SATURDAY’S VOYUER 2013 is somewhat stale at 35

SALT LAKE CITY — There is no denying that Salt Lake Acting Company has a winning formula with Saturday’s Voyeur. Not only has it become a season staple, but it has amassed an almost cult following that guarantees sold out houses and extended runs year after year. 2013 marks the 35th year of SLAC’s Voyeur, a burlesque-style satire about all things Utah that is known for its originality as well as its no-holds-barred irreverence.

This year, Voyeur picks up where last year’s theme of “the Mormon Moment” left off: Election Day. The action is set on Temple Square in the Church Office Building (known as the C.O.B.) and revolves around the fervor and anticipation of Mitt Romney’s run for president. The characters are familiar as they are either returning from previous editions of Voyeur or broad representations of Temple Square employees and volunteers. Almost everyone—silver haired docents, husband-hungry interns, portly security guards, a member of “the other quorum of the 70,” and a Milton Berle drag-style Gayle Godzika (SLAC’s version of local lobbyist Gayle Ruzicka)—is certain of a Romney victory and have started the celebrating early. The only C.O.B. regulars not joining the festivities are two Democratic young elders and a pantsuit wearing sister. The two groups spar over everything from gay Boy Scouts to breast feeding in public through cleverly re- worded song parodies.

This was my first time attending this unique production and maybe that is why I am of two minds about what I saw.

First, the Good:

The talent SLAC has assembled is truly remarkable. The performers’ voices are all well-trained and complement each other. The speed and accuracy at which most of Allen Nevins and Nancy Borgenicht’s rapid fire lyrics are delivered is impressive, though occasionally hard to hear. Eb Madsen as Godzika and Randall Eames as both the roaming Phantom of the Opera-like statue Moroni (complete with half mask) and truth talking Sister Marriott (aforementioned pantsuit wearer) are especially good at delivering the broad and cheeky ridiculousness of their characters while maintaining the honesty good satire needs to be funny. Austin Archer is smarmy yet appealing as returning character Elder Nephi Jensen who uses proxy baptisms to meet girls when not defending his Democratic political leanings. Trevor Dean is mostly charming as socially-awkward-since-being-struck-by-lightning Elder Bud Rassmussen, while Leah Hassett’s MoBella and Kalyn West’s MoHanna are almost endearing in their shallowness.

The production is technically notable as well. Music is a huge part of this piece, and musical director Kevin Mathie’s skill is evident in every arrangement, as is the ability of musicians Gar Ashby and David Evanoff. The stage in the “upstairs” theater where Voyeur plays is small, but set designer Keven Myhre and lighting designer James M. Craig make the utilitarian space seem much bigger, creating both the cavernous apocryphal tunnels under Temple Square as well as a “Broadway” mood for show numbers. Brenda Van Der Wiel’s costume design is playful and over-the-top while still being authentically Utahn.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the not so good:

While all of the performers are obviously talented, three Voyeur veterans fall a little flat. Alexis Baigue and Jacob Johnson portray lascivious security guards constantly getting caught in lewd situations with each other. Both are fine performers, but I felt that neither was given much to do except wink at the audience while being randy with each other. Justin Ivie as Elder Neldon Marriott was suitably pompous and caught up in the dream of a Romney presidency, but really rather bland as he mixed the volatile ingredients of politics and religion. The three ever-present and ever-watching docents (Jenessa Bowen, Connor Norton, and Emilie Starr) are the most fun to watch, but their quasi-narrative role as “true believers” comes off as intentionally malicious rather than the naïve assuredness that comes with true zealousness. Cynthia Fleming’s direction and choreography are effective, but not especially crisp. The dialogue is delivered directly to the audience in a vaudevillian style, limiting direct contact between characters. Moreover, there is a lackadaisical feel to most of the action and no sense of urgency on what is supposed to be a very big day. This lack of momentum is evident in the running time of just over two hours with intermission.

Overall, I thought the plot was disjointed and this was reflected throughout the piece. Book writer Allen Nevins did a fair job of stringing most of the last year of Utah culture into a storyline, but I found myself resenting the overly repeated faux-Romney idolatry, more-than-slightly racist immigration quips, gratuitous sex jokes, Krispy Kreme references, half-hearted references to the Mayan calendar, and a stretched Manti Te’o bit. For me, none of the humor felt especially relevant. But this irrelevance isn’t just in the content of the jokes, but also in the choice of songs the parody. Again, the cleverness of these parodies cannot be overlooked, but all of the choices seemed a bit dated—like at least 15 years old (including a very entertaining version of Rick James’s “SuperFreak” sung by Gadzika)—with the exceptions of a four-year-old Black Eyed Peas song, the oft-parodied “Call Me, Maybe?” and internet-spawned “Mitt Romney Style” (after the recently ubiquitous “Gangnam Style”). This staleness was echoed in some of the delivery as well. This cast is young, and it was obvious that sometimes the performers did not know why what they were satirizing was funny. When the Democratic characters questioned the values of the pro-Romney faction with a version of a song from 1776 entitled “Does Anybody Care?”, I found myself asking the same question.

While I wished there had been more novelty and meat to this annual lampooning of local culture, many people will love this show. The audience at Sunday night’s performance was warm and responsive, laughing often. There is definitely fun to be had if you are in on the joke.