Since the show hasn't changed much since last time I saw it, I'll just share with you what I wrote then, with a few new reflections at the end.
Liberty Rose (Steven Epp) is the oldest resident of Liberty Falls, WI, and the last remaining member of the founding family. As such, the town plans to gather at the cafe-nasium (half cafeteria, half gymnasium) to celebrate her. Shortly before the event, a real-housewife-type event planner (Jennifer Baldwin Peden), a taciturn entertainment coordinator (Christina Baldwin), and an enthusiastic neighborhood volunteer (Nathan Keepers in drag, natch) meet to arrange the activities. A DJ named DJ (Gabriel Murphy) shows up and they painfully walk through the music, comedy, and seating arrangements. Soon the guest of honor and her granddaughter/caregiver Serendipity (Heidi Bakke) arrive. It's soon revealed that this sweet old lady sounds like one of those old people who has been brainwashed by Fox News (although she was a paranoid racist before TV was even invented), and is horrified when Dipity's black boyfriend (Dom Wooten) arrives. Amidst the shenanigans the program's audience arrives, as everyone suddenly sees us, the play audience, sitting in the bleachers. We then become part of the show as the program begins, highlighted by an operatic re-enactment of the founding of the town (involving mermaids, commonly found in Wisconsin). Without giving too much away, it turns into a Weekend at Bernie's situation that is so so wrong, and so so right.
Each member of this ensemble has created a specifically odd character that's consistent throughout the show. With the perfect slow crouched shuffle of an old lady, and some pretty great stage make-up, Steven looks every one of Liberty Rose's 107 years. Nathan gives his physical comedy skills a workout tripping over things and falling through a folding chair, as one does. Heidi has some ridiculously and hilariously drawn out crying fits, and I can't even describe what the Baldwin sisters have transformed themselves into. Here, take a look:
Some new reflections:
- I'm afraid I like Miss Liberty better when she's dead. The portrait of a privileged, intolerant, racist old lady is less funny than it was a year ago, and more sad and scary now that we've seen what the Miss Libertys of the world can do.
- I could watch the comedy trio of Baldwin/Keepers/Baldwin every single night. They're so hilarious in their individual creation of their characters, and work together with perfect timing. The show begins with the three of them, and I kind of wished that part would never end. They have a great rapport and chemistry with each other, and have only gotten better the second time around.
- I originally jotted down, "the music, come on." And that pretty much sums it up. It doesn't get much better than the Baldwin sisters and Dom Wooten singing opera while acting silly. The world needs more operatic comedies.
- The Lab Theater is one of my favorite spaces to experience theater (especially now that they've lessened the parking problem by allowing you to park in the lot across the street and pay inside rather than wait in the insanely long line). It's a perfect space for this show, and director Dominique Serrand's set design puts you square in that cafe-nasium while still incorporating the beauty of the space.
- For those of you who are disappointed that The Moving Company is remounting an old work rather than presenting something new, never fear. They're making their Guthrie Theater debut with the new original work Refugia (developed at University of Texas Austin) this spring.
