Yet A G A I N!!
through December 14, 2013!
Los Angeles and Santa Monica Adjacent folks. Or Salt Lake City? This is a hit. Don't miss it!
El Grande de Coca
Cola unfolds as the story of Primo Emcee and entrepreneur Senor Don Pepe
Hernandez (co-author Ron House) announces that his big time cabaret
show will feature famous entertainers. Events take a left turn when the celebs
don’t show up and Don Pepe presses family members into service to perform the
show. Written by House with Diz
White, John Neville-Andrews and director/musical director Alan Shearman over
forty years ago, House is now approaching a time when House may be age appropriate
for the flamboyant role. Having run
for over two years in New York in the seventies and taking over the Whiskey A
Go Go after that, the show remains a romp, a ballyhoo, a sleazy, crazy wonderfulness
that must be seen. Don’t miss it,
even if you have to drive a ways to get to the Ruskin. Do NOT follow Google maps to find the
venue. But, when you do find it, the
parking is free.
Preshow antics by the blonde excellence of Lila Dupree as Consuelo Hernandez, daughter of El Primo
Emcee Don Pedro, gets the ball rolling.
For anyone who has wandered into a Juarez or Tijuana night club can tell
you, the entertainment might land directly in your lap.
Enter dos mas excellente hombres, Miguel Vasquez (multi-talented
David Lago) and Jim Carey clone Aaron Jackson as Juan Rodriguez. With Lago on piano and Jackson on
drums, we are off on a whirlwind Technicolor adventure. The truly talented ensemble is completed by raven haired
versatile Nina Brissey as Maria Hernandez. Paul
Denk appears briefly as Alfredo.
In a non-stop ninety minutes we are bombarded with not only
the Spanish language exuberant patter of Don Pepe, but Los Gigolos from Italy
and Hans, the German hip hop rap star complete with sexy bitches. This tireless cast of five performs
every act to the hilt with quick changes and accents and seldom is heard a true
English word and yet it’s all clear as a bell. The action never stops and it really doesn’t matter when
some of the dialogue gets lost in major laughter through out.
Great theatre, to me, is about the melding of the audience
with the play. When the audience
so loses itself that applause and appreciation become a part of the action,
it becomes one big love fest. El Grande de Coca Cola o’er steps the
boundaries of nature (Guillame Shakespeare says something about that when
Hamlet advises The Players, right?) and the excess results in mas y mas
hilarity. Mucho mas
entertainmento.
What a pleasure.
Only attend if prepared to have a really good time.
El Grande de Coca
Cola by
Ron House, Diz White, Alan Shearman and John Neville-Andrews
Directed by Alan Shearman
Ruskin Group Theatre
3000 Airport Road
Santa Monica, CA 90405
July 19 through September 28, 2013
Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM
Sundays at 2PM
Tickets $25 ($20 for Students, Seniors and Guild members)
310 327 3244 /
www.ruskingrouptheatre.com
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