By Rick Brown, NakedSunfish.com
Read the original article here!
It has been several months of “firsts” for Shadowbox Live since their big move from Easton Town Center to the heart of the city. All things considered, the troupe has been truly successful in every endeavor. So I was anxious to see how opening night of their first all brand new sketch and rock and roll format would fare.
Shadowbox Live did not disappoint. The sketches run the gambit as far as emotional range. The writing is superlative throughout.
“Daddy’s Little Girl” centers on a couple discussing how to tell their young daughter the facts of life. Frank (Robbie Nance) and Heather (Katy Psenicka) ultimately decide to approach Angie (Anita McFarren) in the traditional parental/religious fashion: scare the bejesus out of her to keep her in line. The writing here is crisp, irreverent and clever. All three actors get the show off to a good start.
“Shannon’s Movie Review – Dirty Dancing” has Amy Lay performing the familiar movie review perspective of a 7-year-old girl. Always a crowd favorite, this version is off kilter even more than usual, making it seem fresh. And in keeping with the child character thread, “Doll Counseling” is a delight. Julie Klein plays Gracie, a youngster who is “in session” counseling Barbie (Amy Lay) and Ken (JT Walker III). Ms. Klein’s serious demeanor played against the stiffness of white bread Ken and Barbie is both visually and aurally hilarious. Throw in a macho cameo from G.I. Joe (Billy DePetro) and even the most predictable doll jokes rise to a juvenile joyousness.
While “Passion Hospital” is formulaic in its soap opera farce, the writing is again solid, and portrayals so zany, the skit is impossible not to guffaw at. “Man – Away Pad” may be the weakest of the sketches. Yet it is concise enough in a “wink – wink” presentation to make the one joke sight gag giggle worthy.
Three very distinct skits stood out for me on this opening night. “Sperm Dating” has Ova (played oh so demurely by Betsy Short) approached in a social gathering by several would be sperm suitors. She rejects Jock Sperm (Billy DePetro), Nerd Sperm (Jamie Barrow) and even Good Sperm (Donathin Frye). All the while sperms are swiftly swimming by. A couple times dialogue was lost on the audience when a “swimmer” raced by. The staging of this sketch is impeccably outrageous; especially once Stoner Sperm (Robbie Nance) sits down next to Ova.
“Unspoken Language” is a superbly clever tale of a man (Jimmy Mak) trying to meet a woman (Stacie Boord) at a coffeehouse. He had noticed her at a silent film festival earlier in the evening. The sketch itself ends up being a tribute to silence. Mr. Mak and Ms. Boord are wonderful here. Amplified visually by excellent choreography and lighting, the two perform a ballet of nostalgic nuance that is a pleasure to witness.
Just as good … maybe even better … is “Long Way Home”. Julie Klein portrays a woman on her way to her ex-boyfriend’s abode using her GPS (voiced by Jimmy Mak). Everything comes together perfectly in this sketch. Ms. Klein’s nimble performance coupled with the poignant interplay of conversation with Mr. Mak’s guidance system is at once both lighthearted and wise. Staging, lighting, and special effects … it all works here. This skit is so good my wife and I went out and bought a GPS a couple days later.
Really.
Videos are peppered throughout Body Language as well. Rumors of someone connected with Shadowbox Live has been named “Sexiest Person in Columbus” by a local magazine, and sage advice from local icon Jym Ganahl, makes for a delightful diversion.
There are so many talented people in this troupe now that house band BillWho? at times seems like a group of specialists … a band by committee. But bandleaders Matt and Jennifer Hahn, along with Keith Gibson, do a great job keeping their sound consistent. And while some tunes here are a little slower … quieter … than past shows, this outfit can do anything they decide to play.
Body Language begins with a smoking rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady”. Brandon Anderson’s vocals are great over the guitar work. Stephanie Shull is masterful singing Aretha Franklin’s “Never Loved a Woman”. Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” gets a touching yet powerful interpretation by Stacie Boord. And the ensemble treatment of “Turn Off the Lights” (Nelly Furtado) with Amy Lay, Leah Haviland, and Stacie Boord sharing vocals, is a very nice touch.
Of course all shows, no matter how spectacular (and this one is), need a little tweaking here and there. BillWho’s rendition of the Doors’ “Light My Fire” … well … it needs a little more fire. The sound mix is flat, leaving the vocals naked and a little detached. Outside of a solid guitar solo by Dante Wehe, the tune meanders. It’s not angry enough … not angry at all really. And with all those “hippies” gyrating around onstage (which to this writer seems a little out of context for the Doors) the scene is more reminiscent of Phish jamming on “Light My Fire”.
Conversely, with Prince’s “Purple Rain” (which ends Body Language) BillWho? again amazes. With seemingly everyone in the Shadowbox lineup onstage, the intensity of the performance brings a chill to the spine, and perhaps a tear to the eye. This is rock spectacle at its very finest.
From beginning to end, Shadowbox Live’s Body Language has something for everyone. The writing is better than ever, the singing, dancing, comedy … the production in its’ entirety … will not only entertain you. It will make you hungry for more. I’ll definitely see it again … if I can only figure out this damned GPS!