It was heartbreaking to lose the razor-sharp Rattlebrain Comedy Theater two years ago – done in by the exorbitant rent at downtown Denver’s D&F Tower.
But it’s even more heartbreaking to see what’s become of these extraordinary comedians in their highly anticipated, hugely disappointing return.
Rattlebrain has ditched not only what it does best, it has ditched what it does, period: scathing, improv-based sketch comedy.
“B.F.E.: The Town That Christmas Forgot” is a musical. Yep, a real, full-blown musical with a slight story, cardboard characters, ack-worthy songs and only an occasional hint of edge. Hey, kind of like most Broadway musicals.
“B.F.E.,” playing at the Avenue Theater, brings back Rattlebrain favorites Jane Shirley, Eric Mather and Jeff Kosloski, plus game newcomers Travis Risner, Kerstin Caldwell, Libby Gordon and Michael Emmitt.
But things are off from the awful overture. A Will Geer-
like narrator tells us we’re in a shiny little town where no one has ever heard of Christmas. Instead, it hosts a happy annual festival of greed. There’s a doe-eyed ingénue named Terry Bradshaw (rimshot) played by Shirley; her jealous suitor (Kosloski); a shady mayor (Emmitt); a shoemaker (Mather); and even a cheerfully hot town hooker (Gordon).
Nomadic stranger Tyler (Risner) is B.F.E’s first outside visitor in more than a century, and his talk of Christmas threatens to unearth town secrets that go back for generations.
At least when the old Rattlebrain pursued a lousy premise, the sketch would be over in 10 minutes. We’re stuck with this one for more than two hours.
“B.F.E.” never establishes what it wants to be doing here. There is no consistent focus or evident overall purpose. The tone is strange, the storytelling confusing, the score and comic asides painful. When “B.F.E.” plays it straight, it’s pabulum. When it occasionally turns on the form, it’s nonsensical or crude. What’s the point of being self-referential when the references are pointless?
“B.F.E.” doesn’t skewer lousy musicals consistently or smartly enough to be thought of a la “Urinetown” – it just is one of those lousy musicals. One these Rattlebrainers have been crafting for two years. That they turned out such a bland, stupid and dated hodgepodge is almost incomprehensible.
How bland? Ballads like “Love Song From B.F.E.” should come with a log of Velveeta. How stupid? One lyric says, “Listen to your heart. It’s longing for you.” How dated? There are two dance tangents set to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and “Thriller.”
There are a clever unfolding set and sporadic legit laughs, which only confuses the tone further. When Risner works his way up to sing after an interminable musical intro, then says “Nah” instead – that’s funny. But it’s telling that the biggest laughs come when the actors are covering for one another’s mistakes. That’s what improv comedians do best … hello?
Thank goodness for Mather, a walking reminiscence of the old Rattlebrain at its absurd best. This red-headed moppet can’t not be funny.
But “B.F.E.” is a stupefying waste of time. When it was over, I wanted my money back, and I didn’t even pay to get in. I left demoralized, mourning the loss of one of Denver’s great troupes all over again. I tried to summon the memory of the John Denver parody “Almost Denver” to bring me comfort.
If there’s ever a sequel to “B.F.E.,” it ought to be titled, “The Grinch who Stole Rattlebrain.”
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-820-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
“B.F.E.: The Town That Christmas Forgot”| * 1/2 RATING
MUSICAL|Presented by Rattlebrain Comedy Theater|Written by Dave Shirley and Jeff Kosloski|Directed by Dave Shirley|Starring Travis Risner, Jane Shirley|Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave.| THROUGH DEC. 23|7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays|2 hours, 15 minutes|$20-$24| 303-321-5925, avenuetheater.com
