In 33 1/3 Chorus Girls, seven comedic sketches are linked by the loose thread of “show business.” A klutzy stand-up comedienne tells academic jokes about Harry Potter, surrounded by hecklers. Juliet tries to rewrite her own story in “Romeo and Juliet.” The list continues.
33 1/3 Chorus Girls leans meta at times, breaking the fourth wall with (sometimes confusing) asides about cast changes, and presenting such scenarios as an eager, tennis-playing audience member clumsily interrupting a performing group’s pitch for an entry into (what else?) the Capital Fringe Festival. The sketches deliver some zingers, but jokes don’t consistently land during the performance, and are often the kind of less-than-subtle groaners that beg for a rimshot. 33 1/3 also needs to tighten its transitions between sketches, which drag on uncomfortably.
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The piece’s most successful sketches are in part thanks to Dena Transeau, who generates chemistry whether she’s playing one sassy half of a Judy Garland-era motion picture duo (alongside Parker Damm), or embodying an increasingly volatile critic (partnered with Geoffrey Brand). It’s particularly fun to see her and Brand go to new, ridiculous heights attempting to “out-critic” each other, and she’s pretty convincing as the kind of arch, old-school cinematic star who blurts out dated phrases like “jeepers!” in casual convo.
33 1/3 Chorus Girls closes July, 27 2019. Details and tickets
It takes a while for performer Victoria Sova to relax into her roles — after a stilted start, she’s most amusing as a robotic Audrey Hepburn and that aforementioned Harry Potter comic. Each performer letting loose a little more (plus, tightening those transitions) will help 33 1/3 Chorus Girls settle into a more comfortable flow during future Fringe performances.
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