Not unlike the "newbie" who is introduced to the film by her friends the "Poseidonites", I HAVE seen Dirty Dancing at least 8 times. And I saw the 2005 remake *gasp*. But that's not the point.
The point is, even if you haven't seen the original film, you will still enjoy this campy, over the top musical that celebrates its silliness from the opening scrim drop to the final bow.
Poseidon is a regional premiere, having only ever been produced in Chicago prior to the Falcon's opening of the show. The Falcon and I have a little bit of history (I was in a show this past December), so I was amazed to see how versatile the little (and I do mean little) black box stage truly is. In the last six months, the stage has been transformed from a 1940s recording studio, to that famous castle in Denmark, and is now a luxury cruise liner, circa 1972.
The good ship Poseidon's passengers and BIGGEST FANS EVAH bring an astounding amount of energy to the performance. It's really essential to the show - if one performer doesn't believe in what they are presenting, the audience won't play along either. However, you won't be disappointed - every single cast member brings 150% to their role. From incessant giggles to sex jokes, hand claps and a full 4 minutes of rolling around on the stage as the ship was tipping over (eliciting some much-deserved applause)... all I'm saying is the cast is going to sleep WELL at night during this run, with how much they put into their performance.
I watched the trailer of The Poseidon Adventure this morning on youtube, and I can say that they stayed very true to the original cast. Granted, the characters are larger than life, but that's the point. There's the ditzy lounge singer (Michelle Shaffer) who falls for the Bachelor Haberdasher (Earl Lehkamp). There's the cop (David L. Radtke) and his ex-hooker wife (Marypat Carletti). Don't forget the adorable Jewish couple (Ron Burrage and Joe Stollenwerk) who just want to get to Israel and see their grandson (with Joe playing Mrs. Rosen - an obviously Harvey Fierstein-esque role - what a stellar voice!! A mensch til the end!) Then the feisty Susan (Lauren Bailey) who desperately wants to shack it up with the Radical Reverend Scott (John Langley) , and her little brother, Robin (Donnie McGovern). Oh, Robin. He serves as one part sexually confused man-child, one part annoying little brother, and one part tour guide - he knows the whole ship, thanks to his "friend" Charlie the 3rd Engineer (who is lurking somewhere in the audience. You have been warned.)
Other memorable characters include a hobbly waiter (Sean Mize), an unsteady captain (Greg Underwood), and of course the entire group of Poseidonites (Burgess Byrd, DeAndre Smith, Chuck Knippen, Nicole Sandford) in all their rabid fan glory. Other roles include Mary Ann Smith as an "Indian" lady and Robin Baker as the Doctor.
With songs like "SHUT UP!" "Just Panties" and "In the Water, I'm a Very Skinny Lady" you know you're in for a good time. Some of the singers were a touch quiet, but that was honestly my only complaint. Loved the story, the choreography, costumes, and energy. Basically, I'm saying that you should check it out.
Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical is presented by the Falcon Theatre and directed by Dan Doerger. The show runs May 1, 2; May 8,9; May 15,16 (basically, the first three weekends in May.) It starts at 8pm at the Monmouth Theatre- 636 Monmouth Street; Newport, Kentucky.
One of the best things about the Falcon is that you can make reservations online. Check it out!: http://www.falcontheater.net/reservations.html
Always remember: Wear sensible shoes to your dinner cruise, and Keep on Climbing!
Come and see the full-fledged, updated version in Chicago!!!!
ReplyDeletePoseidon! gets a second sinking
Hell in a Handbag’s production comes back to the Chopin.
By Kris Vire
A campy musical docks in Chicago for a second sinking.
There’s got to be a morning after. So says the Oscar-winning theme from The Poseidon Adventure, the 1972 camp classic about an ocean liner capsized by a tidal wave. (It was produced by disaster-movie maven Irwin Allen, whose other projects included The Towering Inferno and TV-movie gems Fire! and Flood!)
David Cerda’s inspired parody, Poseidon!, first produced by Hell in a Handbag in 2002, gets its morning after with a June 18–July 26 remount at the Chopin (1543 W Division St, 800-838-3006; handbagproductions.org). It’s framed as a play within a play: Attendees at a New Year’s Eve Poseidon party—the movie is set during New Year’s—sit down for a screening (allowing for direct, heckling commentary); as the “guests” move in and out of the party, they double as the movie characters.
The humor can be delightfully broad, as when Cerda turns Shelley Winters’s line “In the water, I’m a very skinny lady” into a faux-underwater musical number, but also brilliantly subtle, like when you realize, pre–tidal wave, the ship’s house band is playing the Diana Ross tune “Upside Down.” If you didn’t catch Poseidon! the first time around, get on board. We promise you’ll flip.