Forbidden Broadway

As one who has seen Forbidden Broadway numerous times in New York over the years, this "classic" touring version is a bit like seeing an old friend. The "classic" version cherry-picks the best bits from various versions of the show. Since Forbidden Broadway has been around 22 years, there's no lack of great material. A recently updated version of the show is now playing in New York. But this is the first time Milwaukee audiences have ever seen this fast-paced revue, which so effectively (and parasitically) skewers the Great White Way. This top-notch cast of four (as usual, two girls and two boys) has Broadway credits galore. It shows.

The cast includes: Brian Noonan (also the show's producer), Becky Barta, Janet Dickinson and Neal Mayer. The fact that three of the four have appeared in Broadway's Les Miserables makes the parody of this show even funnier. In case you haven't caught this humorous bit, the show's characters attempt to sing and act while "spinning" on the show's turntable. Perhaps because the Les Mis tour just ended its run in Milwaukee, this parody seems fresher than it probably is. Other highlights include dead-on impersonations of Robert Goulet, Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews and Carol Channing (complete with red lipstick smeared all over her mouth). The Chicago bit is also very well done, as the cast sings "saucy Fosse-'em" to the tune of "Razzle Dazzle." The second-act opener, a parody of "The Lion King," is hysterical from the moment the cast steps onstage. The Broadway show's intricate costumes have been "recreated" from a toyshop, a housewares department and a hardware store. Other sections of this "classic" version seem stale, such as the pointless Chita Rivera vs. Rita Moreno number (from West Side Story.) Most of the audience didn't get the number from Rent and ditto for Aspects of Love.

It would have been nice to see something from newer musicals, such as Hairspray or Wicked. The show's opening number, with new lyrics to Guys and Dolls' "Fugue for Tinhorns" sets the perfect tone for what's ahead. Particular applause goes to local pianist Jack Forbes Wilson. His nimble fingers fly over the keyboard as fast as the cast can switch costumes. Wilson is such a talented pro, he makes this look easy. The set is minimal, basically just a marquee featuring the show's title.