Get your laugh on this weekend and EVERY weekend at the ACME Comedy Theatre, located next door to Amalfi, at 135 North La Brea in Hollywood.  Dan Kane, the new owner of the troupe, has now announced a ‘please bring your drinks from the bar into the theater’ policy.

There’s nothing funnier than a warm Jameson in your hand while you’re watching actors burst into song about ‘golden showers’  and back stalking.

The weekends at ACME are jam packed with guffaws and spit takes.  Included in their weekend laugh-a-thons are; Friday Night Live, an SNL- like sketch show, why wait till Saturday?; followed by Madvertising, a spoof on the maddeningly competitive world of advertising executives; and Sketchy at Best on Saturday nights, an hour -long sketch show written and performed by ACME’s latest class of future comedic actors.

Tickets range from $4 – $18 depending if you buy at the door or online. And parking is relatively easy to find up and down La Brea, or you could valet.

Times are tough.  Laughter is needed. ACME Comedy is where to get treated. Don’t forget to bring your stalker.

Yours Truly – Asian Taco Chick

Now playing, with an extended run thru March 29^th at the Lonny Chapman Group Repertory Theatre, “A Don’t Hug Me County Fair”, written by Phil and Paul Olson, is an authentic and entertaining depiction of small town life set in Bunyan County, Minnesota. Think King of the Hill meets Fargo, but without the body in the wood chip machine part.

The story takes place at the local bar, The Bunyan, owned by suburban married couple Gunner, Tom Gibis, and Clara, Judy Heneghan. It’s the “Cheers” of the North Midwest. When Bernice (Katherine Brunk) a local friend, returns to town to compete in the Miss Walleye Queen Competition; her former fiancé Kanut, understudied that night by Luke Adams, and her new beau Aarvid, played by Brad MacDonald, ensue in a fight for her affections. Sparks really fly when Trigger, Gunner’s distant sister (or is she?), also returns to town to compete in the pageant while sending the men on a run for their fox hats.

Clara hoping to intensify her husband’s less than lukewarm affections, competes as well, which instigates a territorial bet between the men, and let’s just say that the ladies end up saving the day while making the men think they did it themselves. You bet-cha!

The cast is well suited and Doug Engalla’s direction is fluid and clear; allowing the actors, mostly natives of Minnesota, to play off each other with a liveliness that appreciates the story and the nature of the musical. It is two hours of elementary, thigh-slapping fun.

Olson’s lyrics and music move the story along. In the number “Who’s Better at Catching Fish”, where the men sing about the size of their baits, Olson cleverly has the women respond in chorus, with “whatever”.

The set design, Chris Winfield, is authentic and detailed, with real beer on tap; yes, I said, real beer. The characters are prompted by a magical karaoke machine before breaking out into song; which means the actors are accompanied by pre-recorded music; and they don’t miss a beat. The choreography is simple and animated, but could be a bit more inhabited with intent in some numbers.

And speaking of inhabiting; Gibis, who plays both Gunner and Trigger, sparkles as the ‘transvetute’ sister, ironically playing her with more conviction and specificity than Gunner.

Act I could use some trimming, but the pageant events in Act II, such as best taxidermy display, pay off with laughter. ‘A Don’t Hug Me County Fair’ isn’t some mind-blowing musical spectacular; nor is it politically provocative. It’s a basic battle of the sex’s story where the men are afraid to show their feelings and the women demand that they do, sound familiar?

This emotional dilemma is depicted best in Heneghans’ solo in Act II, “Bunyan Bay”. Her bell-toned voice sings a sweet vulnerability of a land she loves and the love she longs for; I mean, ‘Llurv’s’ for. Go see it, you’ll get it. And you might ‘Lurv’ it too.

Song of Extinction @ Inside the Ford ~ November 7th-December 14th ~ 2580 Cahuenga Blvd.

