Though Gerard Alessandrini stopped doing a yearly version of Forbidden Broadway, we now get to see “Greatest Hits” of the past along with satirical takes on current shows and stars. Rather than stretch their considerable talents to present mostly numbers that often employed a dozen acting/singing dancers, the cast of four emphasize solo performers. So even if people haven’t seen all the musicals satirized, they can recognize by whom and how cleverly.
Amy Dobbert catches not only the ebullient “Tomorrow” from a too-old heroine of Annie but quickly switches to that wide-mouthed, deep-toned way Carol Channing has of singing. She later tries to stay current as Liza Minnelli recalling how her Mama taught her, but she’s always “Liza One-Note.” Going “Back to Barbra” she not only looks like Streisand, especially sweeping each side of her hair back off her face, but Amy may sound better.
Sadra Bostick captures Bebe Neuwirth’s gestures in Chicago and Chita Rivera in general. The dream she humorously dreams from Les Miz is that Susan Boyle didn’t sing her hit song. Sadra unmasks Joey Sarlo’s Phantom--vertically! Their parodies are “Mucous of the Night” and “You Just Can’t Sing.”
All together, Sadra, Joey, and Jonathan Pouliot tease Spamalot for not being Camelot. Their most astute number, for anyone as disappointed with Rent as I was, is “Seasons of Hype.”
Jonathan Pouliot has fun introducing the show as well as singing “I Enjoy Being a Cat” from the show audiences “find boring.” He also plays producer Cameron Mackintosh, the great salesmen of musicals, enumerating “My Souvenir Things” or the stuff sold at his shows.
Director/choreographer James Grenelle has kept everything going at a good pace before a shimmering curtain that changes colors appropriately with set designer Dalton Hamilton’s lighting. Ronnie Farley’s costumes recall each show satirized and also nicely convey meanings of their own.
Manatee Players regularly trade their productions with Largo Cultural Center’s, giving audiences a chance to see things they might otherwise miss. Those who frequented the past yearly versions of Forbidden Broadway also should be happy not to miss the current digest of hit numbers, done so well.
