The Off Broadway Theatre glittered and glitzed March 10, 2012, for what was their last show of “Gleek School Musical.”
The show was a tuneful parody of not just one, but three high school experiences (“High School Musical,” “Hannah Montana” and “Glee”), complete with song and dance.
The show was definitely character-driven, with personalities such as the wily “Sylvia Sylvester,” a malicious cheerleading coach with designs at taking over.
Jillene Stark portrayed Sylvia with hilarious aplomb, from insults to jokes, to basking in her own theme-songed boo-fest. Breaking the fourth wall was a regular gag with “Sylvia” as the audience was pulled in as a participant in her malicious schemes.
A whole new crew was also added for the portrayal of the Glee club, complete with wheelchair-whirling students, such as Felype Pagan in his role of “Shriek,” punk rocker “Pug,” as played by Austinn Jensen, and a drama-infused masochistic goth named “Lau,” played by Shealyn Kwan-Smith.
Cheers for her angst-tastic tantrums against the world, complete with tortured monologues and anguished drops to the floor.
The cheerleaders did a wonderful job, tossing and flipping on what was a rather small stage with no major or minor fatalities. Although a favorite moment was probably when “Cindy,” played by Kandace Fulcher, gave up on the routine mid-performance and began rocking out to her own tune.
The basketball players were also to be commended for a series of comic interactions with one another, running jokes such as the, “My Name Is Moe,” reference, which somehow never stops being funny, and the inclusion of Hamlet as a musical. Sort of.
All in all the show was a lasting success and a humorous tribute toward fans of all three genres, although the humor did skew slightly more toward adult audience than its predecessor “My School Musical.” Still, it’s largest strength was in reminding the audience of their high school experiences…for good or for wacky.
The Off Broadway Theatre has been sharing their parodies for years and will continue to do so, making fun of local and nation-wide pop culture with unrepentant wit. To find out about their upcoming shows, titles which include, “Sheer-Luck Homes & Snotson,” “Greece,” “Y-Light,” and an “Off White Christmas,” visit their website at www.theOBT.org or call in for information at 801-355-4628.
