Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
The biggest topic of conversation outside the Randolph Theatre before the curtains rose on FULL HOUSE THE MUSICAL! was whether its star attraction, gossip columnist Perez Hilton, could actually sing and dance. When he entered the stage, all buff and sporting bangs that made him look very much like Amy Roloff (from TV’s “Little People, Big World”), and warbled his first note, it was clear to all that he sounded like we all do – in the shower reaching for those high notes. As for his dancing abilities, he reminded me of a guy wearing Armani and not wanting to work up a sweat at some disco. He definitely would be eliminated on week one in “Dancing with the Stars”. He’s not bad; he’s serviceable. But his stage inexperience only emphasized how talented his fellow cast members are.
FULL HOUSE THE MUSICAL! is ostensibly a parody of the classic television show about widower Danny Tanner, his three daughters and two roommates Jesse (the aspiring rock star) and Joey (the aspiring comedian). It all starts off light and fluffy and gets progressively bawdier and bawdier. By act two, it is borderline NC-17. There are so many F-bombs exploding on the stage that you’d think the musical was ghostwritten by Quentin Tarantino. The show should come with a warning so parents bringing children to see a musical about a beloved TV show could make an informed decision.
All that said, I am a fan of frat house, obscenity-laden humour and since this production is presented by National Lampoon, I did laugh uproariously many times. Seth Blum, who plays Joey as well as Kimmie (the oldest daughter DJ’s best friend) and the family dog steals the show whenever he is onstage. Bedecked in frightful outfits and Dollarama wigs, his strong vocal chops and comedic timing are golden. His “Kimmie’s Rap” was profanely-funny. The standout in this cast is Marshall Louise. Playing the Olsen Twins, her performance is gold! Midway through act 2, when she plays the Olsens as they are today – super-thin, super-rich, super coked-out adorned in super ugly baggy clothing and super large sunglasses, I literally held my sides as I could not stop laughing. I want to see more of Marshall Louise.
Can I recommend FULL HOUSE THE MUSICAL!? Not really. Many of the songs are sophomoric, the humour is somewhat misogynist and there were so many missed cues and harsh, flat notes. Did I like FULL HOUSE THE MUSICAL!? I did. I really effing did!!
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