Several cabaret impersonators have been so ingratiating with their shows that they’ve built a cult following for their personas, so familiar that they are identified by their one name only. Steven Brinberg as Barbra, Rick Skye as Liza, Tommy Femia as Judy. Jimmy James has a virtual closet full of them.

Gary Hughes dreamed up a novel plot situation.  Suppose these popular characters wanted to fill the role of Mama Rose in Gypsy, and they all showed up at the casting call to audition at the same time. What nonsense!  What chaos!  What fun!

Rick Skye took the idea and ran with it, writing and directing The War of the Mama Roses.  With a half-dozen “character illusionists” playing Barbra, Liza, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, Peggy Lee and Patti LuPone, the show at Dillon’s Reprise Room is a second-cousin spoof of A Chorus Line.  As each of the characters approaches the microphone, the demanding, amplified voice of the director, from somewhere out there in the audience, demands to know more, personally, about the characters and why they want to play Mama Rose.  The responses run the gamut from ostensibly honest to hilarious, and the audition songs the hopefuls deliver – parodies of ones associated with the character – are clever and often outrageous.  The opener, a number by the whole company, is “I Need This Job.” 

Skye, who plays Liza as well as having written and directed the show, utilizes two male singer/dancers as combination narrators and a Greek chorus, introducing and commenting on each character as they come on stage. James Cruthers and Carlos Jacinto carry off the job handsomely. It’s a novel, and welcome, approach.

The War of the Mama Roses is campy, quirky, and fun.  You have to accept lots of playful exaggeration of the characters weak spots in the responses to Scott Nevins’ imperious questioning in his role of the director, and in their lyrics as they sing. They are, however, satirized with an even hand.  Skye, Steven Brinberg, Maggie Graham, Marian Steiner and Chuck Sweeney are delicious as their characters.  Michael Ferreri is musical director.  The show was produced by Fred M. Caruso.

The War of the Mama Roses has two more performances, Saturday, May 17^th at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
May 10, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org