Accompanied by the rockin’ 4-piece Troubadorchestra led by music director Ryan Whyman, the always-entertaining, hip and sassy Troubadour Theater Company (The Troubies) is generating tons of fun with their latest mash-up, the world premiere of Home Alone-ly Hearts Club Band at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, areThe premise is familiar to fans of the group: The Troubies pick a movie or play and tell the story using revised lyrics to modern pop or rock music of a particular artist.
Matt Walker and Mark McCracken
Surely you know the Home Alone story: Kevin McCallister, a bratty young boy has to defend his suburban Chicago home from a home invasion by a pair of robbers after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris.
Beth Kennedy and Benji Kaufman (with the band)
Mashing up the Home Alone film with rewritten lyrics to songs from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the production is directed by the always wonderfully strange and talented Matt Walker who also assists John Paul Batista and Suzanne Narbonne with choreography. And on top of all that, Walker adapted the material and plays the “six-to-eight year-old” Kevin, beginning the show with “What Would We Do If We Were Alone / We’d get by with a little help from our friends” — letting us know we are part of the show, often called upon to sing along or act in a bit part.
Phillip McNiven, Matt Walker and Rick Batalla
Along with Walker, the cast includes John Paul Batista (who pauses to make sure the audience gets his every character transformation); Suzanne Jolie Narbonne, who shines as “Sal the Checkout Gal” while dancing in a sexy red-sequined dress with Walker as Kevin; Victoria Hoffman as the big-haired, crazy Aunt Leslie; Beth Kennedy as Kevin’s distracted mother Kate, who relishes her moment in the spotlight surrounded by dancing flight attendants; Mark McCracken as the odd “Old Man” Marley, Kevin’s neighbor who is rumored to be a serial killer called the South Bend Shovel Slayer (which explains the Kennedy’s Winter Warlock’s snow shovel); Philip McNiven is peachy as dim-witted burglar Marv; and Rick Batalla stops the show as Harry the burglar with his impression of Joe Pesci’s famous “Am I a clown to you” monologue from Goodfellas. Benji Kaufman, Lara Lafferty, Dallys Newton, and Mike Sulprizio round out the players.
Suzanne Jolie Narbonne and Matt Walker
While the show is scripted, improvisation rules, guaranteeing no two performances will be the same. And Walker really knows how to engage the audience with quips intentionally aimed at the Troubies’ older fans. When he clapped his hands to change the set’s lighting, a few of us laughed at The Clapper gimmick; he turned to us and said, “There’s my dinosaurs!” More universal are the name-calling pokes at each other, happily tossing quips that would have gotten their mouths washed out with soap in school (yeah, you really SHOULD leave the kids home alone).
Beth Kennedy (center) and the company
Clever tech credits include lights by Bo Tindell; sound by Robert Arturo Ramirez; costumes and wigs by Suzanne Jolie Narbonne, projections by Batalla, props (and there are MANY) by Matt Scott, music supervisor is Eric Heinly, and the Stage Manager is the always uber-reliable Corey Womack.
Mark McCracken and Beth Kennedy
Wear your ugly holiday sweater and be ready to “Deck the Halls with Shots of Stoli” or other Beatles-inspired adult beverage at the lobby bar. It may not help you to keep track of all the other movie characters who make very quick appearances throughout the chortle-inducing musical comedy, but hey, it’s the holidays — just get high with a little help from your friendly bartenders. And The Troubies must visit the bar before the show, because they don’t even care if you show up late!
Rick Batalla with the company
And celebrate 30 years of Troubies next summer at the Getty Villa in Malibu when they remount their 2009 mashup of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King with the music of the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley: Oedipus the King, Mama!
Home Alone-ly Hearts Club Band
Troubadour Theater Company
Colony Theater, 555 N Third St. in Burbank
90 minutes with intermission (if the improvisation is kept under control)
for tickets ($39.50-$69.50, incl. fee), call 818.558.-7000 visit Colony Theatre
Friday Dec 13th, 8p
Saturday Dec 14th, 4p & 8p
Sunday Dec 15th, 4p & 7:30p
Friday Dec 20th, 8p
Saturday Dec 21st, 4p & 8p
Sunday Dec 22nd, 4p and 7:30p (closing show)
