The Deepest South Wayest Wildest West Electric Rodeo and Grand Ol’ Opry
17/02/2010 - 25/02/2010
Production Details
Welcome to the Grand Ol’ Opry, the greatest talent showcase in the Southern hemisphere! Welcome to the Electric Rodeo, the most carnival-esque, rip-roaring hootenanny this far West of Texas! Welcome to the Deepest South, Wayest Wildest West Electric Rodeo and Grand Ol’ Opry, premiering this year at the New Zealand Fringe Festival. We’re glad to have y’all.
Bring your loved ones, as well as a donation of a home-baked good (or pay $12, whichever suits you best), and sit yourselves on down to contemplate why Rodeo Clowns and Circus Clowns are mortal enemies, what makes a Preacher spout Hellfire, and what the heck do superheros have to do with any of it? You might win a cake out of the deal, and maybe you’ll even get a sightin’ of the new Rodeo Queen. The least you’ll have is that rip-roarin’ good time we told you about back up there in that first paragraph. We guar-an-tee, or my momma ain’t named Fannie Lou May.
The “Rodeo” is showing at 11pm on the 17, 18, 24, and 25 of February at the Mighty Mighty. That’s Wednesday and Thursday nights for two weeks runnin.’ Lesser prices for the less fortunate amongst us are available with the Fringe Addict card, and there’s a rumour that deep discounts may be granted on last-minute seats for the really po’. That is, if we’re not all sold out. Presented to you by Double Gemini Productions, alongside your local honorary Native American Legion and the International Secret Superhero Society. Oh yes, we talk cowboy.
For more information, contact Elisabeth Williams on 021.872.657, or ehrickman@yahoo.com
The Deepest South Wayest Wildest West Electric Rodeo and Grand Ol’ Opry
17-18, 24-25 February, 11pm
Mighty Mighty Bar, Wellington
Weds & Thurs only
Comedy of unease without the comedy
Review by Michael Wray 18th Feb 2010
The Deepest South Wayest Wildest West Electric Rodeo and Grand Ol’ Opry is one of the first shows in the new Fringe category WTF? (What the Fringe?). And it’s fair to say that at regular intervals during the show, you think WTF!
I wish I could qualify that as WTF-good but, on opening night at least, it was more of a WTF is going on… Has this been rehearsed at all? Was there any directorial control over the content? And did anyone check that the technical components of the show would work at the venue?
The show is a revue style performance. After an initial scene to present the regular characters – a host, some rodeo clowns and a super hero – the show goes through a number of sketches. These include a talent contest, karaoke serenade, cake walk, line dancing demonstration, hellfire preachers and a closing song.
Each section is standalone, though a mute clown who can’t decide what kind of clown he should be – rodeo or circus – is a loose theme for the first few skits. It’s a theme that never delivers an outcome, but perhaps there was a punch line sacrificed to the numerous technical difficulties.
The initial scene managed to set the tone for the evening. A video-segment, involving rodeo-clowns apparently, refused to co-operate and after a few minutes of awkward silence the performers were forced to improvise their way through to the next segment. Watching the super-hero attempt an improv-rap felt like watching your dad attempt to break-dance at your cousin’s wedding. Awkward.
The Miss Electric Rodeo 2010 contest is a brighter note, with an audience member brought on stage to compete. Her prize is to be the object of a karaoke serenade, once again marred by technical issues as a rodeo clown resorts to holding up a laptop screen so the lyrics can be seen.
The hellfire preachers segment is the most painful section. The presenter apparently realised this, mercifully cutting the scene short by dismissing two of the six preachers before their sermons could be delivered.
I wish I could find some redeeming features of the show but, to be brutally honest, there weren’t any. The only hope is that resolving the technical problems threads everything back together into a coherent show, but I very much doubt it. The skits continue long after any potential joke has been exhausted. It’s the comedy of unease, but without the comedy.
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Comments
Matt Baker September 14th, 2012
A fairly justified indictment by the sounds of the production. I’d contend that there’s not much more to this review than most others I read, that is, that it is basically a synopsis of the show, however, it doesn’t sound like there was much more to say. Not being ready on opening night is a poor, poor excuse, and not a standard by which anyone should abide. The fact that you have to say yourself that your show was a roaring success by closing night sends my incredulity meter through the roof.
Elisabeth DeMaria September 11th, 2012
This review is an indictment.
however
i'd like to say that the reviewer came on opening night; we were not ready.
By closing night, the show was a roaring success.
Sometimes we fall, sometimes we ride.
If we ever play again, please consider coming to see the rodeo.
Thank you.