It's summer in Houston which means Alley Theatre will be once again putting on a Summer Chill whodunit and Tamarie Cooper will once again present her oh-so-special musical take on life and this time focus on Houston and Texas, aided by a cadre of local actors and musicians.
In
Tamarie's Texas Toast, Cooper, the co-founder of Catastrophic Theatre, says she will "be riffin' on all things Texas." Filled with political humor and satire, the latest show by Cooper will not be an evening dedicated solely to the tearing into the Texas GOP or Governor Greg Abbott. "I'm having a hard time finding the funny about the Texas GOP."
Well, the Texas GOP will be in there but there will also be bits on the many oddities of Texas be it religion,, guns, high school football or Buc-ee's and its giant gas stations, she says. The script was written by Cooper and Patrick Reynolds and will also be exploring giant roaches, Whataburger and an ode to Houston. Joe Folladori, who contributed to some of the writing was also part of the large group of artists responsible for music, lyrics and plays in the band.
Audience members can enjoy this show all on its own, but for longtime attendees, there will be a return of Kyle Sturdivant as the Texas Preacher. However, Cooper says, they're retiring the Ted Cruz costume.
"I love our city. Our city has been very good to me. I wanted to share that" Cooper says.
She promises that the set for the 75-minute show is fantastic and includes giant neon boots.
As for the content? "I can’t say that I’m not going to offend somebody. My humor has gotten a little more lewd at times over the years with more profanity. It's adult humor.
"I think there is something really great about a homegrown product," she says, employing local musicians, crews and actors to create a full length piece. And unlike the nationally touring musicals that come through town. what Catastrophic offers is a much more intimate experience, she says.
"Go in there and talk about something pertinent. It's a good way for everybody to relate to it, an easy access point. Something ridiculous and they can relate to it.
"It's just its own little monster," she says happily about her show, as she invites everyone to come in "and laugh their ass off."
Performances are scheduled for June 21 through August 3 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays at Midtown Arts & Theatre Center, 3400 Main. For more information, call 713-521-4533 or visit matchhouston.org. (Special Monday performance July 15 at 7:30 p.m.) Pay what you can.
