Review: “Disaster! The Musical” shows joy in danger and death at ACT

The cast of Allen Contemporary Theatre’s “Disaster! The Musical!” (Photo courtesy)

Watch out Disaster! The Musicalit is easy to imagine that the authors Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick are only making themselves laugh with their outrageously ridiculous story. Their interpretation of the disaster film genre of the 1970s like earthquake, Poseidon’s descent into hell And Flaming Inferno adds an even more cheesy layer to the melodrama. The soundtrack/show tunes, which are entirely from the same decade, are not just a bonus but a clever ingredient to the piece.

The kitschy jukebox musical premiered on Friday at the Allen Contemporary Theatre.

A sold-out show Saturday night was full of fun, as the opening number, “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer, immediately ratcheted up the audience’s excitement. The cast didn’t let up for the rest of the evening, with the show offering a never-ending parade of jokes, comedic interpretations of popular songs, and some outstanding choreography by Becca Tischer. The actors’ over-the-top performances only served to add to the ridiculous comedy of the show, which revolved around the disastrous journey of a floating casino/disco cruise ship that endured a whole host of perils, including earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, and piranhas.

As Sister Mary Downey, Laura Alley’s creaky-voiced, guitar-wielding nun was full of surprises, including a rousing “duet” with a slot machine to “Never Can Say Goodbye” that was worthy of an ovation. In tie-dye spandex and bell-bottoms, Cheray Williams was always entertaining as the sassy and saucy disco diva Levora Verona. Shea McMillan and Christian Black played the story’s young lovers, Marianne and Chad, who exchange a series of laments and tales of woe after she leaves him at the altar in a life before all the ship’s shenanigans. If memory serves, they have the most duets, but they were in the best mood for “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight.”

The show’s main character was arguably Professor Ted Scheider, who predicted all disasters but whose warnings went unheeded. Eddy Herring was a mix of nerdy fun as a professor bent on saving the passengers – particularly the ship’s lounge singer Jackie, played with a clueless vamp by Laura Jennings, and her twins Ben and Lisa, both ably portrayed by an excellent Elijah Ponce.

Sherry Etzel and Jack Agnew had ideal chemistry as the married Shirley and Maury Summers. Both delivered a magical “Still the One,” but surprised with a full physicality that was impressive and droll. These two alone were a double threat – or quadruple? In the role of casino owner Tony Del Vecchio, Jeff York exuded just the right amount of sleaze for his awkward character, especially when approaching Marianne with “Do You Wanna Make Love?”

These characters were supported by a strong ensemble that delivered impressive dance performances in every danger and expressed traumatic suffering.

Directed by Penny Elaine, she created a high-energy and fast-paced show that relied on laughs. Her cast didn’t let her down, as the show’s slapstick bits all hit the mark. She also designed the set with set designer Kasey Bush. Jennifer Stubbs’ props were cheesy, but added to the silliness of the show. Technically, the sound and lighting were not always consistent, with some microphones making the actors sound cavernous, which was clearly audible in individual dialogue. A few lighting and sound/music cues were out of sync, but with a few simple corrections this should be able to be brought back under control. In a funny way, these technical discrepancies contributed to the show’s disaster.

The same could be said about the musical numbers. The cast didn’t always have the range that each of their songs needed and some of those vocal runs were, er, challenging, but respect for the actors’ courage to just let go and let us have it. The entire cast delivered truly hilarious performances, which catastrophe‘s golden charm and they all seemed to be having as much fun as the audience. However, you may never listen to “Three Times a Lady” the same way again.

The show runs until June 28th.

–Rich Lopez