Just a quick recap the 2013 lineup:
Girls Night Out
Billy Elliot
You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!
Rock Of Ages
SPANK! (Fifty Shades Parody)
Official show description: SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody is the hilarious new musical that brings the naughty fun of the best-selling book to life and will have your inner goddess laughing out loud! This new imagining of the characters comes to life with sharp-witted comedy, musical numbers, sexy striptease performances from the leading hunk, plus lots of surprises! Get there early for pre-show cocktails then stay to meet the cast and pose for a photo with Mr. Dangerous himself!**
It was just another average Tuesday night in April...or so I though. As I was walking to Finn McCool's at the Landing in downtown Jacksonville to meet my new friend Devon before the show, I realized it had been quite a while since patronizing the Landing. (I seem to recall a very rowdy night back in '06 after the Florida/Georgia game I would rather forget).
I saw a nice looking man about my age walking in my same direction toward the Landing, so I stopped him and asked if he knew where Finn McCool's was. Stating that this was his first day in Jacksonville ever, I welcomed him to the city and we engaged in pleasant small talk. As he told me he had flown in from Denver and would be leaving for St. Augustine on Sunday, I suddenly realized that he looked a lot like the main character "Hugh Hanson" of the very play I would be seeing later that evening. So I asked him if he was part of the SPANK! production....he stumbled on his words a bit, grinned ear to ear and said "Um, Nooooo." Completely mortified that I said the word spank to a total stranger, I bid him farewell and went on my way.
After a quick nosh and a few cocktails, we headed to the Florida Times-Union Center for the show. I was delighted to see the lobby swarming with eager females, much like the Girls Night production. Beer, wine and cocktails were readily available, along with tantalizing desserts and a less than shocking merchandise table complete with "Keep Calm and Spank Me" t-shirts and chocolate...well, chocolate that will have you inner goddess jumping for joy!
Once seated, the lights went out and the curtain was drawn...I knew it! It was totally him, Drew Moerlein (Hugh Hanson aka Christian Grey) whom I had met earlier that evening....the little liar. At this point he already had removed his shirt and was performing the steamiest moves on stage that would make any Chippendales dancer look like an amature. Who cares if he lied to me, he was super hot. Completely lost in my thoughts, I started cheering along with all the other women in the audience. It did, however, make me feel better when I called Drew out at the "meet and greet" after the show later that night.
Similar to Rock of Ages, Spank! uses a more uncommon show technique of directly addressing the audience in their production, known as "breaking the fourth wall" barrier. With three of the five shows using this production technique this season, it appears to becoming a trend, steering away from the more stiff traditional shows that are mainstream "Broadway." I applaud this technique, as I feel part of the show and emotionally closer to the characters.
The SPANK! production is a hilarious fictional glimpse into E.B. Janet's (aka E.L. James, author of Fifty Shades of Grey) thoughts as she writes her first novel. Portrayed by actress Amanda Barker, the audience is whisked away into this 40-something, wife and mother's twisted world of billionaires, love and S&M. As Janet furiously types away on her computer keyboard, the characters of Hugh Hanson (Christian Grey) and Tasha Woode (Anastasia Steele) come to life on stage in this slapstick, hysterical parody. Beyond making a Sonicare toothbrush seem sensual, and a laugh-out-loud re-write to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory's "Pure Imagination" and Enrique Iglesias' "Hero," the real highlight of the show was Barker's portrayal, which left me laughing all the way home and still smiling today. Barker really lit up the stage with her comedic timing and awesome wit! (Spoiler alert) Oh, and the "to me you are perfect" scene from "Love Actually" was perfection!
Cheers! to the entire cast and crew of SPANK! This show is right on trend and exactly what this 30-something needed on another average Tuesday night!
Shows run through Saturday, April 13, so don't delay and get your tickets now - you'll love being SPANKed!
Purchase tickets here
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| Lisa + Drew aka Christian Grey (dreamy) |
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| Lisa & Devon (my fellow blogger and awesome date) |
