The Hasty Pudding

With two weeks left to the Boston run of this year's Hasty Pudding production, I'll fill you in on a few things.

. Run-time 2 hours 5 minutes including intermission
. Will Call scheduled to open an hour before showtime (reality, aim for a half hour before showtime; generally, in life, I'd say, go to the source, but for this, perhaps not...)
. Parking option at Charles Hotel, one of the sponsors of this student production - check out their parking coupons at:
https://www.harvardsquareparking.com/coupons
(regular nightly rates 1/2 hr - 5 hrs: $14 vs $7 flat rate 5pm - midnight with coupon; daytime rates are loads higher, so use one of two available $15 for 5 hours on weekends coupons for their earlier weekend showtimes)
. Bathrooms are in the basement

I've never seen Mean Girls, so I figured that any movie specific jokes were going to go straight over my head. But no worries! There was plenty of laughs to be had through the performance. And as with all previous years, there was zingers against other schools (hi Yale!), a bit of raunch (though this year it was between the married characters, so more in line with Song of Songs), and much singing and dancing.

This year's cast was 4 of one and 7 of the other, with the females outnumbering the males. I spent a good amount of my attention on the show trying to figure out who's who prior to getting a glimpse of the program. Mia the yellow gowned teenaged new arrival human to Transylvania was a bit of a tough call, if only because she's one of the taller cast members. But my, does she have a voice! (as well proven during her solo).

The best turnaround goes to Megan the spirit, who realizes the error of her ways to a tune from Les Mis, and then follows up by proving her pom poms.

In the end, everyone just wants to be included, don't you know. Even the wickedest ones of us all.

***

THE HASTY PUDDING THEATRICALS PROUDLY PRESENTS ITS 172ND PRODUCTION: MEAN GHOULS

Face your fears and journey to a grave new world! When bright-eyed teen MIA GHENSTAWORLD's mom, DONNA DEDEAD, becomes a zombie, she and her detective brother, LUKE ACLUE, are forced to move to Transylvania. Unfortunately for Mia, high school in the land of the freaks can make you wish you were dead... in more ways than one! Mia's mummy teacher, EUREKA BOOZE, is too wrapped up in drinking to notice that man-made monstrosity LOU SCREWS is playing hooky, let alone that Mia's being bullied. Tormented by mean-spirited spirit MEGAN DUBOISCREAM and desperate to win the love of bad-boy werewolf JASON TAIL, Mia enlists the help of infamous witch MYRA VENGISNIGH and her right-hunch man, IGOR TOPLEASE. The witch and Igor can give Mia everything she's ever wanted, but there's a catch - Myra's brewing up something rotten, and this time, it isn't undead flesh. Can our plucky protagonist reverse the evil she's unleashed, or will our wicked witch finally get her revenge? Can nerdy fish-boy SHELDON SHUCKED stop floundering and make a splash at the Last Day of October Dance? Why does fearsome teen vampire HELENA CAPE keep waking up on the wrong side of the coffin? And when will visiting ghostbuster HUGH YAGONNACALL learn to see past the tip of his proton pack? Anything ghost in HPT 172: MEAN GHOULS!

This year's writers are Jess Moore '21 and Jake Gilbert '21.

I do believe this was the first time that the audience of the Hasty Pudding production was encouraged (not only once, but multiple times) to review them on Yelp if they liked the show.

Well, I'm not Yelping cause they told me to. I'm Yelping in continuation of my personal trend, as I have now attended their show for a number of years.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have both." This quote by one of the actors in the program ($5) described this year's production simply and clearly, as it is their inaugural year of having women on the stage of this show. And they made several jokes about it within the performance as well.

It was 50/50 boys/girls, and some of each gender played each gender and animal. Animal because there was also a cow and a bird character in "France France Revolution."

The biggest personalities of this year's production were probably the girl scout (Selma Cookies, played by Eric Cheng) and the evil queen (Reina Terror, played by Jacob Roberts) with her strong voice and wide glittering gown.

