Playwrights: Logan Conner, Keith Emroll, Michael Kunc and the ensemble. At: Vaudezilla at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee. Phone: 773-598-4549; $15. Runs through Sept. 26
Straight men who are obsessive fans of The Big Lebowski will be in hog heaven with Vaudezilla's burlesque show Rollin' Outta Here Naked. But if you've seen Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 cult-classic film, you'll be surprised at how there is something for everyone in this witty burlesque take-off.
Vaudezilla reaches back to burlesque's roots by spoofing The Big Lebowski with a series of comic sketches and celebratory strip numbers ( which are more of an homage than a spoof ) .
If you've never seen The Big Lebowski ( and you must in order to understand anything that happens in Rollin' Outta Here Naked ) , it's essentially a film noir comedy. But instead of using a hard-boiled L.A. gumshoe, the Coens utilized an aging stoner hippie ( who goes by the moniker of "The Dude" ) to encounter all the weird and nefarious noir types.
Vaudezilla doesn't offer a coherent storyline, but fans of the film will get a kick at the show's sketches. Writers Keith Emroll, Logan Conner and Michael Kunc ( the latter two, respectively, double as "The Dude" and the assistant Brandt ) depict scenes that are not in the film. For example, we get to see a hilarious scene where The Dude and his buddies order at In-N-Out Burger.
These scenes could be different from the film due to concerns about copyright infringement. But they ultimately show how Vaudezilla isn't just going to parrot the screenplay's best lines.
But what makes Rollin' Outta Here Naked truly brilliant is the time and effort that has gone into the strip numbers. All the artists involved ( costumers, choreographers and the performers ) have done their homework and crafted ingenious film-inspired routines and outfits right down to the pasties and G-strings.
Fans of drag kings will be sure to get a kick out of "Maria May I's" lascivious take on John Turturro's bearded pedophile bowler Jesus Quintana. Equally fun is "Wham Bam Pam's" military take on the Vietnam veteran Walter ( complete with beard and fat padding to emulate actor John Goodman ) .
On the femme side, "Red Hot Annie" is hilarious and such a tease playing Julianne Moore's feminist conceptual artist. "Donna Touch" is also wonderful as the ditzy porn star wife Bunny.
And don't inform on "Bonny Bads" to Peta, since her extremely clever take on the castrating German nihilists incorporates a real ferret into her routine.
For gay men and straight women, Rollin' Outta Here Naked will be all about the costumes and comedy. Lesbians and straight guys will get the extra titillation from all the lovely female flesh.
But, really, Rollin' Outta Here Naked is for anyone who has ever enjoyed The Big Lebowski. Vaudezilla's burlesque is loads of quirky fun.
