Zombies From The Beyond

Reviewed by Terry Morgan
The Visceral Company
Through July 20.

Visceral Company’s latest rendition of their ‘50s sci-fi-flick musical parody has several virtues and one major shortcoming. The cast is energetic and talented, Anna Safar’s choreography is ambitious and effective, and the subject matter is rife with possibilities for amusement. Unfortunately, it just isn’t very funny.

In 1950s Milwaukee, Mary (Amelia Gotham) works with her father on a military base, where they’re doing experiments in deep outer-space filming. She’s dating her dad’s assistant, Rick (Eric Sand), but she’s instantly attracted to the new scientist attached to the project, Trenton (Daniel Jimenez). When a flying saucer is spotted and then lands in town, Mary is alarmed to suddenly find all the men acting strangely. She’s horrified to discover they’ve been turned into slaves by the alien Zombina (Alison England), and Mary realizes she has to save the day.

Gotham is terrific as Mary with a stylized gem of a performance, a spot-on fluttery-earnest personification of Eisenhower-era B-movie heroines, and her singing voice is lovely. Jimenez is less strong as a singer but just right as the nerdy scientist hero Trenton, with a portrayal that eerily channels David Lynch. Sand makes the most of his role, particularly when Rick’s true identity is revealed in the song “Big Wig.” England is amusingly over-the-top as Zombina (full disclosure: She sat on my lap and judged me “hideous”), and her opera background serves her well. Alex Taber is charming as delivery boy Billy, and his tap dancing in “Atomic Feet” is impressive.

Director Dan Spurgeon has some fun with low-budget effects, including a neat black-light “credits” sequence and a flying saucer dutifully trotted onstage hanging from a fishing line. The problem is with James Valcq’s writing, which at best provokes only mild chuckles. His songs are also rather bland and unmemorable. There’s a lot of talent at work in this production, but regrettably this play isn’t a great showcase.

The Visceral Company at The Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., Hlywd.; Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. through July 20. thevisceralcompany.com