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Naked Boys Singing: the ultimate selfie

Monday, 17 December 2018 Marc d'Entremont

The peppy opening number of Naked Boys Singing, “Gratuitous Nudity,” pokes fun as to why we’re in the audience but promises, “No crudity. Just gratuitous nudity.” (Certainly easy on the eyes and naked 99% of the time the ensemble of Max Albertos, Mitchell Guzman, Joby Hernandez, Fidel Rebolledo, Renzo Sotelo and Luis Villanueva are handsome talented singers). Yet, most important, at the end of the opening number the men sing, “Than nakedness is just another window to the soul.”

Naked Boys Singing is an entertaining comedy revue with some real life pathos. Yet the lyrics and even the sequence of songs fail to develop this cohesive theme. The lyrics are gay oriented, a good selection for Incant o Theater situated in Puerto Vallarta –the gay friendly capital of Mexico. Yet most people evolve beyond potty humor after discovering the magic our naked bodies can create.

Perhaps edgy when originally produced Off-Broadway in 1998, I was getting bored and puzzled with Robert Schrock’s current version of his 20-year-old musical Naked Boys Singing by the end of the third song. I stress bored with the production not the boys.

Is Naked Boys Singing a vaudeville revue poking fun at our attitudes on nudity and sex? Or is it a musical of how we men see ourselves, literally, develop from the potty humor of 9-year-old boys, through teenage angst, to a celebration of why we (men and women) have beautiful, biologically designed bodies that produce fun, brainpower and love. Unfortunately creator Robert Schrock fails to ask himself these questions.

A lack of imaginative direction leaves six handsome naked men basically singing a concert in a straight line. One potty humor opening number would have been fine. “The Naked Maid” is silly but at least it was choreographed.

“Fight the Urge” (sung by Max Albertos, Mitchell Guzman, Joby Hernandez) speaks to many men, especially when gay teens, of uncomfortable moments in school locker rooms. It’s funny, true and in the last stanza sets up what could have continued a developing theme for the musical, “I can’t let anyone know what’s happening inside. I am all alone.”

Following that number, “Window to Window” (sung by Fidel Rebolledo and Luis Villanueva) provides a glimmer of thoughtful lyrics that brought more meaning to this play. In “Window to Window” two neighbors view each other frequently from across their apartment buildings’ divide. In a beautiful duet they communicate through attraction and desire. In the final lines their thoughts mesh even though physically separated when they sing, “Take a risk. Be daring.”

The beauty in “Window to Window” is that we do not know if the desire will be fulfilled. How many of us, gay or hetero, have not felt this same longing? That is the direction that could make Naked Boys Singing relevant theater and still retain its humor.

Unfortunately Robert Schrock concentrates on a miscellaneous list of minor topics from gay gym rats in “Muscle Addiction” to being a “Perky Little Pornstar.” Too many songs are just gratuitous entertainment. The lack of creative direction and a thematic vision fails to take advantage of the talents of six handsome naked men.

Yet the second act does have three songs of significant interest that capture a universal sense of humor, longing, fear and acceptance. The lyrics in “Nothing But the Radio On” (sung by Joby Hernandez) comically compare reactions to Marylyn Monroe’s famous 1950s nude calendar photo with still hypocritical sexual image attitudes.

“Work of Art“ (sung by Luis Villanueva) was appropriately a tableau recreating athletic nude marble statues with four of the cast members. The central, classically posed statue (Luis) sings of a particular man that frequently visits the museum. In silence they are doomed in expressing their mutual love. Once more the longing for love shines in this song.

The third to last number, “Window to the Soul,” a tender duet sung once more by Fidel Rebolledo and Luis Villanueva, should have been the final number in the production sequence. The “Window to Window” couple discovers the true nature of their love. They take the risk as scary as it is, “And now I know that who I am isn’t shameful or obscene.”

Naked Boys Singing should be an entertaining exploration of nakedness as both physical beauty and its impact on everyone’s self-image. Yet out of fifteen songs only a handful explore this identifiable theme – “nakedness is just another window to the soul” – that the musical introduced in the opening number, “Gratuitous Nudity.”

Still, the six talented naked young men in this Incanto Theater production have fun proving that nudity is the ultimate selfie.

