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A CurtainUp Review
Capitol Steps: Unzippin’ MyDoodah<
By Ruth Gerchick
Would summer be the same without a new version of Capitol Steps? It’s hard to imagine. But don’t trouble. The troupe, composed of former Congressional staffers around since the reign of Reagan, is again packing them in at the John Houseman Theater. The round of musical parodies, called Unzippin’ My Doodah is, naturally, about you know who--Bill, Hillary, Monica, Linda, Kenneth and their supporting cast of diplomats and arrivistes. But though the actors are pros and the staging by Mark Waldrop more than efficient,the subject is so deeply mined that it’s hard to extract more than a minimum of gem material.
Among the more luminous: Newt Gingrich made a splendid phantom of the opera.and Al Gore as a robot climbing up and down the Capitol Steps was amusing.. But more compelling was the beautifully sung Circle of Lies pairing the animal kingdom of The Lion King with human hierarchy inside the beltway.
The night I attended, the talented Elaina Newport threw her heart into the parts of both Hillary and Monica and Mike Telford had Bill running through the gamut of presidential emotions-- especially in a crying scene where he relates how Hillary stood by his side through all the Gates, but is suddenly struck with an insight: Hillary is bad luck.
Jamie Zemarel did a spirited Bob Dylan, changing his tune readily for an uptight Bob Dole; the lilting voice of Delores King William added pleasure to many of the scenes. But clearly, it was once again Bill Strauss’s innovative , expansive backward talk that topped the show -- as in, "You Norka" and "She was hexually soreassed."
However, as a midsummer offering, Unzippin’ My Doodah is more a sparkler than a firecracker. While most of the parodies are new the format having weathered 16 years shows signs of fatigue. The proceedings are further impeded by unevenness. There are some wonderful sequences, but not enough of them to offset the wispy confections that disappoint. A good example of the more hilarious, well-developed skits, there's "Boris Alive," in which aides hold up a drunken Boris Yeltsin as he struggles for a statesmanlike stance. Unfortunately there were fewer of these than shorter pieces that whizzed by as fast and unsatisfyingly as a Joan River’s buckle-up tape in a New York taxi -- for example, "Pataki", "It’s D’Amato" and "IRS Guys"." The audience response was as rushed as these pieces, a quick chuckle instead of a crescendo of laughter
Having seen an earlier Capitol Steps production, the show hasn’t changed enough for a repeat viewing. On the other hand , ifI expected to get the same kick out of this one. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. Either I’ve changed or you come to it fresh, you might find enough in the Strauss back talk, the troupe’s enthusiasm and the occasional sparks to make it a pleasant summer night out.
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UNZIPPIN’ MY DOODAH AND OTHER NATIONAL PRIORITIES Conceived, Written and Directed by Bill Strauss and Elaina Newport Set Design: R. J. Matson Lighting Design: Marina Bridges Prop and Costume Design: Robyn Scott Sound Design: Jill Duboff Technical Director: Brad Van Grack John Houseman Theater 450 West 42nd Street 212/489-6745 7/09/98-9/5/98; opening 7/15/98 Reviewed 7/20 by Ruth Gerchick |
