Cannibal! The Musical was written for the stage by Trey Parker who is one of the South Park writers. I know the director, Logan Donahoo. I’ve sketched him putting on make-up to become one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. I’ve also seen him in several past Fringe productions. The volunteer at the door was convinced that the director of the play was a woman. Logan is a beautiful person, but the volunteer must be blind. Terry and I were smuggled into the theater via the stage door and we walked off stage to front row seats. Logan was so gracious. I’m getting used to some of the chaos of Fringe.
The play is about a group of pioneers dream of a better life out west. It took place across Utah, the Colorado Territory and at a Ute Indian Reservation in 1874. The Indian chief, (Danny Garcia) did a hilarious imitation of Pepe who is a flamboyant local entertainer. As the title implies, they are challenged by the wilderness and a few survive as cannibals. We were seated right near the pianist. The production had so many silly embellishments. A sexy horse was played by a female with a string bikini top and loin cloths. When the owner pet her, she would wrap a leg around him in a sensual embrace. It was both funny and unsettling. I noticed she couldn’t see very well with the horses head on as she groped for the stage exit.
The fire was an inflatable pool toy. All the songs were tongue and cheek. A group of people in the front row obviously knew an actor since they squealed whenever he was on stage. An older lady was obviously drinking since she talked loudly and reacted with childish loud enthusiasm at plot twists. I wondered if she was a planted cast member. You had to be a South Park fan to get some of the humor, so Terry was lost at times. I laughed loud and often.
There was some extraneous full frontal nudity and a sensual horse striptease with tassels. Who can not love a musical number entitled “Hang the Bastard!” The cast seemed immense for a Fringe production with towns people, Indians, trappers, squaws, a horse and a sexy sheep. The play ended with the spirited “Shpadoinkle” finale. When the cast took their final bow, I suddenly realized that the sensual horse was played by Sarah Lockhard who is an actress and dancer who seems to be everywhere at once at the Fringe. She was in the very next production I sketched called, Connected.