[NEohioPAL]Review of Beck Center's "Saturday Night"

[Jeff Holland]

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by Mike and Ike

rdoughnuts at yahoo.com

WARNING:  The following piece has been rated PG-13 by the Theatre Critics Association of America.  It contains adult themes, strong language, and jokes of questionable taste.  If you are easily offended or do not like Mike and Ike's unique brand of criticism, DON'T READ THIS POST!!!  Delete it, send it to a stranger friend, print it out and make origami chickens out of it.  Whatever.  You have been warned--Jeff Holland

Mike and Ike would like to apologize for the lateness of this review.  Mike's computer crashed and Ike just got out of a lengthy public indecency trial.

Ike:  I cannot believe I saw yet another musical!

Mike:  You're starting to like them.  I know it.

I:  That's what ABC said after two months of Three's Company, and look what happened.  This keeps up I might actually WANT to see Mama Mia.

M: Actually, there's another musical coming to the Beck Center that you might want to see.

I:  Only if it's called How to Kill an Annoyin' Limey.

M:  Actually, it's called Zombie Prom.

I:  Like the title.

M:  But that's later.  What did you think of Saturday Night?

I:  Got sick of seein' John Travolta's chest hair poking through his shirt.

M:  Not Saturday Night Fever, Saturday Night!  The show we just saw!

I:  Oh, yeah!  That!  We're you thinking the Bowery Boys the entire time,  too?

M:  Well, the comparisons are unavoidable.

I:  Provided you know who the Bowery Boys even are.

M:  They both take place in the late 20's, they're set in and around New York City.

I:  And all the supporting characters have really annoyin'. accents.

M:  The cast did a very good job with the accents.

I:  I didn't say they were bad, just annoyin'.  And speaking of annoyin', I believe Monica Breedlove has been replaced as the most instantly hitable character in theatre history.

M:  I never thought I'd hear you say that.

I:  I never thought I'd have ta sit through two hours of  . . . ARTIE!!!

M:  He was funny!

I:  Like incest is funny.

M:  Exactly!

I:  Huh?

M:  You're supposed to laugh at how inane he is, and I think Terry Sandler did a great job of bringing his inanity to life.

I:  What is the point of characters like this?  I mean, why do so many shows have people that, five minutes after their first entrance, you're thinking "They must die by my hand?"

M:  To make us feel better about our own shallow, empty lives.

I:  Oh.  Then hell, all these characters made me feel good 'bout myself.  I mean, look who you meet in the opening number:  Dino, Ray, the aforementioned evil one, and Ted, four lovable losers who apparently have no jobs and spend their Saturday nights wondering why they can't get any.  When they finally get a date--with just one girl, mind you--they spend an entire song arguing over who has to pay more for her.  No wonder they can't get any.  Besides being into the swinging lifestyle way before it was fashionable, they're a bunch of cheap bastards!

M:  That ought to be good for another couple of angry letters.

I:  Then, we have our romantic hero, Gene, and we know he's the hero cause he's better lookin' than everbody else, and what does our hero do?  He lies to his friends, he steals from his friends, he steals from his family, he gets his way too enabling girlfriend to cover up for his lies, and then, when he finally gets caught and should pay for his less than noble deeds, he gets off scott free in one of the lamest deus ex machinas in history, without learning a thing but getting his friends to forgive him so they can do a reprise of the catchiest tune in the show.

M:  Okay, so you didn't like the characters.  What did you think of the songs?

I:  Too damn many of 'em.

M:  Did you like them?

I:  All I gotta say is I really wanted to see Artie get eaten by a meat pie.  You sure this was written by the same guy who wrote Sweeny Todd and Assassins?

M:  Well, this was before Sondheim discovered angst.

I:  And good book writers.

M:  Oh, come on!  This was a well sung, well acted homage to a time gone by.

I:  So you're sayin' everbody in the late 20's was stupid and horny.

M:  Well, yes.

I:  So nothing has changed.

M:  Well, no.

I:  Okay, I liked it then.

