I can pretty much guarantee you are going to enjoy watching The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!. Even if you don’t get all the musical theater references (I didn’t), this show makes for a highly entertaining night.
Spend your holiday season at the theatre and have fun with The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!
Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart created a satiric toast to some of the most beloved Broadway musicals. The show uses a basic story line centering around a girl named June who can’t pay her rent. Versions of the same story get told in five mini musicals tying the characters and the plot into each musical. The styles incorporated are Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Kander & Ebb.
The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! was a smash hit at this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival. Rather humble beginnings for a show that has a stellar cast including one of the former members of the musical group The Nylons. All four performers were fantastic. Mark Cassius played Jitter, the shifty landlord, Adrian Marchuk was the love interest Willy, Dana Jean Phoenix nailed the vacuous blonde June, and Paula Wolfson owned the stage as the aging diva Abby. They were all standouts with great voices and precise comedic chops. They milked that script for every bit of camp it possessed. Another integral member of the cast was Michael Mulrooney. He played a mean piano and comically narrated the play.
Vinetta Strombergs directed this piece to perfection. I really can’t come up with a single problem—she cast well and allowed her performers to shine. This cast didn’t have fancy costumes or props and had the simplest of sets but Strombergs direction was so spot on you were transported to whatever location was introduced. Strombergs made smart, clean choices and ensured that the script was mined for all its genius.
The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! is so fun, even if you have never seen a single musical, it will leave a smile on your face. Don’t miss it!
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