Charlene Baldridge | Downtown News
Love in the time of Comic-con
The opening night of “Geeks! The Musical” got lost somewhere in the first weekend of the San Diego International Fringe Festival. Booked into ion theatre company by PsyPhi Productions, the little musical was created by Thomas J. Misuraca (book and lyrics) and Ruth Judkowitz (music) to harmonize with Comic-Con geeks and attendees. It is directed by Patrick Gates and Lizzie Morse with musical direction by Brandon Sherman.
Misuraca’s book follows “a gaggle of geeks” during their attendance at the San Diego Comic Book/Sci-Fi Convention. Pete Hoban plays Jordan, a hetero guy with a longing for Batman issue #92. He is so intent on finding the prized comic book that he almost misses the geek of his life, Kerry (vocally talented actor Sarah LeClair, who also plays the recorded piano score). They meet over the comic book bin, and while Jordan’s straight friend Chip (Franklin DeBerg) plays gay to distract Kerry’s insufferable gay companion, Emerson (James P. Darvas), Jordan and make a dinner date. The date is soon derailed by Emerson, the bitch queen of the world, and the fact that Kerry meets her idol, has-been middle-aged actor Mel Tyler (Ed Hollingsworth), who when younger played the heroic Alien Avenger in a cult series. Passed over for a role in the new sequel, he is now reduced to attending conventions, where he signs posters at $25 a pop. Tyler invites Kerry to dinner with his Alien Avenger filmmaking friends. She is thrilled and her phone message never reaches Jordan.
A subplot involves comic book creator wannabes writer Audrina (Lorina Alfaro) and her friend and illustrator Trey (M. Keala Milles), who claims to be bisexual. Trey makes the rounds, pitching his drawings, to no avail. Other geeks are played by Devon Hollingsworth and Dakota Ringer. The unevenly gifted company works very hard to please.
It’s a sweet story with numerous subplots and songs such as “Geek to Geek,” “Woman in Sci-Fi,” “Bi Guy” and “Who’s Who of Dr. Who.” The music is generic, varying little in tempo and presentation, and perhaps by tongue-in-cheek intent, set up with clunky dialogue as introduction. You don’t have to be a geek to get the 80-minute intermission-less show, but sadly much of the humor flew over audience heads July 10. The show is much funnier than it plays. Certainly Comic-Con attendees will be more fully in tune with the work.
The best musicians in the company are LeClair and longtime San Diego musical theatre stalwart Ed Hollingsworth, who is progenitor, along with his wife Marian, of an entire gaggle of talented kids, among them Morgan. A veteran of Starlight, Moonlight, and San Diego Musical Theatre (a touching General Waverly in the recent “White Christmas”), he is the solid heart of the show.
Scenic designer is Ron Logan, who suggests the entire convention with a few deft touches and some posters. Mary Summerday’s costumes are a hoot, especially the Hollingsworths’ Avenger get-ups.
“Geeks! The Musical” performances continue through August 16. Showtimes 8 p.m. Thursdays – Fridays, 6 and 9 p.m. on Saturdays, with additional Comic-Con week performances found on web site geeksmusicalsd.com. BlkBox is located at ion theatre company, Sixth & Pennsylvania, Hillcrest. Tickets $15 – $25, 619-600-5020, ext. 10.
— Charlene Baldridge has been writing about the arts since 1979. Her book “San Diego, Jewel of the California Coast” (Northland Publishing) is currently available in bookstores. She can be reached at [email protected].
