Review: JACKSON-LAFITTE: A VAUDEVILLE - Four Clowns' Latest Well-Oiled Gem of Silliness

JACKSON-LAFITTE: A VAUDEVILLE/written by Mike Funt & Jennifer Carroll/directed by Ron West/Son of Semele/thru February 3, 2017

In JACKSON-LAFITTE: A VAUDEVILLE, Four Clowns cleverly re-envisions a probable pre-war encounter leading up to the historical 1814 Battle of New Orleans as a vaudeville skit, possibly and unintentionally drawing parallels to today's political climate.

As written by Mike Funt & Jennifer Carroll, General Andrew Jackson meets up with gentleman pirate Captain Jean Lafitte to persuade him to join forces in their mutual defensive against the British.

Funt as General Andrew Jackson and Carroll as Captain Jean Lafitte play off each other like in a championship tennis match between Federer and Nadel. Serve and volley. Straight line, then punchline. Accusation followed by denial. "Trust fall back" and catch. Funt and Carroll simply ARE General Jackson and Captain Lafitte!

These two master clowns make full use of time-tested vaudeville techniques: slo-mo moves during strobe lights for silent movie effects, synchronized soft shoe with matching canes, human puppet mouthing with hand up the rear, friendly 'abuse' of audience volunteers. The pie throwing, so predictable in its targets; but oh, so funny in its execution. Solid pratfalls abound, especially when the trigger word "Spanish" gets uttered.

Funt's strong vocals reveal themselves in General Jackson singing an American anthem in comic counterpoint to Captain Lafitte waxing poetic in Carroll's distinctly, exaggerated French accent. Funt's on-point ad-libs, so fluid from the scripted, score every time. Just like the character in the other historical phenom on Broadway, Funt and Carroll can definitively say they have "not thrown away their shot!"

Unfortunately, this smoothly directed production by Ron West has ended its current run. But check out fourclowns.org for their next shows. Should be another fun time for all!

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