|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
 |
|
|
 'Soda Pop' cast scores high in dramatic effort, theatrical fun
 Jessica Alexander (from left) Patrick Lambrecht, Shelly Griess and Tom Crew will appear in the Crooked Codpiece Company's production of "Soda Pop." (Journal Star Article) But then, there is very little to be taken seriously in Jim Hanna's "Soda Pop," currently being performed on the Lincoln Community Playhouse Family Theatre Stage by the Crooked Codpiece Company. This hilarious piece of fluff combines burlesque wit, '50s cliche and period songs into almost two hours of giggles, guffaws and empathetic sighs. The production captures the era in dress, expressions, song, dance and thematic script. The girls are adorned in poodle skirts and the guys have cuffed jeans, black-rimmed glasses and school letter jackets. Set in 1959, the plot follows wholesome and all-American high school couple Betty (Jessica Alexander) and Bobby (Patrick Lambrecht) in the days leading up to their senior prom. The lovebirds are joined by fellow student couples Peggy and Joey (Karen Freimund Wills and Robie Hayek), Mary and Jerry (Sarah Murtagh and Tom Crew), and Susie and Tommy (Shelly Greiss and Max Antoine). Offering the kids annoyingly patronizing philosophical advice is soda shop owner Pops (Randy Hawthorne). When leather jacket-clad rebel Jimmy (Lee Willet) snags Betty's eye, the perfect pubescent pastoral plunged into disarray. But the kicker in the production is that Hanna adroitly has woven in numerous opportunities for the cast to interrupt the theatrical silliness and break into 1950s song. Well, the cast doesn't really sing, rather they lip sync to the '50s original recordings. The resulting foolishness makes for an extremely entertaining evening replete with gales of laughter at the company's sight gags, overstated emotions and general ditsy behavior. The cast scores high in their dramatic efforts throughout the show, but the males snag the honors in the lip sync category. Lambrecht is the most adept mouthing to the songs, scoring on "Sh-Boom" and "Tossin' and Turnin'." But it is the ever expressive and emotive, eloquent Hayek who is the comedic classic of the group. And his turn at "Teen Angel" is priceless. Other lip syncing highlights include Crew's "Chantilly Lace," Alexander's "Crazy," and Greiss' "He's a Rebel." And Hawthorne's pastel-hued Pops even gets into the groove by dragging out guitar and saxophone to sync along with the kids' efforts. There may be little redeeming worth to "Soda Pop," but it is a fun night at the theater that is hard to beat. If you go... What: "Soda Pop" |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
 |
|
|
|
||
