Search - Various Artists - Soundtracks :: Howard Crabtree's Whoop-Dee-Doo!: A Nearly Original Cast Recording (1995 Studio Cast)

Wonderfully silly

burghtenor | Washington, DC | 05/11/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"WHOOP-DEE-DOO! is a musical revue like no other. Ostensibly, it's a format to showcase the hilariously outlandish costumes designed by Howard Crabtree. Just to mention a few of the outfits: Carmen Miranda, an invisible dance troupe, a facial tissue, and an assortment of fruits. Speaking of fruits, this show also celebrates the lighter side of gay culture.Now I know what many of you are thinking: this is probably one of those revues that beats a concept to death. On the contrary, the jokes are numerous, the tunes are melodic, the lyrics are clever, and, despite the fact that much of the humor comes from men dressed in drag, there's an abundance of high-class humor. (Lyrics include such words as "hypothalamus" and "medulla oblongata.")...And what songs about such zany subjects! Even without the costumes, many of the songs are still funny. "Stuck On You" is sung by a trio of six-foot insects about their (romantic or otherwise) attachment to flypaper. "I Was Born This Way" is one man's bluesy rejoicing in the discoveries of genetic research. "NANCY: The Unauthorized Musical" is a play-within-a-play about the power-hungry wife of the 40th U. S. president. Catering to the gay culture is prevalent, but handled in a tacky-yet-tasteful manner, with a paean to Elizabeth Taylor and a skit about Judy Garland's greatest comeback yet ... from the grave. There are also some other pieces with unusual references to homosexuality, including a scene at a bar for winged creatures after a hard day of granting wishes, and a tale of a banana who becomes a private (get it?) in the army.While no voice in the cast is stellar, all are fun to listen to, even Jay, the querulous director of the revue, who criticizes Howard's repeated attempts to make a full-scale production number out of a song entitled "Less Is More."RECOMMENDATION: Due to its subject content, this show probably isn't for everyone. However, for those not easily offended, it's definitely worth a few listens and a lot of laughs. Enjoy!"