Last night marked the 50th show and what was supposed to be the grand finale (before it was extended until July) of "All About Walken," the brain baby of Patrick O'Sullivan, at Theatre 68 on Sunset Blvd.
With no fancy tricks, no deep plots, and no over intellectualizing, I found myself a couple of times in full belly laughter. Bring your movie memory, but even if you don't, the angles taken by the cast portray some of Christopher Walken's most memorable roles in a whole new, hilarious light.
Walken, populated by a cast of downright funny actors, (there is no other way to descibe them) includes cameos from other impersonate-able stars too... If there's an easy way to escape our mundane daily routine this is it. It's a perfect way to disarm the work week.
Rich with innuendo, political wit that is diluted enough to enjoy it without a bad aftertaste.
Prompt talent abounds in the performers who never miss a beat with each other. Like the most graceful Trapeze family...impeccable timing, and that great flow amongst people in full engagement of their craft. Every quirky mannerism of Christopher Walken (the real one) is perfected and stretched into hundreds of new, unpredictable scenarios, you cannot help but laugh-continuously.
The perfect pauses, each actor's personalized Walken voice, and unhinged dancing abilities make you want to say "Woughw!"
You lose the focus of each performer's ethnicity and gender in the face of their full appraisal of Walken, leaving you with a feeling of having a personal brush with Christopher Walken himself, only if he was zany enough to take on some of the material created for him.
If you missed last night's performance, then "NO FUNNY FOR YOU!"
Just kidding. Fret not. Walken returns with more undeniably funny performances later this summer.
In the meantime, go and rent some of Christopher Walken's films, "Deer Hunter, " "Pulp Fiction, " "True Romance, " and others. These will be a primer and refresh your memory on some of the distinctly Walken phrases and moves. I am sure this will stimulate even more laughs while attending the performance.
Without Christopher Walken (the original, that is), there would be no "All About Walken" to perform.
So we are fortunate to have such an entertainer in our time, and to honor him is great, but to all-out spoof him in full force, that is divine.
So,next time-GO! And bring your family, friends, and your own amateur Walken impersonation. Because by the time you leave, you will be part Walken too.
(Fade in Nancy Sinatra's song....) "Are you ready boots...?"
More about Walken, here.
All About Walken
Celebrate the 7-year anniversary of this zany and hilarious show, one night only!
Los Angeles, CA Thursday, November 21st at 7:30 p.m. at The Dragonfly.
See the links below for further details!
http://www.allaboutwalken.
This item was originally published in outsideleft in 2007 but the show is back, so...
