Comical, topical meet in ‘Bigfoot, the Musical’
It was just supposed to be a silly summer show.
But a funny thing happened on the way to “Bigfoot, the Musical,” which opens a world premiere run Thursday at downtown’s Majestic Repertory Theatre.
The silly show about the big — not to mention bighearted — small-town innocent beneath all that matted hair suddenly became topical as well as comical.
Amber Ruffin — whose TV credits range from
“Late Night With Seth
Myers” to Comedy Central’s “Detroiters” and “Drunk History” — started writing “Bigfoot” three years ago.
But it turned out to be a “happy accident” that “Bigfoot” reflects some of
BIGFOOT
Kareem Abdul-jabbar, “Airplane!” (1980)
The master of the skyhook took to the skies as copilot Roger Murdock, who is absolutely not Kareem Abdul-jabbar, no matter what that little snot Joey says during his visit to the cockpit.
O.J. Simpson, “The Naked Gun” trilogy (1988-1994)
Ever since that night in Brentwood 24 years ago it hasn’t felt quite right to laugh about anything involving Simpson. Still, it’s nearly impossible to keep a straight face while watching him as the accident-prone Officer Nordberg, thanks to the lunacy created by “Airplane!” writers Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. It’s also the best acting Simpson ever displayed outside of a courtroom.
Alex Karras, “Blazing Saddles” (1974)
Following a 12-year
NFL career, the defensive tackle would go on to star as Squash Bernstein in “Victor/victoria,” Sheriff Wallace in “Porky’s” and George Papadapolis on the “Diff ’rent Strokes” knockoff “Webster.” But Karras forever will be remembered by comedy fans as Mongo, the hulking brute who rides into Rock Ridge on an ox and immediately punches out a horse.
Ray Allen, “He Got Game” (1998)
Putting Allen, then a young guard with the Milwaukee Bucks, on a movie set opposite Denzel Washington sounds like every bit as much of a mismatch as putting Washington on a basketball court with one of the best pure shooters ever to play in the Association. Both proved to be surprisingly versatile, as hoops phenom Jesus Shuttlesworth and his estranged father, and delivered one of writerdirector Spike Lee’s best movies.
Mike Tyson, “The Hangover” (2009)
Is it a big part? Nope.
Is it a pivotal one? Not really. But is the longtime Las Vegan’s role as a tiger-owning, Phil Collinsloving, Zach Galifianakispunching version of himself forgettable? Not even close.
Bob Uecker, “Major League” (1989)
The light-hitting catcher had been a regular in
Miller Lite commercials and was wrapping up his fourth season on TV’S “Mr. Belvedere” when he hit movie screens as harddrinking play-by-play man Harry Doyle. Uecker’s take on the Cleveland Indians’ radio voice helped pave the way for countless forgettable ESPN anchors with an announcing style that was juuuuust a bit outside of normal.
Lebron James, “Trainwreck” (2015)
King James faced stiff competition from wrestler John Cena to stand out as the funniest athlete in the Amy Schumer comedy.
But his role as Bill Hader’s character’s best friend, who just happens to be Lebron James, is so downright weird — from his pennypinching to his “Downton Abbey” obsession to his near maniacal devotion to Cleveland — it almost makes up for his performance in “The Decision.” Almost.
Gina Carano, “Haywire” (2012)
Plenty of mixed martial arts stars have gone the acting route, from
Randy Couture in the “Expendables” movies to Ronda Rousey in “Furious
7.” But only the Trinity Christian graduate has worked with a director the caliber of Steven Soderbergh — and a cast including the likes of Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender and Ewan Mcgregor — in her first starring role.
Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier, “The Thing With Two Heads” (1972)
What happens when a black death-row inmate (NFL Pro Bowler Grier) has the head of a dying racist surgeon (Oscar winner
Ray Milland) grafted onto his shoulder? Awfulness. Legendary, delightful, amazing awfulness.
Kurt Thomas, “Gymkata” (1985)
The gold medal won by the 1984 U.S. men’s gymnastics team was a triumph for the sport but terrible for movies. Mitch Gaylord went on to star in 1986’s lousy “American Anthem.” His teammate Thomas fared even worse in this martial arts mistake that combined gymnastics with karate to produce something no one wanted to see. In a movie filled with more unnecessary flipping than the mixology scenes in “Cocktail,” few moments are as silly as the one in which Thomas’ character defeats an entire village full of menacing types armed with pitchforks, spears and scythes by — wait for it — spinning around on the town’s randomly placed pommel horse.
Dennis Rodman, “Double Team” (1997)
A year after his thenteammate Michael Jordan starred in “Space Jam,” Rodman portrayed a rainbow-haired arms dealer alongside Jean-claude Van Damme. It did not go well. “Who does your hair?”
Van Damme asks him. “Siegfried or Roy?” Whaaa? At one point, Van Damme wonders if Rodman’s character can fly a plane. His response? “Like a bird.” So, badly then? Because a bird would make a horrible pilot. Almost as horrible as “Double Team.”
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence @reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @ life_onthecouch on Twitter.