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Comedy Fri Apr 06 2012
Brunch Punkx at The Annoyance
If you want to hear a cast of gifted singers belt some classic showtunes, you should've gotten a ticket for "Showboat" at the Lyric Opera. If you want to experience a really fun, dysfunctional night of musical comedy, check out "Brunch Punkx" at The Annoyance. There may be the occasional off-key note, but the show is so bizarrely comical and the performers so talented that you don't even mind.
"Brunch Punkx" follows a rag-tag group of aspiring brunch chefs as they struggle to find their calling after their culinary school's brunch program shuts down. The group eventually establishes itself as the newest "it" craze in foodie circles, and word of their culinary prowess reaches a former child star who's locked up for a homicidal rampage, and wants the Brunch Punkx to cater her last meal. The plot is a little convoluted, but the hijinks of the group are so enjoyable to watch that you don't even mind how they got there because they're so fun to watch unfold. The songs are catchy and the lyrics sharp, and musical theatre aficionados will enjoy playing "Guess the Pastiche" with the musical numbers that lovingly pay tribute to other musicals.
The cast is fantastic, and each actor embraces their damaged yet lovable character with enthusiasm and likability. Kellen Alexander, as the ringleader of the Punkx, stands out as the emotionally distant lone wolf of the gang, and his number about the merits of being alone had me laughing till I almost cried. Neil Dandade is great as the former street urchin who finds salvation in brunch, and Scott Nelson's song and dance number as the prison warden who abhors brunch (or any in-between meal, for that matter) is absolutely delightful.
"Brunch Punkx" runs Saturday nights at 10 p.m. at The Annoyance (4830 N. Broadway). Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or at the box office.
