Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout

Comments (0) By Silke Tudor Wednesday, May 28 2008

More About

In its three short years of existence, the Stars and Garters Theatre Company has woven a love spell around this city. Its first offering, The Curse of the Goddamned Ship, a zombie-musical written by company members Jenny Jo Kristan and Ben Burke, played to sold-out audiences wherever it landed. Its second, The Robber Bridegroom, based very loosely on the Brothers Grimm tale, proved that Goddamned Ship was no fluke. Each production is a gesamtkunstwerk, an integrated performance of music, theater, and visual arts. The company -- comprised of gifted puppeteers, writers, comedians, musicians, and makers of beautiful things -- constructs their shows from the floor up, delivering songs, sets, and clothes that make the heart yearn. Star and Garters’ bi-monthly variety shows, sponsored by the Intersection for the Arts, also sell out routinely and feature everything from glass-eating to tap dancing. By such standards, tonight’s fete, "Country Duet Roulette,” is a simple porchlight affair, with members of the company pairing up and competing for homespun swag in three rounds of song. But don’t be fooled, surprises are in store. Celebrity judges include members of the Yard Dogs Roadshow and Tiger Honeypot. Isaac Frankle -- a.k.a. Shovelman -- kicks off the jamboree by playing music on, you guessed it, a shovel.
Sat., May 31, 9 p.m., 2008