Me the People

 

 

by Marcina Zaccaria

 

Me the People is a hilarious, song and dance review through the Trump Administration. Held together by four strong musical theater actors, this political parody will keep you smiling and tapping your toes.

At the beginning of the show, actors portraying something like the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Betsy Ross present. For a moment, it feels like the Meet the Presidents exhibit at a Disney Pavillion, but within the red-walled Triad Theater on West 72nd Street, it’s really more like a friendly combination of all the right forces.

 

“We the People” quickly evolves into Me the People, and the show winds through the Trump Administration. Is it the egotism at the center of the Trump Administration that the creators of this musical need you to see? An actor playing Sigmund Freud easily speaks text by Book Writer Nancy Holson, and explains, “technically speaking, there is a malignant narcissism syndrome, a neurosis which can result when there is an imbalance in the fundamental structure of the human mind…” The big “T” is really a human to consider.

This musical revue journeys on to Mar-A-Lago; the people and the politics are wickedly funny. Throughout the musical, political characters who present are Pence, an ever steadfast Paul Ryan, Ivanka Trump, and a convincing Melania Trump. Lyricist Holson notes, “He gets the nomination and in Russian, there’s Elation/ The Platform Changes Tolerate Ukranian Annexation.” Russians appear and disappear. We can keep up, even through a sequence about North Korea and repealing, replacing the new health care bill.

 

The music has a rippling, bouncy quality that effortlessly keeps each moment flowing into the next. With only an electric keyboard, Music Director James Higgins keeps each beat feeling fresh and alive. Ensemble performers Aiesha Alia Dukes, Mitchel Kawash, Richard Spitaletta, and Mia Weinberger have an excellent sense of the show, and what they are doing with each extraordinary personality they are portraying.

Director Jay Falzone has sprinkled in some great, comedic moments, asking the actors to stroll into the audience and acknowledge the folks in the back row. Never breaking character, they command the audience’s attention. The musical theater dance and tap are terrific. The frivolity and sense of ease make for a joyous evening at the theater; we cannot stand in silence, after all.

It’s only slightly a protest piece, but undeniable is the last song entitled, “F..k You.” Holler out loud a little bit at this one, as the performers ask for your two cents on the Trump Administration. I am certain the creators of Me the People will comment on politics for some time, and request you to just go a bit deeper in considering the political climate and the world around you.

 

Photos: Stephen Schwartz

 

Me the People has an open ended run at The Triad Theater, located at 158 W. 72nd Street, between Broadway and Columbus Avenues. www.TheTriadNYC.com