I don't know what made me watch the movie. It was new to
DVD, I had met Richard Elfman in passing somewhere, and I was beginning to
discover the joy of the Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo. It wasn't any one
thing that compelled me to rent the DVD, it was a moment in time that was just
right.
Watching Forbidden Zone is like passing out from too much sugary cereal in
front of a television blasting Saturday Morning cartoons. Cartoons made before
the 1950s. Do you remember how the sound of the television would seep into
your little head, mix with your id and form dreams--indescribable dreams?
Sacred Fools have captured the manic, insane energy of Richard Elfman's
original. Indeed, they have done more than merely animate a fossil. They have
infused new life into a thirty year-old midnight movie. Michael Holmes is to
be commended for staying faithful to the letter and spirit of the film, while
making much needed adjustments to translate it to the stage. Director Scott
Leggett ably brings the movie to the stage. Clever transitions cover
relatively difficult cinematic shifts in location, and the sense of where we
are and when is never lost.
The band is perfect. Present on stage the entire time, breathing life into
Danny Elfman's music and a healthy dose of Cab Calloway's songbook, theirs is
a presence at once fully known yet never too intrusive. There were moments
when the music overpowered the mic'ed vocals, but those moments were fleeting.
The ensemble doesn't back down an inch from the demands of the source
material. Forbidden Zone is a libidinous piece; it is all appetite in the most
visceral of ways. But it's a playful lustiness, and the players dance
effortlessly through Elfman's surreal Garden of Earthly Delights. There is a
strange sort of innocence on display; a carnival atmosphere in the ancient
sense of the word. This is a revelry of epic proportions. I want to live in
the Forbidden Zone.
Stand-out performances: Marz Richards channels Danny Elfman while placing his
own stamp on Satan. Rebecca Larson is adorable as the wayward Frenchie. Alyssa
Preston brings moxie and a powerful voice to the Queen. Really, the entire
ensemble is top notch; fully committed and engaging.
I nearly forgot to acknowledge the design work, which is a testament to the
effectiveness of the universe created onstage. From a design perspective,
Forbidden Zone the movie is a natural for the stage. After all, the movie was
an attempt to capture the magic of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo's
live performances. With handpainted backdrops, cartoonish makeup and
thrift-store costuming, copying verbatim would be both sufficient and
forgivable. The Fools have captured the look of Elfman's film, faithfully
rendering the expressionistic design work while putting their own unique stamp
on the production. Costumes, set, make-up, lights--all aspects of the design
are suitably amped-up for a modern audience yet none of the design choices
feel out of place.
Sacred Fools have accomplished something extraordinary. This is the level of
work that all Equity waiver companies should strive to do, this is the bar. If
the stars align and the company decides to extend further or bring it back for
another run, get thee hence to the hell mouth.
--Andrew Moore
Richard Elfman at talkback for Sacred Fools’ “Forbidden Zone”
I went to see Sacred Fools’ Forbidden Zone: Live in the
6th Dimension mostly because I had worked with one of the cast members,
Clarissa Barton (now in The Who’s Tommy at the Chance in Anaheim), and
it sounded bizarre enough to punctuate a challenging week. I had a kick. The
acting and live music were spot-on, as was Scott Leggett’s direction.
The Elfman movie on which this is based was off my radar when it came out.
It’s now on my shortlist of rentals. If you have a short list of live theatre
to attend, July 9 may be the best date to see this one. The film’s creator,
Richard Elfman (brother Danny was involved, too), will attend a talkback after
Friday’s show, which has been extended through July 10.
If I could see it again that night, I would. And I still can’t get Pico and
Sepulveda off the continuous loop in my head.
--from the blog of Steve Julian
(Theatre critic for KPCC 89.3 FM)
"I don't like that new girl; she's too pretty and she smells
funny." -Princess
Little d democracy is a beautiful thing. Sometimes, theater can feel
incredibly like democracy in action. Messy. Necessary. Empowering. Inclusive.
