2008 Woodie Awards
Musical mirrors "Daily Show" satire
Erin Semagin Damio
Issue date: 12/6/06 Section: The Inside
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From socialite Paris Hilton to Congressman Mark Foley, no public figure was left unscathed at the opening of "NEWSical: The Musical," last Friday night in Blackman Auditorium.
Rick Crom, who previously performed in the Broadway hits "Urinetown: The Musical" and "The Goodbye Girl," wrote and starred in "NEWSical," which has most often been compared to "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." During "NEWSical," for its biting satirical imitations of famous newsmakers.
The musical featured a cast of four who imitated everyone from Bill and Hillary Clinton to actress Liza Minelli, targeting entertainers and politicians alike.
"You all seem so smart," Crom told the audience at the start of the show. "You all keep up with the news, don't you?" Crom said his last visit to Boston had been many years ago to Boston University, and that "they don't laugh like real people at BU," playing to the rivalry between the two schools.
Before the show began, the audience was instructed to turn off all electronic devices including cell phones, vibrators and electric toothbrushes, but not pacemakers.
Few topics were off limits. In his first solo song, "I'm Missing You, Congressman Foley," Crom portrayed a congressional page "who was easily turned."
Most student reception was positive.
"I thought it was definitely a good laugh," said Holly Peterson, a freshman undecided major.
Peterson said her favorite skit involved Michael Jackson and Peter Pan characters. In the scene, Peter Pan attempted an intervention, visiting Jackson's at night to tell him, "Michael, you can't touch the boys."
"NEWSical," which started out widely acclaimed in New York City in 2004, has been on tour throughout the country since. Crom writes new material regularly to keep up with the news, so the show has no planned end. He debuted a new song for the Northeastern audience, commenting on the political-correctness of the American holiday season.
Besides Crom, the cast starred Frank Caruso (producing and acting), Alena Watters and Kate Pazakis. The music was all keyboard, played by Ed Goldschneider.
Rick Crom, who previously performed in the Broadway hits "Urinetown: The Musical" and "The Goodbye Girl," wrote and starred in "NEWSical," which has most often been compared to "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." During "NEWSical," for its biting satirical imitations of famous newsmakers.
The musical featured a cast of four who imitated everyone from Bill and Hillary Clinton to actress Liza Minelli, targeting entertainers and politicians alike.
"You all seem so smart," Crom told the audience at the start of the show. "You all keep up with the news, don't you?" Crom said his last visit to Boston had been many years ago to Boston University, and that "they don't laugh like real people at BU," playing to the rivalry between the two schools.
Before the show began, the audience was instructed to turn off all electronic devices including cell phones, vibrators and electric toothbrushes, but not pacemakers.
Few topics were off limits. In his first solo song, "I'm Missing You, Congressman Foley," Crom portrayed a congressional page "who was easily turned."
Most student reception was positive.
"I thought it was definitely a good laugh," said Holly Peterson, a freshman undecided major.
Peterson said her favorite skit involved Michael Jackson and Peter Pan characters. In the scene, Peter Pan attempted an intervention, visiting Jackson's at night to tell him, "Michael, you can't touch the boys."
"NEWSical," which started out widely acclaimed in New York City in 2004, has been on tour throughout the country since. Crom writes new material regularly to keep up with the news, so the show has no planned end. He debuted a new song for the Northeastern audience, commenting on the political-correctness of the American holiday season.
Besides Crom, the cast starred Frank Caruso (producing and acting), Alena Watters and Kate Pazakis. The music was all keyboard, played by Ed Goldschneider.
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