If you’ve been to a Cherry Red or Hope Operas production, you know that Chris Griffin’s work can be a little ‘off the wall’, so he is in company with his hysterical and swingingly good Tarxxxanadu, which closed the evening of two shows with four mash ups from Landless Theatre Company. I was there on opening night (February 4th) for both shows.
As the hunky, loin-clothed King of the jungle (Clay Comer) is kidnapped by a dingo and fails to find his Mom, who happens to be an Olivia Newton–John look-alike (the very Australian sounding Karissa Swanigan), He learns a new way of ‘swinging’ and becomes a famous Gay (“I’m not Gay)” porno star. You still with me? As Tarzan continues to make more films with his co-star Casey (the adorable JR Russ ) – Casey falls for the jungle stud, but with no luck – the Jungle Man claims he’s a hetero.
Add into this scenario the arrival of mass murderers Mr. Gacy (the creepy Cyle Durkee) and Mr. Dahmer (an equally skin-crawling Richard Reinfield), a funny but loud porno director (Oscar Ceville) and a ‘not-all-there’ producer/owner Maggie Gallagher (Ally Jenkins) – and you can imagine the monkey business that happens on the stage.
Mr. Griffin keeps his energetic and talented cast on their toes – as they run around and hang on to the small and cramped and intimate DCAC performing space. The four songs he wrote for Tarxxxanadu not only unveil the plot, but are also very humorous. Fans of the Xanadu film will find “Gene Kelly Had His Way With Me” – sung by Ms. Swanigan, Mr. Durkee and Mr. Renfield – a funny but nasty homage to the famous dancer who starred in the film. I enjoyed tapping my feet to the two ‘company’ songs “Tarzan’ll Do” and “We’re in Love”- which sounded like two songs from the Xanadu film and recent Broadway musical version. My favorite of all the mashup songs was the lovely and heart-warming “Family” sung by Ms. Swanigan and Mr. Comer as they long to reunite again and become a family. It was a poignant moment in a zany story. Let’s just say Tarxxxanaduwas the mash-terpiece of the festival.
Landless Theatre Company’s Mash Up Fest is performed Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 and 10pm through February 26 at the DC Arts Center, 2438 18th Street NW, Washington, DC.
Details here.
Buy tickets.
Landless Theatre Mash Up Fest:
Pii-Wii’s Big Poseidon Adventure
by Jon Gann
Directed by Melissa Baughman
All that Jaws
by Kerri Sheehan
directed by Andrew Baughman
Gleeam
Book and Music by Andrew Baughman
Lyrics by Randy Blair
Directed by Emily Jablonski
Tarxxxanadu
Written and Directed by Chris Griffin
Highly recommended
I would not have guessed that! And I am a huge fan of the movie Xanadu (eee, did I admit that??). Originally I was supposed to write Tarzanadu for the fest, and it was going to be about Olivia Newton John inspiring Tarzan to fashion his own pair of rollerskates (Chris was originally writing Dial M Butterfly for Murder, I believe). When I abandoned Tarzanadu for the pop-culture whorishness of Glee, Chris picked it up. He wasn’t going to let the idea of Clay in a loincloth fall by the wayside. Thank goodness it worked out this way, Tarxxx needed Chris’ demented comic brain!
What you don’t know about me Andrew is that I am a huge Tarzan fan. When I was a kid freezing my tuchus off in Buffalo, NY, I stayed warm on the weekends by staying inside and watching every Tarzan film ever made – over and over again.
When I heard you were reviewing Tarxxxanadu, I was worried that you wouldn’t like it – you do still surprise me from time to time! Apparently we’re eating away at your sense of decency. 🙂 It seems like everyone has their own favorite “mashterpiece,” but I’m with you on this one. I could watch Tarxxx it a hundred times. “Tarzan Pee All Over Floor” + Mr. Dahmer’s finale verse + any time Cyle Durkee speaks = NEVER STOPS BEING FUNNY 🙂
Thanks so much Joel! These shows are a ton of fun!!!!
How could you possibly want to miss this? Fridays and Saturday evenings in February @ DCAC!
Thanks for the awesome review, Joel!