Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Ethan Lipton’s western romp TUMACHO was a winning diversion for our troubled times

• By drediman
• March 14, 2020
• No Comments

Phillipa Soo and John Ellison Conlee in Clubbed Thumb’s production of “Tumacho” by Ethan Lipton at the Connelly Theatre. Photo by Elke Young.

One of the unfortunate casualties of the mass theatrical suspensions in New York was Ethan Lipton’s Tumacho, which closed prematurely two nights ago as part of the theater community’s proactive precautionary measure to counteract the coronavirus pandemic. The acclaimed Clubbed Thumb production had returned for an encore run at Off-Broadway’s Connelly Theatre in the East Village, which I was lucky enough to catch before it shuttered. The show is basically a western romp about a fictitious frontier town whose inhabitants combat the terrorism wreaked upon them by an ancient demon.

Long story short, Tumacho is a tremendously appealing concoction. Armed with a batchful of charming songs, I’d even argue that the work classifies as a musical. Mr. Lipton’s sketch-like, ensemble-based scenes are consistently winning and often laugh-out-loud hilarious. Indeed, there’s pretty much not a serious bone in the show’s body. Although the work is pure inconsequential fluff, I think that there’s enough room in the theater scene for such escapist diversions, particularly in our troubled times (which is why I find the production’s premature closing a bit ironic).

Tumacho was directed by Leigh Silverman, who got the show’s giddy tone just right. There’s a spirited “let’s put on a show” air to her staging that I found terribly endearing. Nevertheless, Ms. Leigh’s work was never less than thoroughly polished. Her deluxe cast – which included the likes of Tony nominees John Ellison Conlee, Andy Grotelueschen, and Phillipa Soo – featured a slew of inspired turns. There was an unadulterated joy to their performances that exuded pure love of their craft. It was infectious to watch.

RECOMMENDED

TUMACHO
Off-Broadway, Play (with music)
Clubbed Thumb / Connelly Theatre
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed