It Ain’t Over Until the Fat Lady Swims

Poseidon: An Upside Down Musical – Hell in a Handbag

“There’s got to be a morning after,” shipboard entertainer Nonnie Perry tries to sing, although she’s a little off-key and kinda breathy. Parodying Carol Lynley, from the original 1972 disaster film, one of Chicago’s greatest comic treasures, Stevie Love, gives a bravura performance as the blond, shipboard singer with the deer-in-the-headlights eyes. Actually, she comes off like a buzzed artist who’s a few donuts short of a dozen. Stevie is just one of several excellent actors in this show, whose performance in this satire evokes almost nonstop laughter throughout the two-and-a-half hours of outrageous comedy, song and dance.

This is a revival of the show that launched Hell in a Handbag Productions, back in 2002. It was so popular with both audiences and critics alike that the musical was accepted the following year in the New York International Fringe Festival, winning the Award of Excellence for Best Ensemble, and called the most-attended show of the event. After many requests, the musical was revived again at the Chopin Theatre in 2009. Now the show is back once again, this time with a brand new cast and playing in a brand new venue. What remains the same is the show itself, and it’s brilliant.

The early and mid-1970’s saw the birth of the disaster film genre. Among these movie melodramas were “The Towering Inferno,” “Airport,” “Earthquake” and, of course, “The Poseidon Adventure.” This gripping tale of survival revolved around an aging luxury liner making her final voyage, from New York to Athens, on New Year’s Eve. A tsunami comes out of nowhere, crashing into the ship in a wall of water that flips the ship, earning the film’s tagline: “Hell, Upside Down.” In this perfect parody of the movie, with a book and music by David Cerda, the tagline might be changed to “Hilarity, Upside Down.”

David Cerda uses the framing device of having a group of passionate film fans gathering for a New Year’s Eve party to watch a video of the movie. Although this is a clever idea and the cast of “Poseidonites” are all talented performers, the musical is at its best when it’s satirizing the actual film. The story features the same stereotypical characters from the adventure movie, with some of Chicago’s finest comic talent playing these iconic roles. Actually, more to the point, the actors create caricatures of the famous actors, seen in the 1972 film, playing the characters from the movie.

In addition to the fabulous Stevie Love as Carol Lynley playing Nonnie Perry, the role of Reverend Scott (played in the film by Gene Hackman) is in the capable hands of handsome leading HIAH company member, David Lipschutz. David will be remembered for his excellent performance in the company’s recent “The Artificial Jungle.” Here he’s every inch the macho hero, determined to save his fellow cruise-mates at all costs. Scott Sawa returns to HIAH, after playing Darren in “Bewildered!” as long-time bachelor, Mr. Martin. In the film he was portrayed by Red Buttons, and Sawa is comical in his exaggerated impersonation.

As Mr. and Mrs. Rosen, the older Jewish couple, played on the silver screen by Jack Albertson and Shelley Winters, Michael S. Miller and Tommy Bullington are terrific. Of course, the highlight of the film becomes the best part of this musical: when fat lady, Shelley Winters, swims and saves the day. The survivors discover that the engine room they must traverse is completely flooded. Mrs. Rosen discloses that she was once a school swimming champion and, wanting to help the others (“In the Water I’m a Very Skinny Lady”), she volunteers to swim the distance underwater. She does so, rescuing Reverend Scott and helping to save the rest of the survivors.

Mike Rogo, doing his best Ernest Borgnine, as blustering Detective Lieutenant, is excellent and quite humorous. Linda Rogo, his sexy wife, a former prostitute, is played by ensemble member Elizabeth Lesinski. She brings her best Stella Stevens in two of the funniest songs, “Just Panties” and “Bad Girls Need Love Too.” Drop dead hilarious is the energetic Nicky Mendelson as Roddy McDowall, playing injured Scottish waiter, Acres. And Katherine Bellanton and Frankie Leo Bennett are a hoot as brother and sister Susan and Robin Shelby, two teenagers who are more sexually active than one would expect.

The excellent ensemble of Poseidonites introduce the movie and their love of this classic disaster film with “Movies Have the Power.” The chorus, led by the stupendous Caitlin Jackson, includes Brittney Brown, Sydney Genco, Courtney Dane Mize, Elissa Newcorn, Maiko Terazawa, Josh Kemper, Marc Prince and Patrick Stengle.

This revival production is directed with panache by theatrical wunderkind, Derek Van Barham, assisted by Madison Smith. Andrew Milliken does a swell job musically directing the cast and leading his four-member onstage orchestra. The talented Breon Arzell provides some spirited choreography, particularly fun in the motivational climactic number, “Keep on Climbing.” Christopher Roton’s scaffolding-enhanced scenic design offers levels for escaping the flood waters; excellent costume, makeup and wig designs are courtesy Beth Laske-Miller, Sydney Genco and Keith Ryan, respectively. A frightening sound design has been created by Danny Rockett and Cat Wilson lights the show with melodramatic mood and atmosphere. 

This is a wonderful, campy, over-the-top production—just what audiences have come to expect from every Hell in a Handbag production. David Cerda, so busy with several projects going at the same time, has put his trust in Derek Van Barham, his terrific artistic support crew and his talented, large cast. The result is an hilarious musical production that pays homage to the disaster films of the 1970’s. And, just remember, don’t leave early. Because it ain’t over until the fat lady swims!

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas      

Presented March 15-April 28 by Hell in a Handbag at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago.

Tickets are available by calling 800-838-3006 or by going to www.brownpapertickets.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.