"The Hills Are Alive" at The New York International Fringe Festival
“The Hills Are Alive”
Book and Lyrics by Frankie Johnson
Music by Eric Thomas Johnson
Directed by Frankie Johnson
Reviewed by Joseph Verlezza
Theatre Reviews Limited
Currently, the historical Theater 80 on St. Marks Place is alive with laughter and applause from enthusiastic audiences of the New York International Fringe Festival, partly because of the recent arrival of a fun filled production of “The Hills Are Alive” billed as a dark musical comedy but truly being so much more. It is clever, smart, and edgy and teases the audience with nearly every conceivable slanted parallel to the incessant optimistic journey of the film musical “The Sound of Music.” If you happen to be familiar with this movie all the better, if not just sit back and enjoy the twisted tale of a family with seven children with no food or supplies, singing their way over the snowcapped Alps trying to escape the Nazis. Grab a drink at the recently restored prohibition era William Barnacle bar (housed in the same building), and join the journey of this diverse if not eccentric family. Travel with the OCD twirling matriarch Mathilde, the evil Nazi loving, wicked sister Ludwiga and the eldest son Felix with a severe Oedipus complex, as they experience challenging escapades such as backwoods mountain people (a la “Deliverance”) and mind altering poisonous berries, to name just a few.
The entire cast is nearly perfect, each in their own way, all adept vocally and physically, to make each character resonate bigger than life, providing the audience with a comical, enjoyable evening of entertainment. On a constructive note the product can be shaved to ninety-five minutes without an intermission and characters might try to get closer to the edge without fear of falling: there is room. The brilliant musical compositions are truly reminiscent of “Rogers and Hammerstein” melodies and more important reflect the structure, theme and tone of the original film “The Sound of Music.” This was no easy task but reaps the rewards of producing a parody of exceptional quality that should continue to please theatergoers hopefully for a long time. Take the time to enjoy this end of summer treat and spend a couple of hours savoring the talent served up by an amazing cast, crew and creative team of “The Hills Are Alive.”
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
Presented by Melodion Theatre and The New York International Fringe Festival. Book and Lyrics by Frankie Johnson. Music by Eric Thomas Johnson. Directed by Frankie Johnson. Musical Direction by Eric Thomas Johnson. Choreographed by Jody Herman; costumes designed by Jennifer Ackland; lighting based on the original design by Nick Gonsman.
WITH: Ashley Ball, Katie Bland, Daniele Hager, Frankie Johnson, Skylar Saltz, Christopher Tiernan, Trenton Weaver, Maggie Wetzel, and Becky Whitcomb.
All performances take place at Theatre 80, 80 St. Marks Place (1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue) in New York, NY. Tickets are available at www.fringenyc.org or 866-468-7619. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Senior and Fringe Junior tickets available at the door for $10. Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes with no intermission.
Remaining Show Dates
Sunday, August 19th @ 1:00 pm
Friday, August 24th @ 9:00
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 | Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 |
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