By Ernest Kearney – There’s nothing like “Adventures in John Wuchte’s brain” to guarantee a toe-tapping good time in the theater. Wuchte has staked out the Hollywood Fringe as his musical bailiwick with shows like Housewife ’52 and Scarlett Fever. This year he’s offering up two shows, 1972 and Vivian Vance Alive and Well Running Chinese Take-out.
Now generally, with Wuchte and his Kick Boom Theater, you can count on slick productions with sharp, audience-pleasing show numbers. Haven’t seen 1972 yet, but Vivian, etc…. “Slick?” Check. “Sharp?” Double check. “Audience pleasing…?” Well, that’s gonna depend on the audience.
Wuchte’s shows have tackled very specific aspects of the American Mythos: social roles and sexual bias, the lure and enigma of stardom. With Vivian, he has definitely raised the stakes.
Now, when the masses were ignorant (let’s say “ignoranter,”) religion provided them simple explanations and rules. “You’re bad because great-grandmother ate fruit, God wants you to obey kings and priests, when you die you go to Cloud-Disneyland and play the harp for eternity.”
This story worked until Diderot, Gutenberg and Freud screwed the pooch. Fortunately, for the rich and powerful, mankind is happiest in a herd and being told what to do. So, television arrives with the new trinity of prime-time gods, Nielsen’s pulpit and Paley’s moneychangers.
They say the “revolution won’t be televised,” but will the Second Coming? While it seems Wuchte is pondering this in Vivian; I don’t think he’s decided if it’ll be fake news or a rating’s blockbuster.
Maybe audiences won’t either, and I’m certainly not claiming to. There are only two things you can be sure of in this world, taxes and that Vivian Vance Alive and Well Running Chinese Take-out is canonical Fringe.
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Vivian Vance Alive And Well Running Chinese Take-Out
Playing During The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2024
at
The Broadwater (Main Stage)
1076 Lillian Way
DATES
Thursday June 13 2024, 9:00 PM | 90 mins
Sunday June 16 2024, 12:30 PM | 90 mins
Wednesday June 19 2024, 6:00 PM | 90 mins
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