- PHOTO BY ASHLEIGH DESKINS
- John Rubano as the God of Bicycles in "The Bicycle Men."
Sterling has a captivating stage presence, and her experiences — from identifying the “fundamental wrongness” she felt as a child and young adult to rebuilding her life after a failed marriage and then navigating the delicate process of coming out to her children — are heartfelt, true, and often very funny.
“Spy in the House of Men” will be performed again on Saturday, September 23, at Geva's Fielding Stage. 6:30 p.m. $10-$15. Appropriate for ages 13 and over.
- PHOTO BY ASHLEIGH DESKINS
- Derek Manson as Steve in "The Bicycle Men"
To be fair, the production suffered from some opening night technical glitches, but that only accounts for so much. The real problem lies in the material. For all the chaotic silliness of a typical Python sketch, there’s a precision to that brand of humor that feels spontaneous and unrehearsed, and is obviously anything but. “The Bicycle Men” never quite nails that delicate balance. The four-man cast — rounded out by John Rubano, Joe Liss, and Bruce Green portraying a rotating cast of characters — is clearly talented, and there are some clever ideas and amusing lines throughout the show, but you always feel the strain.
With musical numbers and jokes about race, culture, and sexuality, the performance is an equal opportunity offender, but dick and poop jokes aren’t enough without bringing something fresh to the table. Comedy is nothing if not subjective, but I couldn’t help noticing several seats around me were conspicuously empty following the show’s 10-minute intermission. It seems I wasn’t alone in feeling that, at least on this occasion, the humor missed the mark.
“The Bicycle Men” will be performed again Thursday, September 21, 9 p.m.; Friday, September 22, 9:15 p.m.; and Saturday, September 23, 9:15 p.m. Spiegeltent. $28. Mature audiences.
