Sarcastic Sense of Humor REQUIRED! To my undying shame, I have not yet kicked the nicotine habit. I’ve tried many times with some success, but I always end up skulking around the garage with my vice. However, The Last Smoker in America is not a musical biography of my life. Instead, it is a raucous, irreverent romp of a rock musical written by the brilliant team of Bill Russell (Pageant, Side Show) and Peter Melnick (Adrift in Macao).
Picture an America where smoking is punishable by a fine, then jail time, then life imprisonment, and ultimately, capital punishment. Picture also that you haven’t yet quit, your husband is unemployed, and your teenage son thinks he’s a rap music star. Finish off that picture with an over-zealous, nosy neighbor with designs on your husband (and your small appliances) and you have the plight of the main character, Pam.
And why should you see it? There are limitless answers to that question, but here are the top ten:
1. You are a smoker and are already annoyed by coming wintry trips to the alley for a drag.
2. You are a non-smoker who relishes watching a comedy about a smoker who is tortured by her family, friends, and neighbors.
3. You saw Shadowbox Live’s Nightmare at Shadowbox and can’t get enough live rock music and comedy.
4. You think the government legislates too much politically correct crap.
5. You would like to tell your snotty, know-it-all friends in New York, Chicago, and LA that you saw it in Columbus before they did. (If you are a smoker, you can punctuate that with a dismissive “puff, puff.”)
6. You think Saturday Night Live and South Park are hysterical.
7. You saw too much Pinter, Ibsen, and Shakespeare last season and would like to cleanse your palate with something entertaining.
8. You are trying to fill your spare time between home games at “the shoe.”
9. You are trying to kick your cow-tipping habit and a diversion would help.
10. You plain old like to have fun.
This is a unique opportunity to see a wacky, NYC cast in over-the-top high jinx. Leave your PC filter at home and come down to CATCO!
The Last Smoker in America runs September 29 through October 24 at the Riffe Center, Studio One Theatre (77 S. High St.). Tickets are $11.50-$40 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.catcoistheatre.org. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. This is a one-act musical comedy with a live rock band. Running time is anticipated to be 90 minutes with no intermission.
GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.