Repulsive and impressive, with fleeting moments of emotional engagement and
stagecraft wizardry.
FORBIDDEN ZONE: LIVE IN THE 6th DIMENSION (FZ6D) takes a great leap forward
from what could be considered in some ways its theatrical progenitors- the
late night Chicago shock theater of CANNIBAL CHEERLEADERS ON CRACK, KILLER
JOE, and CO-ED PRISON SLUTS, et al… in both production values and intellectual
curiosity. Spun together from Richard Elfman's distillation of Mystic Knights
of the Oingo Boingo's theatrical, cabaret roots in to the 1982 film "Forbidden
Zone," FORBIDDEN ZONE: LIVE IN THE 6th DIMENSION keeps an eerie, otherworldly
hold on its audience. What is a dream? What is reality? In the 6th Dimension,
does it matter?
Marz Richards IS your trusting and good willed MC, Uncle Satan; giving you,
and the people of Venice, California, exactly what you always wanted, but
never asked for. He just can't help himself. Other standouts are Jaime Andrews
as the Ex-Queen biding her time in the pit writing a screenplay, and Bryan
Krasner as our Jewish, near-deaf, wrestling Gramps.
But picking stand-outs in a show like FZ6D is unfair. Each performer, as well
as the live on-stage band, shines in one vignette or another; just as Tifanie
McQueen's set's quick changes and Andrew Bentler and Ben Rock's animation have
their own star turns. The cabaret genesis of the original source material is
difficult to overcome, and why should anyone bother? The charm and success of
the show does not lie in traditional narrative structure or cohesive plotting.
Where the show consistently comes alive is in the full cast production
numbers. With an ensemble as large (if not larger) than many touring musical
productions, the effect of the dancing in Sacred Fools' 99 and under black box
is absolutely stunning, mind altering, and completely transportive in to the
world so carefully crafted.
FZ6D benefits tremendously from its' Sacred Fools location. The audience
gathers on the Heliotrope sidewalk before and after the show, just North of
the 101. The concessioner hawking beer and wine is kitty corner from the
active reality of LA's Bicycle Kitchen, LACC, and perhaps most relevant for
our discussion here, the haunting ghost of Mondo Video A Go Go. The audience
is together inhabiting a living, breathing piece of Los Angeles, away from the
hot mess of "Hollywood Glamour" in both tenor and atmosphere.
I hope all of the patrons leave asking themselves if the Devil is calling all
of the shots; wondering if they, like the denizens of Venice and the 6th
Dimension, are aware of their controlling overlord? And who is the devil that
pulls our strings and offers up our deepest desires? Is it divine spark, evil,
or mere convenience that drives our attempts to find pleasure; even in what
seems the most egregious of circumstances?
Thematic content includes: Love, Adultery, Sex, Violence, Rape, Self
Destruction, Drug Use, Nudity, Puppets, Singing, Live Music, Dance/ Movement,
Lowbrow, Humor.
--Thomas Hampton
Mandi Moss finds ideal weekend to go topless in Forbidden Zone
A theatrical adaptation of the 1982 Elfman cult classic,
Forbidden Zone, is on stage at Sacred Fools in Los Angeles. “People know the
movie for two reasons,” says Mandi Moss, who understudies Erin Holt in the
Princess role. “They remember the little guy from Fantasy Island [Herve
Villachaize] and the Princess who’s topless throughout the movie. I knew going
in that I’d be topless throughout, and for no good reason. And I was totally
fine with that. But I thought my mom had been kidnapped by aliens when she
told me she was coming to see it.”
Mrs. Moss lives in Florida. “Yeah, she’s flying out to see it.”
When was the last time Moss was topless in front of mom? “Never.”
Moss previously has performed on stage in the buff, and as a pasty-wearing
go-go dancer, so being topless isn’t quite new to her. But this weekend marks
a first: “My boyfriend’s [adapter Michael Holmes] parents are coming to see
it, too. They’ve never met me.”
