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Review: Loving to laugh at Broadway

Attention, musical-theater lovers: Whatever you hold dear about the genre, hold it even closer before you see Act II Playhouse's Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits. But even then it won't matter, as this hilarious send-up will leave you - willingly or not - laughing at everything ridiculous and overwrought about the Great White Way.

Tracie Higgins (from left), Jeff Coon, Tony Braithwaite, and Elena Camp spoof "Fiddler on the Roof" in forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits," now playing at Act II Playhouse in Ambler until June 28. (Mark Garvin)
Tracie Higgins (from left), Jeff Coon, Tony Braithwaite, and Elena Camp spoof "Fiddler on the Roof" in forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits," now playing at Act II Playhouse in Ambler until June 28. (Mark Garvin)Read more

Attention, musical-theater lovers: Whatever you hold dear about the genre, hold it even closer before you see Act II Playhouse's Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits. But even then it won't matter, as this hilarious send-up will leave you - willingly or not - laughing at everything ridiculous and overwrought about the Great White Way.

Since 1982, Gerard Alessandrini has cranked out more than a dozen versions of his Off-Broadway Greatest Hits compilations. Act II's staging follows the traditional four-actor format, with Sonny Leo on piano and serving as choreographer.

The evening kicks off by kicking over one of my idols, Bob Fosse and his choreography from Chicago. A quick costume change later, and Elena Camp and Tracie Higgins reappear as dueling Ritas from West Side Story.

Jeff Coon lends his voice to roles I'm sure he'd love to play, both as a Monty Python fan-hating knight from Spamalot and later as the overamplified title character from Phantom of the Opera. For as fresh and fun as Alessandrini keeps it (his new version spoofs 2012's Rocky), some parts still date the material (Ethel Merman only lives in the memories of silver-haired Act II's ticket holders).

Thankfully, Tony Braithwaite over-hams these roles (Carol Channing takes a beating), appearing in garish dresses and smeared lipstick that would draw laughs even from children with no exposure to music theater.

Alisa Sickora Kleckner's costumes contribute some of the humor (spoofing the equally unsubtle Fiddler and Wicked) and much of the stage magic. Braithwaite's direction speeds through 90 minutes, pausing only twice between rapid-fire costume changes, with even these pauses used to set up other gags, including Leo as a reluctant yet moneygrubbing feline from Cats.

Higgins and Camp garner roars of laughter by knocking down easy targets with aplomb, Higgins a vapid Liza Minnelli and Camp almost lost in her own self-wonderment as Barbra Streisand.

Although nothing remains sacred, at least from Camp and Coon I could feel the love radiating through the satire. This fabulously costumed, adorably sung production left me with greater reverence than ever, sending me home to find Broadway clips on YouTube and fall in laughing but definitely not forbidden love with musical theater all over again.

THEATER REVIEW

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Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits

Through June 28 at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler.

Tickets: $34-$40.

Information: www.act2.org

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