Mock Your World - The Songs of Andrew Byrne

An evening of sheer musical hilarity and pure naughty fun!  Andrew Byrne has penned a new and fresh (and I'd say better) version of a prior musical parody, Forbidden Broadway.  Unlike Mr. Alessandrini's prior show which mocks Broadway shows directly - Mr. Byrne's little gem pokes fun at the ups and downs and general lifestyle of a Broadway stage actor/dancer using the same musical parody technique.  Sure it's naughty, but I wouldn't call it a Burlesque show at all.  You might turn a few shades of light pink during any number of the riotously entertaining numbers but that's part of what makes the show great.

The four songsters who alternatively run the stage, Lisa Rothauser, Robby Sharpe (um, adorable beyond belief), Marya Grandy and Bart Shatto, hit all the highs and lows (notes and otherwise) that an actor with a Broadway career just might encounter with charisma, energy and conviction.  (Did I mention that Robby is uber-adorable?).

I promise you will leave with a great big smile on your face.  Don't miss these creative animals at the Rockwood Music Hall or wherever they land next.

The Great American Trailer Park Musical

Ok - so the title just about gives away the entire subject matter of the show! If ever you were shopping in Kmart or walking thru South Florida thinking "White Trash" - well this show hits on just about every reference, joke, and stereotype associated with the aforementioned topic in both dialogue and song lyrics... (one lyric laments "Like clothes from Kmart, my life is falling apart").

The characters - one stripper, three "gals" (think Dolly Parton, Jessica Simpson, and a trashy version of Cynthia Nixon), one overweight toll collector (think John Goodman) and his wife (an agoraphobic trailer-wife for 20 years) regale us with their stories via song and dance at a mobile home park in South Florida known as Armadillo Acres.

Now, despite the subject matter (you're probably thinking "low quality") - the actors are all virtual powerhouses and despite the "kitschy" surroundings, run a tight show. Occasionally speaking directly to the audience members and once zoning out into a "Sally Jessie Raphael Talk show dream sequence - - there is a real story behind the scenes - - and it's a simple message - - True Love Conquers All!

For the price of cheap coffee maker ($30) - saunter over to Dodges Stages and catch a performance of "The Great American Trailer Park Musical".