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Theatre Review: Musical of Musicals (The Musical)


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Some musicals are so iconic, theatre directors like having a little fun with them. That’s just what’s happening in this Sacramento Theatre Company show. Critic Jeff Hudson says it's silly and fun, as long as you have a little Broadway background.


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(Sacramento, CA)
Friday, January 21, 2011

The new show bears the unwieldy title "The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)", and right off the bat, it focuses on perhaps the best known musical of all: "Oklahoma."

As you may recall, that show opens with the line "There's a bright golden haze on the meadow."  In "The Musical of Musical," that famous cadence  is taken in an absurd direction.

SHOW EXCERPT "Oh, the chipmunk is reading The Bible, well now there's a remarkable thought…."

This ridiculous image of a rodent reading a religious text opens into a broader parody.

SHOW EXCERPT:  "Oh, what beautiful corn, what beautiful, beautiful corn. What's this in my tooth? It's a kernel of truth! Shucks, what beautiful corn…."

"The Musical of Musicals" also gleefully skewers shows that are dark and decadent.

SHOW EXCERPT:  "Drink your vine, 'cause life's a Cabernet…. You might get a drinkie, you might get a smokie.  And if you're kind of kinky, zen it might be okie-dokie. In za Speakeasy, it's hard to saaayyyy…."

If you're smiling because you recognize this song as a spoof of "Cabaret," then you're the target audience for this show. In just two hours, it pokes fun at landmarks like "Hello Dolly," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Sweeney Todd."
 
The production is fueled by capable singing from a nimble, energetic cast of four, who also have a way with humor.
 
My only caveat is a nagging sense that the show relies on so many in-jokes, it might not click for someone unversed in Broadway classics. But if you enjoy old musicals, this clever song-and-dance revue will tickle your fancy.
 
The Sacramento Theater Company's production of "The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)" continues through February 20th.
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