Golf: The
Musical
"Golf: The Musical"
is a fun
romp. For
$42.95 plus tax, you get a good meal and show, which has to be one of
Door County's better bargains.
By
Marty Lash
Door County Advocate
°Golf: The Musical" is a lighthearted series of songs and sight
gags in which the perils and glories of this sport are
explored.
Some people treat golf like a religion, and others can't seem to
understand why it is so exciting to chase a little white ball around
for hours. These and other topics are given their due in this
comedy, which is running Tuesdays through Saturdays this summer at Door
Off Broadway Dinner Theatre.
From the very beginning the show's author felt he needed to justify the
reason for the musical and explains it in the style of David
Letterman's top ten list. Some of these are:
- Every idea sounds good when you are drunk;
- If you are willing to spend $300 on a putter, we can apparently sell
you anything;
- There aren't enough shows for rich, white people. Michael Roberts
wrote the show from a concept by Eric Krebs. James Zimmerman directs
Door Off Broadway's performances.
The cast consists of three men and one woman. The men are played by
Brady Lowe, Brad Grimmer and Andy Babinski. Ashley Pankow
plays
the sole female part. All are good talents, especially Ms.
Pankow. It's enjoyable and refreshing when Ms. Pankow carries
about. She is high-spirited and energetic, and she has a
great
voice. She is a great addition to the cast, and her presence reminds us
that for many years golf was not played by many women.
Some of the gags work better in the show than others. The
first
act is a little stiff, and some of the jokes fall flat. It is saved by
a tribute to Tiger Woods and a tune suggesting that golf should be
brought to the Gulf. Things improve in the second act. I
really
liked the song about Secret Service guys and presidential golfers. The
actors were dressed like those °Men In Black" characters and
poked
fun at Nixon, Eisenhower, Bush, and Gerald Ford. Instead of
yelling °fore" when teeing off, George W is alleged to have
called
out °six!" Nixon supposedly cheated when playing.
°The Road To Heaven" is a parody of a Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
°road" movie. To great effect, Grimmer and Babinski
recreate
moments from °The Road To Morocco." Their
impersonation of
the legendary actors is quite good.
There is also a song we first think is going to be serious and
deep. °The Beautiful Time" turns out to be an ode to
miniature golf. We know where the song is going when the
Donald
Duck character in the game is remembered. We are told how sad it is
when the golf ball is taken away on the 18th green. It's sad but true.
There is a very enjoyable song that suggests golf players are very
tenacious: "I'm Going Golfing Tomorrow" will have us believe that the
game's players will go out in rain, sleet, or snow to get their 18
holes in.
These and most other songs in the show are light and
enjoyable.
However, °No Blacks, No Chicks, No Jews" seems unnecessary. The
song pokes fun at golf club membership practices that excluded these
groups. I am sure this was the case at one time, but today its message
seems a bit anachronistic.
Despite its few shortcoming, °Golf: The Musical" is a fun romp.
For
$42.95 plus tax, you get a good meal and show, which has to be one of
Door County's better bargains. It costs less than what you
would
pay for just a show in most large cities. There will be a
matinee
July 26. Tickets for that performance cost $39. The show runs until
Aug. 26. °Same Time Next Year" will be
playing Sept. 1
through Oct. 14. For more information or to purchase tickets,
call Door Off Broadway at 823-2899 or go to www.dooroffbroadway.com.
Marty Lash is a member of the North American Music Critics Association
and a former contributing editor and classical music reviewer for the
Illinois Entertainer. He can be reached at mrl220@msg.dcwis.com.
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Posted July 7, 2006
'Golf'
has good sport with the sport
By
Warren Gerds
wgerds@greenbaypressgazette.com
JACKSONPORT
— The phrase "jolly sports musical" doesn't sound quite
right, but it fits "Golf: The Musical."
Fresh to the
area, the show is in the midst of a summer run at Door Off Broadway
Dinner Theatre.
With clever
material by
creator Michael Roberts and a bright cast, it's often a hoot. At times,
it's tongue-in-cheek. Among 10 reasons the show exists, we're told, is
it was "inspired by the singing and dancing talent of Arnold Palmer."
At times,
it's
knife-in-the-back. Take this for bloody satire: "No Blacks, No Chicks,
No Jews" is a shocker title, but then the song stabs at the exclusivity
at a course in Georgia. "Not Augusta," we're told. Yeah, right.
At times,
it's beautiful.
"The Road to Heaven" finds golf-loving Bing Crosby and Bob Hope playing
another round in the beyond. They sing a bit, dance a bit, tell jokes,
tease each other and bring their joy to the game. The two performers
may not ring true as Hope and Crosby, but they're close enough.
The cast also
shows its
youth in "Hook and Slice." It's built to be delivered as quick,
somewhat inane banter of an old vaudeville routine, but that style is a
bit out of the players' league.
However,
director/choreographer James Zimmerman and the cast of Andy Babinski,
Brad Grimmer, Brady Lowe and Ashley Pankow (with a drummer and pianist)
crank out plenty of dash and desire overall.
Pankow adds
oomph in
feisty ways. "My Husband is Playing Around," for instance, finds her
exploding in comically mistaken ways. (The husband is playing a round
of golf).
The four
singer-dancers have good harmony and timing. They're nimble and make
the little musical bounce.
The show
offers a feel for
the game in terms. It covers personalities (one song exalts Tiger
Woods, another plays with presidential play). It's nostalgic (the Hope
and Crosby scene). It's fresh (name dropping Michelle Wie, for one). It
has fun with human nature surrounding the game (the tune "It's Not My
Fault," spans "excuses, lies, threadbare alibis").
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Just a brief
note to say that we thoroughly enjoyed the performance of
“Golf the Musical” last Thursday
evening……IT WAS A HOOT! And for those
of us that “try” and play the game, it struck
home. Much to our surprise when reading the play bill,
several members of the cast were graduates or are still going to Viterbo University in La Crosse, we live in
neighboring Onalaska.
This was our
second experience at Door Off Broadway and I’m sure it
won’t be the last. Congratulations to all for a
great production, job well done!
Suzanne and
David Frey
Onalaska, WI
P.S.
I’m glad I kept my dinner napkin to wipe away the tears from
laughing so much!
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