The transition scene between the play itself and the annual show girl romp when every actor/actress gets all dolled up (literally this year) was rather unique with a marionette strip tease.

My favorite line may have been in regards to the bending sword "Nothing is real. This is a play."

The performance was creative and funny indeed.

The Box Office was scheduled to open an hour before show time, and the doors to the theater (no food allowed inside) opened just over 20 min before showtime.

***

THE HASTY PUDDING THEATRICALS PROUDLY PRESENTS ITS 171ST PRODUCTION

Vive la France! Thanks to Queen REINA TERROR and her evil regime, Paris is in ruins. When Reina's right-hand man NEVILLE LETCHAGUARDOWN seizes southern bovine BELLE ROUNDERNECK, the townspeople are fed up--and not just by baguettes!

Town butcher PHIL AYMIGNON leads them in la révolution with the help of devilish girl scout SELMA COOKIES and brainless blacksmith JACQUES OVALLTRADES. Meanwhile, Phil's love for Princess THERESA SPARKINME is challenged by their allegiances to opposite sides of the revolution. As Reina tries to send the Princess off to Siberia to wed Russian Prince EMMANUEL HAFTAMARRY, Theresa will have to choose between being obedient and following her heart. Will wacky mime PAUL AYVOUSFRANÇAIS stay loyal to Reina? Will pirate-parrot duo BARRY METREAZURE and IVY LEEVAYECANFLY ever find the booty they seek? Will DESDEMONA LISA finally meet a man after being stuck inside that darn painting for the last 300 years? We shall Merci in HPT 171: FRANCE FRANCE REVOLUTION!

This year's writers are Michael Perusse '20 and Max Weiss '20.

It being a cold evening, I headed over to Farkas Hall on the early side to hide out from the chill, and was pleasantly surprised to find the box office already open.

When the theater opened, I found my seat in the third row from the top - the farthest yet that I've sat in this theater with my discount ticket. But still the view was quite good as this theater isn't that large.

Set in NYC, with characters spanning the Deep South, Great Britain, among others, and a representative of the animal kingdom in the form of a fuzzy rat. In my humble (not so experienced) opinion, the best dancer may have been the Asian dude who was interrupted in his exuberance time and time again, that I felt joy that he was finally able to let it fly during the final colorful act when the complete cast came out dolled up with heels.

Many an underwear was exposed during this romp by those less familiar with (and inclined to) moving carefully to avoid such incidents. One line zingers were aplenty, with Yale and Wellesley among the targets, along with Harvard's own Krokodiloes. Costumes were colorful and fun, from the richness of the fabric enrobing Aunite Bellum and poofing off of Toby Ornottobe, to the less is more styling of Amber Wavesofgrain that put curves where nature had not placed them.

Indeed, another entertaining night out!

***

This year's Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, Milas Kunis, had the pleasure to partake in the announcement that beginning in 2019, women will be allowed to join the cast. Women were already highly involved in the ranks of Harvard's Hasty Pudding, however, they were now going to be welcome "to audition and to give equal opportunity to play those roles based on the quality of their individual talents" according to President Amira Weeks.

Not quite sure what to think of this... Hasty Pudding Theatrics has always been unique for its drag show comedy, challenging its actors to face the daily struggles of women teetering on heels and dealing with uncomfortable wardrobe and unfamiliar make-up. Perhaps building some sympathy and understanding for their female friends and family as a side effect.

Would they consider having the men continue on with the female roles, while having the women vie for the male roles? That could be quite fun, though then the male characters might be less likely to lift their female counterparts off their feet.

