in his parents’ basement.  They only perform in abandoned homes and burn them to the ground after the show.

The Book Of Mormon...or Lion King, Sodomy, and Darth Vader OH MY!

      The Book of Mormon with book, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (of South Park Fame) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q) is an irreverent, satirical, hilarious, sparkly romp of a musical that tells the story of two Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda and the trials they face.  Elder Price, the golden, athletically built, popular Elder (who just knows that Heavenly Father will send him to his dream mission location of Orlando) and Elder Cunningham the socially awkward, Sci-Fi obsessed, outcast are placed in this highly unfavorable mission location to deal with angry warlord generals, AIDS ridden locals, and a troupe of massively unstable and ineffective Elders.  This show isn’t for everyone, it’s satire of Mormonism actually indicts all religions in people’s willingness to believe outrageous things as a means to grab onto hope.

       The Fox Theatre in Atlanta played host to this touring company and, while a bit cheesy in it’s over the top Arabian Nights décor, was a wonderful venue.  The show takes place inside a proscenium that looks like the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City,  but with windows that flash in different colors with the music and topped with a spinning Moroni it feels more like a Disco temple.  The lighting and set were fabulous, I was amazed at the things they were able to do with a tour set, it had a floor that allowed the pieces to move on their own, blasts of steam, and the most epic disco balls I have ever seen.  The costuming was great as well, there were lots of quick changes that moved effortlessly and they were visually astounding.  “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” had dancing coffee cups, an electric guitar playing Satan, Genghis Kahn, and one of the sparkliest Hitlers I have ever seen.

       The music gives nods to multiple styles of Broadway music and Disney Lion King mockery abounds.  Songs like “I Am Here For You” and “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” bring in emotional layers to the characters that help this show go deeper and save it from becoming a two hours long episode of South Park.  The music is well written and funny on its own and I loved the Cast Recording going in so I knew I would like the show.  What I didn’t know was how the amazing choreography would just make the show 3000 times (YES 3000 TIMES!!) funnier.  Casey Nicholaw’s choreo was epic, to say the least.  It was funny and modern and referenced the music and gave each character the chance to shine.  He used African dance but morphed it into this offensive wonderful dance for “Hasa Digga Ebowai” so many middle fingers!!!  “Two By Two” was a song that never really shone for me until I saw it with the dancing and it became this delightfully funny number that is now one of my favorites.  I personally enjoy dance and have seen multiple shows from Broadway musicals to local dance recitals and have NEVER seen anything like what he did, the choreography alone was enough to make me want to see the show again and again.

       I am always hesitant to see a tour cast of a show, but BoM did not disappoint.  Elder Price was played by Mark Evans, recently off his West End stint as Fiyero in Wicked, he is part of an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.  I however did not know this until speaking with him after the show (I didn’t have a chance to read my playbill before the show).  His American accent is flawless, it actually took me a few minutes to wrap my head around his real accent.  The Fox is a large theatre and he filled it with this wonderful sense of joy in his performance.  Christopher John O’Neill is an inimitable Elder Cunningham.  Going into a role originated by Josh Gad must have been daunting, but O’Neill grabbed this role and made it his own.  I can only liken him to a young quirkier Paul Giamatti.  His energy and relentlessness in this role made me tired just watching, and this was a two show day for him.  With his little head twitches, effusive dancing, and self-conscious tics O’Neill brought a sweetness to Cunningham that turned into a weirdly attractive sexuality in “Man Up” and by the end I was ready for him to baptize me as well!  The entire cast was wonderful and Samantha Marie Ware’s (Nabalungi) voice is a delight to listen to it makes one wish “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” was even longer.

       The Book of Mormon was a wonderful show and I left it with sore cheeks and abs from laughter and a hoarse throat from cheering.   While many would be offended by this show it would be more from the amount of obscenities, references to sodomy, and giant phalluses than from anything related to Mormonism.  I was pleasantly surprised by the audience’s reaction in Atlanta.  I assumed they would be fairly reserved but the house was filled with loud raucous cheering and laughter and a standing ovation during curtain call.  It takes a certain kind of irreverent person to enjoy BoM and it pleases me to know that there are enough of us in this country to keep this show alive.  

Elder Cunningham, Chris O'Neill

   

Elder Price, Mark Evans

Beautiful The Carole King Musical

The new Broadway musical based on the life and works of Carole King is currently in previews at the Steven Sondheim Theatre in New York City.  Fresh off an almost completely sold out trial run in San Francisco, Beautiful does not disappoint.  I went into the show not anticipating much except to enjoy the music and seeing Jake Epstein on stage again.  (Author's note: I have an extreme dislike for shows with three guys wearing the same jacket and snapping and doing the electric slide in unison.)  However, this show was more than just a juke box/doo wop musical; it was full of passion and heart.  It was well written, witty, and completely captured me.

Jessie Mueller plays the role of Carole King.  She is a dynamic force and her performance is riveting.  Her voice and energy bring Carole completely to life and there were many times I found myself convinced that she actually was King.  Mueller also ages in this show from a naïve teenager to a full grown strong independent woman.  The minute changes she makes in her body movements and characterizations and even her speech patterns make her aging completely believable.   Jake Epstein portrayed the troubled Gerry Goffin.  Goffin and King married in their teens when King became pregnant.  Over time Goffin’s emotional troubles led to him being diagnosed as bi-polar.  Epstein played this role with an intensity of feeling and did not treat Goffin merely as a womanizing asshole.  Mueller and Epstein have a wonderful chemistry onstage.  Their emotions have a spontaneity that lends itself to wonderful unrehearsed realism.

The role of Cynthia Weil was played to perfection by Anika Larsen.  She was not merely beautiful but enchanting as the outspoken Weil.  Larsen’s comedic timing was spot on often granting levity to a scene that might have otherwise ventured into the maudlin.   Another standout performance came at the hands of Jeb Brown.  His Don Kirsher was alternately slimy music executive and caring mentor.  He was simultaneously charming and oily.  Marc Bruni’s direction of this show was excellent.  The staging of the actors and the way they interacted shows the hard work of an intensely talented director.  He took this story and music and and made it fresh and exciting and took it out of the realm of American Bandstand and Doo-Wop musicals and made you care about more than just hearing hits from the golden era of rock and roll.

The technical aspects of this show deserve high praise as well.  There were so many wonderful things going on with the set it was basically a techie wet dream.  Every set piece moved on its own, gliding effortlessly on stage and off.  The piano that Mann and Weil and Goffin and King use alternates back and forth between their offices and the way that the actors work with it as it moves was perfection.  The set had height and depth but it was used smartly, not just to overwhelm and say “Hey, look at us we’re on Broadway and spent a shit ton of money on big shiny things!!”.  However it is deceiving in its apparent simplicity.  The whole set worked together and definitely lent that little bit of theatre magic that every show needs.

  Beautiful was truly a beautiful show.  It was fun and energetic but had touching moments of depth and poignancy.  I feel like its only issue will be the range of people that will come to see it.  Age wise I was one of the youngest members of the audience and I would hate to see it suffer because younger generations have shitty taste in music.  I could go on for days about all the wonderful things that happen in this show, but why not go see it yourself?  Beautiful is in previews at the Steven Sondheim Theatre in New York City and opens on January 14th. For more information and tickets go to www.beautifulonbroadway.com !

Getting ready for the show to start!

The AMAZING Jessie Mueller

The always fantastic JAKE Epstein