REVIEW:

This should have stayed in ‘South Park’ creator’s drawer

Leila Navidi

Insurgo Theatre Movement cast members perform “Cannibal! The Musical” Friday at the Stage Door Theatre at Town Square.

By Joe Brown (contact)

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009 | 2 a.m.

What: “Cannibal! The Musical,” presented by Insurgo Theatre Movement
When: 8 tonight through Saturday
Where: Stage Door Theatre at Town Square
Admission: $15-$20; 949-6123, insurgotheater.org
Running time: About two hours, with intermission
Audience advisory: First two rows are a “splatter zone.”

"Cannibal! The Muscial"

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Please forgive my excitement for the fall arts season (8-11-2009)

Insurgo Theater Movement

“Cannibal! The Musical” begins promisingly enough. The title is funny, the backdrop is a mountain scene painted “South Park”-style, the comedy begins with a “Deliverance” banjo duel involving a toy beaver, a pushbroom, a hoe and an audience volunteer. Oh, and the cell phone advisory is delivered as a threat.

But that’s when the laughter dies.

The farce trades on the good name of “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker, but it’s a best-forgotten scrap of juvenilia derived from a three-minute trailer Parker made as a film student at Colorado University at Boulder.

Clearly aiming for a cult-comedy audience, director John Beane and his Insurgo Theatre Movement players squeeze nearly three minutes of genuine laughs out of the script, which they’ve padded to two hours.

It’s loud, crude and gross, with jokes about bestiality, bloody violence, accidental homosexuality and Mormonism.

Despite all that, it’s just not funny.

Insurgo mounted “Cannibal!” last year at a funkier venue, and is having another go at the comfy new Stage Door Theatre at Town Square, recently built for and vacated by “Shear Madness.”

It’s a waste of space, good actors and the audience’s time. As the seconds dragged on, I would have happily gnawed off my own arm if it meant I could escape early. But I had to stay, if only to warn innocent playgoers.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

By akm

8/19/09 at 8:23 a.m.

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Cannibal the Musical wasn't just a 3-minute trailer. It is a full-length movie, and would assume the play follows it pretty closely.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115819/
By KillerB

8/19/09 at 10:11 a.m.

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Don't blame the original script, blame the presentation. Or your own jaded attitude, Joe.

I haven't seen this local stage version. The original movie was a complete hoot. And I hate musicals.

Gotta go now -- it's a spledoinka day!
By akm

8/19/09 at 10:20 a.m.

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The air today is as warm as a baked potato.
By Breon

8/19/09 at 11:44 a.m.

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"But that's when the laughter dies."

No offense, but the huge laughs are pretty consistent throughout the entire show. Maybe you didn't find it funny, but that doesn't mean no one else did.
By badbaby

8/19/09 at 12:08 p.m.

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Since I actually know who you are and happened to sit nearby the night you saw the play, I can share with the group that you didn't want to be there from the minute you entered the theater, first asking how long you had to be there and then checking your watch every five seconds. Maybe if you actually gave the play even a second of your time, you would have enjoyed it. And maybe you should watch the movie before throwing it by the wayside as well. This makes me wonder why you even write on theater at all.
By Joe Brown (Staff)

8/19/09 at 12:26 p.m.

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Both true observations, badbaby. I always ask about the running time of the show, which I include with the review. And yeah, I checked my watch a lot.
Those five seconds felt awfully long...

Joe
By YoMama

8/19/09 at 12:38 p.m.

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I saw this show the same night as you Joe and perhaps you thought the uproarious laughter all around you was a laugh track or maybe the folks upstairs at Rave watching the latest comedy, but I assure you, that noise you were hearing was in fact laughter from the people sitting next to you. Yes, it is a farce written by the creator of South Park, so yes, there will be jokes recognizable from South Park. And while the trailer came first as a student project, Trey did go on to make the full length feature. But I suppose if you had any shred of journalistic integrity you would already know that. If you took a moment to take the head out of your arse, you'd have noticed the laughter that filled the theater that night. Also, that thing people were doing when they were standing and banging their hands together, that's called a standing ovation. In the theatre world, that's a good thing. Leave personal vendetta's and jaded prejudices at the door if you're going to write a review. If comedy or farce isn't you're thing and you can't look at something objectively, then quit...or go review some god awful show like Believe or some other piece of crap the strip has produced recently. You seemed to be the only person in the audience who didn't enjoy themselves that night, it's unfortunate that you can't let go and have a good time.
All the best,
YoMama
By pigglesworth

8/19/09 at 11:55 p.m.

