Drop Six: Mister Lucky
nytheatre.com review by Mark DeFrancis
August 19, 2007
Drop Six: Mister Lucky is all about the unexpected. This sketch comedy team has rediscovered the joy of the fact that anything can come out from behind the curtain. Anything. In one skit a man was chased by another man in a piranha suit. That was the sketch. Nothing else happened. It was hilarious. How? Why? I don't know. But it was hilarious. Director Larry Rosen has orchestrated a show which keeps its audience guessing, calling on physical comedy, song, dance, and a truckload of wacky premises to create a show, which stands out as truly unique in the sea of sketch comedy troops which flood Manhattan.
Flying through a remarkable series of quick-changes, each actor takes on a stunning number of characters. Rodney Umble is a talent to watch and a champion of physical comedy. This man may be more Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) than the man himself, and his Operatic Bath was the highlight of the show. Alicia Levy has an arsenal of stage talents and makes every sketch she touches better. "Mister Lucky," a song about modern relationships performed in jazz poetry style, is her shining moment though she had me in stitches throughout. Marcus Bonnee's swimmer is a recurring treat and Tim Girrach's geek kept the audience laughing for a good five minutes. Together they seem to be having as much fun as their audience and pulled off a technically complex show with ease.
The one noticeable area where the group struggles is in the structure of their sketches. Many sketches play far longer than their premises allow. Levy's Mermaid character was hilarious but stayed on long after the point was made. Other sketches, such as the Chess Match or the Red Bull Dance, were so predictable that an audience can zone out till the obvious twist arrives. This, coupled with a lack of good endings, gave several skits a rambling quality, which was in sharp contrast to many of the hilarious pieces the group has put together.
This group is at their best when performing physical comedy. Their commitment to classic gags and emphatic performance results in sketches which I applauded and cheered much more than I laughed at them. Catch this crew if you can and enjoy the unexpected possibilities of a night at the theatre.
