“Everyday is closing day,” announces Eddy Suddick (Michael Shaw Fisher, who also wrote the book, lyrics, and music), the host of Doomsday Cabaret! It’s a new 60-minute rock musical of apocalyptic proportions (opera really, as most of it is sung) about a convention involving a motley congregation of zany characters sharing their own passionate, individual beliefs of just how exactly Armageddon is going wipe us all out. He kicks off the audience interaction with his organizer Jerald “Jerry” Cox (Chairman Barnes, dressed in a silk jacket and ponytail) greeting the audience into the house with a table of End of Days symbol choices (Barnes hilariously has the IEC 5009 power on/off button stamped upside down on his forehead). Much to my surprise, the band was already playing on the set of The Fool & the Red Queen’s Act I, complete with lancet windows (which work for the production’s purposes). The same monitor hanging from above played various images and text, until the house closed and the duo emerge atop wooden boxes with their arms spread open like rock gods.
In the vein of a heavy metal Tenacious D, they sing “The end is really fucking here.” Set in the very near future on December 21st of this year (does this mean the revue has a short shelf-life?) in San Bernardino, the speed is full steam ahead as the cast jumps on Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” and enters like a bunch of late-seated audience members. They all wear name tag stickers and wait for their turn as each one gets their moment to shine in a revue-style not dissimilar to the recent Jersey SHOREsical.
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| (back row from left to right) Jake Regal, Mark Bemesderfer, Sarah Chaney, J. Todd Howell, Michael Shaw Fisher, Lauren Andrea Nelsen, David Haverty, Sarah Key, (in front) Chariman Barnes |
Looking like Meatloaf in a Member’s Only jacket, David Haverty plays Kurt Billie, the real-life North Hollywood arsonist, who sings in "If You Love Me Light Your Car on Fire" with pyromaniac glee, “You wanna go green? / Get some kerosene.” Christian couple Nathan (J. Todd Howell) and Lorraine Dugan (Sarah Chaney), dressed in whitebred pastels, push their book Bible Code for extra last-minute sales and conclude their number with Howell hilariously speaking in tongues. The satire is spread throughout though. As Bee Death Theorist Deedra Witwit, Sarah Kay wears an Annie wig, Malvolio-inspired-striped tights, and carries around a jar of her favorite insects. “Unlike some people here, I’m an actual scientist,” she proclaims only to reveal major insecurities later. The demonic, crimped blonde Lady Vavoom (Lauren Andrea Nelsen), dressed in a black miniskirt and sexy bustier, enjoys the power of ultimately bringing all (or most) of the men to their knees (or on their backs) effortlessly making a mockery of all their theories.
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| Sarah Chaney, David Haverty |
The writing is humorous. While it goes for gimme’s (regarding The Rapture, one character snidely comments in the Christian couple’s direction, “Did someone get left behind?”), the lyrics are smart and the cast full of energy and vigor. When the florescent lights come on giving the effect that the show is over, the group sings “We’re Still Here,” including the line “I feel like an asshole.” The proceedings are a great deal of fun and it’s quite likely that you will leave the theatre singing the refrain from a couple of the songs (namely, the title theme and "Webbot"). Directed by Chris Raymond, The Orgasmico Theatre Company's Doomsday runs through June 23rd (including 11 PM performances). You can find dates and buy tickets here. 
Favorite Off-stage Moment: I accidentally cut in front of Haverty in the que, who had stepped away from the occupied restroom (I unsuspectingly turned the knob of the locked facility) to say hi to a friend. After emerging from his turn, Haverty declared the commode didn’t like him, having refused to go down for him.
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