SALT LAKE CITY — Saturday’s Voyeur began its longstanding tradition at Salt Lake Acting Company back in 1978 and has been a summer tradition ever since. It is almost always sold out, and almost always has the run extended. It has become a must-see for many Utah theater-goers. This was my first experience with Voyeur, and while I found much to enjoy in it, I can’t say I’m anxious to see another iteration.
Show extended to September 9, 2012.
Saturday’s Voyeur is a cabaret-style musical review that skewers local traditions, religions (mostly Mormon) and politics and politicians. It has become, as stated in the program, “an outlet for discourse, dissent, irreverent humor, cheap shots at elected officials; and, of course, political in-correctness in all its forms.” There is no denying that. If you are Republican, Mormon, or have any problems being skewered as such, this is definitely not the show for you. The setting in the upper stage at SLAC is intimate and friendly, with tables set up about the stage. Those who have reserved these tables have the opportunity to bring in food and drink and really make the most of the evening. They even pass out Jell-o shots at the second intermission.
There is no doubt that SLAC has assembled a very talented cast for this show. They are all energetic performers with strong voices. And they throw themselves into the roles with energy. I especially enjoyed Steven Fehr as Elder Spencer, Godzicka and Moroni. The last character was perhaps my favorite of the evening; a sort of Borscht-belt comedian version of the ever-present golden statue. Most of the best comic lines were delivered by Fehr as Moroni, and the show was its most entertaining when he was onstage. Another great standout performer was Kalyn West as MoHanna. She had an amazingly powerful voice and was well displayed in “MoMo-Motion” and “Hey Big Member.” Elena Dern, Lauren Noll, and Emilie Starr were also fun to watch as the Skittle Sisters particularly during the number “99 Red Bazooms” where they ramble off the longest list of euphemistic terms for breasts you will likely ever hear in one sitting.
The music was provided by Gar Ashby on guitar, Dave Evanoff on drums, and Kevin Mathie on keyboards. They did such a fantastic job throughout that I kept forgetting that the flawless music (without a missed note or cue in the show) was live. Mathie was also the music director and prepared the cast well. Set design by Keven Myhre and lighting design by James M. Craig was smooth, clean and kept scene transitions fast and seamless. Josh Martin’s sound design was fantastic. No performer wore body mikes, and the nearly disguised mikes hanging from the ceiling caught almost every word.
And yet, I came away from this show slightly disappointed. There is no doubt the cast is talented. The production team made their contributions almost invisible. The script by Allen Nevins and Nancy Borgenicht was humorous and mostly topical. I say mostly because, with all that happens in Utah politics and culture each year, two thirds of this show was set in 2009, and I know they were doing it to make a point, but they also seemed to give every group but the Mormons a pass. Yes, the subtitle is “The Mormon Moment,” but it seemed a little one dimensional. Plus, the humor also seemed a little belligerent. There were moments of great humor, as mentioned above, but it was hard to laugh loud or for very long with at some of this humor.
I have to say that while I did enjoy most of the show, these few elements kept me from really enjoying the full experience. Maybe I am too conservative for Voyeur. I’d have to say after seeing it that I’m most likely not in their target demographic. The show is excellently done, the performers are talented and the quality of the production is one of the best. But for me, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
