To get out, you’ll need to use ‘em…or lose ‘em
The Ruckus Theater presents |
Escape from the Haltsburg Boys Choir |
Book/Lyrics by Aaron Dean Music/Lyrics by Jason Rico Directed by Daniel Caffrey at Side Project Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis (map) through Jan 30 | tickets: $15-$20 | more info |
Reviewed by Katy Walsh
The Emperor requests a performance by the up and coming boys choir. The royal attention spearheads strategies to keep the vocal stylings intact. What wouldn’t a choirmaster do to cash in on his established prepubescent harmonies? (Imagine Michael Jackson’s dad in 18th century Austria.) The Ruckus presents the world-premiere musical Escape from the Haltsburg Boys Choir. Originally conceived as a fable based on the Vienna Boys Choir, The Ruckus moved the setting to the fictional town of Haltsburg after a cease-and-desist letter from the VBC. The story centers around the questionable recruitment and retention practices of a boys choir. Back in the day, star performers would retain their position by being castrated. To maintain the higher cherubic quality, it was off with his balls. Motivated by the threat of castration, four boys skip choir practice to flee captivity. Escape from the Haltsburg Boys Choir promotes the tagline ‘to get out, you’ll need to use ‘em…or lose ‘em.’
The Ruckus is staging its world-premiere musical at Side Project Theatre. It’s a 35 seat theatre with a 13 member cast plus a 4-piece band off-stage. The ambitious undertaking is ballsy! Playwright Aaron Dean has written a fable that chronicles the fugitives’ interactions with a witch, a dragon, a talking rock and a dancing penis. In a small venue, it’s a lot to take in. The Medieval choir torture is an intriguing horrific tale in itself. The puppet pageantry and ancillary characters could be snipped to focus on the real action, though the superfluous pieces do add fantasy elements. But instead of an orgy for the senses, it’s gets clunky, confusing and ultimately unsatisfying – a pleasurable experience is all about one solid thing probed deeper (pun intended?).
Under the direction of Daniel Caffrey, the cast works energetically to escape disaster. The quartet of runaways crawl, croon and create an exit plan. Kate Black (Johanne) leads the singers with an enthusiastic chipper. Alyse Kittner (Nils) brings the sass as a rambunctious sidekick. Liz Goodson (Arthur) anchors the foursome as the stalwart quiet one. Heather Moats (Sebastian) endears as the timid lost boy. Megan Gotz (Victors) connives as the jealous wannabe soloist. These gals don’t need balls to hit the right melody. With the talented he-shes and a tighter script, Escape from the Haltsburg Boys Choir will take flight. Snip-snip! “It’s easy as A-B-C, 1-2-3…”
Rating: ★★ |
Running Time: Two hours and thirty minutes with a fifteen minute intermission
Production photography by Lucas Gerald.
Filed under: 2011 Reviews, Katy Walsh, Ruckus Theater, side project theatre | Tagged: Aaron Dean, Allison Shoemaker, Alyse Kittner, Beth Allin, Brian Ruby, Charles Worth, Christine Grodecki, Daniel Caffrey, Elizabeth Powers, Escape from the Haltsburg Boys Choir, Gruppo Di Amici, Heather Moats, Jason Rico, Jeffrey Fauver, Joshua Davis, Kate Black, Katy Walsh, Kevin Crispin, Kevin Murray, Kristen Ahern, Liz Goodson, Lizi Breit, Megan Gotz, Melissa Evbuoma, Nick Shaw, Palmer Jankens, Ruckus Theater, Sarah Bockel, Sarah Mikrut, side project theatre, Susan Steinke, Timo Aker | Leave a comment »