***

THE HASTY PUDDING THEATRICALS PROUDLY PRESENTS ITS 170TH PRODUCTION

Places, everyone! World War II is over, New York is booming, and alcoholic playwright TENNESSEE WHISKEY is making his Broadway debut. After aging actress FAYE DINAWAY is deemed too old for her role, struggling deli waitress MEGAN ITBIG gets her chance to audition. But when America's sweetheart and ditzy pageant queen AMBER WAVESOFGRAIN lands the lead, Megan teams up with Faye to reclaim the spotlight. Will hunky sailor SAL PACIFIC find his first mate, or will he stay at half mast? Will cranky Southern matron AUNTIE BELLUM learn to accept the "alternative lifestyle" of her nephew Tennessee? Will Shakespearean director TOBY ORNOTTOBE realize his vision, or will it turn into a comedy of errors? Can no-nonsense taxi driver HAILEY CAB learn that all's fare in love and war? Will it ever be explained why RICKEY RAT can talk? Catch these dames putting the broad in Broadway in HPT 170: Intermission Impossible

This year's writers are Shaun Gohel '18 and Mike Skerrett '18.

Meter parking this Superbowl Sunday was not an easy find this time around, but neither was Farkas Hall, as it turned out that I had forgotten which of the parallel streets it was located on (oh! Near Insomnia Cookies!). But I made it, and the box office was open and ready for Will Call guests.

They've upgraded since my last visit, with plexiglass now protecting the box office staff from the potential shenanigans of their theater guests, and programs and snacks being sold in another corner of their lobby. No food, however, is allowed in the theater. And the bathroom is located downstairs.

Even with my discounted ticket, they assigned me a center seat in row close to the front. How nice! Sure the audience was far from full this day, but still! I was so close, I even ended up with a little souvenir from the show!

This year's performance had the most varied cast of my experience with Hasty Pudding... numbering among the characters were a cactus nanny, a performing lion, and an armed toddler!

The musical acts were entertaining as always, but the lion's moment was total eye candy. While Paul Igamy's solo was terrific, Hank Kupfs' soft smooth vocals won out.

Lovely legs abounded in this crew of 12 gentlemen, but this season none could have been mistaken for a true miss. Ruby Slippers' modest blue gingham dress reminiscent of Dorothy Gale, however, seemingly hid a terrific figure. Just how those hips were created, I would like to know!

On this 2nd day of performing, the band climbed out of the pit to my great satisfaction, and was joined by the crew with their dance moves.

***

HPT 169: Casino Evil

Bada bing! It's 1930 and there's no prohibition on drama in the Nevada desert. As cannoli-crazy goodfella Al Calzone goes all-in building his nasty new casino, senile sharpshooter Grannie Oakley and her Oz-tounding granddaughter Ruby Slippers fight to keep their Western saloon town afloat and the tommy guns at bay. With the help of swanky show-cat Dan Delion, the townsfolk plot to turn Don Calzone into their furry friend's next fancy feast--but Al and mafiosa Bella Donna have plans of their own to spa-get-ti the deed and transform the Westerners' home into a literal ghost town. Will lady-layin' lawman Hank Kupfs put the crooks behind bars, or will local prostitute Ophelia Thrustin have to call-girl it quits? Will cheeky bandito-ito Dennis Jimenez grow up to be a Zorro or a zero? Will smokin' waitress Em Fizeema cough up the mafia's secrets and burn the mobsters, or will Mormon missionary Paul Igamy end up sleepin' with the fishes in Salt Lake? You'll never guess who goes bust and who hits the jackpot in HPT 169: Casino Evil!​

This year's writers are David Shayne '19 and Jacob Roberts '19.

The music is composed by Fraser Weist '18.

Paid my cheapest price yet for a Hasty Pudding performance (minus the initial free tix, that is!) - $9, thank you very much! And only because I pounced on a deal within a half hour of its posting!

With showtime being 3pm on Superbowl Sunday afternoon, meter parking was free, and not too tough to find. At Will Call, the fellah considerately flipped through the available tickets to select a seat that was closer to the center for me. Turned out the theater was about half full, but his thoughtfulness was still much appreciated.

Product placement was humorously so obvious with the Soulcycle, while somewhat less in your face for the Harvard Coop as no actual product was trotted out. I most appreciated, however, the public service announcement about alcohol in a short but serious soliloquy spoken on the aside.