Currently playing at Inside the Ford is the captivating world premiere of E.M. Lewis’ new play Song of Extinction. Produced by the Moving Arts Theatre Company and exquisitely directed by Heidi Helen Davis, Song of Extinction, winner of the 2008 Ashland New Plays Festival, explores the delicate moments in life where unwanted conclusions painfully bleed into new beginnings. Set in present day Oregon, with flashbacks to Bolivia, Song of Extinction explores the extinction of human relationships, cultures, and species, plus the extinction of hope and the difference between intentional and inevitable death.

Lewis leads her ideas and perspectives through the character Khim Phan, a professor of biology originally from Cambodia, played by Darrell Kunitomi. Kunitomi is so grounded and compassionate as his character that you never feel lectured by the play’s messages; only enlightened and entrusted with the fragile journey of a life all too knowledgeable of human self-extinction from the genocidal killing fields of Cambodia.

Phan is the biology teacher of a young violist, Max Forrestal (Will Faught), whose mother, Lily (Lori Yeghiayan) is dying of cancer and whose father Ellery (Michael Shutt), a more famous biologist than Phan, is desperately trying to save the rainforest that he thinks contains a cure for his wife’s ailment. Faught gives a visceral performance as a son coming to terms with the fate of his mother and the renewal he must embue in the relationship with his father. Each character experiences their own different journey of extinction and in this way Lewis has successfully folded one profound theme after another into an illuminating play on harsh, yet heartfelt, themes.

The set (Stephanie Kerley Schwarts) is a gorgeous shrine to places and people who have suffered as a result of extinction: Cambodian refugees and the jungles that inhabit the mysteries of a nature left undiscovered. The lighting design (Ian P Garrett) is romantic and illuminating as it moves the audience’s imagination from jungle to hospital to classroom. And the sounds (design by Jason Duplissea) of a ticking metronome and the beeping of a heart monitor all reflect the inevitable passage of time. Time, though itself not vulnerable to extinction, is its enabler. All of these elements, along with great performances, come woven together brilliantly by Davis. Her choice to personify the three family members Phan lost in Cambodia’s genocide as shadows dressed in white, weaving in and out of the play and doubling as stage hands, serves as a necessary echo of those who are lost. Still a memory is a memory, not a living presence.

Lewis world premieres her exquisite new play in Hollywood while America is simultaneously experiencing an extinction of its old ways through a need for new beginnings. She makes a clear statement that U.S.-born people are bad at understanding the concept of extinction because, “They do not believe it will ever happen to them.” Not to undermine her work through commercialization, but Lewis’ writing is so pithy and poetic that I feel it should be seen on the license plate frames of every U.S. car: “The Place of No More Pretending.”

My only concern with Song of Extinction is that due of the weight of its central theme, it may not draw in the crowds it deserves. It is theater propelled by the need to raise social consciousness. Where necessity is the mother of invention, I fear, apathy is the breeding ground for extinction. Let Song of Extinction be heard and fill that field.

]]> http://www.lataco.com/taco/song-of-extinction-a-review-at-inside-the-ford/feed 3 http://www.lataco.com/taco/blood-brothers-%e2%80%93-a-musical-at-the-whitefire-review http://www.lataco.com/taco/blood-brothers-%e2%80%93-a-musical-at-the-whitefire-review#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:17:09 +0000 Asian Taco Chick http://www.lataco.com/?p=17078

Blood Brothers (Thru Nov 23) @ Whitefire Theater ~ 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Blood Brothers, the musical by Willy Russell, currently playing at the Whitefire Theatre on Ventura Blvd., could not have had a more timely resurrection. It is a story that explores the desperate choices people make when they are faced with financial ultimatums, plagued by the limits and fears of their own superstitions, and burdened by secrets buried in their hearts. Those secrets that, had they only been released, would have provided the abundance and freedom they longed for.