In the movie, the Princess wears granny underpants and a tiara. That’s it. The
play’s not much different, except that Holmes, in his adaptation, has added a
couple scenes, some dialogue and songs, “because some of the movie just can’t
be translated,” Moss explains. “It’s still in the Oingo Boingo trandition, but
there’s music from people like Cab Calloway, a Marlena Dietrich song, Bim,
Bam, Boom, and Pico and Sepulveda. The show is really a spectacle.”
And, truth be told, it’s Moss’ first time singing in public. “That makes me
more nervous than being half naked! As long as people are looking at my boobs
and not listening to me sing, I’ll be fine. The thing is, it’s such a great
cast. I miss them so much when I don’t see them. And understudying for Erin
has been fantastic. She’s so welcoming. She’s excited to have me there as a
partner; doesn’t treat me like a threat. It’s great.”
--from the blog of Steve Julian
(Theatre critic for KPCC 89.3 FM)
Meltcast 31: Welcome aboard Sam “the Hammer” Humphries,
plus Marz “the Devil” and the Scared Fools stop in
FZ6D's Marz Richards (co-producer and The Devil), Michael Holmes (adaptor) and Ryan Johnson (musical director) discuss the show on the podcast of Los Angeles' famed Meltdown Comics! Marz gets a bit distracted early on talking about the Hollywood Fringe Festival, but rest assured, in-depth discussion of FZ6D eventually resumes!
Sacred Fools describes its new musical as "a freefall
celebration of weirdness," and it lives up to the name. The piece is adapted
by Michael Holmes from the cult movie "The Forbidden Zone" and features a
loony cast of characters and perhaps the most eclectic score ever to grace a
single work: Oingo Boingo, Bela Bartok, Cab Calloway, and a Yiddish folk song
are cheek by jowl with Stephen Foster, Danny Elfman, and Frederick Hollander,
arranged by music director–band leader Ryan Johnson.
Satan (Marz Richards) serves as interlocutor and introduces us to the Hercules
Family—including Flash (Joseph Beck), Gramps (Bryan Krasner), and Susan B. "Frenchie"
Hercules (Rebecca Larsen), who have purchased an old house. In the basement is
a mysterious door, in the shape of a garishly painted mouth, which leads to
the 6th Dimension. All those who enter the mouth find themselves passing
through an intestinal maze (animation by Andrew Bentler and Ben Rock) and
defecated past a pair of massive pink buttocks into a strange land presided
over by the zaftig Queen Doris (Alyssa Preston), her dwarf lover-consort King
Fausto (Scott Smith), and the bouncingly bare-breasted Princess (Erin Holt).
Fausto falls for Frenchie, arousing the murderous jealousy of the Queen.
Various murders, battles, and decapitations follow, along with the creation of
Fausto's Zombie Army. It doesn't altogether make sense, but it's always lively
and loony.
Director Scott Leggett keeps things moving at Hellzapoppin' speed on Tifanie
McQueen's handsome black-and-white set. The costumes, by Wes Crain, are as
madly demented as the script, featuring bare boobs and buns as well as
colorful armor for Fausto, a huge green frog named Bust Rod (Jaime Robledo),
and Satan's demons, each sporting a crimson pitch-fork and a menacing vagina
dentata.
Smith and Preston are vocally impressive as Fausto and Doris, and Krasner's
Gramps delivers a stirring Yiddish number called "Gider Brider Itzik."
Larsen's Frenchie is an appealing ingénue, with a nice soprano voice, and Matt
Valle, as Squeezit, delivers a soulful rendition of "Beautiful Dreamer." Holt
is perky and insouciant as the Princess, and Gregory Guy Gordon, as the Pet
she leads about on a chain, performs an energetic "Bim, Bam, Boom."
