Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song

B

 

For 40 years, writer/creator/director Gerard Alessandrini has been entertaining New Yorkers with his clever parodies of Broadway musicals. The 23^rd edition of his Forbidden Broadway series, subtitled “Merrily We Stole a Song,” is now in previews at Theater 555. The show opens with a strong number tracing the development of “Cabaret”’s emcee from Joel Grey to Alan Cumming to Eddie Redmayne. As the subtitle suggests, a substantial portion of the parodied shows this time are Sondheim shows and a slender narrative thread tied to “Back to the Future” suggests what would have happened if he had chosen a career in automobile design instead of musical composition. The show’s Bernadette Peters stand-in shares her disappointment over never having created a Sondheim role. Josh Grobin is called out for being so nice he turned “Sweeney Todd” into Sweety Todd. Daniel Radcliffe is credited for using his Harry Potter magic to finally make “Merrily…” a success. Since I did not see “Suffs,” “Outsiders,” “& Juliet” or “Hells Kitchen,” I can’t evaluate the segments on those shows. This edition is not only up to the minute but actually ahead of the curve, because it includes a skit about Audra’s Mama Rose from “Gypsy” before the show even opens later this Fall. Like any collection of skits, the quality varies, but I would have to say that the general level of inspiration doesn’t seem quite as high as I remember. Nevertheless, the cast of four – Chris Collins-Pisano, Danny Hayward, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz and Jenny Lee Stern – are all very talented and worth seeing in action. Fred Barton is topnotch as musical director/pianist. Gerry McIntire’s choreography is apt, and Dustin Cross’s costumes are inspired. If you enjoy musicals, you are likely to have a good time. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

Spamilton *** B-

Over the years, Gerard Alessandrini has provided immense pleasure with over 20 editions of his clever, funny series Forbidden Broadway. Writing a parody of Broadway’s current megahit was almost inevitable. First, let me warn you that if you haven’t seen Hamilton or at least become familiar with the score and you aren’t a big fan of Broadway musicals, especially those by Sondheim, you will not likely enjoy this show. Even though I had just seen Hamilton earlier this month, I found some of the skits hard to follow. Some of the funniest moments are when Alessandrini wanders away from his main target and gives us scenes from fake musicals such as “American Psycho in Paris” and “The Lion King and I.” The cast — Nicholas Edwards, Chris Anthony Giles, Larry Owens, Dan Rosales and Nora Schell — are terrific, as is guest diva Christine Pedi. The costumes by Dustin Cross are a hoot. The amusing choreography by Gerry McIntyre gets maximum use out of a postage-stamp-size stage. While there are many hilarious moments, I found this show less consistently enjoyable than Alessandrini’s earlier efforts. The show is at the Triad, a night club with uncomfortable general admission seating, iffy sightlines and a two-drink minimum. Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission.

Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging! ****

Rejoice, musical theater lovers! The ever-inventive Gerard Alessandrini is back with a new edition of this classic series that affectionately (and, sometimes, not so affectionately) skewers the latest Broadway musicals and their creators. For over 30 years, he has managed to keep us laughing with his punchy satires. The current version, now at the Davenport Theatre (fka 45th Street Theatre), provides ample proof that he hasn’t lost his touch. Among his latest targets are Pippin, Matilda, Cinderella, Bridges of Madison County, Rocky, Aladdin, Les Miz (sans turntable), The Sound of Music (live on TV), Book of Mormon, Bullets over Broadway, Cabaret and Kinky Boots. Jason Robert Brown, Idina Menzel, Michelle Williams, Liza Minelli and Mandy Patinkin take their lumps. Not every sketch is a knockout, but enough are to make for a thoroughly delightful evening. As usual, Alessandrini has assembled a terrific cast: Carter Calvert, Scott Richard Foster, Mia Gentile and Marcus Stevens all display an amazing ability to disappear into their roles and are vocally strong. Music director/pianist David Caldwell is excellent. Costume designers Dustin Cross and Philip Heckman and wig designer Bobbie Cliffton Zlotnik deserve special mention. One quibble: the sound was too loud for the first 20 minutes or so. In addition to creating and writing the show, Alessandrini co-directed with Phillip George. For those of you who have seen many of the shows or who just follow the Broadway scene, an evening of fun awaits you. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes including intermission.

Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking ****

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
How good it is to have Gerard Alessandrini's arsenic-laced valentine to the Broadway musical back in town after a three-year absence. Alessandrini certainly has not mellowed during the hiatus -- the cleverness of some of the skits does not hide the brutality with which he deflates some Broadway egos. A few of the returning numbers could well have been left out, but the new material is overwhelmingly hilarious and on target. The cast this time out (Natalie Charlé Ellis, Scott Richard Foster, Jenny Lee Stern and Marcus Stevens) is uniformly strong; some of the impersonations are uncannily accurate. David Caldwell is back as the topnotch pianist/music director. Philip Heckman's costumes and Bobbie Cliffton Zlotnik's wigs are a show in and of themselves. Directors Phillip George and Alessandrini keep the show moving at a fast pace. I actually felt guilty for enjoying some of the shows and performers that are skewered. While you do not need to have seen many of the shows to enjoy the fun, you will enjoy it more if you have.  Running time: one hour, forty minutes with intermission.

Note: Avoid getting seats in the first three rows, particularly on the right (even-numbered) side because of poor sight lines.