“Jump Man” at FringeNYC 2014 at Theatre 80 (Closes on Sunday August 24, 2014)
“Jump Man” at FringeNYC 2014 at Theatre 80 (Closes on Sunday August 24, 2014) Written by Samuel Pitt Stoller Directed by Myla Pitt Reviewed by Joseph Verlezza Theatre Reviews Limited
There is a new musical being presented as part of the NY International Fringe Festival entitled “Jump Man” which is remotely based on the characters remembered in the popular video game The Mario Brothers. It really is not a parody but rather a reinvention or fantasy of who these characters might be if they appeared in the present as part of a normal neighborhood with regular people. The particular hood presented in this production seems to be a bit less than normal, more than vulgar, a bit too presumptuous, and lacking any sense of viability. For the most part the music is repetitive, flat and generic with little diversity but does make an attempt at rap though falling short. The lyrics are a bit on the vulgar side, used gratuitously. As messy and scattered as it is, there is a book, with a storyline, a beginning, middle and an end which serves up the ridiculous in a fashion of interconnected vignettes jumping from one scenario to another.
The cast seems to be enjoying themselves, at times a bit more than the audience. They do what they can with the material which is an admirable undertaking. This production might find a respectful audience or could be deemed as offensive and irreverent but no matter: the bottom line is that it certainly does not qualify as good musical theatre. The production has a sold out run at FringeNYC 2014 so most likely you will be able to catch it later on especially with the huge support of friends and family which gifted most of the accolades at the recently attended performance.
JUMP MAN
“Jump Man” is presented by Is A Door Productions in Association with The Present Company (Elena K Holy, Producing Artistic Director). Directed by Myla Pitt.
For performance schedule, ticketing information and more information about the presenting company, please visit www.FringeNYC.org. For mobile ticketing, please visit www.FringeonTheFly.com. The running time is 2 hours and 5 minutes with no intermission.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Thursday, August 14, 2014
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