This show isn't everybody's cup of tea, but on the night reviewed, a packed
house was eating it up.
--Neal Weaver
A crude, lewd and urgently outré attempt at a John Waters-like burlesque of middleclass mores, the movie stands as an exercise in clownish impudence; its story of a Venice Beach family's adventure in a bizarre, Alice in Wonderland dimension they enter via a portal in their basement, is almost beside the point. Holmes happily excises some of Elfman's more gratuitous racial and anti-Semitic caricatures while contributing judicious narrative tweaks, primarily in expanding the character of Satan (a leering Marz Richards) into a lipsticked, vamping, Tim Curry-esque narrator/emcee. Leggett and his talented production-design team provide the polish, including the glam dazzle of Wes Crain's costumes and Kat Bardot's makeup, and the cartoon razzle of Tifanie McQueen's scatological set. The pleasure comes courtesy of musical director Ryan Johnson and his 14-piece band, Natasha Norman's Max Fleischer-inspired choreography, and an enthusiastic cast that sings and dances the collection of mainly early-20th century pop tunes only lip-synched in the movie (Bryan Krasner's rendition of the Yiddish Theater classic, "Giter Brider Itzik," is a standout).
--Bill Raden
"Why Does It Feel So Good To Be So Bad?"
Opening May 21, 2010 at Sacred Fools Theater, FORBIDDEN
ZONE: LIVE IN THE 6TH DIMENSION is the live musical stage adaptation of
Richard Elfman's magnificent midnight movie, bringing back to life the
demented and delirious denizens of the Sixth Dimension in a revamped and
hyper-energized form that will have you shaking and sweating in your sleep.
FZ6D features every vocal number from the film as well as songs cut from the
initial release. It also includes new tunes such as “Beautiful Dreamer” and
“St. James Infirmary” that expressly illustrate the vagaries of Venice, CA and
the horrors of Hell. FZ6D represents the original score of maestro Danny
Elfman and the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo with such sonic fidelity
that even the most ardent tender lumpling will stand and cheer the rebirth of
fool.
While many have tried to bring this cult classic to the live stage, this is
the World Premiere production, featuring an expanded script that delves into
the motivations of King Fausto and the residents of the Sixth Dimension as
they encounter the visitors from the World Above. It seems as if the City of
Los Angeles itself has risen from slumber upon the 30th Anniversary of the
release of the film to assist Sacred Fools in the production of the show. Twin
bands of seven musicians each have been assembled so that no matter the
circumstances of the evening, the show you experience will be executed with
wild abandon and professional aplomb as the astonishing cast is put through
their paces presenting the widest array of choreography and madcap music you
have ever experienced in a 99-seat theater.
Our valiant team of producers’ tireless work of plotting, planning,
organizing, fundraising, troublemaking and swashbuckling continue to pay off.
Critically acclaimed director Scott Leggett (Beaverquest!,
Serial Killers),
incendiary author Michael Holmes (Duck & Cover co-star,
Serial Killers)
and polymath musical director Ryan Johnson (Uberband, Renfield, Batlord) have
fused their vision into an incomparable firestorm of entertainment. Hundreds
of performers submitted for auditions and specific measure was made as they
recombined cartoon voices with dramatic monologues and demonstrated their
physical prowess. Now we have assembled the best of all possible casts,
representing a great variety of artists and disciplines from all over Southern
California.
As we move towards opening night, the want-to-see on the part of the public
swells to
a fever pitch. The film was presented in a sold out screening at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York City as part of the Tim Burton career retrospective
because FORBIDDEN ZONE is a primary influence on Mr. Burton's cinematic
creations; he has dropped visual references to the film into many of his works
including THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Recent
screenings in Los Angeles have sold out as well and are full of wildly
costumed aficionados of jaunty tunes and depraved humor. Richard Elfman finds
himself surfing a surging tide, giving full blessing and joyful energy to the
new production as the buzz builds and the Zone prepares to be born anew,
promising fun and frights for a whole new zombie baby army!
