Jack Marshall and American Century Theater attempt a reconstruction of Olsen and Johnson’s chaotic music and comedy revue of 1938, Hellzapoppin. Whether the show matches the popular vaudeville-influenced mayhem of the original is a question for experts of the era to answer. Marshall’s show is nevertheless an entertaining evening for fans of Hee Haw-corny jokes; running gags that run on and on and on and on (a bellhop wanders in with a potted plant to be delivered to “Mrs. Kenney,” and each time he reappears the plant has grown by 18 inches); goofy patter songs (“He Broke My Heart (in Three Places)” is a geographical mouthful of American place names mastered by Esther Covington as Robin Finch); “anything can happen day” hijinks; stooges in the audience lobbing food items onstage à la Rocky Horror; Hexagon-style political satire; and merciless fourth wall breaking. Oh, and don’t forget the singalongs. There is also an unhelpful program that promises a recreation of the Battle of Hastings and readings from Remembrance of Things Past. Fortunately, these promises are not kept.
Bill Karukas plays the slightly more sophisticated and bemused Ole Olson, Dan Rowan to the Dick Martin of Doug Krenzlin’s lumpish but sporting Chic Johnson. As the two preside over the shenanigans, they’re at their most effective when they let us know, “yes, we know that bit is so old it’s collecting Social Security, just let it go and we’ll move on.” All in all, the songs of the revue fare better than the jokes, perhaps because they’re played more lightly; at times, the cast is just selling the jokes too hard. The blizzard of costume changes that the cast plows through every night is impressive, and maybe this accounts for the snug configuration of Gunston’s black box Theater One, with a minimum of audience seating. Anyhow, this is the only time in your life you’re going to get to hear Doodles Weaver’s silly version of “Eleanor Rigby” performed live (at least, let us hope so!), so relax and enjoy the show.
- Hellzapoppin, concept and book by Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, directed by Jack Marshall, American Century Theater, Arlington, Virginia