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Uh.. are you kidding me right now !! Were you at the same show as everyone else.Maybe you forgot your hemmoroid cream or you just dont like Insurgo or Trey Parker.Because seriously even if you didnt like the show how can you say it wasnt funny when every few minutes the audience including myself were laughing thier arses off.I have been to every musical here in Vegas and I must say this show was an abosolute unexpected Hit!! Honestly better than I thought it would be.I couldnt stop talking about it , then I saw this review and I was shocked and thought is this guy serious ?.Dont be such a prude Mr. Brown this show deserves alot more than what your giving it in my opinion.Also if it was so bad why did the cast get a standing ovation? Hmm... I know, Because it was freakin hilarious you twit.Maybe you didnt notice because you had you head up your #@#.On closing I must say I have read your reviews for other shows and this one was very surprising..it makes me wonder, are you in some kind of rivalry with Del Valle? Because he enjoyed it apparently, well at least he knows how to have a good time.The begging of his review states "cultural taste is the great divider, and I don't think I could trust anyone who didn't like "Cannibal! The Musical."I think that pretty much sums it up Mr. Brown.
By funnyguy34

8/20/09 at 11:10 a.m.

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Wow, Mr. Brown, I don't know what you're problem is, but you obviously missed the boat on this. There is a difference between asking for the run time and saying, "How long to I have to sit through this?" You didn't want to be there since you found out you had to review it! And as others have posted, if you had done some research, you'd have found out that the show actually uses the script from the MOVIE (Not the trailer.), Cannibal! The Musical, obviously with some twists here and there, but definately for the better. The show was filled with non-stop laughs from begining to end! What show were you watching? People were repeating lines from the show hours later in the Yard House! For cryin' out loud, what is your problem? Shouldn't you be unbias from the moment you walk through the doors? It's unfortunate that the cast (Most of which did a fine job and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing them in other shows.) will read your review, but I hope they realize that you're just a dried up husk of a man who's idea of great comedies are early episodes of Full House and Two and a Half Men! Once you get your funny-bone replaced, go back and see the show. Hopefully people will read the comments on this review and realize how bass-ackwards you've got it! One final though...I know that more people will read a neg. review moreso than a pos. review, but why this show? Why does it have to be this show you pan? Is it something against Insurgo? The director? The theater itself? Or is your editor making a point that you need to sell more papers? You need more hits on your online articles? I'm sorry if you can't hack it as a real journalist, but a review like this when you're clearly wrong (As seen in the comments area.) will cut your time short reviewing anything else. Looks like we'll see your work posting classified ads soon enough.
By insurgo

8/21/09 at 11:07 a.m.

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the man has a right to not like a show. thanks for the defense of the performance but the show has always been very divisive, much like south park. if youre into it, thats great - if not, we've got a whole season coming.
By Joe Brown (Staff)

8/21/09 at 12:10 p.m.

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Ack! I'm under attack by a claque! Keep the comments coming (I'm especially enjoying the psychological insights into my character, credentials and motivations).

While you're here, use this comment space to say nice things about your show!

Joe
By Ciao_Bella

8/21/09 at 1:43 p.m.

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Joe, my name is Cate and I am a local. I have live in Vegas for 22 years. I went to see this show because I was told it was funny and entertaining. Joe, I don't know what show you went to but the show I went to I couldn't stop laughing! I am 48, not a kid, and I am not a South Park fan in any way, shape or form, so I was concerned I wouldn't like it. But on the suggestion of a friend, I did go and was thrilled!!!!! As I left the theater, I was full of blood and my face hurt from laughter, and, I would do it again in a heart beat!!!! I spoke to the people in the audience and they were thrilled as well. A wonderful night of entertainment for such a great price. I enjoyed that night more so than a lot of the "Vegas" shows that I have to spent $100 and up to see. As I said, I have been here 22 years and I have seen it all. I would recommend this show to all ages (above 21)! Maybe you went on a night that you were just not up to having fun, it happens. I do enjoy your editorials but have never felt I needed to comment until now.
Thank you for your time, Cate