Starring Pamela Taylor as Mrs. Johnstone, the role originated by Stephanie Lawrence on Broadway in 1993, Blood Brothers, under the direction of Bryan Rasmussen, is set in South Central L.A., as opposed to the original setting in Liverpool, England. Two twins, Mickey (Eduardo Enrikez) and Eddie (Ryan Nealy), are separated shortly after birth by their single mother, Mrs. Johnstone (Taylor), who already has more seeds than the Jolie-Pitt’s. In order to lessen the suffering of her existing brood and generously build a wealthy couple into a complete family, Mrs. Johnstone keeps one child, while her reproductively challenged, but rich boss, Mrs. Lyons (Judy Norton), takes the other. I wonder if it ever crossed Mrs. Lyons’ mind to just give her struggling employee a raise instead of snatching a child. Nevertheless, this life-changing decision plagues both women with an eternity of guilt and deception that is ultimately defeated by the ‘blood-tie’ between the two twins, who struggle their way to the fatal truth. In the number ‘Shoes upon the Table,’ their tragic resolution is foreshadowed by the ominous folk-superstition of a pair of new shoes placed on a tabletop.

Rasmussen’s choice to cast two actors with different ethnicities as the twins is a clear nod to a North American audience. The chemistry between the two brothers on stage and the urgency of Taylor’s performance are what bring the show together. The two principle actors, Enrikez and Nealy, give fantastic performances; ranging from childhood playmates to young adults who struggle with their identities in the face of socio-economic boundaries. Enrikez gradually delivers an honest soul whose character becomes swallowed by the unbearable guilt of not being, or having, enough. They are joined by Sita Young, fresh from New York, who plays Linda, the love interest that indirectly turns the twins against each other. Young is nuanced, specific, grounded, coy, and brazen at the same time. She may be”‘young,” but her acting is seasoned.

Some of the musical interludes in between scenes give the show a near soap-opera atmosphere, and costumes could have been more contrasting, especially between the rich and poor folk. Taylor gives a heartbreaking performance in ‘Easy Terms.’ Other musical strengths are “Long Sunday Afternoon,” “I’m Not Saying a Word,” (Nealy and Young) and the company finale “Tell Me It’s Not True.” The show, running through November 23^rd, is nearly three hours long with one fifteen-minute intermission and Act II runs smoother than Act I, which could use some tightening in the staging for the Narrator (Gil Darnell) who comes in and out of the action, as a shadow of the human conscience.

Blood Brothers is more than relevant to the questions this country is coming around to asking itself after its 40-year shopping spree. Amid the world’s current economic crisis and the daily political farce that threatens our reality, somedays it seems we live in the Twilight Zone. What happens when superstition belies reason? Where we are plagued by our beliefs and forget our convictions? What happens when we become mired in so much material suffering that we can not see what we are actually giving up? And who is to say what each of us would do if we were in another’s shoes? At least keep them off the table.

- Review by Asian Taco Chick

ACME Comedy Theater ~ 135 N. La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036

Through November 14th ~ Every Friday @ 9PM

Hola LA Taco Eaters! Asian Taco Chick here, in light of the pre-election neurosis/panic attacks we’re all having, I personally needed some sort of outlet for my “What is going to happen to this country?!”-angst. So if you’re like me and tired of watching our real-life presidential candidates improv for the sake of our country during the debates, go see ACME Comedy Troupe’s weekly 9 PM Friday night improv show, POLITICO, an improvised rock opera, and watch the professionals do it, in song. Set within the everyday world of dirty politics, POLITICO is comprised of completely improvised music and lyrics by a team of talented actors/singers/musicians who create rock ‘n roll melodies off the cuff. The scenes spring from scandalous, but true-to-life scenarios, with the terms and situations dictated by their scheming host, the Devil (Joseph Limbaugh) and his frisky devilette (Karina Bustillos).

The Liberty Party, led by Brian Lohman as Sen. Scott Turner, and the Loyalty Party, led by Dave Cox as Jefferson Hamilton, both campaign to bring the house down. It’s hard to tell which party’s blood runs blue and which party’s is red. They both find themselves under siege by the same struggles: re-surfacing family scandals, illegitimate children on the way, hookers kept at bay (Liza Round, played by Alexis Krause), and repressed drug addictions. With lines made up like “How can I lead my country if I can’t lead my family” by Sen. Scott Turner, or “We all know you can’t trust the facts” by The Devil, and lengthy appearances by Jesus, who not only saves, but sings, POLITICO is a disturbingly accurate reflection of our current political state of mind and being. Although, to be fair and balanced, no one improvised a song about a crystal meth-addicted baby born from pre-marital teen sex that can shoot down wild animals from a helicopter with a custom-made rifle…but they might next week!