Richard Elfman is the founder of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, the
director of many motion pictures and music videos, loving husband, proud
father, and the editor-in-chief of Buzzine (www.buzzine.com). Together
with his business partner Jack F. Murphy, Richard Elfman (www.richardelfman.com)
is currently consumed by the promotion of the newly colorized version of
Forbidden Zone (www.forbiddenzonethemovie.com) and the development of
Forbidden Zone 2: The Forbidden Galaxy.
The Sacred Fools Theater is dedicated to creating and fostering a dynamic,
empowered artistic community in Los Angeles. Notable previous productions
include the musical comedy
Beaverquest!, the ongoing late-night episodic
extravaganza
Serial Killers and the award-winning musical
Louis & Keely. Run
solely by the ensembled artists, the company's emblematic 13th season
continues its ongoing commitment to the development of new plays and projects
which challenge traditional expectations of the theatrical experience. Its
goal is to produce work which invigorates, enlightens and entertains.
Licensing of the stage play is by arrangement through F Z Distribution, LLC.
Website Activated - Cast Announced - Bi-Coastal Zone Appreciation
FZ6D.com has gone live. FZ6D is the abbreviation of the
title Forbidden Zone: LIVE in the 6th Dimension and
http://www.FZ6D.com is now
the home of production blogs, audition announcements, adjunct artwork and show
previews and will soon feature showtimes and ticketing for the new musical
entertainment that brings to the stage the wild and implacable creations of
Richard Elfman and the mindbending rollercoaster of a score from Danny Elfman.
The website launched with a word or two from director Scott Leggett, the
origins of the production as recalled by author/producer Michael Holmes, and a
look at staging the score with music producer Marz Richards. The first batch
of new artwork from the production is a risque sing-along comic book set to
the tune of Minnie the Moocher that can be procured at current screenings of
the cult classic film Forbidden Zone in select cities and some of the best
comic book retailers in North America.
The most recent screening of the film took place on March 20th at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York, NY as part of the high profile Tim Burton
retrospective. Agents of King Fausto's zombie army were seen distributing
collectible mini-comics to the assembled throng. This event happily coincided
with the commencement of casting and rehearsals for Forbidden Zone: LIVE in
the 6th Dimension.
Auditions for the show were held in early March in Hollywood, CA. After much
deliberation, the zombie army has been assembled and goes into basic training
this week. The cast list is now posted at http://www.FZ6D.com.
Richard Elfman is the founder of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, the
director of many motion pictures and music videos, loving husband, proud
father, and the editor-in-chief of Buzzine (http://www.buzzine.com). Together
with his business partner Jack F. Murphy, Richard Elfman (http://www.richardelfman.com)
is currently consumed by the promotion of the newly colorized version of
Forbidden Zone (http://www.forbiddenzonethemovie.com) and the development of
Forbidden Zone 2: The Forbidden Galaxy.
The Sacred Fools Theater is dedicated to creating and fostering a dynamic,
empowered artistic community in Los Angeles. Notable previous productions
include the musical comedy
Beaverquest!, the ongoing late-night episodic
extravaganza
Serial Killers and the award-winning musical
Louis & Keely. Run
solely by the ensembled artists, the company's emblematic 13th season
continues its ongoing commitment to the development of new plays and projects
which challenge traditional expectations of the theatrical experience. Its
goal is to produce work which invigorates, enlightens and entertains.
Licensing of the stage play is by arrangement through F Z Distribution, LLC.
Life in the 6th Dimension is not for the faint of heart. It
is not for those who ask questions. It is not for those who care whether they
live chained to a wall in Mickey Mouse ears or die at the hands of a frog in a
tuxedo before an audience of demons in blackface.
The first few times I saw Forbidden Zone, it was in black and white.
