Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Forbidden Broadway giddily strikes back with MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG, skewering the latest crop of musicals

• By drediman
• September 21, 2024
• No Comments

Gerard Alessandrini’s Forbidden Broadway series has a tendency to strike back every few years or so to skewer the latest crop of Broadway musicals. I’m happy to report that the latest edition — which opened last week at Theater 555 (the production was previously announced for a Broadway mounting but has settled for its regular engagement Off-Broadway) — is no different. Cleverly entitled Merrily We Stole a Song, this iteration of the beloved long running musical revue comes fully loaded to giddily poke fun at the current Broadway landscape. Indeed, for fans of Broadway musicals, the occasion is something to relish and a reason to rejoice.

No one is safe from Alessandrini’s witty and often hilarious parody treatment, which simultaneously spoofs and is a love letting to the Broadway musical. There’s deep affection for the form that underlies each number which collectively registers more like a celebration than a ruthless critical commentary. This iteration of Forbidden Broadway turns its gaze — no spoilers here! — on Back to the Future (which is used as a smart framing device for much of the show), The Outsiders, Hell’s Kitchen, the highly anticipated upcoming revival of Gypsy with Audra McDonald, The Great Gatsby, Suffs, and obviously the hit revival of Merrily We Roll Along (even the recent Company revival made the cut, particularly vis-a-vis the Patti LuPone Tony-winning performance as Joanne). Indeed, there was a notable focus on Sondheim throughout — both in terms of his works and as a giant figure in musical theater — given the master’s relatively recent passing. Oh, there was also a very funny cameo by Mary Todd Lincoln, the subject of Cole Escola’s runaway hit comedy Oh, Mary! But perhaps most on point were the cleverly constructed montages covering the various productions of Cabaret over the years and the role of Lincoln Center in the whole Broadway topography.

Unsurprisingly, those who have seen most of the shows that are being made fun of will have a more satisfying time. But even those who haven’t seen many of them will be able to appreciate the craft and spot on performances that inform Alessandrini’s warped universe. The tireless and fabulously resourceful quartet of actors — Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Danny Hayward, Jenny Lee Stern, and Chris Collins-Pisano — are a pure joy to behold. Each are brilliant comedians and versatile singers whose renditions often compare favorably to the performances of the subjects they are parodying (e.g., Sterns’ impersonations of Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters are priceless). On the piano was musical director Fred Barton, whose assertive and lively accompaniment largely drives the cadence of the production.

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FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG
Off-Broadway, Musical
Theater 555
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through January 5