The only thing funnier than sex is death. At least that's what you might conclude after watching Scott Keys and Robert Hartmann's Macabaret at St. Petersburg's new Central Stage Theatre. This short (70-minute) revue features such characters as Helena Handbasket, Phil Graves, Maude Lynn and Paul Bearer singing such clever and melodic songs as "Stage Fright," "Dead End Job," "Grave Mistake" and "Ghost of a Chance." The voices are good ones, the lyrics are often very funny, and the actors (Ina Jo Donovan, Jeffery Kin, Ann Morrison and Charlie Schwartz) seem to genuinely enjoy themselves.
The costumes (uncredited in my program) are the other attraction. Imagine Dracula, the Bride of Frankenstein, a Nebbish Ghoul and a Lady Vampire all on stage together trading lines like "I'd rather have a coma/ than go see Oklahoma." Then add an onstage coffin and a pianist named Frankensteinway (Alan Jay Corey), and you've got a pleasant Halloween entertainment. It's occasionally bawdy, so don't bring the kids.
But do bring your intellect — because you can't help but notice, watching the show, how much we still treat death as a taboo subject. And how so much of the humor here comes from naming the unnameable.
This one's fun. And it's also a little enlightening.
Not a bad combination.
Contact performing arts critic Mark E. Leib at mark.leib@ weeklyplanet.com or call 813-248-8888, ext. 305.
This article appears in Oct 23-29, 2002.