This year, the same full figured black fellow who played Cassie in 2015 returned in a glittery red white and blue outfit cast as the loyal heroine Betsy Gloss. His song set nearly stole the show with his lovely husky voice. While the actor playing the black gown clad puritan lady toting a Bible surprised me with each line and song spoken/sang in his deep manly voice - no falsettos were coming from him, no sir! Funny enough, I do believe the best legs of the gang were hidden under the pantaloons of one of the male characters, and so were not revealed till the group dance off at the end.

It was probably because I had caught their first performance, but it was a tad disappointing that the crew and live band did not pop out to do their groove thing across the stage as they had in previous shows.

Bring cash in hand to give yourself the option of donating to their charity of the year as you exit the theater.

I'm looking forward to next year's Hasty Pudding Theatricals production already! For the rest of you, you have till March 6th to catch the show locally, before they shift it on down for a weekend run in NYC at the Kaye Playhouse. Slightly discounted tickets are still currently available on Goldstar.

***

HPT 168: That 1770s Show

It's 1775 and it's no tea party in Boston! After spoiled little brat Anne Heritance demands that her pushover father Governor Bucky Hampalace raise taxes yet again, the colonists are yankee doodle done with British rule. With the help of the governor's new gold-digging wife Mae Flower and hunky fur-trapper Seymour Beavers, the colonists plot to kidnap the little brat and send her back to England for a permanent tea-time-out. However, when the colonists run into delusional sailor Ahab Bitualliar, who has followed a mysterious giant fish into Boston Hahbah, they discover they may have a bigger fish to fry. Will sea monster Codzilla exact revenge on the colonists for murdering his kin or will he become their catch of the day? Will fiery seamstress Betsy Gloss find a way to trim taxes down to size or will recovering alcoholic Benjamin Dranklin drown in booze and tears? Don't tread on these colonists as they pursue life, liberty, and happiness in HPT 168: That 1770s Show!

This year's writers are Daniel S. Milaschewski '17, Jacob D. Rienstra '17, and A.J. Unitas '16.

The music is composed by Dylan MarcAurele '16.

Running time is approximately two hours, with one 15-minute intermission.

After a year's hiatus (admittedly because I couldn't find discounted tickets for the 2014 production), I'm back!

Talk about luck, I ended up buying my ticket the day before their final Boston performance. After which they uproot and plant themselves for a run in NYC, and after that? Bermuda!

I sat in the 2nd to last row, just off center, and the view was terrific! Theirs is a relatively intimate theater.

Sadly, after having missed a year, none of the actors seemed familiar. But still there were some pretty terrific gams on some of those fellas - most notably, the one who played Flo, the lady who initially communicated nonverbally through castanets and dance. And the first Black American (no idea what the most PC term is these days) actor I've ever seen on the Farkas stage was made up quite well as the full figured Cassie.

[But, as I'm sure the indigenous American character would agree with anyhow, we could all do with some sensitivity training... though hopefully not quite as much as Donkey Hote and the princess, Carmen Saveme!]

The only part that truly went over my head was the spiel of personal inside jokes in honor of the members of their senior class.

I managed to find myself a parking spot on the street, but in case you aren't so fortunate, plan ahead and check out the Hasty Pudding Theatricals website (http://hastypudding.org/hasty-pudding-theatricals). Under their list of sponsors, click on the icon for the Charles Square Garage for your choice of two coupons, depending on which showtime you are attending. $7 flat rate for a weeknight performance and $10 for a weekend showtime.

***

HPT 167: ¡OOPS!...MADRID IT AGAIN

¡Dios mío! The reign in Spain is in trouble. Spain's beloved but senile king Juan Footinthegrave should find a husband for his beautiful daughter Carmen Saveme, but he's far more interested in getting his arthritic hands on the Fountain of Youth before he kicks the bucket. With the king's health waning, evil Queen Cruella Seville and Cardinal Marco de Devil are scheming to claim the throne and launch an inquisition. Will explorer Donkey Hoté save the day, or make an ass out of himself? Will German suitor Hans Offmybeer get Carmen's hand, or will he just get a hangover? Will hunky matador Javier Waywithme see some action in bed, or just in the bullfighting ring? Everyone is living la vida loca in HPT's 167th production, ¡Oops!...Madrid It Again!

