Thursday, June 12, 2014
Fringe Review: ZOMBIES FROM THE BEYOND Gets a Big Thumbs Up
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| Alison England (top center) as evil alien aviatrix Zombina menaces (L-R) Alex Taber, Lara Fisher, Amelia Gotham, Daniel Jimenez, Frank Blocker and Eric Sand. Photo credit: John Santo |
The Visceral Company takes on musical theatre and rides it all the way to success in a chipper interplanetary musical even non-musical theatre folks will love! Forget any idea of skipping it because it is a hilariously fun send-up of the 1950s and sci-fi B-movies directed by Dan Spurgeon and choreographed by Anna Safar with spot-on cheeseball precision, featuring a cast that knows how to play the comedy without ruining it.
Plus, it’s the only place you’ll find Zombina, an “intergalactic strumpet on the prowl” and her chorus of dancing Zombettes, searching for earth men to repopulate their planet. Picture a shapely Wagnerian operatic powerhouse who looks like a cross between the 1940s glam version of Eve Arden (she could use that wig as a weapon), and a drag queen sporting hot pink eye shadow who knows how to work the stage, and you’ve got Alison England in a dynamic role that will surely be a fringe-favorite contender. At the very least, it will serve to get this show extended.
What else will you find? A Russian spy (Eric Sand) in disguise who packs a wallop of a baritone voice; a wise-cracking secretary (Lara Fisher) and a Clark Kent-ish leading man (Daniel Jimenez); a squeaky-clean delivery boy (Alex Taber) who just happens to have his jingle taps in his pocket at the most opportune times; and a comically stiff Major (Frank Blocker) and his fresh-faced daughter (Amelia Gotham) hiding more smarts than the rest of them combined.
They’re a singing, dancing, talented bunch. Even a few rough edges in the vocals don’t detract from the big impact this cast makes, so go! This upbeat musical will have you laughing from beginning to end.
ZOMBIES FROM THE BEYOND
May 30 – July 20, 2014
The Lex Theatre (mainstage)
6760 Lexington Ave in Hollywood
Tickets: $32
Use code BEERTOWN and save $7 when purchasing tickets in advance via Brown Paper Tickets. Good for advance online purchases only. The producers reserve the right to withdraw or amend this offer at any time.
http://hff14.org/1512
www.thevisceralcompany.com
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Labels: hollywood fringe, visceral company
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Musical News for Tuesday, March 4, 2014
OPENINGS: The Visceral Company has announced its 2014 season production schedule. Included in the lineup are a fresh from off-Broadway west coast premiere (Recall), an LA premiere and the company’s first musical production (Zombies from the Beyond), plus two world premiere productions developed by The Visceral Company (The Call of Cthulhu and a still-in-development holiday show). You can read all about the shows on their website but Zombies from the Beyond looks especially hilarious. This rarely performed musical comedy is a sendup of 1950s B-movies and takes a satirical look at American ideals and foibles in the Eisenhower era. Cold War and space race paranoia threaten the good folks at the fictional Milwaukee Space Center in 1955 when a flying saucer lands. The craft is piloted by Zombina, a buxom alien aviatrix bent on procuring he-specimens to repopulate her planet. The show brings the 1950s nostalgically and hilariously to life with a tuneful, toe-tapping score. Its long-delayed LA debut will be part of the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival, May 30 – July 20. Book, music, and lyrics are by James Valcq (co-writer of the musical The Spitfire Grill) and the show will be directed by Dan Spurgeon, with musical direction by Garth Herberg and choreography by Anna Safar. The company performs at the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hollywood, CA. www.thevisceralcompany.com
The Garage Theatre in collision with Alive Theatre are celebrating 10 years on 7th Street in Long Beach with a diverse 2014 lineup that includes Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera. Dates for the show are August 1 – 30 and the production will be directed by Eric Hamme, with musical direction by Ellen Warkantine. Often described as brutal, scandalous, perverted and humorous; The Threepenny Opera is one of the earliest and most successful attempts to introduce jazz into the theatre. Season Subscriptions are on sale at www.thegaragetheatre.org or by calling (562) 433-8337. Single tickets go on sale Monday, March 10th. The season will also include:
Sans Merci by Johnna Adams, directed by Katie Chidester
April 4 – 26, 2014
Night And Her Stars by Richard Greenberg, directed by Matthew Anderson
May 30 – June 28, 2014
Pink Milk by Alex Paul Young, directed by Ashley Allen
Oct. 3 – Nov. 1, 2014
11th Annual Holiday Melodrama, written and directed by Jamie Sweet
December 5 – 20, 2014
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Labels: chromolume theatre, color and light, garage theatre, visceral company