Before South Park, there was Cannibal! The Musical. Trey Parker made the movie while he and co-creator Matt Stone were students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It’s the (mostly sort of true) story of Alferd Packer, convicted of cannibalism after he was the only man to return from an ill-fated expedition into the Colorado Territory. Like the more polished work that would later come from the Parker/Stone team-up, Cannibal is irreverent, profane, and satirically self-indulgent—and damn funny.
In their stage production, Third Eye Theatre puts in a good effort but ultimately misses the mark. There are some strong performances and some great moments, but director and star Ira Kortum really just doesn’t seem to get it. As over the top and ridiculous as Parker’s writing can be, what makes it work is that it’s not played for audience laughs. Sure, it’s funny as hell—but in the world of the show, it’s serious. And that’s what makes it funny. In Third Eye’s production, the parts that worked were those in which the players existed solely in the world of the show. Unfortunately, these moments were far overshadowed by hammy attempts to gun for laughs—which undermined the funny so dramatically that it was actually painful at times.
The most persistent example of this was the “alien visitors.” There are a handful of spots in the movie where Parker slipped in the visual of an alien head—flashing onto it briefly and then moving on—making them images you’ll only see if you know to look for them. Kortum picked up this little joke and included alien heads in his own staging, as well. But instead of a sly allusion, the aliens were inexplicable, ever-present characters in the show. Further, Kortum apparently didn’t think the show was long enough, so he added a ridiculous and unnecessary 10-minute comedy routine at the top and a five-minute welcome-to-the-show talk. By the time the play actually started, audience members were already glancing at their watches.
It’s really a shame, because the original material is funny and the cast’s efforts are well intentioned. But they needed a director who actually understood Parker’s humor and could help the cast reach its full potential. If they could have just stopped fucking with it, it might have been a really fun show.
Have you ever read a book before watching the movie? Have you ever read a comic book and then saw your favorite superhero brought to life in a TV show or screen adaptation? What did you think…. it sucked right? Well surprise!!! The reason this reviewer didn’t like the stage play was because it wasn’t the movie. I saw the play and have not seen the movie, and I was laughing through the whole thing. I purposely did not watch the movie before I saw it once I heard about because I didn’t want it ruined like books do to movies. It is impossible to live up to a movie with little or no budget, less time, a live performance, etc. do I need to go on. Also the reviewer missed the mark since the audience can’t be heard while watching the movie, but at a play it is a meter of success if you hear the crowd laugh. I heard the crowd laugh, so reviewer, grow a sense of humor, relax, and live life happy.. BTW I rate this review poorly, their arguements were poorly thought out, un-original, and dull to read.
Before the actors take the stage, in Ira Kortum’s opening speech as director, he encourages the audience to support what he calls “schlock musicals”. It’s a bit hammy, his oration, with silly jokes and gags but what struck me most was the almost vaudevillian approach to what could be seen as “introducing the next act”. After earnestly welcoming us to the show, the lights dim and, after a minor technical error, the show begins.
What follows, and I must disagree with Mr. Lentz here, is an hour and a half of what I can only describe as a really fun show. The actors were clearly having a good time and the audience was clearly enjoying the campy humor. Perhaps the cast and crew took a cue from your review Temple because the play I saw was not the same one you saw. The good natured, tongue-in-cheek whimsy of Trey Parker’s screenplay to stage script is on the money both in mood and tone. If one does not play for laughs during a comedy musical about cannibalism on a live theater stage then what should one do with such material?
And besides, that is what the show is all about. It is made for laughs in the same way that a John Water’s movie is. Bizarre and jarring and wicked, it is exactly what Ira and company set out produce, a schlock musical. It’s not high art and they don’t claim it to be so. Third Eye Theater’s version of Cannibal! the Musical is funny, strange and, yes, a little raw but highly entertaining and it makes for a grand way to spend a few hours watching theater that obviously enjoys itself and hopes that you might join them in the chuckle.
I agree with the reviewer. Sorry folks. This ‘musical’ fell flat. While it had a few moments worthy of a chuckle, my overall feeling was ‘what a waste of time.’ It failed for me on several levels and I LIKE off the wall humor.