The current President of the United States has been called Curious George, dubbed Dubya, and is the subject of the new Trey Parker-Matt Stone television show "That's My Bush!" It was only a matter of time before the younger Bush became the target of a theatrical show as he does in A Political Revue (Subliminable Strategeries) playing at downtown Manhattan's La MaMa E.T.C. April 19-22.
Elizabeth Swados directs Marymount College's Company Mud troupe in the production, which not only takes potshots at the newly sworn-in sovereign but also makes cracks about the Mideast, drugs, race issues, women's circumcision, Goth styles, mad cows, Ashcroft, AIDS and American pop culture. A group effort, Sub Strat uses Company Mud collectively as dramaturg-writer-choreographer.
Director Swados is best known for the Broadway musical Runaways and her downtown Fragments of a Greek Trilogy collaboration with Andrei Serban.
The cast includes Barthelemy Atsin, Frantz A. Boneau, Stefano V. Brancato, Melissa Carrol, Alexandra Dale, Alana DiMaria, Nicole Floyd, Christopher Guidry, Drayton Hiers, Ryan Kasprzak, Rosaleen B. Knoepfel, Eric Kochmer, Matthew Lahliff, Marissa Lichwick, Molly McCann, Melissa Murray, Nicole Christine Newton, Gia Papini, Deirdre Sheppard and Robert Taylor. Piano and vocal arrangements are by Michael Friedman. Additional songs are by Nicole Floyd and Stefano V. Brancato. The design team features Ray Recht (sets), Chris Field (costume), and Chris Dallos (lighting).
A Political Revue (Subliminable Strategeries) will play at La MaMa E.T.C., 74A East Fourth Street through April 22. For tickets, call (212) 475-7710. For more information, visit La MaMa's URL at www.lamama.org. — by Ernio Hernandez