(Bryan Fetty as Audrey)
It’s
either the best of times or the worst of times for anyone who wants to mount a
musical politicalsatire. With Donald Trump on one side and Hillary Clinton on
the other, you have two people who have been worked over satirically ever since
Spy magazine it the streets in 1986.
Of course, this all may change if Bernie manages to beat Hill, but the chances
of that at this moment are slim.
That
said, the Cleveland Cabaret Project has decided to celebrate the arrival of the
Republican Convention here in town with a Capitol Steps-type show at Nighttown.
And while it’s an on-going process of creation, with some glitches showing, this
show often clicks enough to get the laughs rolling.
The
bulk of the song parodies, sung to existing tunes, have been created by Rob
Gibb and Bryan Fetty, who also are in the cast. But it all begins perfectly
with a piece written by Lora Workman, founder and artistic director of CCP: A
Chorus Line medley which has the eight performers singing, “Oh God, I need
this job!” That is ideal, particularly since the Republican candidate field was
like a chorus line audition from Hell.
A
lot of this show is focused on that nominating process, which feels a bit dated
now. But they’ll be writing new songs and trying to keep up with the
ever-evolving circus act that presidential elections have become. But there are
some bits that work perfectly, such as the Sound
of Music-inspired “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Scalia?” And the song
comparing Gov. Kasich to Don Quixote.
But
others tend to fall flat. I’m not sure anyone needs to hear a Martin
O’Malley-themed song, even if it is performed in drag. And roasting Hillary for
her flip-flops is tone-deaf at a time when Trump contradicts himself several
times a day, sometimes in the same sentence. But that clunker is saved with
Hillary’s concluding rendition of “Maybe this time (I’ll win)!”
The
cast features Fetty, who performs in an American flag mini-dress as Audrey, and
Gibb in a not particularly successful impersonation of The Donald. Another
off-center impression is turned in by Carla Petroski as Sarah Palin, although
she almost makes up for it through manic energy. One wishes Sheila Heyman had
more to do, since her deep and raspy voice adds some fresh appeal. Tina D.
Stump is a stitch as Ben Carson and rings the rafters in a gospel number, Marc
Moritz and Sean Cahill exude that go-for-broke cabaret vibe, and music director
Tom Bonezzi keeps it all moving.
As
they say, it’s hard to do comedy and it’s really hard to do political satire,
especially when everyone in the audience can probably predict what’s coming
next. So hats off to the CCP troupe, and let’s hope those daggers get even
sharper as the Convention nears.
2016:
A Politcal Race ODDyssey
Produced
by the Cleveland Cabaret Project at Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Road, Cleveland
Heights. May 23, June 13, June 27, July 11. Call 216-795-0550.
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