From the moment the curtain rises on “Gone with the Breaking Wind” at Mid-City Theatre, the audience is besieged with non-stop jokes, innuendos and one-line zingers that rival the invading of the South by Sherman’s army. This parody of one of the greatest movies of all time was written and produced by Ricky Graham and Jeffrey Roberson (aka Varla Jean Merman) who also star as Ashy Heels (and a host of other characters) and Harlot O’ Hairnet respectively.
Joining Graham and Roberson on-stage is Sean Patterson who does a hysterically brilliant portrayal as Big Ma’am, Nell Waddling and Brett Butter that steals almost every scene he is in. Big Ma’am delivery of all the bad news and deaths in the show perfectly timed eliciting major laughs. Along with Brian Johnston, Jefferson Turner (who also wrote the original music) and Brooklyn Shaffer as Mealy Hammertoe who round out this talented cast, these actors deliver their lines with comical precision that makes the two hours fly by.
All the actors except Roberson as Varla Jean Merman and Shaffer (but that does not mean these two do not have many costume transformations) play several different roles getting quite the workout with the numerous quick changes. Their dresser and assistant stage manager, Christy Combel, should win an award for the incredible job she did keeping the entire cast in their various outfits throughout the night. That is a feat unto itself.
The cast banters with the audience about the set playfully as they move from scene to scene making it a more interactive and intimate environment. They kid about shortcuts to center stage, fall into the audience and sometimes as us about the action in stage. The night I saw the performance, Varla had a wig mishap that added to the hilarity of the scene where she escapes the burning of Atlanta via wagon with Mealy and her newborn baby in the back.
The set is minimal but their usage of video sets the stage for almost every scene. The constant jokes range from sophomoric humor to downright inspired, but nonetheless combined together make for a satisfying night of theatre. Accolades also go out to Cecile Casey Covert on her costumes and Brooklyn for the wigs. For a riotous night of humor and entertainment, catch Gone With the Breaking Wind which is playing through January 24, 2015. Showtimes are Sunday at 3 and 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. If you do miss it this time, they will be bringing it back for an encore performance later in the year, but why wait. For tickets, go to www.midcitytheatre.com.