The difference with this debate is that if you don’t like what you hear…Holla Back! It’s a democracy after all. Politico runs under the savvy direction of Joseph Limbaugh and the musical direction of Sue Peahl until November 14th. Hopefully, as Election Day tightens its noose around our country’s fate, ACME producer Travis Oates, will have this talented troupe personify our real-life candidates. Who says Tina Fey gets to have all the Palin-posing hijinks? I’d appreciate hearing Joe Biden singing alongside Obama on the economic crisis, wouldn’t you? Let’s do it for our country!

And if you want to get an early start on your weekend spirits, preceding this political rock fest is ACME’s early-bird special at 8PM titled “Friday Night Live.” With sketches like “Excess Hollywood,” deadly spins on Mac vs. PC-style commercials, and memorable recurring characters (two homeless men, one a former home-owner, the other, a Wa-Mu banker), “Friday Night” is a boisterous warm-up to their weekend comedy fest, with all original music by genius keyboardist Jonathan Green, who also jams for POLITICO. If you can’t wait for Saturday night in New York, go see Friday Night Live on North La Brea, by the ACME Comedy Troupe. There’s an Asian guy in the cast. Go Aaron! Props!

Art/Works Theater ~ 6567-6583 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90038

“Earth Sucks is an intergalactic garage band showdown between Earthlings and the people who need their ‘Space’” – Asian Taco Chick

Earth Sucks is writer/director/producer Jonas Oppenheim’s tribute to two of his favorite things: astronomy and rock ‘n roll, with a couple of star struck lovers stuck in between. Set in Houston, Texas, Earth Sucks begins with young Echo Bell (Emily Stern from the Kabbalah Jewish Theatre, NYC and the nutsack of TACO’s favorite shock jock), an enlightened teenager filled with angst and boredom towards her planet Earth, tuning into the musical sounds of space. Is it the mini-malls, the coffee shops, or the short sightedness of Earth boys who can’t see past their next sexual mishap that make Echo want to go where she merely thinks no one has gone before?

After breaking up with her Earthling boyfriend Swayze (Rawn Erickson II) in the number “I Need My Space,” Echo searches for an out-of-this-world attraction. Little does she know her taste for space is hereditary; Echo’s father, Max Bell (Christopher Fairbanks), who works for NASA, has a hidden past of close encounters. The plot twists when Echo boards a bus/spaceship and encounters an intergalactic rock band, Citizens of Earth from the planet Hang Fang Dang Mang Tang, led by Chapulin-esque lead singer and sock puppet alien Fluhbluhblubh (Lucas Revolution).

Stern is quite endearing as the awkward teenager, but this same awkwardness sometimes prevents her from giving a more (guffaw) down-to-earth performance. The strength of the show shines through its villains, Ulinia Swords (Nakia Syvonne) and Mr. Swordo (Scott Palmason). Syvonne can make a two-step on a small stage feel like a grand-slam show at the Hollywood Bowl. Her performance, alongside Palmason’s, is worth trekking across the galaxy for. When the protagonists are in the spotlight, the show takes a more passive nature.

Earth Sucks’ use of costumes and props to portray alien life forms is both edgy and animated; sock puppet martian, keyboard bong, and the writer himself making a cameo in drag. After sitting down in the theater that night I realized said playwright is the same Jonas Oppenheim I knew in NYC, who once pondered using a medical model of a vagina as a container for chip dip. I’m pretty sure he’s some sort of genius for that idea.

