Congratulations, dag, on the successful opening!
littlek wrote:I was great, I think. I don't seem to remember much.
I am waiting for Gustav to use this for his signature line.
GREAT reviews coming out today. We had all the reviewers at the show on Saturday, and apparently they liked what they saw. Yay.
A wild joyride in Santa's slay
By Louise Kennedy, Globe Staff | December 5, 2006
"Silent Night of the Lambs" is just what it sounds like: an unlikely, obscenely funny blend of mayhem and mistletoe. But it's also more than that, because along with its extreme silliness comes extreme intelligence. In short, it's your basic Gold Dust Orphans holiday extravaganza.
The Orphans, under the guidance of Ryan Landry, consistently do something that looks easy but is actually almost impossible: They create theater that not only is hugely entertaining but also offers a sharp and consistent perspective on the world. An Orphans show can make you laugh almost painfully hard -- then get you thinking hard, too, even as you're still gasping for breath.
"Silent Night of the Lambs" falls closer to the entertainment side of the scale than some other Orphan s shows -- but hey, it is a Christmas story, after all, if definitely not one for kid s. Here's a clue: the Hannibal Lecter role goes to Santa Claus.
There was an unfortunate incident a few Christmas Eves back, apparently. (Ho, ho, ho, indeed.) But now a new serial killer is on the rampage at the North Pole, and young reindeer detective Clarice Starling needs to find out who's been thinning (and skinning) the herd. Lt. Betty Blitzen sends her to seek Santa's insights into the murderer's mind.
With a few warnings, of course: "You are not to tell him what you want for Christmas. You are not to say if you've been naughty or nice. You are not to sit on his lap."
Of course, this is all sounding familiar, if more than a little twisted, to aficionados of "Silence of the Lambs." That's one of the secrets of Landry's writing: No matter how outlandish the embellishments get, his shows always stay remarkably faithful to the works they take off from. And while every show takes aim at a host of pop-culture targets -- this one finds room for everyone from Joan Rivers to Bambi -- Landry hits them with a sharpshooter's rifle, not a shotgun.
That precision makes the outrageousness all the funnier. The Orphans may look wild and anarchic onstage, but what makes the anarchy work is Landry's tight structure and sharp writing. "Silent Night" gets pretty ridiculous -- just wait till you see who's the cold-blooded killer (and, yes, that's a hint) -- but it never dissolves into aimless goofing.
Like the writing, the Orphans' acting is more precise and skillful than they'd have you believe. Penny Champayne plays Clarice with a combination of career-girl spunk and reindeer bounce that's both absurd and touching, and Larry Coen's killer Santa has all the gleaming, lascivious finesse of Anthony Hopkins's Lecter, without the fatal self-regard. Landry himself makes Lt. Blitzen a hilariously steely matron -- and really busts out in a heavily choreographed interlude by what the program, not wanting to spoil the surprise, bills only as "a 'Celebrity.' "
That celebrity, along with a certain puppet of a president, provides some fine fodder for Landry's jokes. And the usual Orphan s antics are fully on display, along with the requisite star turn by drag diva Afrodite and the so-cheap-they're-brilliant props and costumes. Put it all together, and it's just what you want for the holidays. It's naughty and nice.
Silent Night of the Lambs
by Brian Callaghan
EDGE Entertainment Contributor
Monday Dec 4, 2006
I love Ryan Landry. His talent, energy, enthusiasm and creativity rival that of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in those cheesy movies where the young duo put on shows in the barn, someone?s mom makes the costumes, and they make just enough money to save the family farm from foreclosure.
As much as I adore Ryan and his Gold Dust Orphans, I've rarely enjoyed many of their over-the-top shows as much as I've truly wanted to. While watching Medea, The Bad Seed, A T-Stop Named Desire, and Who's Afraid of the Virgin Mary, the audience was laughing around me, but I just never quite got it.
The shows were always creative and done with an enormous amount of professionalism, but they just never seemed hysterically funny. The reason for that is probably that for most parody to be funny, you usually need to be familiar with the source material being lampooned.
Fortunately, by selecting the well-known thriller, The Silence of the Lambs, as the target of his latest holiday spectacular, Silent Night of the Lambs, familiarity is not a problem. The gags are understood, the obscure references grasped and the humor more widely appreciated. Finally, like the vast majority of the sold-out audience, I was in on the jokes and able to laugh along as the audience howled its approval.
Silent Night is the most enjoyable show I've seen the Gold Dust Orphans put on. The premise is simple and stays close to the plot of the Oscar-winning film - except that all of the major characters are now played by icons of Christmas.
Santa Claus is the Hannibal Lechter character, stuck in a jail cell, where he's visited by Clarice Starling, a reindeer FBI agent who also happens to be Rudolph?s daughter. Starling, played winningly by the glamorous and talented Penny Champayne (Scott Martino), must offer details about her traumatic childhood in order to get Santa to provide clues as to the identity of an evil serial killer.
Along the way you meet Santa?s cellblock mate, Martha Stewart, the hilarious and glamorous department store heiress, J.C. Penney, played by Afrodite (Andre Shoals), George W. Bush, and a demonic Frosty the Snowman who's got a heart as cold as ice. Even Madonna and her new little baby David make an appearance.
If it sounds bizarre and twisted, that's the whole point.
The puns fly fast and furiously, the outrageousness grows by the minute, and the clever wit and dedication of the actors is always apparent. Unlike many other smaller comedy productions, everyone here is impressively professional and focused on pulling off the jokes without amateurishly cracking themselves up.