This year's writers are, once again, Brian Mendel '15, Petey Menz '15, and Ian Nightingale '15.

The music is composed by Cynthia Meng '15.

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES Tuesday - Thursday: $30 Friday - Sunday: $40

I picked up my discounted ticket for this year's Hasty Pudding Theatricals production "There's Something About Maui" on the preceding Sunday through LivingSocial for $14 (vs $38 for a weekend show; $28 weekday) due to the bonus assist of a special $5 discount code in honor of the Oscars on purchases $15 and up - SCORE!

This year's show's deals were for Friday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so I went with the Friday 8pm offering, and eagerly awaited showtime...

Based on a phone call to the Box Office, the run-time is approximately 2.5 hours with a 15 minute intermission, and the Will Call will be manned by 7:15pm for the 8pm show. Noted!

Will Call didn't end up opening till nearly 7:30pm. Seats were then assigned in exchange for our vouchers and once I had ticket in hand, I found the theater open and ready for business. I was assigned a seat in the front row stage left. I've never been so up close and personal to a stage before!

Reasonably, it seemed that we who redeemed vouchers were assigned seats at either side of each row, while the center seats were reserved for those paying the full price such as the families who were in town for the College's Junior Parents Weekend. Unlike last year, it was an utterly full house.

The show was fun and entertaining. They creatively made use of the semi transparent center title section of the curtain during this performance, and to good effect! A bit of a sound system trouble developed during the first act, but they fixed that after a bit.

I suspected that I recognized one of the actors from a previous show - Princess Lei... could she had been the actor who had played Eve Olution? And I was surprised how Helen Killer looked so feminine in her facial features and mannerisms from behind her shades!

I love how at the end of the show, all the actors had their opportunity to dance around in skirts and high heels - even the ones who had male parts during the bulk of the performance.

For those who are more conservative, just a warning that some of the comedy is rather raunchy. But I'm glad to note that they do not concentrate on that sort of humor exclusively.


***

HPT 165: There's Something About Maui

It's rough sailing in the Pacific when the employees of the beachside Sand Bar find that all their customers have mysteriously fled. The bankrupt bar's leprous owner, Colin Sick, is about to shut things down for good when a ragtag platoon, led by the dashing G.I. Private Partz, reveals the alleged existence of a buried treasure. The islanders, including lovelorn hula teen Princess Lei and meathead native Pauly Nesian, must band together to find the hidden gold before the invading platoon does. The rat race heats up when a villainous spider spinster hatches a plan to ensnare the entire island in a web of deceit. Will funky nature spirit Eartha Windenfire snap her island out of its funk? Will ditzy aviatrix Amelia Airhead get her head out of the clouds? Will blind spy Helen Killer find love at first sight? Come get lost in paradise at the 165th production of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, There's Something About Maui!

This year's writers are Rob Knoll '13 and Tony Oblen '14.

The music is composed by Ben Moss '13.

Last year's Kashmir if You Can was a hoot, so when I spotted discounted tickets being offered for $19 (vs $38 for a weekend show; $28 weekday) on Groupon, I jumped on it.

With showtime at 3pm, I headed over early to the newly named Farkas Hall with the hopes to claim my ticket and to select my seat ahead of the crowd, since the deal was for general seating. According to a fellow patron, the box office was due to open an hour before showtime. Nope, they were a bit late that day. But the service was friendly, and it turns out my ticket was assigned seating, while it seemed that students were being offered a lower price with general seating in a few select back rows. The doors to the theater were due to open approximately a half hour before show time.

As I mentioned before though, the theater is nice and cozy, so even the seats in the furthest back corners had a good view. I discovered on this visit however, that the lower right exit offered a more direct and easier route to the bathrooms, rather than heading back up the theater to the foyer and from the foyer to the stairs down to the basement like I did.

