By Sandi Durell
A trashing we will go, a trashing we will go . . . if your name is Lin-Manuel you’d better check out the new revolution that’s running at the Triad Theater, the work of the brilliant Forbidden Broadway creator Gerard Alessandrini who, most assuredly, has a way with words that are non-stop hysterical, filled with hysteria. Actually, Mr. Miranda did just that and laughed non-stop along with the audience.
With a tireless cast that has just been revamped and now in place, playing multi-roles, even if you didn’t pay $900+ for a premium ticket to the real thing on Broadway, you’ll get the gist of this hip-hop/rap driven revue that has some historical significance (albeit not a heck of a lot) but enough to keep you interested and more than chuckling throughout. This is Alessandrini’s opportunity to sock it not only to Hamilton but to a plethora of Broadway musicals. Equal time!
No one is safe: “If your name is Burr, you’ve got to smile more . . . Don’t let them know that In The Heights is all you’re good for. . . Miranda is not (I’m Not) Gonna Let Broadway Rot . . . I love being a hot big shot. . . I’m not throwin’ away my pot.” And it goes like that through 75 minutes of non-stop Broadway bashing, along with the celebrity stars that show up in the midst like Liza and Bernadette (yes, it’s the one and only Christine Pedi), Beyonce and J Lo, all disguised as old beggars trying to score a ticket for the big “H.”
Renee Elise Goldsberry (who played Angelica Schuyler Church on Broadway) here played by the highly-energized Nora Schell, appears with the two other Schuyler sisters – (hand puppets) in a fabulously clever sequence; Nicholas Edwards takes on the role of Lin-Manuel (and others) with send ups to Sondheim . . . “Finishing the Rap,” while “Another Hundred Syllables Fell Out of My Mouth.”
And in a message from the Queen . . . King George III arrives in the form of musical director Fred Barton to let everyone know that “Straight is Back . . . Kinky Boots is going straight to Hell . . . It’s a cinch Hedwig put away his Angry Inch . . .” – – another moment of brilliant lyric writing.
Homage is played to the fallen American Psycho ready to kill his friends . . . blood is good American fun in my Jockey underwear, and no show is left unscathed in mashups including Phantom, Wicked, Aladdin, Cats, Annie, Book of Mormon as Ms. Streisand just wants Lin-Manuel to remember “I wanna be in the film when it happens. . .”
Big-haired rapper Daveed Diggs is now played by Michael Wordly as the cast also welcomed Larry Owens to its zany midst. These Spam-ilites are wickedly funny with rapid-fire renderings that will make your head spin.
The lines are out the door and shows are quickly sold out. Rush to http://triadnyc.com for tickets or 888 596-1027. Spamilton extends again thru February 28, 2017 (158 West 72 Street, NYC )
Photos: Carol Rosegg
*Note: all photos, except for Nora Schell and puppets, feature original cast members.