Some time ago, I was interviewing local comedy fixture Patrick Schmitz about his show Rudolph the Pissed-Off Reindeer. The live-action stage parody of the Rankin and Bass animated adaptation of Rudolph had been popular enough to see a series of productions. I’d asked him if he was going to do subsequent parodies of Rankin and Bass’ Rudolph’s Shiny New Year or Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. He told me that he wasn’t going to do that because he didn’t want to be “that guy,” who did Rudolph parodies. Thanks to hard work, diligence and dedication, Schmitz may well become know as...that guy who does the Shakespeare parodies.
A follow-up to his recent production of The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet...Kinda Sorta, this coming August, Schmitz and his Shakesparody Players will present The Comedy of Hamlet...Kinda Sorta. I don’t doubt that it’s going to be fun. Schmitz is a funny guy. He knows funny people. He knows how to put them together onstage. This should be fun.
The Comedy of Hamlet … Kinda Sorta runs Aug. 20-22 at the Next Act Theatre on 255 S. Water St. For ticket reservations, visit Next Act online.
