Review: THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL! Spoofs Musicals at Theater LaB Houston

THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL! Is as much of a self-explanatory title as any theater-goer could ever want or pine for. It's definitely a musical about musicals that has musical number after musical number, and its own sardonic take on the form over the past fifty or so years. This is Theater LaB Houston's premiere at the MATCH facility, and a revival of a show they have done before to great success. So if it sounds doubly familiar, you're not wrong. Hello Labby and wilkommen to the MATCH! The corn here is high as an elephant's eye!

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The show takes the concept of a simple plot about an ingenue (Haley Hussey) who can't pay her rent. There's a valiant hero (Joseph Redd) waiting in the wings, and also a dastardly villainous landlord (Ryan Patrick Smith) just offstage. Helping her out in the play is the "character actress" (Shelby Bray Fisher) who fills in older women roles such as mom or grand dame. The play repeats this plot five times over with the cast doing it all in the styles of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Kander & Ebb. So basically you get to watch Oklahoma, Company, Hello Dolly, Phantom of the Opera, and Cabaret all in one evening along with every other popular title by those authors. Exhausted yet?

THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS pitches jokes at the audience at one hundred miles per hour. It never pauses, and if you are a musical theater buff you'll enjoy it all the more. The average person should know enough to find it funny, but the musical obsessed will be rolling. It's basically like watching Forbidden Broadway take on theater history for two hours. Production values are low, this is like witnessing a simple cabaret in any smoky gin joint of your choice. There are some ingenious use of flashlights though, and a prop here and there that produces chuckles. But for the most part, we are trapped in a black box with a piano and four actors in all black.

THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS premiered Off-Broadway in NYC during 2003, and the original Theater LaB production was mounted back in 2007. The Houston production staff here is the same with Jimmy Phillips directing and choreographing, while Steven Jones serves as musical guru. This is an all new cast, and they've managed to find a foursome who is as talented as the original performers. It's neat to watch an ensemble of singers navigate five entirely different musical styles, and it's fun to note who belongs in which era or genre. Joseph Redd's "Corn" was giggle worthy and spot on, Ryan Patrick Smith made the perfect Phantom, Haley Hussey became an intriguing Evita, and Shelby Fisher had me guffawing during her Kander & Ebb stretch. They all do perfectly marvelous jobs being what they are in any given moment. The cast is tops, and you couldn't ask for a more entertaining evening.

Performances of THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS, THE MUSICAL at the MATCH complex will continue through October 23rd on Thursdays through Sundays. Tickets can be acquired through www.matchhouston.org or by calling (713) 521-4533.

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