'Hullabaloo' mixes laughs and groans

Posted by arts_reviews

Posted: June 22, 2009 - 11:21 am

Comments (0) |

DAWNELL SMITH

Think of “Hullabaloo” as an old Fly By Night show without live music or Spam. When it works, it works uproariously, and when it doesn’t, well, feel free to groan.

Dubbed a multimedia musical comedy, “Hullabaloo” relies on song and sentiment to tell a brief and selective history of Alaska, beginning with raven and tectonic plates and ending with a Sonny and Cher duet about duct tape and blue tarps. Sight gags and silly costumes garnish this dish of Alaskana served with a mighty mug of Low Brow.

The production never wavers as it moves from song to video to comedy routine. The simple set relies on video projection to augment each skit and show short videos between songs. (It ain’t easy going from skeeter to halibut while sweating under a load of polyester.)

Some of the filmed bits suit the Alaska theme and others don’t, but relevance hardly seems to matter. The video skit about Julia Child cooking road kill flounders, but another showing Alice Welling getting her Bill Clinton on catapults the thematic arc into the realm of the strange but hilarious.

At other times, the multimedia angle takes away from the fundamental meat of the show. Though it makes sense to couple iconic Alaskan imagery with the Alaska Flag Song, if only to elicit some “ahs” from the audience, using photos for laughs can just as easily steal attention from the main event.

After all, no matter how ridiculous their costumes, Welling and Leo Grinberg can really sing. To be sure, “Hullabaloo” needs their strong and distinct voices to rise above the endless barrage of jokes about body functions, politics, naughty moose, road kill moose, sexy governors and odd Alaska men.

When Welling channels Tina Turner or Cher, she reaches beyond Alaska and through several generations, adding sauciness to the crude.

Lil’ Wayne fans who don’t know James Brown or Turner won’t get “Hullabaloo,” but they’re not its audience. This show is for folks who want easy entertainment, not anything hip or heady.

“Hullabaloo” continues at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday until June 28 at Cyrano’s Off Center Playhouse (413 D St.). Tickets are $17.50 general admission or $15 for students, seniors or military members, either at the door or at centertix.net.

login or register to post comments