Review: Trafford Tanzi (Prologue Theatre)

  
  
Trafford Tanzi

Written by Claire Luckham  
Directed by Carrie Hardin
at Fizz Bar & Grill, 3320 N. Lincoln (map)
thru June 28  |  tickets: $20   |  more info
  
Check for half-price tickets 
  
  
   Read review
  

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Wrestling at the Bar & Grill

Prologue Theatre Company presents

Trafford Tanzi

Review by Kat Hey

I have more than a few peeves about plays that proclaim to be feminist, so it was with a jaundiced eye that I went to see Trafford Tanzi at Fizz Bar & Grill.  Here is a play written by a woman, with a strong female protagonist, and an interesting premise. The play is set in the 1970’s UK and takes place within the set of a wrestling ring in 10 rounds.

Tanzi (Lakecia Harris) is born to her Mum (Lisa Stran) and Dad (Dennis Newport) in a working class family. Mum is unhappy that the baby is a girl. She wanted a boy and Mum is definitely not a feminist icon when she sings about “men know how to tell you what to do and how to do it”. I get it – Tanzi has the Sisyphean task of overcoming her class and her complacent mother, but Claire Luckham has written the dialog as if it were the 1950’s.  Stran’s Mum has a Monty Python quality to it, which is fine, but it makes one squeamish to see a one-year-old Tanzi being thrown around the wrestling ring and punched.   (Don’t worry, there is not an actual baby being tossed about but Harris doing a great job as a squalling and unhappy child).

Omer Abbas Salem announces the rounds with great relish and good comic effect. Salem plays both the Ref and the creepy school psychiatrist that Tanzi sees when she has trouble reading at age 11. Salem has (perhaps subconsciously) lifted his character from Scott Thompson’s Buddy Cole on “Kids In The Hall”. The martini swilling and arch asides are quite hilarious.

We watch Tanzi grow up in subsequent rounds, eventually leaving home to be a waitress. One of her customers is Dean Rebel (David Stobbe), a wrestling icon with what looks like a half bowling ball stuffed in the crotch of his tights (it turns out that the crotch is a clown car of props.)  Stobbe is at once hilarious and creepy, costumed as a cross between Sebastian Bach and Brett Michaels from the 90’s.

Tanzi comes up against her old schoolyard nemesis Sue (Whitney Morse), who returns as the reigning beauty queen. The song Sue sings is the only 70’s style song or cultural reference in the show, and the song is great fun and very Bee Gees. Morse does a wonderful job with the character as she portrays the ‘ideal woman’ – soft, submissive and always ready for sex.

The music is good. Curtis Powell’s score and lyrics are similar to the rock opera Tommy. Harris has a powerhouse voice that is the best part of her championship victory round. The weak musical link is Salem, who struggles to hold pitch.

Trafford Tanzi is a mixed bag – the acting and music are fun and engaging, but the plot, premise, and recreation of the 70’s are a total miss. All that is UK about this show is the accents and a few mannerisms.

Rating: ★★

Trafford Tanzi continues through June 28th at Fizz Bar & Grill, 3220 N. Lincoln (map), with performances Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $20, and are available online through BrownPaperTickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at PrologueTheatreCo.org.  (Running time: 90 minutes, includes an intermission)

Photos by Tom McGrath 

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artists

cast

Lakecia Harris (Tanzi), Whitney Morse (Sue), Denis Newport (Dad), Omer Abbas Salem (Referee, Psychiatrist), David Stobbe (Dean), Lisa Stran (Mom)

band

K Fab and the Nelsons: Rachel Korn, Miles Passing, John Wehrman, Chris Yearwood

behind the scenes

Carrie Hardin (director), Elaine C. Bell (assistant director), Curtis Powell (music director), Justin Verstraete (dramaturg), Lauren Yarbrough (stage manager), Raquel Adorno (costume design), Chazz Malott (lighting design), Luke Babb (props design), R&D Choreography (violence design), Tom McGrath (photos)

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