ARABIAN NIGHTS - SEXY! FOOTLIGHT PARADE
Ryan Artzberger/Sofia Jean Gomezin Arabian Nights. Photo: Kevin Berne
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November 21, 2008
ARABIAN NIGHTS – SHOCK AND AWE -
SEX BEHIND THE VEIL
*Footlight Parade - Phantom cast to
perform at Special Cabaret show
ARABIAN NIGHTS
What you see when you first enter the Theater is what looks like a basement with canvas strewn about hiding things. Are the actors under there? If not, where do they come onto the stage. There is a strange door that looks like its filled up with mortar and brick. Could they be behind that and come crashing through? Well, soon enough, we find out. Suddenly there is blackout, and the sound of stirring, fabulous Arabian sounds, that make you sit up and take notice of the actors entering the stage from all the entrances in the Theater. The Actors dressed in beautiful Arabian costumes busily pull the canvas away to reveal a multitude of colorful carpets and pillows of all sizes. Then lamps descend from the ceiling to give the furnishings that romantic feeling of a night in Arabia. The actors and the percussion sounds along with group singing sure rev up your enthusiasm for the next thing. With this eye-opening extravaganza, there is no need for Viva Viagra, when you have Viva Arabia.
I would have to say, that this would probably not be a play for children of any age to see. This is not a family Arabian night. It’s more like “Sex” on the run. You know, get it when and where you can. The story, as you probably know is about a King, who looks for young Virgins to have sex with. After he satisfies himself, he slits their throat. Now, he may be a good-looking King, but not worth being a Queen one night and then lose your head. There is a lot of sexual innuendo in this show – and the audience on opening night just really got into it. There was lots of laughter, especially among the younger crowd.
Arabian Nights has many elements of “The Looking Glass” company production values in it. In fact the show was created with Looking Glass. There sure is the imagination and physicality of “Looking Glass”. As fabulous as the show is visually, it begins to wane somewhat as the stories told by the latest Virgin goes on and on. It began to feel like you have been sitting there for A Hundred and One Nights. The show ran on longer than it said it would.
After years of killing his Brides, King Shahryar finally keeps and marries Scheherazade, who apparently keeps telling him stories to save her lovely throat from being slit.
There are many amusing moments, but this one is really a hoot: The court Jester’s wife hides four lovers in her privy. Yep, she makes something rise in the Pastry Cooks pants, the Green Grocer holds a big cucumber in front him to titillate her, and the musician stroke’s his clarinet. I think you get the picture.
The visual feast of costumes of sheer veils, wrapped skirts and baggy pants along with all the colorful carpets, bring on an explosion of bright colors that add to the extreme theatricality of the play.
All in all this is a rewarding evening. I wish that they could pick up the pace a bit during all that story telling, but it wasn’t in my magic bag to make it happen. But, I will say that you will be glad that you got to see the most amazing cast in the world. They are: Ryan Artzberger, Allen Gilmore, Sofia Jean Gomez, Stacey Yen, Barzin Akhavan, Louis Tucci, Noshir Dalal, Pranidhi Varshney, Melina Kalomas, Evan Zes, Nicole Shalhoub, Jesse J. Perez, Alana Arenas, Ramiz Monsef, and Ari Brand. Absolutely, astounding work. They richly deserved the wild applause they got in this Mary Zimmerman Farce about The Arabian nights. Zimmerman’s take joins the other One thousand and one adaptations. This one is the sexiest.
FOOTLIGHT PARADE:
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