By Ernest Kearney — Funny Bonz, the Humerus Solution by the P3 Theatre Company suffers from a lack of slickness in some of the performances, which expresses itself by that naturalness and ease on stage which, in turn, relaxes an audience and makes them the better targets for any unexpected zingers to come.
What the P3 Theatre Company does not suffer from are snappy tunes, clever lyrics, the solid talents of very experienced performers and a heaping serving of some exceptionally agreeable silliness.
Executive Artistic Director Jon Peterson, in presenting this musical sketch revue, wants us to think of it as “a musical SNL.”
Let’s start by first addressing the “musical” half. No problem here.
Peterson, along with Shai Culver, Ryan C Lee, Spencer Frankeberger, Kara Brouelette and Jimmy Hippenstiel supply some delightfully twisted toe-tapping fribblings.
Culver, Hippenstiel and Brouelette, wearing their best cigar store Indian faces, deliver a cautionary melody entitled Too Much Botox; Frankeberger (the Hollywood Fringe unofficial mascot) and Lee croon a melodic homage – “Some spread joy – some just spread cheeks” – to the medical world’s unsung hero in a ditty called Colorectal Surgeon; Culver, Hippenstiel and Brouelette return as three spinsters reveling in the cheap thrills they’ve discovered in the caresses of TSA officials in Felt Up at the Airport; Culver warbles “I wear my safety helmet and I pack a .45. I gotta be prepared,” in her solo rendition of I Drive on 405: and returning to the airport motif Peterson and Hippenstiel provide the eleventh-hour number celebrating how they overcame their fear of flying with a charming shanty entitled Hooters Air.
Nope, there’s no disappointment with the “musical” aspect of the show. The problems in the “SNL” portion of the show are minuscule enough and found only in a couple of the cast members who seem more comfortable as singers than comediennes, there is the problem of the faux news segments where the humor is hamstrung by the performers inability to face the audience when having to read their scripts. However, I’m betting these issues will be resolved after preview week.
So, to the cast and crew of Funny Bonz goes the 2021 HFF’s second GOLD MEDAL.
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Funny Bonz, the Humerus Solution
is playing furing the Hollywood Fringe ’21 at:
Asylum @ Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre
5636 Melrose Ave
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For Tickets, Dates and Additional Information Go To:
