The Catskill Chronicle

Review by Carol Montana

FORESTBURGH, NY (June 6, 2011) – Get ready to laugh your you-know-what-off! Because playing now through June 12 at the Forestburgh Playhouse is a pre-Broadway tryout of a play called Idaho! The Musical.

Forestburgh will never be the same again, neither will Broadway. And neither will you, after you see this laugh-a-minute take-off on Broadway’s musical comedy genre.

Not only does Idaho! spoof the obvious Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic Oklahoma!, but also The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music and, in a fall-off-your-chair scene, Les Miserables, with a little American Gothic thrown in for good measure.

The play takes places in a tiny town located in – where else – Idaho, as Cassie, a mail-order bride arrives to marry the nasty Jed Strunk. But in musical comedy land it’s never that easy and she falls head-over-heels in love-at-first-sight with Whip Masters.

In between the bargaining and the lying and the cheating and the horseplay, the townspeople get involved, and, in a secondary plot, the town nice guy, Slim Johnson falls for the friend-to-all-the guys-in-town, Ida Dunn. And all the while, Aunt Pearlie just about directs the whole story with her ever-suffering husband, Uncle Fate by her side.

The winner of the 2008 Best Musical at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Idaho! is perfectly directed by Matt Lenz, with casting as good as it gets.

With Austin Miller’s country-idol good looks and strong, confident voice, his Whip Masters easily takes control of the stage and Jessica Hershberg as Cassie is sweet and naive as she plays a perfect country girl.

Paul Vogt does himself proud as the villain the crowd loves to hate, the mostly despicable Jed Strunk. And having a blast with her part is Alle-Faye Monka as Ida Dunn, a character who gives new meaning to the name I-da-ho!

Will Taylor as Slim Johnson is just about the sweetest guy you’d ever want to meet, and Susan Mosher as Aunt Pearlie busybodies her way into everyone’s heart.

And Romelda Teton Benjamin as Mavis, an African-American Indian(?) woman belonging to Jed Strunk sings her heart out in several songs, most notably the showstopper Double Standard Blues. Wow, what a voice!

During opening night, a backstage accident took Jay Rogers, who was doing a fine job as Uncle Fate, out of the show. His replacement was the author of the play, Buddy Sheffield, who, cheered on by a well-wishing audience, was funny and heartwarming.

The supporting players dance and sing up a storm in this laugh-a-minute riot, which is, at its heart, a tribute to musical theatre the world over. And just in case you haven’t yet gotten the message, this is an adult musical.

Throughout the play, songs spoofing Oklahoma and other musicals keep the audience in hysterics. They include: Heck It’s a Helluva Day, Poor Ol’ Jed, Idaweiss, Twister Ballet, Boise’s Jist as Noisy as Kin Be, and of course the title showstopper Idaho.

The book and lyrics for Idaho! are written by the aforementioned Buddy Sheffield, and the music is by Keith Thompson and Mr. Sheffield. Well done, gentlemen. Well done everyone involved with the show!

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind, rollicking, bawdy musical comedy at the Forestburgh Playhouse. Idaho! is a winner!

Tickets for Idaho! are available by calling the Forestburgh box office at 845-794-1194 or by visiting the website: www.FBplayhouse.org.