Larry Coen does a wonderful take-off of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lechter as Santa Claus, and credit must also be given to Josh Pritchard who is hilarious as Dr. Tannenbaum and in several other roles as well. Pritchard should be in every future Orphans? show. Also eliciting much laughter was Mego Buck$, as J.C. Penney?s daughter, Filene, stuck in an underground pit, much like the Senator's daughter in the movie who was waiting to provide material for the killer?s "woman suit."
The sets and staging are ingenious and make the most of the tiny space Landry has dubbed The Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts. The imaginative use of props and costumes in several scenes will likely have you grinning from ear to ear.
Their next show is slated to be The Plexiglass Menagerie - but one wonders what fun the troupe could have with Dreamgirls, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Bush White House, today's Hollywood, or other better known targets.
Like the Hat Sisters, the Jesus Man, the Paradise, the Isabelle Gardiner Museum and the Boston Strangler, Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans are one of this dull city's most unique and memorable institutions. They?re beacons of irreverence, individuality and spontaneity in a town known for its uptight Yankee reserve.
thankee. good reviews mean happy director and than means happy dasha.
I've just read that stuff, Dag.
Brilliant!
Bloody shame it's all happening over there, as I would've loved to have gone and seen it. <sob>
Great review! I'm happy for you all..
Congratulations, dag. It was fortunate for you, as well as the director and rest of the cast, that littlek wasn't the person writing the reviews for the paper.
Well, I remember movement. And noise! There was noise!"
Wow, great reviews. Wish I could see the show! Congratulations.
gustavratzenhofer wrote:Congratulations, dag. It was fortunate for you, as well as the director and rest of the cast, that littlek wasn't the person writing the reviews for the paper.
Well, I remember movement. And noise! There was noise!"
And, this time there weren't any boobies.
Seriously, I loved it. But, I dunno how reviewers can pass judgement on a play they've only seen once! I think I am just a slow processor.
Oh, oh.. traffic on the thread! yay. We got another few great reviews in, it seems that they are all agreeing this is our best show. and we appear in other reviews as well (Like :"[such and such] theatre company should learn from Gold Dust Orphans irreverence...") -- not sure what they meant but I'm gonna take it as a good thing.
Today we'll be doing 'talkback' - answering questions from the audience after the show. should be interesting, though for me it means just sitting quietly for awhile, for I am just a reindeed/whore/janitor/madwoman/nurse person...
But i cannot not post another gleeing review, i even get mentioned fleetingly. but i promise not to forget a2k once i'm rich and famous.
Issue Date: 12/07/2006, Posted On: 12/4/2006
Christmas in-santa-ty
Brian Jewell
[email protected]
Christmas carnage in Silent Night of the Lambs
OK, I lied. HERE is the last review I will post. Really.
THEATER Joshua Shea December 07, 2006
REVIEW
'Night of the Lambs' slays its audience with laughs
A cold hearted murderer has visions of venison dancing in his head in Ryan Landry's latest laugh-fest "Silent Night of the Lambs."
And this being a true-to-form Landry play, the wacky glam-freak Gold Dust Orphans lead the audience once again into the riotous realm of the twisted as it is revealed that the vulnerable venison being targeted are none other than adorable lil' South Pole reindeer, with a possible Bambi lineage to boot.
The results of the humorous holiday horror, a take on the Hopkins/Foster film, are outlandishly spectacular. Landry's innate talent for writing sharp, timely satire has simply spiked to peak levels with this production. Landry also acts in the show, morphing into a maniacal Madonna (the singer not the birthday' boys mother) offering a unique behind the scenes look at her tour tactics with a sprinkling of gold dust.
The entire cast stepped up to give an all out, no holds barred performance. Standouts include, Penny Champayne as Clarice, playing the role with lampooned peril and priceless trademark facial expressions. Larry Coen owned the role of Hannibal Lecter in Santa drag, executing the part with a ferociously funny focus and off the charts commitment to the character.
The audience was literally laughing themselves off their seats, many claiming this is Landry's best production to date as they headed out the doors of the "Ramrod Centre for the Performing Arts" into the blustery December night, disturbed in a good way, filled with both holiday cheer and a smidgen of fear.
"Silent Night of the Lambs" is a must for New England theater goers this holiday season. Leave your PC card at the door, and prep yourself for a gift of some absurdly amusing, adults only, holiday fused fun.
"Silent Night of the Lambs" runs through December 23 at Theater Machine, 1254 Boylston Street. Tickets are $28. For more information call 1-866-811-4111 or connect to
www.golddustorphans.com.
This review mentions you as one of the players, dagmaraka. In addition, all the reviews mention the cleverness of the props (which you also worked on.) You deserve to become famous.
I have always been a fan of movies and theater, but never as brave as you or my daughter. (my daughter works as a production assistant for warner brothers television.)
GUS
THIS IS ALL
I can't find it. You find it.
what are you looking for, tth?
I believe gustav was working with TTH on some occupational therapy
and told her to find something he's written on March 10, 2006 of last
year.
She's written a messege in a few of the old threads already
Littlek and I are going to see the Gold Dust Orphans latest production: The Milkman Always Comes Twice (based on the Postman Always Rings Twice and the Double Indemnity) this Saturday. It's the last show and it's been getting rave reviews. Our own Larry Coen, one of the leads, has won the Eliott Norton Award for an outstanding actor yesterday for five productions in the last year - including the Silent Night of the Lambs and the Plexiglass Menagerie.
If anyone wants to join, I'm gonna call to reserve tix at the door ($28) later today. It's worth it, I've already seen it twice. It's as good as theatre gets around here.
sounds like another clever production
always fun to hear about your favorite theater company, dagmaraka
