By Justin McKinney, Staff Writer
20 Cent Fiction has done it again! When Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered for its 23rd run on Halloweekend at UMass Dartmouth, I was very sure that nothing the company did could beat it.
Rocky was simply amazing. The cast nailed it and the direction was stellar.
However, Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens was right on par with Rocky, and should become a staple for the company!
Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens is a sci-fi mystery musical that blends the outrageousness of Rocky Horror with the fun of space!
I was hooked from the first act, the songs were simply fantastic.
They were campy and funky, with a twist of something that I can best describe as a space-age twist.
While I am no theater buff, nor do I claim to be, I am sure that 20 Cent could make this play a spring staple here at UMass Dartmouth.
The entire cast was stellar from top to bottom. Each member was simply out on stage having fun and enjoying the absurdity that was Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens.
It certainly played to their advantage as their chemistry was phenomenal. Sawyer Pollit and Lionel LaFleur, who played the roles of Mitch Maypole and Dr. Von Whackoff, respectively, were simply hilarious together and created a great comedic presence.
The same exact thing can be said for the lovable Space Vixens, played by Lisa Blubaugh, Cheyanne Patterson, and Megh Lynch.
In every song they sang together they harmonized perfectly.
In every one they performed alone, they brought a ton of personal flair and gave kick-ass performances.
Blubaugh and fellow cast member Tiffany Pinarretta teamed up for great duet as they rocked out to “Park My Bike.” Both played off of each other perfectly and, if truth be told, I haven’t heard a song so hilarious be so wonderfully sung by two people in my entire life.
That being said, these two were not outdone by the dance choreography that was masterfully executed by Molly Frackleton and Lisa Bontemps.
The two played Sammy Sax and Booby Shevalle and on the number “All I Need Is Disco.” They made me believe that disco was anything but dead in 2017 as they hit every move and every note fantastically.
Tiffany Pinarreta also gave a show stopping performance as a wild space trucker. She was absolutely amazing in the song “Space Trucking.” You’d have to be completely against music to hate her singing voice!
I won’t lie though, my personal favorite was when Dennis Fox belted out “Tortured Plaything.” It was heartfelt. It was weird,. It was funny, yet slightly disturbing, but I loved it. He did such a good job being funny, yet giving off a dramatic tone.
Director Spencer Uguccioni claimed in his bio in the playbill that theater was why he was still at UMassD and he found his home in college theater.
Well, as a student who loves a good show, I hope he decides to stay for a while because this show was out of this world. It was fun being in the audience and it was evident the cast was thrilled to be on stage.
I urge anyone who walks by any member of the cast or crew to pat them on the back because Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens was a fantastic piece of theater that I am very proud to say that I took part in, even as just an audience member! Cheers to 20 Cent Fiction, you NEVER disappoint!