‘Laugh-In’ revisited through song at Clark Center

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  'Forbidden Broadway' has been spoofing musical theater greats — shows, songs and stars — for three decades, changing with the times and the shows on Broadway stages.

  The performers, two men and two women, change as well, as “Forbidden Broadway” perennially tours the country and the world. In telephone conversations from New York, three of the performers and the musical director who are bringing the revue to the Clark Center described the comic fun for audiences and for themselves.

  The satirical pieces are short, fast-paced, and funny. Performer Gina Kreiezmar describes it as “eye candy” because of the costumes and facial expressions, and said she loves singing the clever lyrics.

• Surf music: SLO County's radical history

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  In the summer of 1962, 16-year-old Tommy Nunes and his group The Sentinals toured the country in a station wagon, promoting Nunes’ instrumental song “Latin’ia.” Meanwhile, members of The Impacts, another teen band from San Luis Obispo County, were preparing to record an instrumental called “Wipe Out.”

  While both tunes would later be known as surf songs, at that point, the genre was still new.

  “When we first started playing, the term ‘instrumental surf music’ hadn’t been coined yet,” said Merrell Fankhauser, of The Impacts, who remembers an old Tribune headline that called it “twist music for surfers.” “We were right there at the very beginning of it.”

• 'Young Frankenstein' coming to Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center

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  “The show is the same,” said Jeff Whiting, director of the national touring production, in an interview from New York. “The only changes are for traveling. We downsized to take some of the bulk out, but it still looks the same from the front.”

  There have been several touring productions over the years, and each actor brings his or her own take to a role, he added. Whiting was assistant to Susan Stroman, director of the original Broadway show, and he has been with “Young Frankenstein” ever since, as well as being involved with many other productions and projects.

• ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ brings festive song and dance to the Clark Center

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  ‘Jingle Bell Rock — A Raucous Holiday Revue” is described as high-energy, fast-moving and fun by three enthusiastic members of the company. Andy Ferrera, producer and director of the show, and performers Alli Navarro and Jeff Payton talked about their experiences during a telephone interview.

  “As ‘Saturday Night Live’ is a little bit of music with a lot of comedy, ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ is a lot of music with a little bit of comedy,” Ferrara said.

  A live band accompanies three men and three women singers and dancers, and Frank Macial, an improv actor, facilitates audience interaction in a program that includes an array of more than 30 holiday songs from carols to contemporary tunes. The show also includes a two-minute send-up of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and an audience-participation version of “A Christmas Carol.” The interaction is an important part of the program, Ferrara said.

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