Recently, I saw the colorized version, and each one is a spectacle in its own
right. I actually think I went about it the right way. Starting with the black
and white version, it kind of allowed me to ease into this insanity that
Richard Elfman’s brain (which I imagine is composed of something like
napalm-soaked cotton candy) bore forth in collaboration with more lethally
confectionary artists than should be able to exist in the same place at the
same time without a singularity forming around them. Make no mistake about it
– this movie, especially when colorized, is a no-holds-barred fusillade of
sensory stimulation. The only way to survive it is to just sit back, shut up,
and enjoy the ride.
Your eyes will feast on deceptively simple scenery, outrageous costumes,
cartoons, and all manner of behavior you never thought you’d encounter outside
of your most embarrassing what-the-hell-did-I-eat-before-bed dreams. For your
ears, the fledgling Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Yes, that Oingo
Boingo. You’re welcome.
What’s it about though, you ask? Well, with no further ado, please
allow me to present your host, King Fausto (Hervé Villechaize), ruler of the
6th Dimension and eventually the rest of the universe, once he manages to
control his hormones long enough to raise his Army of Zombie. Said hormones,
as well as said delusions of grandeur, are the bane of Queen Doris’s (Susan
Tyrrell) existence. Doris could probably put up with the plots of world
domination, if only Fausto wouldn’t chase quite so much tail. Since there’s no
stopping him, however, she settles for torturing her rivals, especially
Frenchy (Marie Pascale-Elfman). Frenchy’s not afraid of Doris though, or of
the Princess (Gisele Lindley), who delights in joining her mother’s violent
catharsis. That is, at least until Squeezit Henderson (Matthew Bright) sells
her out to Satan (Danny Elfman) to help Frenchy’s brother Flash (Phil Gordon)
and their Grandpa (Hyman Diamond) rescue Frenchy and bring her back to the
real world. Level up if you kept all that straight. By the way, that’s just
the tip of the iceberg. For the rest, you’ll just have to see for yourself.
The answers to some of the questions you’re going to ask despite my advice
are:
Yes, he said that.
Yes, she is wearing that.
Yes, that’s what that is.
Yes, you heard that right.
Boobs.
Chickens.
Lots and lots of dice.
Think you can handle that?
By the way, if you answered yes to that last question and can be in Los Angeles come May of 2010, you’re in for a particular treat. Thanks to a recent labor of love by our friend Michael Holmes and more ridiculously talented people, the Sacred Fools theater will bring Holmes’ adaptation to the stage, with surprises to thrill newcomers to the 6th Dimension and those of us who have already been scarred for life alike.
-Baroness Heather
© 2010 Pop Bunker
It must be in the genes.
While Danny (Oscar-nominated composer and Richard’s brother) made his screen
debut as a musically inclined Satan, clad in white tux, brother Richard
carries the torch for his insane directorial debut, THE FORBIDDEN ZONE,
dressed as a killer clown in a baggy red suit with white-polka dots.
Oh, and then there was the real show; throw in a live band, give Richard a
drum to bang and deposit this gang of musical misfits on Hollywood Boulevard
in front of The Egyptian Theatre and you’ll end up with something that all of
those tourist busses can really gawk at. Forget The Wax Museum! Steer that bus
over to that place that looks like a P.T. Barnum nightmare on steroids.
Then there was the movie. If you’re reading this, you’re probably already
familiar with it, but for the un-initiated (and un-intimidated) it’s the story
of a doorway into another dimension in a small house in Venice, California.
Forget THE TWILIGHT ZONE, though; this is THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, the sort of
concoction that might have occurred had Max Fleisher directed THE CABINET OF
DR. CALIGARY under the influence of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.
Originally shot in glorious black-and-white, the film has recently been given
a full-color face lift courtesy of Legend Films and producer Jack Murphy, who,
in addition to helming the colorized rerelease of ZONE, is also producing the
film’s soon to shoot sequel, THE FORBIDDEN ZONE 2: THE FORBIDDEN GALAXY (why
keep dwelling on that doorway in Venice if you can find perversion in outer
space?).
