For those of you who haven't been to Forbidden Broadway, you're missing the opportunity to see a small ensemble of talented actors spoof the big hit musicals, the performers who helped make them hits, and their famous creators. Think of Forbidden Broadway as a musical skit variety show like Saturday Night Live the Musical. (I'd better trademark that.)
I was treated to a number of surprises when I got to see some familiar faces in some very different roles. It was the first time that I got to see Kevin B. McGlynn on stage. Kevin was fabulously decked out as
Harvey Fierstein's Edna Turnblad, dashing as the forgetful
Robert Goulet who just couldn't seem to remember his lyrics, and crusty as Detective
Jerry Orbach who shows up to investigate the murder of Little Orphan Annie at the opening of the show.
McKinley Carter, who can be heard in the It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Superman podcast (available for download here on BroadwayWorld.com) was great. McKinley jumped into each character and metamorphosed into the essence of whomever she was made up as. It was quite a difference to see her break the bonds of her Lois Lane persona in Superman, and show the depth and versatility that she has to offer. Ah, if only I worked for a casting agency.
Her co-star from Superman, Holly Strauder, was also magnificent. Holly has the ability to hone in on the smallest quirks and idiosyncrasies that a celebrity is famous for and emphasize it to just right level to make it so absurd it's funny. She and Carter vocally blend beautifully when they sing together. As Elphaba and Glinda, the audience is shocked at how close to the Broadway soundtrack these two perform their faux-tunes.
Last but not least, is Michael Mahler. He scored a Jeff citation for his performance as Benjy Stone at the Bailiwick Theatre in
My Favorite Year. He displays his versatility again and again as a song and dance man with a fine sense of comedic timing. No matter how he's made up, you always have a glimpse into his good nature and his love for what he's doing.
Looking into the crystal ball that I keep on the shelf to the left of my computer monitor, I can see many good things happening for these performers. I see some potential Saturday Night Live performers, some who will go on to do guest spots on television series, and a couple of candidates for the Broadway stage. We'll be keeping our eyes on these rising stars and you should too.
Tickets can be purchased from the Royal George box office, by phone at 312.988.9000 or Ticketmaster at 312.902.1500, Ticketmaster.com or all Ticketmaster ticket centers.
Photo by Michael Brosilow
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