Buntport Theater is taking its first full original musical seriously. They’ll tell you so . . . just as soon as they finish their smokes.
As one actor is interviewed, he apologizes for speaking so softly. “That’s because we’re professionals,” he says with mock earnestness, “and we must protect our voices.”
Just how soberly are Denver’s popular insurrectionists taking (on) the musical form in “Seal. Stamp. Send. Bang.,” their 26th original production?
“The very first number has a woman singing about bird poop on her windshield that she believes is in the shape of an angel,” said actress Erin Rollman. “So right from the get-go, you can see that things are a little bit off.”
But lest you think Buntport has set out to merely parody the most easily parodied of American art forms, know that this acclaimed collective harbors a dirty little secret.
“The truth is, we do like doing musical numbers, because they are fun and stupid,” said Hannah Duggan. “We are not at all musical-theater performers — but maybe we all secretly wish that we were.”
This is a sore subject for Brian Colonna. In his senior year of high school, he was asked not come to back to music rehearsals. Why?
“They seemed to think it was not a winning battle,” he said. To which Rollman interjects: “It’s important to note that in Spanish class, Brian was also asked to stop speaking Spanish. True story.”
For a decade, Buntport has made its theatrical name by primarily staging intelligent, quirky variations on known titles like “Something Is Rotten” (for “Hamlet”). But while “Seal” is its first full, unabashed musical, fans have come to adore the company’s sporadic and often unexpected forays into song and dance. Kitschy, awkwardly performed, note-imperfect song and dance.
“People like to hear songs they know, set to different words. That’s a given,” said Duggan. “And when it comes with really bad dancing and colorful costumes, you just can’t beat it.”
Here’s a look back at some classic musical moments in Buntport’s history:
“Titus Andronicus: The Musical.” Immediately after Titus’ daughter, Lavinia, has her tongue chopped off, Duggan breaks out into an aria version of Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again,” sending blood spurting out of her mouth. It’s funny, Rollman said, because it’s horrible.
“The juxtaposition between a Britney Spears song and a moment that’s post-rape mutilation seems … an odd juxtaposition,” deadpanned Erik Edborg.
That moment is just so peculiar, Colonna added, “that you are either going to laugh . . . or hate us.”
“James and the Giant Peach.” In this classic episode of the company’s biweekly serial “Magnets on the Fridge,” the gang is driving to New York so Nathan can see his beloved New York Jets play football. But along the way, “we run into a group of really nasty marine biologists wearing shark visors,” said Rollman, setting the stage for a showdown between jets and sharks (rimshot). Suddenly, a “West Side Story”-inspired gang fight/dance breaks out, to the tune of “The Jet Song.”
“It really took people by surprise,” said Rollman, “because it’s not until the music starts that you ‘get’ just how dumb all of this really is.”
“The Nutcracker.” In an episode of the serial “Starship Troy,” Colonna plays a pilot named Zoloft (half human and half Sansmolarian). He falls asleep and has a dream in which he dances with a giant golden calculator and enjoys a sugarplum- fairy dance with Edborg and Evan Weissman.
The broken calculator gets stuck on the number 55378008. “Which, when turned upside down, says, ‘Boobless,’ ” said Weissman. Added Rollman: “We’re nothing if not classy.”
The Flobots! Long before Denver’s latest breakout band went global, they were among the Buntport faithful. They were enlisted to play for a “Magnets” battle-of-the-bands episode. The woeful Buntport combo, armed only with songs about Vienna sausages, forfeits to the rockers, and the episode ends with Edborg and the band singing a cover of “The Final Countdown.”
“All that Crap.” The last of 100 combined episodes of “Magnets” and “Starship Troy” ended with Buntport’s homage to the musical “Chicago” — and itself.
To her credit, Rollman meticulously studied Bebe Neuwirth performing “All That Jazz” on YouTube, and (tried to) steal her every move. The number included a lot of heavy lifting — though, oddly, it was Weissman being lifted, not the women.
“We tried in our best fashion to put in as many Bob Fosse moves we could, even though none of us are dancers — at all,” Rollman said, provoking Weissman’s defensive retort, “Hey . . . I’m a dancer.”
“Always wearing sweatpants,” Duggan responded, “does not make you a dancer.”
Colonna says that number ably marked the end of the company’s massive undertaking. “This was an endeavor that composed eight years of our lives,” he said. “What could possibly speak to what all of that meant? Crap!”
“Seal. Stamp. Send. Bang.” This new musical is penned by Adam Stone, who took a class taught by the Buntport collective at their Colorado College alma mater. Colonna calls Stone “a synth-pop-music machine.”
