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<b>music and lyrics by Aaron Macri, book by Chris Craddock, directed by Kenneth Brown
Michael Rubinoff & Derrick Chua, Diesel Theatre, Toronto
April 26-June 4, 2006
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Wow, what a fun show! <i>BoyGroove</i>, a hit at last year’s Fringe Festival and one of Eye’s top ten shows of 2005, returns to inaugurate the spiffy new nightclub-style Diesel Playhouse Mainspace for its first commercial run. This musical satire of boy bands is the occasion for spot-on parodies of pop and rap music and razor-edged shredding of popular culture in general.
During a performance by fictional boy band <i>du jour</i> BoyGroove, we learn the tale of the group’s creation, rise and fall. The public and private lives of “the bad boy” Jon (Jon Paterson), “the sensitive one” Andrew (Andrew Bursey), “the leader” Kevin (Matt Alden) and “the gifted (i.e. gay) one” Lance (Scott Walters) are interspersed with high-energy performances of their greatest hits and those of their Eminem-like rapper enemy Hypetastic (played by the group). Aaron Macri’s songs are good enough to chart on their own. Kay Grigar has expanded her supremely witty choreography to fill the Diesel stage. The updated script adds to its cameos of George Michael (the versatile Alden) and Britney knock-off “Chelsea” (a hilariously Bursey) by skewering Hollywood’s favourite Scientologists Tom and Katie (Alden and Bursey).
These four terrifically talented actor-singer-dancers deserve their own fan club. Judging by opening night they’ve already got one.
©Christopher Hoile
Note: A version of this review appeared in <i>Eye Weekly</i> 2006-05-04.
Photo: Jon Paterson, Scott Walters, Matt Alden and Andrew Bursey.
<b>2006-05-04</b>
<b>BoyGroove</b>