Fringe Festival's 'Jesus Christ, King of Comedy' delivers wacky laughs
by Robert Trussell, The Kansas City Star
It just wouldn’t be a fringe festival without at least one show thumbing its nose at religion.
“Jesus Christ, King of Comedy” is every bit as irreverent as the title would have you believe and the production’s calculated lack of polish only enhances the humor. Seeing a blatantly artificial beard on a woman playing a man is always good for a laugh.
Director Tara Varney wrote this romp with Bryan Colley, Michelle Cotton and Young Han C. Lester, and the first half of the show is hilarious. It tends to run out of steam as it draws near the end of its 60-minute running time, but it still deserves attention for its wacky audacity.
The KC Fringe Festival show basically re-imagines the life of Jesus as it might have been had he embarked on the career of a comedian. Things get off to a very funny start as Mary (Susan Glennemeier) explains to Joseph (Nick Uthoff) that even though she’s a virgin she’s already pregnant.
George Forbes plays Jesus with a light touch and excellent timing. In this version of the tale Judas (Charlotte Kyle) is Jesus’ agent and the arc of the story follows the classic rise and fall of a star.
Making fun of religion is, of course, a popular sport and easy to do. This show has occasional explosions of inspired writing but too often fails to sustain the level of wit that makes the early going so engaging.
One of Varney’s inspired choices was her use of projected images taken from “The Brick Testament,” a Web site where you can find Bible stories illustrated with Legos, for transitions between scenes. You won’t believe it unless you see it, which you can by going to www.thebricktestament.com. You can also visit the show’s Web site at www.kingofcomedy.net.
Jesus Christ, What a Comedy!
by Rabid_Reviewer, KC Stage
Irreverent, logical, and totally unapologetic. Devout Christians without a sense of humor are going to hate this show. Everyone else will probably love it.
The script is excellent and funny. The concept is also strong and well-considered. I really, really enjoyed this show, and it has enormous potential to be developed beyond the Fringe Festival.
There are problems with this show, and it has to do with the way it's played. There is a sense that the cast is holding back a little. It seems as if they are aware that this show will greatly offend some people, and they are distancing themselves from the characters somewhat rather than fully embracing them.
Perhaps it has something to do with the good Christian hate mail the show received before opening. Or maybe it is simply under-rehearsed.
The lack of full investment in the characters did not detract from the absolute hilarity inherent in the performance. Even the program adds to the comedy.
The show begins with the immaculate (yeah, right) conception, and treats the entire story of Jesus as a guy who just wants to make it big in show biz. Thanks to Judas Iscariot, his agent, he succeeds. The rest is an E! Hollywood Story of how fame and success led to his ultimate demise, and how some of the tales of his exploits were blown way out of proportion, defying all reasonable logic.
The play makes a good point about religion requiring faith that defies common sense, and how the masses can be convinced of almost anything. Would Jesus be considered a savior or a fraud in today's society?
Frankly, if your faith can not stand up to the questions posed by this production, then maybe you need to re-examine what you believe in.
Intelligent and funny. Needs more work on characterization. Definitely worth seeing.
The Best I've Seen All Day
by ajennings, KC Stage
Having had a very disappointing day, I was ready to see a show I would enjoy. This show not only was enjoyable, but had me clutching-my-sides-laughing!
This is not your typical Jesus story, although it does follow his life from birth to death. The scene transitions, which tell a lot of the basic storyline, are hilarious! I just want to know who found all the Legos?
The cast (George Forbes, Jesus; Susan Glennemeier, Mary; Nick Uthoff, Joseph; Charlotte Kyle, Judas; and Michelle Cotton, John the Baptist) is very versatile, with everyone except Jesus taking on many roles, all of which kept me laughing.
All in all, a wonderfully funny show! I encourage everyone to catch the last show on Sunday at 2:30pm at XS Lighting on Broadway!
Jesus Christ: King of Comedy
by Lorlactica, KC Stage
I'm driving down Broadway at 2:15 on Sunday looking for some dance show I don't really want to see because I have missed the 2:00 showing of l'Ange avec des Fleurs. Before I can get to the dance theater, I see protesters outside XS Lighting where Jesus Christ: King of Comedy is playing. Conflict in KC? Yeah!!! I roll up on the venue and park a little ways away in case these are PITA-types who might key my car with a cross for my imminent engagement with blasphemy. There's even an old guy to make it look authentic. I pull my press pass and open my "interview" with the protestors by asking what their signs say. "Save the Laughter for the Hereafter", "God Hates Gags", "Every Time You Laugh, God Kills a Kitten" (okay, I should have figured it out by now), "Parking in Rear"...huh? My bad.
I'm kicking myself as I walk in, which could be a legitimate dance form, and sit down with my embarrassment. Then "Our God is an Awesome God" starts playing over the PA. Even though I fully understand that it is in the context of good-natured blasphemy, my bones rebel and try to crush themselves into wet dust as the chorus of fanaticism rises to a fever belch. I'm on the edge of my seat for all the wrong reasons.
I am not accustomed to intimate live theater. Though the actors seemed experienced and knew their lines very well, I sometimes felt like they were auditioning for a Scorsese film from a helicopter pad. George Forbes, who played Jesus, did a very good job keeping a kooky character in focus. I also liked the "Rise to Fame Montage", mostly because the action was fast and funny. The slide show of Lego apostles engaged in various debaucherous acts was a brilliant little rat running through the Uriah heap of double-, triple-, and quadruple-entendres; some funny, some unnecessary.
Best Line: "I'm Jesus Christ. I'm bigger than The Beatles." And much richer in this play. According to this ensemble of writer-actor-directors, he faked his death while he was at the top of his game, after having a little park-bench sit down with Elvis. Funny premise, though not quite enough to sustain the action for a full hour.
To my surprise and delight, "Childhood's End?" from the album Misplaced Childhood by progressive rock gods, Marillion, sneaked through the speakers at the end of the show. My bones, reconstituted, carry me out to my un-keyed car, still a little pissed that good old-fashioned controversy decided to take Sunday off.
Great Fun!
by Film_Girl, KC Stage
This show will keep you laughing... even the program is funny! A top-quality performance.
