Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly

Critiqued by Holly Bartges

The Iraq War will come to an end January 2009----------when pigs fly.

Todd Black, David Ballew and Preston Lee Britton in Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly Photo courtesy of MetroMix.Com

By January 2009, every human being on the face of the earth will honor every other human being with equal dignified, respectful human rights------ when pigs fly.

Howard Crabtree will sing, dance, and entertain-------------“When Pigs Fly” so says his high school counselor, Miss Roundhole. In her eyes, he’s far more suited for a career in plumbing, chicken farming, garden supplies, or watch repair.

Fortunately, this off-the-wall, imaginative costume designer ignored, although found it difficult to forget, Roundhole’s tainted advice.

Just prior to Pigs’ opening on Off-Broadway in 1996, Crabtree died of AIDS.

For the third time in its 37-year history, The Theatre Group opened Pigs last week in Theatre Off Broadway’s new home in the Cabaret Black Box at the New Denver Civic Theatre. Saturday night’s (7/12) performance came very close to being sold out.

Directed and designed by Steve Tangedal, five talented actors flaunted numerous outrageous costumes originally designed by Lamecia Landrum. This year Adam Lee Brodner aided and abetted additional costumes. Pigs flying may define the root of “ludicrousity”, but this production grew its own wings, flying high wide, and handsome.

The clever lyrics written by Mark Waldrop snuggle close with the fun music written by Dick Gallagher, and recorded by Donna Debriceni. David Ballew, Dan Joseph, and Preston Lee Britton choreographed this flamboyant campy production.

Lips tremble incessantly, a shapeless matronly dress hangs as though it lost its reason for being, and orange hair sits in a high pile on the head. Joseph takes Roundhole on a wild, snarley spin that would put the wrath of any flying pig into a trembling mass of pork chops as she snivels over Crabtree’s career. Oh, yes, indeed, he’ll make it in the theatre world “when pigs fly” she screeches.

as Dream Curly, shaken, but not deterred, Howard, coyly played by Todd Black, becomes determined to prove her wrong. Black attacks Howard with a sense of boundless determination shaded around the edges with trepidation. What if he fails? What if Roundhole was correct in her assessment? He just can’t seem to get her voice out of his head. Live theatre always produces the unexpected. Zippers don’t work. Tight corners prohibit set pieces to move onto the stage. Solutions to the problems fall on Howard’s shoulders while Roundhole’s voice shatters the silence, “Have you thought about chicken farming?” Black’s expressive eyes dance and jerk between hope, gnawing doubt, and nail biting determination. Black mastered a fine line between Howard’s confidence and anxiety.

There they are, dressed as a suit of cards, Howard, David, Dan, and Adam singing. “If you want to win at love, you have to Stay In The Game”. Truer words never spoken.

Dressed as an outrageous mermaid, Preston loses it. His song Mermaid can’t be. The ship is stuck and won’t turn a corner. Without the ship on stage, the mermaid routine crashes on a reef. Preston snorts at Howard, “I have my dignity.” Dignity can be slightly difficult to maintain in an elaborate mermaid costume.

With puppy dog eyes brimming with puppy love, David shines with three Torch Songs. “Newt, I think you’re cute. You’re Speaker of the House of ill repute.” Strategically placed throughout the review, David in Torch Song #2 pines after Strom, and in #3, with a long red scarf, sings for “My man Rush”. Cute, clever, and funny as it is, David turns the tables on the silly, ridiculous in Laughing Matters. “Does all this frivolity mean anything? Is all this frivolity necessary? Justice goes to those who pay. These things aren’t laughing matters”. Considering Pigs was written and produced in 1996, perhaps it might seem Pigs has indeed flown the coop to being out of date. Unfortunately, Laughing Matters strikes a chilling chord today as it did then. The Gay world indeed has come far, making dignified headway, but still it seems, it has a long way to fly. With listening penetrating eyes, and a bold countenance, David rightfully sets the song apart, providing the justice it deserves. His cute flirtatious puppy dog eyes over Rush instantly change to penetrating beams haunting laughing matters.

During the song, his spotlight took on a life of its own wanting to insert its own dance on the ceiling leaving David in the dark. His own mettle as an actor took the spotlight in the dark. David never missed a beat. The 30 seconds it took to tame the roaming spot, seemed like an eternity to him, but his artistic side never stuttered. He remained in the spotlight even though the spot danced on the ceiling.

Dan and Preston thrills the audience with the high stepping tap dance to Light in The Loafers.

Humor in the review runs the gambit from obvious elementary puns, to silly ridiculous, to subtle raking humor designed to play nerve-wracking tunes on the spine. Always the costumes stand out in awesome glory, while the five actors bow to their rambunctious characters in glee. Whether they’re singing Wear Your Vanity With Pride, or Howard reminisces over Hawaiian Wedding Day, or Dan reflects on Sam & Me, or Adam portrays Bigger Is Better, or Preston sniggles over Pigs Launch the musical review is a hoot and a half.

Along with the silly ridiculous outrageous scenarios and costumes, incisive provocative thought dances in the shadows.

When Pigs Fly is a Do-Not-Miss-for-any-reason type of show. It doesn’t matter how many times one may have seen it, the reason to produce it, the reason to experience it remains as prevalent today as it did in 1996, leaving one to say “Thank you Howard. Thank you for not listening to that sniveling high school counselor Roundhole.” If he had, we never would know pigs can fly.

When Pigs Fly

Choreographed by David Ballew, Dan Joseph, Preston Lee Britton;
Directed by Steven Tangedal