[ssba]
The Snow Queen
Reviewed by Pauline Adamek
Troubadour Theater Company at the Falcon Theatre
Through Jan. 18
RECOMMENDED:
The Troubadour Theater Company’s annual Christmas show is a fan favorite, but happily it’s not all about the in-jokes (and there are many). This wacky retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s slightly obscure and dark fairytale focuses on a pair of Danish friends who become separated due to the whim of an evil Snow Queen.
Besties Gerda (Misty Cotton) and Kai (Joseph Keane, hilariously channeling the inhabitants of North Dakota with his goofy, thick mid-western accent) are inseparable until Kai crosses paths with the Snow Queen (John Quale), having first been maimed by shards from the evil troll Scaramouche’s (Rick Batella) magic mirror. Gerda sets off on an eventful quest to reclaim her pal.
In-jokes include the musical pillorying of latecomers, sparkly “yellow-cards” throw down whenever there’s a technical error, and self-referential remarks such as “Thank you for applauding our budgetary restrictions.” Sight gags abound, and the audience reaction to various up-to-the-minute pop-culture references and gags is gauged with a makeshift “laugh-o-meter” (meaning, the cast member raises one arm like a clapper board-cum-volume unit meter).
Directed and narrated by Matt Walker, the one-act, 85-minute show is slick, polished and high energy. It incorporates numerous songs from the rock group Queen, including re-worked lyrics to propel the plot. Excerpts from “Bohemian Rhapsody” become an oft-used refrain, while “Bicycle” becomes “Icicle” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” becomes altered to “Crazy Old Lady is Gone” — that sort of thing.
The success of this particular show depends heavily on the strength of the cast’s voices. Several members of the company are called upon to belt out legendary rocker Freddy Mercury’s vocals — everything from his commanding bass notes to his killer falsetto. This cast is more than up to the task, with powerhouse singer in a crazy beehive wig Lisa Valenzuela; Cotton as Gerda; and Keane as Kai; and Battala, bursting with versions of classic Queen tunes when needed. But towards the end, when we finally meet the Snow Queen, John Quale in knee-high white high-heeled boots, white cape, corset, gravity-defying hair and silver hot-pants, struts out with a full-on rock vocal styling and commanding presence. Now that’s commitment.
Troubadour Theater Company at the Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank; Wed.0Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 & 7 p.m. (no perfs Dec. 24, 25, 31 & Jan. 1; no 7 p.m. perfs Jan. 11 or Jan. 18, added perfs Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, 3 p.m.); through Jan. 18. (818) 955-8004, www.falcontheatre.com