Despite production flaws, Naked Boys Singing is entertaining and worth seeing. It is running several times per week along with Incanto’s stellar concert calendar for the 2018/2019 Winter season.

Lady Zen, just one of the stellar singers in Incanto Theater’s concert series this season

Please read more by Travel with Pen and Palate at…

Hellenic News of America (*Travel with Pen and Pal**ate)*

Hellenic News of America (Marc d’Entremont)

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Incanto excites Puerto Vallarta with Greater Tuna

Friday, 27 April 2018 Marc d'Entremont 1 Comment

After over 35 years Greater Tuna is firmly rooted in the regional theater circuit. Written in 1981 by Jaston Williams, Jow Sears and Ed Howard, it deals with the small town everyman. Relying heavy on comedy, it can too often fall into the trap of parody.

Ron Spencer (left) Tracy Parks (right) as Arles Struvie and Thurston Wheelis

Ron Spencer as weatherman Harold Dean Lattimer

Yet in the accomplished hands of Incanto Theater’s Ron Spencer and Tracy Parks the deftly crafted script bristles with pathos. Greater Tuna is a current day Everyman, that seminal play of the early Medieval Era. From the pain of Bertha Bumiller, clueless Harold Dean Lattimer, sociopathic Pearl Burras to the one character that has, perhaps, found inner peace, Jody Bumiller, Greater Tuna pulls at the heart as often as causes uncontrolled laughter.

Parody and comedy are classic devices in theater and human life to both cover and highlight inner inadequacy. The “3^rd smallest town in Texas,” Greater Tuna is, of course, our town. It’s where we live; it’s inside our heads.

We belly laugh as OKKK DJs, the play’s anchors, Arles Struvie and Thurston Wheelis tell us the town foibles and at a variety of eccentric characters that float in and out of the play. Yet it’s human drama, especially the Bumiller family that causes the audience to be drawn into emotional periods of silence.

Ron Spencer as reporter Chad Hartford w/Tracy Parks as Bertha Bumiller

Incanto’s Tracy Parks sensitive portrayal of Bertha Bumiller creates what could be a drag parody – the hair alone – into a poem to aloneness. There are few human feelings more devastating than feeling alone when among many.

Through Ron Spencer, teenager Charlene Bumiller’s ineptitude at cheer leading and profound disappointment at her failure to make the team speaks to all that have ever bullied or been bullied.

Greater Tuna is a daunting performance for the two actors that play nearly two dozen characters – not to mention the costume changes. Ron and Tracy’s split second timing controls the rapid flow of both comedy and our emotions. One second you’re laughing and then realize what a terribly racist comment Ron’s Vera Carp just made or how chilling Tracy’s dog-phobic Pearl Burras would be to have as a neighbor. Stanley Bumiller – fresh from reform school – will survive through street smarts, but we will not be aware of that until we stop cheering. Then we’ll cringe.

The tight script flowed effortlessly during the first act as the DJs, eccentric vignettes and the drama of the Bumiller family unfolded intermeshed as a tableau. Unfortunately the authors, not the actors, wrote the first half of the second act with less cohesiveness being too dependent on eccentric vignettes. It seemed a bit disjointed but soon the Bumiller/Burras saga returned and united the action.

Dogs are an important character in Greater Tuna – all pantomimed. They’re loved, tolerated and murdered. Just like humans. They’re the innocents.

Ron Spencer created two dog-centric characters through humor and pure acting talent that many would dismiss – “eccentric” Petey Fisk and a “troubled boy” Jody Bumiller – that allowed me to leave the theater hopeful. Although a modern day slaughter of the innocents just might irreparably break Petey’s heart, it will not be before he struggles to the bitter end. Yet if Jody is allowed to nurture his innocents, his soul may survive.

Tracy Parks as Bertha Bumiller & Ron Spencer as Jody Bumiller

Greater Tuna is everyman; it’s also a comedy. Yet as in all good theater it stirs the heart.

When you go: After a successful 2017/2018 winter run, Greater Tuna is back at the Incanto Theater every Wednesday at 8:00 pm for summer 2018. Incanto is a full service cafe and bar on the beautiful Rio Cuale in Puerto Vallarta. Dining is available either along the river or at your seat in the theater.