Cannibal! The Musical
Cannibal! The Musical
By Trey Parker
Directed by Logan Donahoo
Logan Donahoo Presents in association with The New Cannibal Society
Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival – Yellow Venue</strong>
Amazingly, this show is “based on a true story” but it sure doesn’t sound that way. Hapless Mormon adventure Alfred Packer (Chris Hampton) agrees to lead a party of miners to a gold strike in Breckenridge Colorado. His navigations skills are minimal, and winter in the Rockies is a mean thing. Along with him is his faithful horse LeAnn (Sarah Lockard), the always positive Swan (Benjamin Dupree) and a few other mooks and they head off into the worsening weather. They meet with some fur trappers (Dan Nichols, J Benedict Larmore, Eric Adamson) who taunt them again and call them “diggers” and make off with LeAnn. Things go downhill until all are rescued by the Nihonjin Indians (Danny Garcia) who recommends they winter with them and continue to Colorado when the weather breaks. Of course they don’t and soon the cast is greatly diminished and Packer is on trial for murder and cabbalism.
The show feels a bit rushed, but then they don’t have time to linger of the finer jokes. It’s a big cast and they sing decently, “Shpadoinkle” is an upbeat opener that engages, “Let’s Build a Snowman” is a classic Trey Parker bit of black humor and the entire town’s folks rally behind “Hang the Bastard” and show their support for Packer. Hampton’s Packer has the right mix of optimism and stupidity, the trappers are all vicious little weasels who enjoy killing things, even if they lack fur, and Monica Rea Andrews is nearly sexy as at frontier feminist reporter Polly Pry. Under Donahoo’s direction all the silliness gets focused down into the allowed time, giving the audience a fine cannibal meal.
This show is part of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. Tickets and other information may be found at http:\www.OrlandoFringe.org
