CrazySexyCool
Shadowbox
Easton Town Center
Columbus, Ohio
* * * * *
by Rick Brown

After attending every Shadowbox show for the past five years one might believe this writer would be getting a little weary of the sketch comedy/rock and roll format. Admittedly, seeing a skit reprised three, sometimes four times would get redundant for anyone. But what I have witnessed the past couple years is the troupe’s expanding repertoire of technological effects, superb and maturing choreography, more risk taking with the writing, along with the integration of every facet of the visual and aural cultivating into a seamlessly grand performance, consistent from beginning to end.

Which is a long-winded, perhaps pretentious way of saying these guys just keep getting better and better. CrazySexyCool is a triumph of this growth. David Whitehouse begins the show as a frustrated Cupid in “Cupid Quits”. His portrayal of this famous angel fed up with people giving up on love at the slightest whim is at once poignant, endearing and full of a churlish goofiness that is funny and full of warmth. Mr. Whitehouse in fact is outstanding, threading his way through sketch after sketch showing us his myriad of talents.

His Jerry Springer is the usual delight in “Fairy Springer Show” (although Jim Andes’ Prince Charming steals the show away for a while). Yet it is the nuances of his performance in the ensemble pieces that impress, particularly in the cleverly written and executed “God Pod”, a rare pantomime of characters responding literally to the lyrics of popular songs.

Whitehouse can get equally down and dirty as a relatively smarmy office worker in “Office Dirty Downloads”. Add to that his commanding vocals on C + C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” where with some fantastic help from Katy Psenicka’s dance choreography, he transforms a tune that could have easily been a cliché into one of the standouts of the show. What more could you ask for you say? Fall down? Hell, David Whitehouse is the King of Pratfalls.

But of course the show isn’t all Mr. Whitehouse. Jimmy Mak is fabulous as boy super hero in “Zoltar & the Intergalactic Succubus”. Shadowbox’s kid’s skits are always funny and charming. But with the freshness of the writing (it actually unfolds like a goofy mini-epic) and the counter play of Storm Wood’s Gerty who morphs from potential girlfriend into evil Succubus, “Zoltar” is arguably the night’s strongest sketch.

A close second might be “Cher’s Retirement Community”. Christina Connor’s Cher is over the top wonderful and coupled with Storm Woods and Mary Randle’s dirty old women retirees is hilarious. Nothing can make this recent retiree belly laugh louder than a filthy joke infested skit about a retirement home. The ensemble here made me almost fall out of my chair.

True to form, house band BillWho? provides the between comedy rock and roll escape. There are too many strong performances to mention. But standouts this evening (including the aforementioned) are Katy Psenicka’s pop queen version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me”, Stephanie Shull’s take on Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May”, Julie Klein’s swaggering “Big Shot” (Billy Joel) and Amy Lay’s dynamic rendition of No Doubt’s “Hella Good”. Closing CrazySexyCool is a powerful reading by Steve Guyer of Joe Cocker’s “Unchain My Heart”.

This show is not for the faint of heart. It is full of what the entertainment industry codes as “adult themes”. But if you want to warm your cockles this winter with a bawdy, rambunctious evening of hilarity then CrazySexyCool is right up your alley.

CrazySexyCool runs through March 29th at the Eaton Town Center. For more information go to: http://www.shadowboxcabaret.com/