Yes, you read that correctly, The Book Of MERMAN. This is a delightful Off-Broadway musical comedy where two Mormon missionaries ring the doorbell of Ethel Merman and you can just imagine where the hilarity begins.
It’s a three person cast of performers who posses some of the biggest voices I’ve experienced on or off Broadway and their comedic timing is completely on point throughout.
How can you go wrong with a show about two Mormon Missionaries who happen upon Ethel Merman’s apartment? Ethel causes quite the stir an a few cathartic moments for the young men and the young men provide Ms Merman with a few self realizations of her own.
Here’s a little about the cast from the night I was lucky enough to see it:
Carly Sakolove is Ethel and absolutely does Ms Merman proud. Carly is a long time fan of Ethel Merman and pays tribute to her, other Broadway divas, as wells as pop divas in her one woman show, “I’m Every Woman”. Her viral YouTube video “Broadway Divas Send in the Clowns” featuring her diva impersonations, has been hailed by Timemagazine and The New York Times. Off-Broadway: The Marvelous Wonderettes (Betty Jean),NEWSical the Musical and Girls Night: The Musical (Carol). She was recently seen in the national tour and Royal Caribbean companies of Mamma Mia! as Rosie. Favorite credits: Mazeppa in Gypsy (Sharon Playhouse) and Helena in The Mystery of Edwin Drood(Speakeasy Stage) and Robert Anne in Nunsense (Feinstein’s 54 Below)
So, Carly supplies the Ethel part and two more talented actors provide the Mormon part. Kyle Ashe Wilkinson (Elder Braithwaite) and Chad Burris (Elder Shumway) do that wonderfully. In this cast, each voice is as grand as the others. At one point we are even treated to a Merman-off where Ethel challenges Elder Shumway to a voice-off.
Kyle recently made his NYC debut in the developmental presentation of Manifesto: The Diaghilev Project at the Robert Moss Theatre. Some favorite credits include Harold Bride in Titanic: The Musical (Rocky Mountain Rep), Chris inBecky’s New Car (Florida Rep), Justin in Good Boys and True (Theatre UCF), and Man 1 in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Theatre UCF). BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Central Florida. www.kyleashewilkinson.com
Chad has been part of: National Tour: The Book of Mormon (Elder Cunningham) Regional: Cleveland Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, Arkansas Repertory Theatre. He is the co-creator of the web series, City Boyz.
I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday night at this musical and so did my guest. I left with a few of the songs stuck in my head and a smile on my face.
If you’re looking for some fun, to be entertained, and to have a reason to tap your feet, get yourself over to see The Book of Merman. I think you’ll find it’s a great way to spend the evening, part of a date, or to entertain out of town guests. Since it’s an off-broadway production, the price point is quite affordable and the theater setup makes every seat a great one!
