It's perhaps inevitable that the recent uptick in TV cooking shows would result in a musical spoof. But would you expect to find such a show in a remote town in southern Oregon? Well, get your utensils ready and prepare to dig into Eat-TV: A Gourmet Musical. It's playing all summer in a converted church that serves as the resident home of Oregon Cabaret Theater. This homegrown musical is the recipe of Ashland playwright/choreographer Jim Giancarlo, who is also the company's artistic director. Eat-TV is set in the studio of an upstart cable TV network, where a number of cooking shows are aired. Much of the show's humor focuses on backstage shenanigans that occur after the TV cameras are turned off. The characters are introduced during a schlocky opening musical number, which doesn't get one's digestion off to a good start. However, the costumes are hilarious -- the type one might expect to see in a Forbidden Broadway spoof of "Be Our Guest" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. There's the hunky Italian chef, adorned in spaghetti and pizza; the delectable pastry chef, decked out in her own wedding cake; the "New Age Nazi" health chef, covered in vegetables; and the tipsy wine connoisseur, outfitted in a wine barrel.
Following the opening sequence, a number of paper-thin plots begin to unfold: the cooking hosts all vie for top billing; the ambitious young TV executive angles for a better job with the networks; and the mousy production assistant hides her secret crush on the cute Italian chef. Unfortunately, the humor tends to be more slapstick than subtle. Some gags are dead-on; too many others fall flat to make this a satisfying theatrical experience.
The show primarily features the Italian, Vito LaGusto (Kevin Brendan O'Malley). O'Malley has an awful time maintaining his accent, but his looks and charm almost make up for this lapse. In some quick-change scenes, he also impersonates his "bad seed" twin from New York. Although O'Malley is amusing, this reviewer would have liked to see more emphasis on the wine connoisseur, Vincent Van Rhine (Leo Cortez) Vincent's on-air dialogue, delivered while he gets progressively drunker, is one of the show's outstanding moments. Another high point is the ballad "Everything Good," sung by F.M., the mousy production assistant (Jamey Hood). She has a fine voice, and one wishes she had more chance to use it in this production.
The rest of the cast is so-so. Heidi Ewart is too stereotypically militant to draw much sympathy as the nutrition-conscious chef, Spirulina Jones. Billie Wildrick as Cookie, the pastry chef, has mastered the come-hither look (she's reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe), but she fails to convincingly make the transition between her sweet on-air persona and her backstabbing backstage demeanor. A talented trio provides the musical accompaniment.
As mentioned previously, Oregon Cabaret Theater stages its shows in a beautifully restored former church. The space's architectural details add to the richness of the experience, such as windows of stained glass and burnished wood accents throughout. The interior's focal point is a stunning crystal chandelier, rescued from another restoration site. Audience members are seated in rows of small tables. One can order one of many delectable desserts or, for some performances, light meals. The youthful waitstaff seems eager to please. Serving food is a smart move, as one can hardly sit through an entire performance of Eat TV without getting an appetite.
