“Wicked” Humor and “Anything Goes” Parody Both Hit and Miss in Desert Rose’s DIRTY LITTLE SHOWTUNES

To quote Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez – "There's A Fine, Fine Line". Between what's funny and what's not. Between what's tasteful and what's not. Let's just say that DIRTY LITTLE SHOWTUNES crossed the line on both accounts on multiple occasions throughout the evening.

The premise – the Broadway "show tune" melodies we can all sing by heart accompanied by very clever lyrics that lampoon the unique idiosyncrasies of the gay lifestyle. The problem – it ends up being a one joke show that wears out its welcome – better served if it was condensed to a one act revue that didn't keep repeating itself and trying to top itself. I would have a similar complaint about a show that is quite similar in formula– Forbidden Broadway – that starts out with great comic momentum but has trouble finding its way back after intermission.

Much of the "blame" for moments that missed the mark falls into the hands of creator/lyricist Tom Orr. When he is at his best, Orr delivers some very witty, biting parody and very clever and surprising lyrics that evoke honest laughter – but most of those honest laughs come during songs that are "less-dirty" (despite the title of the show) and more ironic. He pushes the boundaries of taste with the "dirty" lyrics so many times that by the second act they are much more uncomfortable than funny. At first, the shock value of "did they really sing that" is a hilarious surprise, but as the show wears on it's more like – "did they really have to sing that"? He is far more successful in the lyrics that are G-rated –- in fact, the final "Go Home" is one of the most successfully funny lyrics in the show. (Too little, too late?) The G-rated material is funnier all around, maybe because Orr had to reach for humor that couldn't be dismissed with a 'dirty little word". The show is chock full of clever ideas. However the pay off is never quite as funny as you hope it is going to be. Most of the songs fall flat after the first verse and chorus and so the best punchline has already been given long before the obligatory final chorus meanders to a conclusion.

The cast is extremely capable and, for the most part, very strong vocalists, however the theme of the evening seems to be 'overplaying" every bit, often to the extreme detriment of the lyrics that are actually witty. As they say, comedy is the most difficult thing to play – and director Jim Strait was way too heavy-handed with the broad camp, missing the subtle nuances that lie at the heart of "funny".  He is obviously a  highly skilled director, but I think a more judicious eye and a little more fine-tuning would have made this a more even production.  Much of the success of a revue like this depends on the likeability of the cast. The cast played everything so "in your face", and in such a small venue, that it was, at times, uncomfortable. I understand that this is campy sketch comedy – but if you over-play and lose the "funny" there is really no point.

Raul Valenzuela and Andrew Knifer played the entire show with one note – no layers, no nuance, no honesty – generally so "forced" and "over the top" that they lost the meaning of the lyric or sketch altogether. If they would tone down their performances and try to find the seed of truth that lies behind the joke, I think they would be more successful. Energy is not everything, and these two actors let energy get in the way of a more skilled performance. Ryan Dominquez was much more successful and his natural charm and charisma carried him through even when the material did not. He was the most "likeable" and his exuberance and energy did not come off as manic as some fellow cast members. Ben Reece is a gifted comedian – his KIDS parody was one of the show's finer and funnier moments. He is a solid musical comedy performer and has comic facial expressions for days. For much of the show, the cast "indicates" the lyrics with their physical gestures which makes the lyrics come off more trite than funny. I would suggest that "subtle" would have been a good watch-word for this production.

Orr's clever lyric patter in "A Modern Homosexual" (A Pinafore Parody) was a highlight and Terry Huber and ensemble played it with camp that suited the song well and didn't overshadow it. A "Maybe This Time" parody about bullying and "It Gets Better" was just confusing – was it supposed to be serious, uplifting? --- it was neither. And an attempted poignant and serious-toned  "Another Hundred T-Cells" (you guessed the song parody already) was neither poignant nor emotional and was also a bit confusing. That was not the fault of the actors – they tried their best  -- it was just an awkward moment that was not set up properly by the rest of the show. Hard as it tried – it just didn't fit.  The final number "Nude" (to "Mame") was a refreshingly funny spoof on the need for nudity and shock value necessary to draw an audience to the musical theatre, with the cast dressed (seemingly) in nothing but bathrobes. Again, the joke fell flat when they disrobed to  show flesh colored g-strings with red ribbons – - we've seen the gag before --- there needed to be a stronger comic payoff for a closing number that set high expectations for funny. It was totally predictable and expected and a let-down after a long evening of "dirty little lyrics".

Despite the critique there are plenty of moments that garnered hearty laughter and heartfelt applause. Worth the price of admission? Definitely. Musical director Doug Wilson should be commended for his outstanding vocal harmonies --- and he provides outstanding accompaniment for such a fast and furious production.

So, all said and done ---  I would encourage you to run out and see DIRTY LITTLE SHOWTUNES –to support a burgeoning theatre with an important mission – to bring quality LGBT and Gay-Friendly Theatre to the Coachella Valley. This production serves as a fundraiser for a permanent home for the theatre, and they certainly deserve that. This production is their first "out of the gate" and I applaud and respect their efforts and their courage to take theatrical risks with material that is not just commercially safe.

DIRTY LITTLE  SHOWTUNES has been extended and runs through November 4at The Commissary in Rancho Mirage. For tickets or further information visit www.desertroseplayhouse.org.

            

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