PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI: Comic mock-operetta: Thrillpeddlers at the Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street, San Francisco, 94103 (Bryant & Division Streets). For tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/571738 or by calling 800-838- 3006.
March 27 – May 31, 2014
PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI is historically hysterical at Thrillpeddlers’ Hypnodrome. [rating:4] (5/5 stars)
Steven King’s admonition “They’re Back!” is the scary introduction to the return of the Gremlins. “They’re back” in reference to the Cockettes is partially scary and definitely thrilling in the remounting of The Fifth Anniversary Revival of Pearls Over Shanghai. It is a special engagement for Thrillpeddlers’ Spring 2014 season and it seems new and is surprisingly fresh although the world premiere of the Cockettes was 45 years ago.
The present generation might legitimately ask “Who are (were) the Cockettes?” They were
Rumi Missabu, “Sweet Pam” Tent, & Scrumbly Koldewyn (Composer); the three original Cockettes
hardly ‘legitimate’ but were a wild, wacky, wonderful and irreverent bunch who performed in the free-wheeling years of the 1960-70s at the Palace Theater in North Beach. Sadly there are only three members of the original group performing in this must see revival. Gratefully, auteur (writer, pianist, actor and director) Scrumbly Koldewyn, with the help of a tremendous artistic staff, is still around to produce music and lyrics that seem to spoof every conceivable music genre. He not only handles the musical direction he sneaks away from his piano accompaniment to take part in the storyline.
Scrumbly (that’s his real name . . . check out his web site) with the help of Link Martin, Peter Mintun and Richard Elfman come up with ballads, torch songs, opera, patter and pop songs for their spoofs that the cast of 20 plus wade into with gusto. The energy fills the miniscule stage and spills into the funky Hypnodrome venue.
The entire evening is a gender bender played with over-the-top performances infused with slapstick and sight gags too numerous to mention. The quality of the singing/acting ranges from great to so-so and you will have your favorites. The production numbers seem impossible to stage but the choreographers almost always keep them in line with more than an occasional individual doing a bit of mugging and spanking or playing to the front row of the audience. Even the occasional goofs seem directed into the action.
The costumes are to die for and appear new although those aficionados (and there are many) who will attend again and again will recognize some of them. The stage setting is a marvelous mash-up of oriental kitsch perfect for the twisted tale(s) being told. The make-up is indescribable with enough glitter for a dozen shows.
The two major stories involve Mrs. Goldberg (Pam Trent an original Cockette) and her three daughters (Delightful, Deluxe and Delicious who do a great take-off on the Andrew Sisters) arrive via luxury liner in Shanghai where virgins are a prime commodity. Yes, the girls are virgins (ha-ha) but they do not end up that way once they are abducted and (horrors) end up in an opium den half way through the second act. The journey to that nefarious place in tune with the “Opium Song” production number is one of the highlights (and there are many) of the evening.
.(l to r) Victoria Hibbert, Noah Haydon, Bryn Lux, (seated) Rose Bobrick,
& Roxanne Redmeat in Thrillpeddlers’ production of Pearls Over Shanghai,
The opera “Madame Butterfly” suffers the indignities of spoofing with the Captain of the ship falling for a hardly little and greatly hair-chested Eric Tyson Wertz as LiLi Frustrata. It is just an oversight that the locale is China and not Japan. There too many deserving individual accolades to list each separately but the cast and artistic crew are listed below.
Directed by Russell Blackwood Music by Scrumbly Koldewyn Book & Lyrics by Link Martin with additions by Scrumbly Koldewyn & Pam Tent
The musical stars in order of appearance: The 3 Wobbling Robin Sisters – Zelda Koznofsky (Delightful), Birdie-Bob Watt (Deluxe), Jesse Cortez (Delicious); Steven Satyricon (Captain Eddy), Eric Tyson Wertz (LiLi Frustrata), Russell Blackwood (Mother Fu), Earl Paus (Chop Chop), Rumi Missabu (Madam Gin Sling), John Flaw (Chang), Sloane Smith (Woody), James Toczyl (Shangri La), Flynn Witmeyer (Hank, Wuwu), Bonni Suval (Lottie Wu), Gabriel Ross (Sebastian), Noah Haydon (Petrushka), Bruna Palmeiro, Diego Gomez, Jessica Finn, Bryn Laux (Whores), Rose Bobrick, Victoria Hibbert (Denizens), Steve Bolinger (Stewpot) and “Sweet Pam” Tent (Mrs. Goldberg).
Technical credits: Scenery by James Blackwood; costumes by Tina Sogliuzzo, Dwight Overton, Billy Bowers & Flynn DeMarco and Tahara; lights by Nicholas Torre; choreography by Noah Haydon and Bonni Suval.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com
