BlueSky post: MN Fringe show #17: A Sad Carousel 2 - just the kind of insulting, Fringe-bashing, self-referential meta nonsense we look for in a sequel such as this; we’ve missed you while you were in that coma, Herschel Douscheburg (explaining jokes in a review will of course be self-defeating) - 5 stars
It seems fitting to let the full title breathe in all its glory first, “A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg.” Sam Landman revels in making fun of… well, everything - his character Herschel Douscheburg first and foremost, but also comedy, comedians, improvisation, the Minnesota Fringe Festival and Fringe shows, actors, the union Actors Equity Association, homoerotic humor, theatrical conventions, recaps of the first A Sad Carousel, honestly the whole review could just be a list of the things he’s making fun of, there is no shortage of targets in his sights.
“Truly, this is… a sad carousel… also.”
There are also a fair number of very inside Twin Cities theater community jokes, but even if you have no idea who Tyler Michaels King is, those jokes are still pretty funny because of the way (and repetitiveness) in which they’re delivered.
“There a no theater critics anymore. Just bloggers.”
You really needn’t have seen the original Sad Carousel back in 2010 to enjoy this one. First, there’s a brief voiceover prologue that gets that out of the way as a comatose Herschel is being wheeled on in his hospital bed in the show’s opening moments.
“I will not cry - especially for that guy who just went ‘Whoo!’”
Second, there are a couple of hilarious sound cues that are just a string of non-sequiturs from the first show (or it’s been so long ago now, they could be completely made up lines and I’d never know). They are certainly in the vein of humor from the first show, and in line with the humor in this new Sad Carousel, so they serve their purpose.
“What did the police ever do to deserve this? Oh yeah, that. And that. And that…”
Awakened from his coma, Herschel sets out to scale comedy heights again, thinking another Fringe show is surely his best bet. Meanwhile some young comedians are out to take Herschel down before he can debase the art of comedy again. The notion of “a lot has changed in 15 years” provides ample material for the comedy battle ahead of Herschel (HUGE theater and the Ivey Awards, RIP).
“Hey, why is it so hot in heaven?”
“A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg” is completely ridiculous, but it’s also funny. And unfunny or labored comedy is all too common these days. So if Sam Landman wants to just hit me over the head with one funny joke after another, as long as I’m laughing (or groaning), I’m OK with that. If you need a laugh, Sam Landman has about an hour of them for you. “A Sad Carousel 2” closes Saturday.
5 Stars - Very Highly Recommended
Here’s some handy links to coverage of 5 Star and 4.5 Star Shows I've Seen (VERY Highly Recommend), 4 Star and 3.5 Star Shows I've Seen (Highly Recommended), Other Shows I've Seen (3 Stars or Less), as well as my Fringe Top 10, Top 11 to 20 and Returning Favorites lists for this year, and all the coverage of this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival.
As I’m sure many artists are, I find myself struggling with the idea of
just “taking time off” (what a luxury) and submerging myself in a whole
lot of theater for 11 days while the world is on fire so… I’m going to
put some phrases and links down here (and at the end of each post going
forward) and if you find yourself compelled to explore one or more of
them, so much the better. There’s a lot going on, and it can be easy to
get overwhelmed and tune out, but as Congresswoman Sarah McBride
recently said, “If everybody shows a little courage, nobody needs to be a
hero.” I freely admit this list and these links are hardly
exhaustive. It's just something to get started. Do what you can, where
you can, however you can. Let’s help one another get through this.
Contacting your elected officials about the issues that matter to you (and protesting as necessary)
Starvation in the Gaza Strip
Immigration raids around the United States
Ukraine fighting off invasion by Russia
Trans rights
Climate change action
Housing shortage and the unhoused
Reproductive Rights
Voting rights, and running for office
The courts, from the Supreme Court on down to the local level
Don’t forget to laugh - even gallows humor is still humor
No comments:
Post a Comment