SHOWING : January 05, 2018 - January 21, 2018
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"Silence! The Musical" is a parody of the book and film "The Silence of the Lambs". This show in no way takes itself or the original content seriously. It is a dark comedy which does not shy away from anything. A great deal of adult language and content makes this show R-rated.
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Un-Silence of the Hams
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Sunday, January 21, 2018 |
4.0
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Okay, so Angie Short’s functional set design is bland, except for a stone well, and Charlie Miller’s sound design lets the three-piece band overwhelm the solo singers in the finale. Minor quibbles. Jeff Costello’s props are fine, Harley Gould’s lighting design is good, and Jane Kroessig’s costumes are delightful. But what makes the show really shine are the performances created under Zip Rampy’s direction.
There’s a hammy quality to the whole production, and that’s not a bad thing at all when the hamminess is built into the script and presented with such assurance. The plot of "Silence of the Lambs" is pretty much there, but mixed up with so much profanity, wit, and zaniness (there’s even full-tuckal male nudity!) that laughter predominates, but does not erase the sinister twists of the story.
Music director Nick Silvestri has done a good job of whipping the voices into shape and navigating the difficult score that provides minimal vocal support in Bryan J. Nash’s orchestrations. Zac Phelps’ choreography is long on coordinated movement and short on classic dance steps, but it’s perfectly suited to the show and the capabilities of the cast. "Silence! the Musical" is fun to watch and to hear in OnStage Atlanta’s production.
Everyone is given a chance to shine in the production. There seems to be a twinkle in the eye of every performer (though less in Bob Smith’s), letting us know that they’re not taking things too seriously and intend to have a whale of a time, as should the audience. There are several instances of actors causing Barbara Cole Uterhardt to break character as Clarice and stifle laughter, which delights the audience. I have a suspicion that this is Zip Rampy’s doing rather than spontaneous actorly shenanigans, but it works to engage the audience in the spirit of the show.
With sold-out houses, "Silence! the Musical" is adding to the coffers of the Metropolitan Atlanta Theatre Awards. It’s just as well that the show itself isn’t MAT-eligible; otherwise, Ms. Uterhardt and Russ Ivey might be adding to their collections of awards, along with others of the cast and production crew. Kudos to Zip Rampy for putting together such an entertaining show! [POST A COMMENT REGARDING THIS REVIEW] |
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