FORBIDDEN BROADWAY IS BACK!

Forbidden Broadway is back on the Off-Broadway scene.  In case you missed any of their shows, Forbidden Broadway spoofs Broadway shows both present and past as well as ribbing many of the stars.  As usually, it is creator Gerard Alessandrini that has his latest Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking and is hilarious.

The cast consists of four performers, Natalie Charle Ellis, Scott Richard Foster, Jenny Lee Stern and Marcus Stevens who are playing different roles and doing their best to dress like and sing like the stars that they are spoofing.  Other than the four, there is one pianist David Caldwell.

Just the fact that you get a Playbill that reads Playkill should give you a hint.  However, it is all a surprise regarding the list of spoofs so I will give you a run down but not exactly what they do...maybe one or two.

The opening is all about the show coming back.  Evita 2012 focuses on Ricky Martin.  Nice Work nabs Matthew Broderick. Granny-Annie. They have always made fun of the original Annie growing up but now that Annie will be back on Broadway...Once is the next spoof followed by Mary Poppins, Sondheim/Follies, and Bernadette (Peters).  Then we get Into The Woods/Agony, Rock of Ages, Anything Goes, Catherine Zeta, Ghost and an ending of Act One with a long salute to Newsies.

Act Two starts with Rafreaky, the character from Lion King.  Spiderman is next....good one!  Jersey Boys follows as they sing "Walk like a man, sing like a girl".  We then get Porgy and Bess, Smash, Mandy and Patti, Wicked, Judy (Garland), and Mormon - another long and really funny one even though I did not see the play. Finale.

Although there were shows that I had not seen I was able to get most of the humor.  Forbidden Broadway is playing at the 47th Street Theatre located between 8th and 9th Avenue.  You can check it out at www.forbiddenbroadway.com