After the screening which was met by a standing ovation, Murphy introduced
Elfman who arrived center stage in front of the huge Egyptian Theatre screen,
with Michael Holmes of the Sacred Fools Theatre Company. Michael Holmes
doesn’t always dress up in a public place wearing diapers and a black panty
stocking on his head, but this is a special occasion. The Sacred Fools, he
announces, did something really foolish lately and it paid off.
“About this time last year when The American Cinematheque hosted a screening
[of THE FORBIDDEN ZONE], I got the chutzpa to contact Richard’s people and
they’re like ‘we’d like you to meet Rick’…so I did and when I walked in, the
first thing he said to me is ‘Oh, you’re full of shit, right?’”
Maybe it was the diapers, maybe it was the head gear, but the proposal
captivated Richard’s already corrupted imagination: A stage production of THE
FORBIDDEN ZONE. Hey, if it works for DIRTY DANCING and LEGALLY BLONDE, why the
hell not THE FORBIDDEN ZONE???
Yes, this May, the stage will never be the same when THE FORBIDDEN ZONE goes
live! ROCKY HORROR eat your heart out.
This announcement sent a chill throughout the auditorium (in Holmes’ case, the
chill might have been attributed to the lack of trousers). But could this be
the beginning of the end for THE FORBIDDEN ZONE? Can we soon expect FORBIDDEN
ZONE ON ICE? Not to worry, says Holmes.
“I’m very sensitive about how bad an adaptation can be and I am really not
going to do a bad adaptation,” assures Homes. “I know it was Richard’s
intention with the movie to put The Mystic Knights on screen and our goal is
to reverse engineer that and bring that sort of hellish, nightmarish Cabaret
up on stage.”
After this announcement and the latest news on the FORBIDDEN ZONE sequel,
Elfman and company opened the Q&A up to the audience. And who better to start
with than a pair of ladies dressed in black garters?
Two attractive, young ladies from the Los Angeles chapter of the ROCKY HORROR
PICTURE SHOW fan club (they’re very busy these days, thanks to The Nuart
Theatre in West LA), inquired about the possibility of generating a ROCKY
HORROR-like audience-participation cult devoted to THE FORBIDDEN ZONE. Does
anyone have a frog-waiter costume lying around? Now’s your chance to put that
sucker to use!
When asked whether we can expect a revival of the Elfman brothers’ Mystic
Knights of the Oingo Boingo performances, Elfman responded, “I have to work
that out with my brother.” Pointing to the screen behind him recently
christened with THE FORBIDDEN ZONE, Elfman added “this is the closest you can
get to a real Mystic Knights show.”
Jogging backwards and forwards in time, Elfman fronted questions to everything
from The Mystic Knights GONG SHOW stint (they were gonged in 1976) to his
current plans to produce a celebrity reality show set in Las Vegas.
But the real anticipation lays in Elfman’s FORBIDDEN future while he prepares
FORBIDDEN ZONE 2 for production. “It’s going to be every bit as wacky as this
one,” he said with a grin.
-Lee Christian
© 2009
Egyptian Theatre
It's time
for another cult classic flick to hit the stage. In 1980, the world entered the
Forbidden Zone. The cult classic was
written and directed by Richard Elfman. It marked the first appearance of '80s
band Oingo Boingo, which was led by Danny, Richard's brother. (Yes, this is the
Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman.) Now, in conjunction with the classic's
30th anniversary, the Zone is going live and following the film-to-stage trend.
After a lot of murmuring in the blogosphere, Hollywood's officially getting
Forbidden Zone: Live in the 6th Dimension
-- "a surreal bawdy musical" adapted by playwright and actor Michael Holmes (Det.
Miller in the online series Duck 'n Cover).