Musical numbers that rock the show into focus are “Obey,” by Ulinia Swords, her haunting melody of universal conquest; “The Age of Song,” sung by Citizens of Earth, in their battle against Ulinia to save, yes, the citizens of our planet; and the love duet between Echo and Fluhbluhbluh, “…Means I Love You.” Here the two lovers learn each others’ languages, English and Alien. Keep in mind, he’s a sock puppet. So it’s funny.

The psychedelic set (Mel Horan and Warren Johnson) easily transforms from Dad’s NASA office to Echo’s bedroom to the spaceship bus to an everyday sidewalk on Earth. And the costumes (Arianna Pistilli) inhabit both the inner hearts of the human characters and the outer brains on top of the alien ones.

Playing through November 2nd at the ArtWorks Theatre in Hollywood, “Earth Sucks” is an evolving cosmic goulash of rock ‘n roll and nonsensical fun that’s a tad premature for its Broadway-like marketing. There are Earth Sucks T-shirts and CDs being sold in the lobby. OH, why not?! Sometimes, as the Beatles would say, “All you need is love.” Unfortunately the vaginal chip dip dish is yet to make its debut.

]]> http://www.lataco.com/taco/%e2%80%9cearth-sucks%e2%80%9d-review-artworks-theatre/feed 0 http://www.lataco.com/taco/its-the-housewives-whitefire-theatre-sherman-oaks http://www.lataco.com/taco/its-the-housewives-whitefire-theatre-sherman-oaks#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:24:14 +0000 Asian Taco Chick http://www.lataco.com/?p=16543

It’s the Housewives @ Whitefire Theatre ~ 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA ~ (818) 990-2324~ Through October 12th

Hold onto your Swiffer, it’s another show about Housewives!!

Hope Juber, daughter of Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch creator Sherwood Schwartz, has finally given birth to her love child of 27 years with husband Laurence Juber and co-writer Ellen Guylas. The musical comedy, “It’s the Housewives!” opened to sold-out audiences this past weekend at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. Under the direction of Kelly Ann Ford, the show starts in present day and through flashbacks, tells the story of a trio of singing housewives who went from performing at a PTA Talent show to an international singing sensation; think ‘Desperate Housewives meets Dreamgirls. Rebecca (Terri Homberg-Olsen) begins the show in her kitchen, taking the audience, along with her plumber (Vince Cefalu), on the journey of how it all began when she was a younger mother named “Becca.”

The three singing housewives, played by Corinne Dekker (Lynn), Jamey Hood (Becca), and Jayme Lake (Lexie), give versatile, sharp performances with great chemistry between them. All are strong vocally, and aided by the witty choreography of Kay Cole, every image and nuance of the lyrics is delivered with a clean sweep. Jamey Hood shines especially in her solo number “Erica, You Bitch”, the show’s ode to soap-opera addiction.

The real star of the show is the writing. The musical numbers, ranging in genre from ’50s do-wop to rap and punk rock, all have cleverly written lyrics (‘be my baby…sitter”‘), performed with gusto and precision. This allows the audience to skip to the rhythm of the story’s conundrums and hyperboles, without missing a beat. The audience in turn responded consistently with high-spirited laughter and energy; favorites were clearly, “Spotless Love”, “Ironing Bored,” and “It Started with a Kiss.” Colorful sets by DC 2 and outstanding costumes by Sharell Martin outline this sparkling production, produced by Racquel Lehrman of Theatre Planners.

“It’s the Housewives!” isn’t a political feminist statement. So you won’t see any references to Hillary or what’s her name from Alaska. It’s an hour and 45 minutes of zesty performances, catchy tunes, and a lot of fun. The daily juggling act in being a housewife is expressed in the music, so in that sense, pain is turned into pride at last.

The transitions in between present day and flashbacks could run smoother. The story line also suffers a little as to how the band broke up, but the show’s high-energy and creativity even made me want to settle down and have a baby; or adopt one Angelina-style. Forget ‘air-guitar, after watching this show, it’s all about ‘broom-guitar’.

]]> http://www.lataco.com/taco/its-the-housewives-whitefire-theatre-sherman-oaks/feed 0