ACME Comedy Theater ~ 135 N. La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036
Through November 14th ~ Every Friday @ 9PM
Hola LA Taco Eaters! Asian Taco Chick here, in light of the pre-election neurosis/panic attacks we’re all having, I personally needed some sort of outlet for my “What is going to happen to this country?!"-angst. So if you’re like me and tired of watching our real-life presidential candidates improv for the sake of our country during the debates, go see ACME Comedy Troupe’s weekly 9 PM Friday night improv show, POLITICO, an improvised rock opera, and watch the professionals do it, in song. Set within the everyday world of dirty politics, POLITICO is comprised of completely improvised music and lyrics by a team of talented actors/singers/musicians who create rock ‘n roll melodies off the cuff. The scenes spring from scandalous, but true-to-life scenarios, with the terms and situations dictated by their scheming host, the Devil (Joseph Limbaugh) and his frisky devilette (Karina Bustillos).
The Liberty Party, led by Brian Lohman as Sen. Scott Turner, and the Loyalty Party, led by Dave Cox as Jefferson Hamilton, both campaign to bring the house down. It’s hard to tell which party's blood runs blue and which party's is red. They both find themselves under siege by the same struggles: re-surfacing family scandals, illegitimate children on the way, hookers kept at bay (Liza Round, played by Alexis Krause), and repressed drug addictions. With lines made up like “How can I lead my country if I can’t lead my family” by Sen. Scott Turner, or “We all know you can’t trust the facts” by The Devil, and lengthy appearances by Jesus, who not only saves, but sings, POLITICO is a disturbingly accurate reflection of our current political state of mind and being. Although, to be fair and balanced, no one improvised a song about a crystal meth-addicted baby born from pre-marital teen sex that can shoot down wild animals from a helicopter with a custom-made rifle…but they might next week!
The difference with this debate is that if you don’t like what you hear...Holla Back! It’s a democracy after all. Politico runs under the savvy direction of Joseph Limbaugh and the musical direction of Sue Peahl until November 14th. Hopefully, as Election Day tightens its noose around our country's fate, ACME producer Travis Oates, will have this talented troupe personify our real-life candidates. Who says Tina Fey gets to have all the Palin-posing hijinks? I’d appreciate hearing Joe Biden singing alongside Obama on the economic crisis, wouldn’t you? Let’s do it for our country!
And if you want to get an early start on your weekend spirits, preceding this political rock fest is ACME’s early-bird special at 8PM titled “Friday Night Live.” With sketches like “Excess Hollywood,” deadly spins on Mac vs. PC-style commercials, and memorable recurring characters (two homeless men, one a former home-owner, the other, a Wa-Mu banker), "Friday Night" is a boisterous warm-up to their weekend comedy fest, with all original music by genius keyboardist Jonathan Green, who also jams for POLITICO. If you can’t wait for Saturday night in New York, go see Friday Night Live on North La Brea, by the ACME Comedy Troupe. There’s an Asian guy in the cast. Go Aaron! Props!
