TheaterWork's Tomfoolery
(out
of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 7/18/98
(out
of )For those that've never experienced the alarmingly original songs of Harvard mathematician Tom Lehrer, who wrote his biting ditties between 1962 and 1968, there is little that can be used to describe his mixture of hard-hitting images and liberal views. The best way to ready an unwary audience for his hilariously offensive ways is to give you a few snippets of his own lyrics, and let a potential audience member decide if they are too faint-of-heart to enjoy.
From the lilting strains of "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"; "When they see us coming, the birdies all try and hide/Though they can't resist peanuts when coated with cyanide." Here's one from the touching love song "I Hold Your Hand in Mine"; "The day you died, I cut it off/I really don't know why/For every time I kiss it/I get bloodstains on my tie." Are you seeing a trend here? Here's a quote from one of my personal favorites, "National Brotherhood Week"; "Oh, the Catholics hate the Protestants/And the Protestants hate the Catholics/The Hindus hate the Moslems/And everybody hates the Jews." Satire and overstatement are the standards when a presentation of these songs is attempted. Despite being nearly 35 years old, most of these tunes have held up well, and are as relevant today as they were in the button-down era of the early and mid-sixties.
TheaterWorks presents Tomfoolery, a potentially controversial musical revue in the middle of "easily-offended" country, inches from Sun City. Much has been done to cushion the blow and warn the masses, but the production itself, once patrons are seated, does nothing to soften Mr. Lehrer's occasionally disagreeable, always funny sentiments. Director Gerald Thomson allows the group of six performers to carry the show over-the-top, and remind the audience that this is, after all, just good, wholesome fun.
While there are some lapses in continuity, and some hesitant performances, Mr. Thomson does a solid job of ensuring that the performers keep tongue firmly in cheek. An example of some of the niggling inconsistencies that plague this production is evident in the singing of the first number, a concert version of "The Irish Ballad," a bloody tip o' the hat to Irish familial relations. Some of the players sing with an Irish accent, while some don't. This doesn't necessarily hurt the proceedings, but makes the evening seem more like a better-than-average talent show rather than a unified community theatre production.
As for the individual performances themselves, all fall directly in the solid range. One or two of the four women and two men have better than average voices, while one or two are vocally hesitant, but not seriously enough to hamper the show. All of the women (Traci Ferree, Jodi Tamar Fleisher, Julia Fordtner, and Debra M. Qualtire) perform their various and varied roles, from Boy Scout to Nun to Dominatrix, with a sadistic glow that helps greatly with the presentation of these songs. Each has a maniacal, puckish gleam in their eyes that is a delight and fright all at once. Cris Wo will do anything for a laugh, and is enjoyable to watch and Drew Kallen also gives a solid performance. Also, Mr. Kallen has a voice that is vaguely reminiscent to Mr. Lehrer himself, and though this may or may not be a compliment, it still works well in the overall production. One problem for all of the performers is the heavy workload they are required to do during the production. There are thirty-one songs, and by the end of the intermission-less eighty-five minutes, their energy has dropped, probably from the sheer exhaustion of simultaneous singing and hamming, and Rachel Cohen's frenetic choreography.
Gregory Jaye's set design is grand, offering many levels and hidden treats. Kevin Cleere's lighting was functional, as were Debbie Pischke's costumes.
If you're at all hesitant about seeing this show, remember, laughter is the best medicine, and there are plenty of laughs throughout the evening. Will you be offended? Probably. But the pain from your laugh-strained cheeks should be greater than that from your humiliation.
TheaterWorks, a company I had knocked after their move to and seeming absorption by Sun City, has made me eat my words this past season, by presenting this and other more 'cutting edge' works. With their impressive '98/'99 season ahead, they are regaining their claim as one of the top community theatres in the valley, and I couldn't be happier about it.
Production Details:
Tomfoolery Music and Lyrics by Tom Lehrer, Adapted by Cameron
Mackintosh and Robin Ray
TheaterWorks, Peoria
815-7930
July 17th-August 9th, 1998