The Flaming Idiots
Zach Theatre Kleberg Stage, 1421 W. Riverside, 476-0541, www.zachtheatre.org Through March 28
Running time: 1 hr., 30 min.
Ah, yes, it’s been six years since Zach Theatre regulars Pyro, Gyro, and Walter galumphed across the boards of the Kleberg Stage, and now they’re back. “Reignited,” as the ad copy goes, “and it feels so good.”
Well, we agree. Three seasoned and savvy tummlers, recently returned from a holiday stint in the Big Apple, back to wow the hometown crowds: What’s not to love? There’s a lot to love, because – except for a few timely tweaks to the accompanying jokes and snarky asides – the show is pretty much
the same as it’s always been. No, that’s not a complaint. We get such a kick out of the threesome’s unrelenting silliness, the more-clever-than-corny shenanigans, because the goofing is anchored by skills that would impress even without such clownish embroidery to the night’s spectacle. If it ain’t broke, as we Texans transplanted from New Yawk like to say, don’t fix it.
Among all of what doesn’t need fixing is the way the Idiots open the show, getting the tensions of any possible flubs out of the way from the get-go, establishing who they are, what they do, and what kind of show you’re going to witness. What doesn’t need fixing is the sight of three grown men juggling a trio of bean-bag chairs in the rafter-bordered airspace. What couldn’t possibly be improved upon is the awe-inspiring sight of Jon “Pyro” O’Connor hamming it up as Spanky Carmichael, Olympic-level coin-catcher. Or, if ham isn’t quite your thing, there’s Rob “Gyro” Williams making a bologna sandwich (cheese, mustard, pickle, and all) with his nearly prehensile toes. And if that seems a bit much to swallow, there’s Kevin “Swami Walter” Hunt stuffing a balloon roughly the size of a teenage boa constrictor down his throat until it tickles whatever basal chakra an Idiot might possess.
And the juggling. Oh, the juggling! It’s no surprise to learn that the Ultimate Club team that O’Connor coaches won a gold medal at the International Jugglers’ Association competition in 2009, because, when it comes to keeping multiple objects in the air in rhythmic patterns, he and the other two clowns aren’t just clowning around.
Also, the leaf blowers. Have you seen this show before? There are leaf blowers. Yes, and why are there leaf blowers? Let’s just say that the ghost of Dutch mathematician Daniel Bernoulli lends the Idiots a spectral hand in this particular showstopping gambit, a feat that’ll have you trying to retrofit your own cordless Black & Decker the next day. Only sad thing is you won’t have the benefit of accompaniment by Allen Robertson and his band, and when you hear the whiz-bang wonders they unleash (especially the exuberant funk parlayed by Thomas Nuendel on violin) for the Idiots’ antics, you’ll appreciate just how sad its absence in your life’s soundtrack is.
But don’t be sad. Or, rather, no, go ahead, be sad. Picture the nation’s economy down the crapper; think of the Republicans that have been voted into office; consider the divorce papers waiting for your signature atop the living-room table of a house that’s suddenly half-empty. Because nothing’s going to cheer you up like the Flaming Idiots will cheer you up, friend – and they’ll be here for six more weekends.
This article appears in February 26 • 2010.