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Theater Sun Jun 22 2014
Oobleck's Tuesday Night Residency Wraps Up This Week
Theater Oobleck, responsible for everything from An Apology for the Course and Outcome of Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on This His Final Evening to There Is A Happiness That Morning Is and countless other fabulous creations before and since is wrapping up their June residency at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave., on Tuesday with This Land That I Love, a musical interpretation of a book written by Ooblecker by John Shaw. Every week is different, so it's hard to encapsulate the experience, but I have yet to be disappointed by Oobleck.
Last Tuesday's show, The Jewboy Cain Interview (A Marty Grosbeck Special) was reminiscent of an SCTV sketch, with Marty Grosbeck (played by David Isaacson) bringing a Eugene Levy-esque feel to the talk show host character. Jewboy Cain, played by Jeff Dorchen (who'd performed earlier the same night at Write Club, and won his bout) plays the character like a mix of Weird Al Yankovic, Steven Wright, and Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Bad Blake in Crazy Heart.
The humor was at once broad and clever. Jewboy initially expressed disappointment upon realizing that he wasn't, in fact, making an appearance on the "Oprah Winfrey Show." Grosbeck asked him, "Did you know that Harpo is Oprah backwards?" It hit my funny bone in just the right place. Grosbeck referred to Jewboy by the more formal "Mr. Cain," and his guest told him, "Call me Jewboy." Grosbeck replied with, "I do feel a little bit of discomfort with your... Christian name."
The spoof talk show, which must have had parts that were ad-libbed, easily segued into a musical performance where Cain sang songs with titles like "Things got ugly," and lyrics like: "things got ugly/as so often they do/the kids got ugly/the house did too/I got ugly/but especially you."
Towards the end of the interview Grosbeck pointed out to Cain that he was better off not going on Oprah because he wouldn't have been able to say, "What's up kike?" or criticize Elie Wiesel, or call her audience holocaust deniers. Then he asked Cain, "What artist speaks to you?" The answer: "Who's the guy who did the Yes album cover?"
This coming Tuesday will be a completely different experience, but no doubt just as memorable.
Theater Oobleck is performing at the Hideout on Tuesday, June 24, suggested $5 donation. Show starts at 9pm, for more information visit Theater Oobleck or The Hideout.
