|
|
|
Tweet this article !
Sex...Because It Sells
A Musical Revue
OK, having a sense of humor about sex seems
like a good idea. And there are some laughs in the revue Sex…Because It Sells, made up of new material, but sometimes
feeling like old jokes.
Is it good clean fun? More or less, though
it’s not always good AND clean AND fun all at the same time. It’s a series of songs and blackouts. This is
mostly winking comedy, some of the good-natured but smirking variety that might
have been a hoot in seventh grade. I got tired of counting the tired double
entendres with the verb “to come.” Dialogue sections are really minimal except
for an early monologue about using the “F” word and a scene where one guy
reveals the secret to his bulging success. On the same topic, a song called
“Size Doesn’t Matter” is kind of cutely presented as a perky Andrews Sisters
style number where the harmonizing (or is it hormonize-ing?) female trio longs
for something long. Like other pieces here, it is funny at first until it goes
on, um, at length. (See? I can certainly understand the temptation to indulge
in the word play when even writing a review of a revue on this subject matter
without doing so intentionally or otherwise is hard.)
Some rhymes are predictable—in a
contemporary song lyric referring to male sexual dysfunction, you know what’s
gonna rhyme with “
To me, the humor was hit and miss, or hit and
misguided, but I want to stress that many people in the audience were laughing
far more often and more heartily than I did. Some of the laughs seemed to be
paired with delighted naughty surprise, howls mixed with gasps that some things
were being said (and sung) out loud. There is a sense of liberation here and
certainly a sense that preoccupations with sex and vanity and insecurities are
just human nature and shouldn’t be causes for alarm, embarrassment or
dishonesty. Thus, permission is given to smile and/or indulge with songs
mocking self-absorption of a mirror-glancing dancer who admires his body but
praising self-gratification via vibrators (one is held tenderly and sung
to).
In a new revue about sex playing in a
The cast of three women and two men had
good moments and generally worked gamely and briskly. The standout is Dara
Seitzman. She can be a wonderfully rubber-faced, bug-eyed comedienne and has a
strong singing voice and loopy but savvy way about her. Her broad-accented,
broad-humored “German Drinking Song” is near perfection. Her facial expressions
as a disapproving, uptight mother from another generation are a howl – it’s
instant and lasting hilarity when the lights come up on that bit and we see her
imposing scowl (above her modern-day daughter, she’s a portrait hung on a wall
and the actress holds the frame and holds the pose). Miles above most
everything else, is a brilliantly conceived and performed high-energy routine
called “Make-Up Sex” where Paige Hutchison and Jesse Sullivan fight alternately
and lust after each other in a series of impressively athletic and sharply
timed, fearless and fabulously funny choruses. Dana Mierlak gets her best
moment when, with the other women, they are a hoot with
Sex…Because
It Sells was cooked up by John Cook, also its musical director/pianist and Bethany Smith Staelens, who also directed and
is an offstage, on-mic voice announcing the quick dialogue scenes. She
introduces the show by good-naturedly and proudly saying it’s politically
incorrect and an equal opportunity offender but those who’d be most generically
offended would probably steer clear of a show with this title.
More information at www.smith-staelens.com.
THIS
SHOW CAN BE SEEN AGAIN THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 @ 8pm, AT DON’T TELL MAMA,
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
|
|
|
 |
