Kevin B. McGlynn as Rafreaky in a spoof of The Lion King

On July 7 I attended a production of Forbidden Broadway at the San Jose Repertory Theatre. I knew little about this show before I attended. It is described as “New York’s longest running musical comedy revue that parodies, jeers and cheers American musical theatre,” but I would say that it skewers the business of Broadway just as much if not more. Because of this, I think it really speaks to those of us who are very much into the history of Broadway, who are familiar with “the business”, and who are aware of many of the personalities important to the Broadway scene. Those of us who are less up on Broadway news but know our Musical theatre will also enjoy it, just in a different way. The short run of this production should serve to keep the theater filled, and if you fall into any of the above categories you should definitely make time for this production and make reservations quickly.

The show is a quick series of musical performances. Some parody specific shows or people, but many point to more than one. In a show that is less than 90 minutes long, I counted at least 30 specific musical or personality references, so you can see that this moves along quickly. The taking over of Broadway by Walt Disney is a running theme throughout the show, along with the new trend of valuing puppets and fuzzy costumes over actual meaningful content. Personality references include Patti Lupone, Liza Minnelli, Harvey Fierstein and Ethel Merman among others. Musical references run the gamut from Fiddler to Hairspray to Phantom to Wicked to Gypsy and everything in between. Special attention is given to producer Cameron Mackintosh, costumer Julie Taymor, choreographer Bob Fosse and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

If you are a Broadway fan you should definitely not miss this show. It runs through Sunday, July 12 so get your tickets now!

San Jose Repertory Theatre
101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose
408-367-7255
Online

July 14 – July 19 a brand new show will arrive at the Rep: The Second City on Tour! That’s right, Chicago’s legendary comedy theatre will pay a short visit to the SJ Rep and will feature some of the best sketches, songs, and improvisations from The Second City’s forty-five plus year history. Another summer show you won’t want to miss!

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