Thursday, February 21, 2013

Just spoofin'

Something about our little genre brings out the best and worst in parody.

Saturday Night Live has run through a zillion game show spoofs. Some have been memorable, some forgettable, some a little of both. Meanwhile, a couple of stage parodies are now playing. I previously mentioned the Calgary production of Game Show, the almost time-honored spoof that features audience participation and a backstory twist.

The show gets a rave review from a critic who likes Richard Karn as Troy Richards, the game show host who makes the play go round. She praises Karn's ad-libbing ability, honed by four years on Family Feud. She also likes the snow crab legs, the moshi duck, and the jumbo prawn skewers. Food is important in dinner theater, after all.

Another critic finds less to praise in Games of the Heart, a Dating Game spoof now playing in Wilmington, NC. "Awkward repartee," "heavy-handed foreshadowing," "unromantic and implausible." But he does like the beef brisket, though the carrots are a bit underdone.

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