The Musical of Musicals!
The Musical of MusicalsThe Playhouse, Fredericton
March 15, 2012By Mark Loggie
Never has there been a more aptly titled musical than The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!). An ode to the artistic medium, an extravaganza of theatrical performance, a musical that is just five small musicals crammed together; The M of M (The M!) is all these things and then some.
I for one am about as familiar with musical theater as I am with rocket science, so perhaps some of the glitz and glamour was wasted on me. It isn’t exactly a show that makes sense per se, but the actors not only acknowledge this mid-performance, they revel in it. The fourth wall is broken constantly, and an otherwise absurd and colourful narrative is broken up by refreshingly well-timed humour.
The cast is made up of four total triple-threats who sing, act and dance their hearts out on a gorgeous and versatile stage. Their manic characters tell the same classic ‘can’t pay the rent’ story over and over from the corn fields of Iowa to the dark and dingy apartment complexes of New York City. It’s hard to fault them for their passion and delivery, no matter how silly the show may get.
Anyone with a love for musicals will adore the Broadway references and parodies. Anyone lacking this love will be treated to a crash course in performance arts. Everyone will enjoy the music and dancing, and no one will walk away disappointed.
The Musical of Musicals continues tonight (7:30 PM) and tomorrow (2PM & 7:30 PM).
www.theplayhouse.nb.ca
Produced by Theatre New Brunswick
www.tnb.nb.ca
