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The audience of around 100 at Off Center Theatre late Saturday night was in good spirits and laughed all the way through The Rocky & Bullwinkle Horror Picture Show Parody. A “live-action 3-D cartoon,” the mash-up characters follow the plot and music of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with lyrics and references to the cartoon.

Starting off with a bang, “Animated Cartoon Features” laid the ground work for the rest of the show with its cartoon-referencing lyrics, the coordinated dancing, and a giant pair of lips. Seriously. A definite highlight for the ensemble was “Toon Warp,” the best-executed parody in the show of the favorite song from Rocky Horror.

Doogin Brown and Rachel Pallente, as our protagonists, Cowpatty (Bullwinkle/Brad) and Missy (Rocky J. Squirrel/Janet), played their silly gullibility marvelously. Brown’s impeccable comic timing and delivery gave us many of the best one-liners of the night, and Pallente’s bright and soulful voice shone especially on “The Floor Wax Show” near the end.

I attended Egads!’s production of Evil Dead: The Musical last fall and was pleased to find several of those actors return for R&BHPSP. Aurelie Roque was perfection as Dementia (Natasha/Magenta)—her deep Russian accent and exaggerated sensual swagger were spot-on. Noah Whitmore stole the show often as Whiplash (Snidely/Riff-Raff) and later as Fearless Leader. Whitmore wholly embodied these wacky characters with his superb affectations and physicality. Samn Wright as Studley (Dudley Do-Right/Rocky Horror) played the dim-witted goody two-shoes cutey to a T.

Katie Kalahurka was notable as the quirkiest of the bunch in her two roles. Dan Hilliker, as a mash-up of Mr. Peabody/Dr. Scott, mastered the voices and accents of those two characters in his lead song “Sherman’s German.” The Narrator, Bill Pelletier, repeatedly injected surprises into his role with deadpan Kansas City quips.

Leading the ensemble was director Steven Eubank as Dr. Bad-N-Uffski (Boris/Dr. Frank-N-Furter). Eubank’s dancing and singing were highly energetic and impressive (even more so in fishnets and 4-inch heels), and his portrayal of these two villains was delightfully wicked.

The entire cast matched accents and the cartoons’ voices excellently and all had polished and pleasant singing voices, although often in the first half the microphone balance was off and it was difficult to hear soloists over the ensemble. Spotlights were occasionally sluggish to reach the soloist or main action. Only one glaringly awkward moment took place in this massive Fringe show though, when an actor missed their mark/line. Despite these few opening-night issues, the actors kept the momentum going wonderfully, playing off each other’s lines with appropriately whip-quick timing while giving the deliciously cheesiest jokes room to breathe.

R&BHPSP is a refreshing romp through nostalgia for those who remember watching Rocky & Bullwinkle on Saturday morning and throwing toast at a midnight showing of Rocky Horror. Featuring a multi-talented group of actors from a company with a laid-back yet clever sense of humor, R&BHPSP is a Fringe offering not to be missed.

REVIEW:
Kansas City Fringe Festival
The Rocky & Bullwinkle Horror Picture Show Parody
July 23–29, 2011 (Reviewed July 23)
Off Center Theatre in Crown Center
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit www.kcfringe.org

Top Photo:  Steven Eubank as Dr. Bad-N-Uffski (Copyright (C) All Rights Reserved to Reggie Banks, Sr. BCP (Blackberry Castle Photography) 1994-2011) Used with permission

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli

Editorial Assignments Executive Editor; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli, a native of Madison, WI, holds composition degrees (M.M., B.M.) from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Kristin's compositions have been performed at national and regional new music festivals and conferences throughout the United States. During her time at UMKC, Kristin also focused on double bass performance and arts administration. She was a student leader and performer in many of the Conservatory's student organizations and ensembles, including Musica Nova, Composers' Guild, the Conservatory Student Association, the orchestras, and Wind Symphony. Her composition instructors were James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi, and her bass instructor was Sue Stubbs. Formerly a guitarist, Kristin performed with big bands and her own jazz combo in Madison, WI, having studied jazz guitar and theory with Roger Brotherhood in Madison and jazz voice and theory with Hal Melia in Kansas City at UMKC.

Kristin enjoys being active in the performing arts community. She has volunteered with the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation, and has played in the bass section of the Northland Symphony Orchestra, among other bass gigs around the metro. Kristin currently serves as principal bass for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and Heritage Philharmonic, and is a section bassist for Kinnor Philharmonic. She joined the writing staff of KCMetropolis.org in February 2010 and has been KCM’s executive editor since July 2011. Read her blog at mylittleheartmelodies.com.