18 & OVER THE MOON
You gotta love a revue that starts with a song, “Turn off Your Fucking Phone.” Even better is that Ammunition Theatre Company — which gave us the astounding Giant Void in My Soul this summer — ups the ante with this modern olio for grown-ups. Creative dude par excellence Michael J. Feldman, who has proven himself au fait with this genre, has come up with a winner at Pico Playhouse — Fairy Tale Theatre 18 & Over: The Musical — in which a zany cast peopled with puppets deliver babe-in-the-woods stories and songs but with morals and cerebral roadmaps for adults. Clever, funny, X-rated, and wholly original, an extremely talented cast led by Mr. Feldman will have you like Jack in the palm of a Giant’s hand.
The all-original tunes cover several musical genres from Sondheim to opera — there’s one about a gay cat (Feldman) who wants nothing more than to get it on with a straight cat (Burl Moseley). The segments follow the Grimms’ familiar fairy-tale formula of old, giving us characters with wants who don’t always get the happy ending, such as a penguin (the wonderfully expressive Jason Rogel) who wants to fly but is constantly discouraged by his friends; yet this arctic bird is determined to follow his dream no matter what.
I’m nuts about canines, so a piece about a pack of service dogs was one of my favorites: They think they’re superior to non-service dogs (the ones who must wait outside in the cold while their masters shop and eat), so they sing about their vests with pride. There’s also a fabulous skit about a star looking to connect with other stars; he meets a black hole (played by Rogel, who later plays an asshole!), other stars, planets, and the moon, but no one stays around too long.
Under Annie McVey’s comical direction, the engaging ensemble also includes Sheila Carrasco, Matt Cook, Jason Currie, Tina Huang, Jess McKay, Colleen Smith, Cloie Wyatt Taylor, and Greg Worswick.
Speaking of happy endings, after you’ve swallowed a load of morals, you can turn your fucking phone back on.
photos by Jeff Lorch
Fairy Tale Theatre 18 & Over: The Musical
Ammunition Theatre Company
Pico Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico Blvd (between Overland and Beverly Glen)
Fri and Sat at 8; Sun at 7 (understudy performance Thurs Oct 4)
ends on October 7, 2018
for tickets, visit Event Bee
for more info, call 323.628.1622 visit Ammunition Theatre