Actors enjoying themselves, fun costumes, live music... it was great and a fun time. With a 15 intermission, it was about 2.5 hours, and at the very end (if you stayed past the bows and annoucement that they would be accepting donations as we exit) the backstage crew danced out on to the stage for their own moment in the light.

Programs were available at the box office for $5.

****

HPT 164: There Will Be Flood

In the future, an ancient prophecy has come true and a massive flood threatens to destroy the world! In order to save humanity, a wayward crew of futuristic time travelers must journey to the past to stop that prophecy from ever being made. Led by the courageous space cowgirl Lauren Forcement, the adventurers travel back one ZILLION years to find a prehistoric world that is very different from the one we learned about in school. Along their mission, they meet a variety of prehistoric characters, including the half-witted caveman Homer Erectus, the uninspired cave painter Zach Rebleu, and the biblical false prophet Isaiah Littleprayer. But when these prehistoric people mistake the time travelers for gods, they incur the wrath of the loco Mayan deityPaco Lips. Can the time travelers survive the past long enough to save the future? Will the chubby cherub Angela Foodcake lose enough weight to fly again? Will the desperate dinosaur Tyra Nassaurus find a mate before her species goes extinct? Can the bible's first woman Eve Olution convince everybody that creationism is false? Find out as you get swept away by the Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 164th production, There Will Be Flood!

This year's writers are Brandon Ortiz '12, Matthew Whitaker '12, and Ethan Hardy '14.

I attended my first Hasty Pudding (for free! Thank you!) and had an absolute blast! The show was a hoot even though I didn't get (or hear) every single joke, I got plenty of 'em!

The New College Theater itself is nice and cozy - every seat had a good view and I could see the features of the actors' faces on stage. The costumes and scenery were great! The actors were hilarious and gave it their all.

I do have to point out though that the 3 tall college guys sitting next to me looked a touch cramped, and wisely took a walk during intermission so that they wouldn't have to stand up for their other row-mates to pass by. Speaking of which, during the intermission, I located the bathrooms downstairs. But with the elevators inside and the ramps outside, this place is fully handicap accessible.

Cookies and drinks and programs and posters and such were available at the same window where the Will Call is located. A room for coat check was available just beyond the box office.

Propark at the Charles Square Garage (located at One Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138) is their preferred parking affiliate, and as such, there were a couple of coupons printed at the bottom of my ticket receipt. The first for a flat rate of $7 M-F 5pm-12am. The second for a flat rate of $10 for weekend parking, up to 12 hours.

***

HPT 163: Kashmir If You Can

In its 163rd reincarnation, The Hasty Pudding Theatricals takes you on a magical journey to the greatest subcontinent in the world - the exotic and erotic land of India - as we unveil the eccentric epic Kashmir If You Can.

The beloved Maharajah has suddenly and mysteriously died and panic has taken the kingdom by storm. His daughter, the air-headed heiress to the kingdom, Sari M. Notsari, is now forced by her scheming and soulful stepmother, Queen Latikah, into an arranged marriage with the evil slumdog millionaire, Pooch Yermoneywhereyermouthis...an actual dog and an actual millionaire, who has secret plans to take over the kingdom. Sari hires the world-famous British detective, now suffering from short term memory loss, Watson Yourmind to investigate her father's death and that suspicious mutt. Will Vishnu Werehere, the powerful blue deity offer some divine guidance? Will Sari be able to consumate her forbidden love with the Arabian slave, Kareem Inyourpants? Or will that pesky pooch sell the kingdom to the highest bidder? Find out in the sexiest and spiciest saga yet, where your bellies will be danced and your bowels moved. So throw on your turbans and saris, hop on your elephants, and come get "curried" away with HPT 163: Kashmir If You Can!

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES

Wednesday - Thursday: $28
Friday - Sunday: $38

GROUP TICKET SALES

We offer discounts for groups of 20 or more. Group tickets cost $20 each during the week and $30 each on weekends.
For more information on group tickets for HPT 163, email our Group Sales Manager at grouptickets@hastypudding.org.

Call 617-495-5205 for tickets to HPT 163. Our box office is open Monday through Saturday, noon-5pm.