Cabaret Scenes Theatre Review - Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me

"A lot of what I'll be telling you tonight will be true. A lot I'll be making up. See if you can tell the difference."

Martin Short tosses the idea in your lap at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater. His "comedy musical," Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, is not in the genre of Billy Crystal's humor/sentimental memoir, nor Elaine Stritch's knockout, tell-all, sell-out, nor Suzanne Somers' debacle in the "why-did-she-bother?" school. Short is sui generis, prodigiously gifted and slyly satirical. His mischievous spirit here aims at the vanity of celebrity. Of course, it's funny; even the image of Martin Short striking that impudent Peter Pan pose promises laughs. Anything can happen. The problem is that too many things do.

Composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist/director Scott Wittman (Hairspray) provide Short and his talented supporting players with plenty of catchy tunes to propel the story along from segment to segment, stitched together by the truth and fantasy of Short's life. The helpmates include the versatile Mary Birdsong, Nicole Parker, Capitha Jenkins, and Brooks Ashmanskas. Shaiman remains onstage at the piano as Short's story unravels revue-style, after an opening ensemble number that nails the point, "Another Curtain Goes Up" ("…on a one-man show"), and ("Everyone's vagina has a monologue").

Short has been married to Nancy for 25 years; they have "Three Gorgeous Kids" and seem to live as normal a life as any show-biz almost-superstar. So what is left for a celebrity tell-all? Short embroiders things with "Sniff, Sniff" and "Twelve-Step Pappy." He also throws in an abusive Irish father, Shim O'Short, a dysfunctional family, and a slapstick segment from his cradle days. Short makes his entrance imploring "All I Ask" ("Just love me as I love myself"), the last note held long after Short has finished the song.

One hilarious skit illustrates Marty and Nancy meeting when they both appeared in Stepbrother to Jesus, a knockoff of Godspell. Short plays Gary Christ with hair he compares to Barbra Streisand circa 1975. On the opposite end is a less-captivating heaven skit, which goes on eternally. Short shoehorns in his TV personalities like producer Irving Cohen, Jackie Rogers Jr. (the albino Sammy Davis, Jr.), and dorky Ed Grimley. Nightly, as obnoxious Jiminy Glick, he brings onstage a different audience member to interview; some are famous; on this night, a civilian had a little trouble getting with the Glick technique in fatuous questions like "Do you think if Lincoln were alive today, he'd like his tunnel?"

With elfin charm, Short skewers anything and anyone and gets as shamelessly gaudy or sleazily humble as he wants. Some targets he and his cohorts strike are Judy Garland (Birdsong), Renee Zellweger (Parker), Ellen DeGeneres, and Brittany Spears. Bruce Ashmanskas wobbles memorably on stilts as an intimidating Tommy Tune.

The outstanding 11 o'clock number brings on powerful Capitha Jenkins in orange sequins, belting a rousing "Stop the Show" ("Do what Sondheim doesn't know: Let a big black lady stop the show"), and Jenkins does just that.

Short, who conceived of the show with Wittman, co-wrote the book with Daniel Goldfarb with Alan Zweibel's additional material. Orchestrations are spirited, conducted by Charlie Alterman. Scott Pask's set is just spare enough, with lighting by Chris Lee. Jess Goldstein went wild with wonderfully zany costumes.

Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me skewers celebrity egotism in a breezy, non-stop 95-minute variety show. It is entertaining but over-loaded with too many hit-or-miss gags and routines.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
August 22, 2006
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre New York, NY
"A lot of what I'll be telling you tonight will be true. A lot I'll be making up. See if you can tell the difference." Martin Short tosses the idea in your lap at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater. His "comedy musical," Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, is not in the genre of Billy Crystal's humor/sentimental memoir, nor Elaine Stritch's knockout, tell-all, sell-out, nor Suzanne Somers' debacle in the "why-did-she-bother?" school. Short is sui generis, prodigiously gifted and slyly satirical. His mischievous spirit here aims at the vanity of celebrity. Of course, it's funny; even the image of Martin Short striking that impudent Peter Pan pose promises laughs. Anything can happen. The problem is that too many things do. Composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist/director Scott Wittman (Hairspray) provide Short and his talented supporting players with plenty of catchy tunes to propel the story along from segment to segment, stitched together by the truth and fantasy of Short's life. The helpmates include the versatile Mary Birdsong, Nicole Parker, Capitha Jenkins, and Brooks Ashmanskas. Shaiman remains onstage at the piano as Short's story unravels revue-style, after an opening ensemble number that nails the point, "Another Curtain Goes Up" ("…on a one-man show"), and ("Everyone's vagina has a monologue"). Short has been married to Nancy for 25 years; they have "Three Gorgeous Kids" and seem to live as normal a life as any show-biz almost-superstar. So what is left for a celebrity tell-all? Short embroiders things with "Sniff, Sniff" and "Twelve-Step Pappy." He also throws in an abusive Irish father, Shim O'Short, a dysfunctional family, and a slapstick segment from his cradle days. Short makes his entrance imploring "All I Ask" ("Just love me as I love myself"), the last note held long after Short has finished the song. One hilarious skit illustrates Marty and Nancy meeting when they both appeared in Stepbrother to Jesus, a knockoff of Godspell. Short plays Gary Christ with hair he compares to Barbra Streisand circa 1975. On the opposite end is a less-captivating heaven skit, which goes on eternally. Short shoehorns in his TV personalities like producer Irving Cohen, Jackie Rogers Jr. (the albino Sammy Davis, Jr.), and dorky Ed Grimley. Nightly, as obnoxious Jiminy Glick, he brings onstage a different audience member to interview; some are famous; on this night, a civilian had a little trouble getting with the Glick technique in fatuous questions like "Do you think if Lincoln were alive today, he'd like his tunnel?" With elfin charm, Short skewers anything and anyone and gets as shamelessly gaudy or sleazily humble as he wants. Some targets he and his cohorts strike are Judy Garland (Birdsong), Renee Zellweger (Parker), Ellen DeGeneres, and Brittany Spears. Bruce Ashmanskas wobbles memorably on stilts as an intimidating Tommy Tune. The outstanding 11 o'clock number brings on powerful Capitha Jenkins in orange sequins, belting a rousing "Stop the Show" ("Do what Sondheim doesn't know: Let a big black lady stop the show"), and Jenkins does just that. Short, who conceived of the show with Wittman, co-wrote the book with Daniel Goldfarb with Alan Zweibel's additional material. Orchestrations are spirited, conducted by Charlie Alterman. Scott Pask's set is just spare enough, with lighting by Chris Lee. Jess Goldstein went wild with wonderfully zany costumes. Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me skewers celebrity egotism in a breezy, non-stop 95-minute variety show. It is entertaining but over-loaded with too many hit-or-miss gags and routines. Elizabeth Ahlfors Cabaret Scenes August 22, 2006 www.cabaretscenes.org

Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre New York, NY

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
New York, NY