 

For information on joining the Mike and Ike mailing list, send an email to rdoughnuts at yahoo.com

 

 



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<P>by Mike and Ike</P>
<P><A href="mailto:rdoughnuts at yahoo.com">rdoughnuts at yahoo.com</A></P>
<P>WARNING:  The following piece has been rated PG-13 by the Theatre Critics Association of America.  It contains adult themes, strong language, and jokes of questionable taste.  If you are easily offended or do not like Mike and Ike's unique brand of criticism, DON'T READ THIS POST!!!  Delete it, send it to a stranger friend, print it out and make origami chickens out of it.  Whatever.  You have been warned--Jeff Holland</P>
<P>Mike and Ike would like to apologize for the lateness of this review.  Mike's computer crashed and Ike just got out of a lengthy public indecency trial.</P>
<P>Ike:  I cannot believe I saw yet another musical!</P>
<P>Mike:  You're starting to like them.  I know it.</P>
<P>I:  That's what ABC said after two months of Three's Company, and look what happened.  This keeps up I might actually WANT to see Mama Mia.</P>
<P>M: Actually, there's another musical coming to the Beck Center that you might want to see.</P>
<P>I:  Only if it's called How to Kill an Annoyin' Limey.</P>
<P>M:  Actually, it's called Zombie Prom.</P>
<P>I:  Like the title.</P>
<P>M:  But that's later.  What did you think of Saturday Night?</P>
<P>I:  Got sick of seein' John Travolta's chest hair poking through his shirt.</P>
<P>M:  Not Saturday Night Fever, Saturday Night!  The show we just saw!</P>
<P>I:  Oh, yeah!  That!  We're you thinking the Bowery Boys the entire time,  too?</P>
<P>M:  Well, the comparisons are unavoidable.</P>
<P>I:  Provided you know who the Bowery Boys even are.</P>
<P>M:  They both take place in the late 20's, they're set in and around New York City.</P>
<P>I:  And all the supporting characters have really annoyin'. accents.</P>
<P>M:  The cast did a very good job with the accents.</P>
<P>I:  I didn't say they were bad, just annoyin'.  And speaking of annoyin', I believe Monica Breedlove has been replaced as the most instantly hitable character in theatre history.</P>
<P>M:  I never thought I'd hear you say that.</P>
<P>I:  I never thought I'd have ta sit through two hours of  . . . ARTIE!!!</P>
<P>M:  He was funny!</P>
<P>I:  Like incest is funny.</P>
<P>M:  Exactly!</P>
<P>I:  Huh?</P>
<P>M:  You're supposed to laugh at how inane he is, and I think Terry Sandler did a great job of bringing his inanity to life.</P>
<P>I:  What is the point of characters like this?  I mean, why do so many shows have people that, five minutes after their first entrance, you're thinking "They must die by my hand?"</P>
<P>M:  To make us feel better about our own shallow, empty lives.</P>
<P>I:  Oh.  Then hell, all these characters made me feel good 'bout myself.  I mean, look who you meet in the opening number:  Dino, Ray, the aforementioned evil one, and Ted, four lovable losers who apparently have no jobs and spend their Saturday nights wondering why they can't get any.  When they finally get a date--with just one girl, mind you--they spend an entire song arguing over who has to pay more for her.  No wonder they can't get any.  Besides being into the swinging lifestyle way before it was fashionable, they're a bunch of cheap bastards!</P>
<P>M:  That ought to be good for another couple of angry letters.</P>
<P>I:  Then, we have our romantic hero, Gene, and we know he's the hero cause he's better lookin' than everbody else, and what does our hero do?  He lies to his friends, he steals from his friends, he steals from his family, he gets his way too enabling girlfriend to cover up for his lies, and then, when he finally gets caught and should pay for his less than noble deeds, he gets off scott free in one of the lamest deus ex machinas in history, without learning a thing but getting his friends to forgive him so they can do a reprise of the catchiest tune in the show.</P>
<P>M:  Okay, so you didn't like the characters.  What did you think of the songs?</P>
<P>I:  Too damn many of 'em.</P>
<P>M:  Did you like them?</P>
<P>I:  All I gotta say is I really wanted to see Artie get eaten by a meat pie.  You sure this was written by the same guy who wrote Sweeny Todd and Assassins?</P>
<P>M:  Well, this was before Sondheim discovered angst.</P>
<P>I:  And good book writers.</P>
<P>M:  Oh, come on!  This was a well sung, well acted homage to a time gone by.</P>
<P>I:  So you're sayin' everbody in the late 20's was stupid and horny.</P>
<P>M:  Well, yes.</P>
<P>I:  So nothing has changed.</P>
<P>M:  Well, no.</P>
<P>I:  Okay, I liked it then.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>For information on joining the Mike and Ike mailing list, send an email to <A href="mailto:rdoughnuts at yahoo.com">rdoughnuts at yahoo.com</A></P>
<P> </P>
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