Live theater took a new direction last night with the opening of German-Italian film-maker and Swanson County Vo-Tech artist-in-residence Gertrud diLouzi's first attempt to direct a play, the nuclear war musical comedy By the Sea. The rough cut of the film version of the dress rehearsal of this stage show is the sole nominee for "Sickest" at Cannes, a new category created especially for this film.
The show was performed in a theater-in-the-square setting at the Swanson County Vo-Tech fieldhouse. The audience's view was somewhat impeded by the championship round of the regional basketball tournament which was then in progress. This added an element of the unexpected to the musical numbers, an example of the Absurdist theater we have come to expect from diLouzi. This absurdism will continue through its New York debut at Madison Square Garden during the Third World Flyweight Boxing Championships.
High points of the show include the mushroom clouds going off in cadence to the music during the first act closer, "Nuclear Heat Wave," and the second act sets, which feature the shadows of bomb victims making bunny figures on the walls. The audience is encouraged to join the cast in singing the finale ("In olden days strategic bombing / Was looked on as quite alarming / But now, Heaven knows / Everything glows").
Hot dogs, beer, and "Crispy Critters" can be obtained from strolling vendors during the intermission. This musical remake of The Day After is highly recommended.
By the Sea (songs)
Act One: