It's da bomb
Rap satire 'The Bomb-itty of Errors' makes Shakespeare cool with talented cast, pop culture digs
By Talie Tebbi
Posted: 3/20/08, 12:36 AM EST Section: Feature
Shakespeare's not rolling in his grave, he's rocking. "The Bomb-itty of Errors" is one Bard remake that actually gets it right. The Syracuse Stage show - which runs through April 12 - offers a modern version of "The Comedy of Errors," but it's also a rap concert, a slapstick comedy and a drag show. And it's hilarious.
Four actors, all of them men, play 11 characters, who (in true Shakespearian fashion) are not all men. The show relies on chaos - lightning-fast costume changes, sprints on and off stage and of course the crazy plot itself.
The action follows four brothers - two sets of identical twins - who were separated at birth. One of each set was sent to Syracuse (no, not this Syracuse - somewhere in Italy) and the others were sent to Ephesus. Neither pair knows of the other's existence. So when they end up in the same city, everything gets confusing as each pair finds itself in some unusual circumstances.
What's different in "Bomb-itty" though, is that the twins are rappers, backed by the skills of DJ O, played by musical director and gifted disc jockey Kheedim Oh.
Oh's skills are matched by all four of the actors' abilities. Jason Babinsky, Darian Dauchan, James Barry and Griffin Matthews played ridiculous fools, but their talent was serious. They did more than rap. They danced, broke into pop songs, pulled voices and put together what might be the most entertaining show Syracuse Stage has had all season.
This show doesn't take itself seriously as a musical, but the voices are still top notch. It doesn't boast of great acting, but the actors showed commitment to their bizarre roles. It's quality theater in an asinine package.
Granted, Barry was more believable as a woman than a rapper, and they might have broken character a time or two, but it all worked for them. Nothing took away from the laugh-out-loud rhymes built into the script.
There was definitely some space for the actors to improvise though, too, taking a swing at deserving politicians (read: Eliot Spitzer) and pop stars. Besides showcasing quick-footed actors, this pop culture edge gives "Bomb-itty" its strongest feature. It's modern Shakespeare, perfect for a college-aged audience.
"It's off the wall, like an episode of 'Family Guy,'" said Jordan Judd, a sophomore at LeMoyne College.
There's absolutely nothing sincere about the theater. Yet it's sincerely entertaining and great modern art - in the form of a stylized rap. But that's the point. It's in an English we can all understand. This isn't the Shakespeare you're taught in high school - it's wilder, wackier and does the Bard proud.
nstebbi@syr.edu
Four actors, all of them men, play 11 characters, who (in true Shakespearian fashion) are not all men. The show relies on chaos - lightning-fast costume changes, sprints on and off stage and of course the crazy plot itself.
The action follows four brothers - two sets of identical twins - who were separated at birth. One of each set was sent to Syracuse (no, not this Syracuse - somewhere in Italy) and the others were sent to Ephesus. Neither pair knows of the other's existence. So when they end up in the same city, everything gets confusing as each pair finds itself in some unusual circumstances.
What's different in "Bomb-itty" though, is that the twins are rappers, backed by the skills of DJ O, played by musical director and gifted disc jockey Kheedim Oh.
Oh's skills are matched by all four of the actors' abilities. Jason Babinsky, Darian Dauchan, James Barry and Griffin Matthews played ridiculous fools, but their talent was serious. They did more than rap. They danced, broke into pop songs, pulled voices and put together what might be the most entertaining show Syracuse Stage has had all season.
This show doesn't take itself seriously as a musical, but the voices are still top notch. It doesn't boast of great acting, but the actors showed commitment to their bizarre roles. It's quality theater in an asinine package.
Granted, Barry was more believable as a woman than a rapper, and they might have broken character a time or two, but it all worked for them. Nothing took away from the laugh-out-loud rhymes built into the script.
There was definitely some space for the actors to improvise though, too, taking a swing at deserving politicians (read: Eliot Spitzer) and pop stars. Besides showcasing quick-footed actors, this pop culture edge gives "Bomb-itty" its strongest feature. It's modern Shakespeare, perfect for a college-aged audience.
"It's off the wall, like an episode of 'Family Guy,'" said Jordan Judd, a sophomore at LeMoyne College.
There's absolutely nothing sincere about the theater. Yet it's sincerely entertaining and great modern art - in the form of a stylized rap. But that's the point. It's in an English we can all understand. This isn't the Shakespeare you're taught in high school - it's wilder, wackier and does the Bard proud.
nstebbi@syr.edu
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