‘Lagunatics,’ a well-done roast

Tom Titus

The community of Laguna Beach is, most would agree, unique. The town

is steeped in character (some would add an “s” to that word).

Whatever, there’s plenty of material for satire here.

Which is why, back in 1992, professional entertainer and Laguna

resident Bree Burgess Rosen launched “Lagunatics,” a musical spoof of

the Art Colony that both spoofs and salutes its “uniqueness” while

raising money for local charities -- since its beginning 11 years

ago, it’s raised more than $350,000 for a wide range of nonprofit

organizations.

That concept has grown and expanded until today, 11 years later,

“Lagunatics” has developed into a home-grown latter-day “Laugh-In”

that’s playing to more audiences than ever before. The show opened

last weekend and plays through Sunday at the Forum Theater on the

Festival of Arts grounds.

And talk about biting the hand that feeds you, the show’s

elaborate finale puts the Festival and its Pageant of the Masters

center stage, concluding with a hilarious concept -- what if the

pageant’s traditional closing number, “The Last Supper,” were given a

“makeover” by the lads from TV’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy?”

Surely, Leonardo DaVinci is cringing in his crypt.

“Queer” is a word that gets a good bit of play in the program, as

the Lagunatics acknowledge the large segment of Laguna’s population

that prefers its vice, versa. In the Act I finale, the controversial

Dixie Chicks are Lagunatized into the “Chicksie Dicks” by three

actors (Rick Breco, Adam Hemming and Gregg Barnette) in drag.

The concept for “Lagunatics” is simple enough on the surface --

take a popular song or show tune and alter the lyrics to fit a local

character or situation. Hence, the opener, “And All That Beach,” is

taken from the recent Oscar-winning movie “Chicago,” with composer

Rosen strutting her stuff on stage as well.

Two solo performances stand out in this edition. Karen Rymar, a

rookie with the company, belts out the “Follies” show stopper “I’m

Still Here,” changed to “But I’m Here” and localized beautifully (she

also deftly swipes her goat herd scene with her randy antics). And

Judy Akin-Palmer, a show-stopping beauty, warbles hilariously about

the joys and perils of plastic surgery as “My Funny Valentine” is

altered to “My Funny Little Lines.”

Things get a trifle risque as five of the guys turn Brian Hyland’s

“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” into a tribute to

the rejuvenating properties of Viagra. And Leonard Bernstein’s “New

York, New York” from “On the Town” becomes “A Three Paper Town” --

even though the singers are scanning four different Laguna

newspapers.

If you thought the Bernstein/ Stephen Sondheim number “Gee,

Officer Krupke” was a riot in “West Side Story,” check out the

“Officer Spreine” segment in “Lagunatics” as the Art Colony’s police

chief, Jim Spreine takes his lumps over a controversial calendar.

Spreine, a terrific sport, is part of the show’s cast for the fourth

year.

Remember “You’ve Got to Have Heart” from “Damn Yankees”? The

Lagunatics have knocked the “H” out of it, resulting in a well-aimed

satirical number about the Art Colony’s primary industry. That’s

funny, but “Try to Remember” -- which puts “Fantasticks” music to

biting lyrics about local traffic problems -- probably is the

funniest number of the bunch (“try to remember to wait till

September” to block local streets for construction work).

The show isn’t limited to Laguna issues, however. The recent

Westernization of Iraq comes in for a spoofing with “Bye Bye Burka,”

in which ladies shed their all-encompassing garments for a taste of

sartorial freedom. Shopping on e-bay also come in for some pointed

ribbing.

One of the funniest numbers, though it won’t be appreciated by

many outside Laguna, is “The Montage,” in which Chief Spreine is the

centerpiece in an upscale spa as the chorus salutes a new housing

project to the tune of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “The Monster Mash.”

The chief is back directly to oversee “Three Meter Maids” in a

transformed Gilbert and Sullivan number targeting Laguna’s traffic

ticket traumas.

Bree Burgess Rosen has pretty much dedicated her life to producing

the annual “Lagunatics” program, composing most of the satirical

tunes herself and performing most impressively. I haven’t been privy

to the first 10 productions, but number 11 is superlative satire

served up with a whopping dose of sugar and spice.