'Forbidden Broadway' at Act II Playhouse

So how well will these spoofs work when performed by some of the best-loved singer/actors in the Philadelphia area? The current production includes Tony Braithwaite, the artistic director at Act II; Jeffrey Coon, the leading man in numerous musicals; the dependable Tracie Higgins; and Elena Camp, the youngest member, who has played Cinderella in Into the Woods and other lead roles.

Actually, it works even better than it does in those Manhattan clubs. The material is superbly done, with great panache. And the fact that we are familiar with the performers gives the production an additional layer of humor.

One standout moment that benefits from this casting is Jeff Coon, who certainly has the range, wailing about “Bring Him Home” from Les Miz, “God, it’s too high!”

Other highlights include Braithwaite as a long-lashed Carol Channing in Hello Dolly (“Oh, no, Carol”); Camp as an ascending Idina Menzel in Wicked; Coon singing with an echo from Phantom of the Opera; and Camp and Higgins as Chita Rivera and Rita Moreno competing over the role of Anita in West Side Story. And the ensemble singing about what they associate with theater (to Fiddler’s music): “Rejection, depression. . .attention!”

The costumes by Alisa Sickora Kleckner are deliciously outrageous, and Sonny Leo not only accompanies everyone on the piano but also sings in one of the spoofs.

As you can tell from the above, this greatest-hits version of Forbidden Broadway downplays recent shows and concentrates on what will be most familiar to suburban Philadelphia audiences. The 80-minute show is so well-done that I wish the production were longer. Some of us leave the theater wanting even more — perhaps a new edition next season.