‘Musical of Musicals’ a bright, witty satire

TOM TITUS

Over 20 years ago, the creators of “Forbidden Broadway” hatched the

idea of satirizing the musical theater, its shows and its stars by

changing the lyrics of existing songs. Now the process has been

elevated to a new, more sophisticated level.

“The Musical of Musicals -- The Musical,” now occupying the Laguna

Playhouse for a summer-long engagement, takes aim at the genre rather

than the specific show, and -- more significantly -- employs

brand-new words and music, borrowing only the style from a handful of

well-known musical theater giants.

Composer Eric Rockwell and lyricist Joanne Bogart take aim at the

creators’ entire body of work, dropping key titles and phrases into

the mix to the point where even the most knowledgeable of musical

afficianados must be on his or her toes to catch all the sly

references.

This is done with a cast of four -- two men and two women -- under

the tutelage of director-choreographer Pamela Hunt, employing just

three chairs and a piano as the setting. Nevertheless,

pianist-narrator Jeffrey Rockwell (no relation to the composer)

manages to elicit applause from the audience on “set changes.”

Rockwell and his compatriots -- Alli Mauzey, Mary Gordon Murray

and Brent Shindele -- attack, in order, the musical stylings of

Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd

Weber and Kander & Ebb. The starting point is the same in all five --

a young lady (Mauzey) can’t pay her rent and the landlord (Rockwell)

is closing in.

In each segment, the actors retain their character name, or a

derivative of it, as they play out the scenario the way Sondheim,

Herman, Webber, etc., might have written it.

The result is highly enjoyable for audiences only slightly

familiar with the artists under satirization -- a scream for those

intimately acquainted with the five genres.

All display excellent vocal ranges and switch characters with

alacrity. Mauzey is captivating as the “damsel in distress”

character, Schindele neatly satirizes the matinee idol heroes, Murray

interprets the more seasoned actresses (her Norma Desmond from

“Sunset Boulevard” is a real hoot) and pianist Rockwell has his hands

full playing the various heavies and advancing the plots for the

audience. It would be impossible to enumerate the myriad musicals

scorched by the company’s satiric torch, and audiences will bring

their own varied degrees of familiarization to each show. Whatever

their savvy level, they are insured of a terrific evening of theater.