When you head to Off Broadway theater to see "Star Twek," pack a generous supply of guffaws, giggles and groans. And do not forget to bring some tolerance for the rabid Trekkies scattered throughout the audience making fools of themselves (they boldly groan!).
Bob Bedore's writing and directing are matched only by his casting. Don't be surprised if Eric Jensen ends up on Letterman doing his "James T. Smirk" impersonation. You'll not see a better sendup of the ego, the gestures, the speech pattern, the macho posturing in the captain's chair! Jensen is also absolutely brilliant with physical comedy.Bedore spreads the parodying wide and deep, managing to steal from and send up the current first lady, the Three Stooges, the comedy "Red Dwarf," "M*A*S*H*" and "Casablanca" while he does a wicked job on the Star Trek cast, its successor, "ST:TNG" and the hit movie "Generations."
Kimberlee Hart is Lt. Ohyoohoo (Uhura - groan!) and gets in some wicked digs at the "male-dominated" crew of the "Boobyprize" (U.S.S. Enterprise). Her "fan dance" is hilarious, but she outdoes herself with her choreography for the evil triumverate of villians: Dr. Soray (as in Dr. Soran from "Generations") portrayed by Sanford Porter doing a wicked Malcolm McDowell right down to the blond, spiked hair. Mark Probert plays Max-Swell the Klinger, a cross-dressing Klingon warrior (ring a bell?). The incomparable Russell Peacock gleefully takes on the persona of Bjorn the Borg wearing an ingenious costume with the Borg eyepiece and a motely array of slightly disguised sports equipment. My "Star Trek" experts, Brooke Boren and Matt Ownby, also cued me to a "Princess Bride" parody with Bjorn Borg.
The plot takes the Boobyprize to the planet Paries. Dr. Groans McPoi (Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy), is played by Ben Porter and must rescue the Vulcan, Mr. Schlock (played to pointy-eared perfection by Bob Bedore) who loses his brain in a great takeoff on an actual Star Trek episode. Gerry Graves is alien Cillious (and also does a turn as Montgomery Scotch, "Scotty,") and Melissa Porter is Cillious' daughter Hillary, who has the satisfying job of spurning Lothario Smirk.
Opening night jitters caused sound miscues that took some of the fun out of a delightful closing rap. But make reservations right now; this will be a sellout. James T. Kirk has been skewered, roasted and toasted in the funniest comedy to hit a Salt Lake stage.