One look at the trailer for the film (you can see it after the jump, NSFW, some
nudity) shows that it's almost futile to try and describe this insane flick. At
its simplest, The Forbidden Zone is the story of a house in Venice,
California that has a door in the basement leading to an insane world where King
Fausto reigns (played by Fantasy Island icon Herve Villechaize). When
the mom of the house gets captured in the other dimension, her family and friend
strive to save her.
We've had Rocky Horror for a good long time, so are you ready to travel
to the Zone and sing along to Oingo Boingo?
The production will kick off in May 2010 at Los Angeles' Sacred Fools Theater.
-Monika Bartyzel
© 2009
Cinematical
Sacred Fools and Richard Elfman Present
a New Theatrical
Entertainment That Re-Zones The Sixth Dimension
FORBIDDEN ZONE
LIVE IN THE 6TH DIMENSION
A Surreal and Bawdy Musical Dark Ride
World Premiering on the 30th Anniversary of the
Cult Classic Film
Opening at Sacred Fools Theater in Hollywood in May 2010
Los
Angeles, CA (September 2009) – Sacred Fools has allied with renowned filmmaker
and artistic firecracker Richard Elfman (Forbidden Zone, Modern Vampires,
Shrunken Heads) to create a live theatrical performance based upon his seminal
1980 film that featured the first cinematic score from Danny Elfman. Playwright
Michael Holmes has adapted the film of Forbidden Zone for the stage so that the
manic energy and impossible happenings can be effectively portrayed in the flesh
and accompanied by a full live band that promises to deliver a wild and
energetic show every performance. Director Scott Leggett has assembled a
production team that is currently reshaping the Sixth Dimension so that it can
be contained within the confines of Sacred Fools theater.
Forbidden Zone: Live in the 6th Dimension will feature musical numbers from the
original film. The sexy and terrifying adventures of the Hercules family, Queen
Doris, King Fausto, Squeezit Henderson and Satan will unfold with new and
imaginative impact when the show opens in Hollywood in May of 2010 as the last
of the new season of theatrical presentations at Sacred Fools.
The band is currently being assembled and audition announcements will be
forthcoming in the new year. A production blog will be open to the public in Q4
of 2009. All updates related to the production, marketing and ticketing
information will be berthed at www.fz6d.com
Richard Elfman is the founder of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, the
director of many motion pictures and music videos, loving husband, proud father,
and the Editor-In-Chief of Buzzine (www.buzzine.com). Together with his business
partner Jack F. Murphy, Richard Elfman (www.richardelfman.com) is currently
consumed by the promotion of the newly colorized version of Forbidden Zone (www.forbiddenzonethemovie.com)
and the development of Forbidden Zone 2: The Forbidden Galaxy.
The Sacred Fools Theater is dedicated to creating and fostering a dynamic,
empowered artistic community in Los Angeles. Notable previous productions
include the musical comedy
Beaverquest!, the ongoing late-night episodic
extravaganza
Serial Killers and the award-winning musical
Louis & Keely. Run
solely by the ensembled artists, the company is set to launch its 13th season,
and continues its ongoing commitment to the
development of new plays and projects which challenge traditional expectations
of the theatrical experience. Its goal is to produce work which invigorates,
enlightens and entertains.
Licensing of the stage play is by arrangement through F Z Distribution, LLC.
Contacts:
Julia Griswold
Sacred Fools Publicity
SFpublicity@sacredfools.org
The director of the original cult film crashed Sacred Fools' annual Thursty Awards on Saturday, July 12, 2009 with several friends in tow, bringing us several minutes of chaos, as well as the first official public announcement of the Forbidden Zone stage show... and the boruhaha was covered on NBC! The first of the below videos is the official video of Richard Elfman and crew out and about in Los Angeles, promoting the then-upcoming screening of the colorized version of Forbidden Zone at the Egyptian Theater; the Fools invasion begins at 1:44. The second is the Fools' own raw footage of the event!