The story follows four separate protagonists, using the U.S. Postal Service as a central metaphor for mankind’s interconnectedness. The group promises Stone’s music carries the troupe far beyond its penchant for silly karaoke-style pop songs.
“This is not a spoof of musicals,” Rollman said. “But like everything else we do, how we approach our musical is maybe a little bit different.”
But the benefit of performing original music, Rollman said, is obvious: “This way, you guys don’t know what the notes are supposed to be,” she said, “so good luck with that!”
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
Video: A classic musical moment from ‘Magnets on the Fridge”
Here, the ensemble sings “There’s No Ernie Like This Ernie” to the tune of “There;s No Business Like Show Business.” Says Brian Colonna: Ernie was feeling bad about himself, and this was their way of saying, ‘No it’s OK.’ … OK, no one remembers …”
“Seal. Stamp. Send. Bang.”
Original musical. Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan St. Written and performed by ensemble. Music by Adam Stone. Through April 4. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. March 22 and 29. $13-$16. 720-946-1388 or .
Play S.S.S.Bang.: The post-office video game!
Think it’s easy being blue? Buntport has created this video game to test your ability to deliver the mail at increasingly higher speeds!
This week’s video podcast:
Running Lines at the Mayor’s Awards for the Arts
This week, Denver Post theater critic John Moore reports from the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, which this year honored Su Teatro. Guests include John Hickenlooper, Bobby LeFebre, Aaron Vieyra, Joaquin Liebert and Jose Aguila. Recorded Feb. 18. Run time: 9 minutes.
This weekend’s other openings
“10 Pin Alley”
Ten terrified bowling pins argue, fret and dance their way through 10 frames of sheer terror. Gene Kato’s late-night comedy plays at 10 p.m. weekend nights following performances of Mitch Albom’s “And the Winner Is . . . ” Through March 21. Vintage Theatre, 2119 E. 17th Ave., 303-839-1361 or . And here’s
“Agnes of God” John Pielmeier’s incendiary tale of a court-appointed psychiatrist who must determine the sanity of a young nun accused of murdering her own baby. Through Mark 29. Lake Dillon Theatre Company, 176 Lake Dillon Drive, 970-513-9386 or
“The Desperado” First performed at the Heritage Square Music Hall in 1989, this is one of the most popular titles from the troupe’s early years. It’s a comic Western melodrama penned by Janice Esley, with original music by Randy Johnson. Through May 24. 18301 W. Colfax Ave., Golden, 303-279-7800 or
“Once Upon a Mattress” Familiar family friendly musical retelling of “The Princess and the Pea,” about a queen who’s decreed that only a princess who can pass her impossible test may marry her son. Through March 14. Longmont Theatre Company, 513 Main St., 303-772-5200 or
“The Phantom of the Opera” National touring production of Broadway’s longest-running musical. It’s the love story between a beautiful opera singer and a young composer shamed by his physical appearance into a shadowy existence beneath the majestic Paris Opera House. Through March 22. Buell Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets, 303-893-4100 or and here’s
“Rain/of Terror” The experimental theater known as LIDA Project gives Georg Buchner’s classic “Danton’s Death” a makeover as “Rain/of Terror,” the story of the inevitable triumph of humanity and its insatiable lust for life, against the backdrop of sex, violence, corruption and bloodshed. During the chaos of revolution, a man in isolation has left the political scene to languish in sensual delights. Another man at the zenith of power clings to virtue and a hunger for conformity. The citizens are easily roused and swayed as a culture of fear infects the city with the constant threat of execution. Original music composed by local musicians Carrie Beeder and James Han (from the indie bands Bela Karoli and The Wheel). Through March 21. Presented by the LIDA Project at the Bindery Space, 770 22nd St., 720-221-3821 or
“Seal. Stamp. Send. Bang.” In this original musical promises a Buntport twist that never let you look at mail the same way. The Buntport ensemble teams up with composer Adam Stone to tell the story of four people and how the post office happens to connect them in surprising ways. From the press release: “We are alone on a crowded planet, miscommunicating with our kind through atonal squawks, flailing gesticulation and obscure glyphs. As inadequate as they may be, speaking, gestures and writing are all we have in our desperate attempt to be understood. But by turning those poor tools into dance, music and lyrics, maybe we can achieve the connection we desire.” Through April 4. Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan St., Denver, 720-946-1388 or and here’s
“The Visitor” Freud, in his later years, is in Nazi-occupied Vienna, where the Gestapo has arrested his daughter. He is alone and desperate when, suddenly, a cynical dandy crawls through his window. He could be crazy — or he could be God. Directed by John Arp. Through April 5. Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington St., Golden, 303-935-3044 or
Compiled by John Moore
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