What I liked
The Music: When you do parody, you run an incredible risk that it will either be hit or miss—that it will either work VERY well or fall VERY flat. This show managed to succeed far, far more often than it failed—and that’s a great accomplishment. I most especially enjoyed the number that popped up during the actual trial (which I won’t spoil for anyone who hasn’t yet seen it). That was my particular favorite.
The Acting: Again, parody is tough, because you’re by definition going to have to go large and broad—and that can create scenarios where the “acting” becomes secondary to the goal of laughter for laughter’s sake. Fortunately, the cast here manages to still make itself be a good, solid ensemble while still being able to generate fun, amusement and some good belly laughs throughout.
What I didn't like
The Pacing: There were some moments, at least in the performance that I saw, where things seemed to rush incredibly fast at one moment and then slow down almost like emergency brakes had been slapped on the show the next—and I couldn’t understand why either was happening. It might have been nervous energy or inexperience on a few of the cast members or any number of reasons, but it created a strange sense of starting and stopping.
The Script: I know the purpose of this show is comedy and parody—but I think it’s still worth taking a little time to recognize that not EVERYONE in the audience is going to either A) know the story as well as the author does and/or B) remember it as completely. This script felt as though it assumed that I would remember who everyone was and that I’d be able to follow everything without any problem—and that was, itself, a problem.
I know the program gave some details as well—but for instance, if all the guests in the early scene are IMPORTANT as to who they are, then I wasn’t able to follow who they were. And if they AREN’T important…then why are they there? I think the script would benefit greatly from adding a few touches here and there to help the audience keep track and follow the trail from beginning to end.
In other words, don’t be in such a rush to get to the jokes that you lose the audience along the way. A confused audience won’t laugh as hard.
The Song Choices: While I loved many of the parody lyrics, some of the CHOICES seemed a little more random than they perhaps could have been—or rather, with a little more careful thought they could be better organized so that they flow smoothly. The best moments in the show were when a parody caught us off-guard and was still appropriate. The worst was when a character ran up stairs early on (for instance) and I immediately knew what song she was going to sing because there was no reason for her to be running up those stairs except to sing that song.
My overall impression
Somehow I managed to get all the way to the opening moments of JonBenet Ramsey: The Musical without realizing exactly what I was getting into, without understanding the play I was about to see. And that turned out to be a great thing—because if I’d actively known that I was going to be seeing a parody musical about JonBenet Ramsey’s death that would cast her mother as a maniacal, power-hungry madwoman with delusions of being Professor Moriarty-level smart while singing Broadway show-tune melodies…I would probably have backed out.
And that would have been a mistake. Because this show—put together by Hannah Rowston and Austen Fletcher and directed by Fletcher as well—is very, very funny. Is it the greatest piece of theater I’ve seen at Fringe? No, not by a long shot. But I don’t think it’s trying to be GREAT. I think it’s trying to give me a GOOD TIME.
And a good time it damn well gave me. It has a remarkable piece of casting for JonBenet herself that I’m not going to mention in my review because it’s too good to spoil. It’s got parodies that are okay—and then some that are good—and then some that are really, REALLY DAMN FUNNY. There’s one that I still find myself singing a few lines of nearly a week later. And that is HIGH PRAISE, indeed, for a parody.
There are several more performances still of this musical this last weekend. If you’re looking for a really good, fun, enjoyable stop on the Fringe tour—this is most definitely one to try. It’s a little dark as a topic, of course, but that darkness (and the ineptitude of the police and the sleeze of the lawyers) all become fodder for the parody…and somehow, that made it all far more palatable. Because when faced with a complete failure of the system—what else can you do but laugh. Right?
Right??? So go—laugh.
