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LOS ANGELES - Forget Forbidden Broadway and Forever Plaid.  Another musical revue makes a stand for itself at the Hudson Backstage Theatre with Joe Patrick Ward's world premiere musical The Grave White Way.

The Grave White Way is a clever gimmick combining the ideas of Forever Plaid and Forbidden Broadway into one new musical revue.  Ward's musical utilizes six dead performers returning back to life to perform their musical flops, when in reality these flops are parodies of actual musical hits and a few original musical selections by Ward.  Forever Plaid concerns four dead performers speaking with a higher power and Forbidden Broadway concerns parodies of actual musicals.  Joe Patrick Ward has also written the music, the book, and the lyrics for The Grave White Way.  His other credits include the Off-Broadway musical Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies, as well as an upcoming work Judy's Scary Little Christmas.

The audience is taken on a musical journey with the ensemble of five dead performers along with solo pianist Joel Parson Wolfe (Joe Patrick Ward) as a dead composer.  Ward has only one solo scene as he performs an emotional ballad "Curtain Down".

The five artists' goal is to be accepted into Musical Theatre Heaven.  The ensemble's mission is to persuade a "higher power" that their musical flops deserve a second hearing.  Thus, let the show begin!

The talented ensemble performs musical parodies from 16 fictional musical flops.  Four of the strongest parodies are "Goin' to the Cockfights" from Wichita (based on the muiscal Oklahoma), "Bury the Hatchet" from 40 Whacks 40!, "Oh Helen!" from Oh Helen!, and "My Heart is in My Chest" from Lady Hiroshima.  Oh Helen!, based on Helen Keller in the play The Miracle Worker, is a politically incorrect piece that can put Howard Stern to shame.  The lyrics are witty and funny with Lindsey McKenzie (Lesli Margherita) as Anne Sullivan and Amanda Rothchild (Amy Rutberg) as Helen Keller.  40 Whacks 40! (similar title to 70 Girls 70!) is based on yet another historical figure - Lizzie Borden, who gave both her parents 40 whacks with an axe.  Lady Hiroshima is based on Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly and the recently closed Broadway musical Miss Saigon, humorously sung by Jacob Finney (Joshua Finkel) and Lindsey McKenzie (Lesli Margherita).  Other talented cast members include Shannon Stoeke as Sheldon Scott and Craig A. Curtis as Greg Astin Cartier.

Each of the five characters introduces themself in the opening scene "Hooray for the Grave White Way" and briefly explains their historical background.  The Grave White Way succeeds in entertaining the audience with non-stop, no nonsense laughter and brings one special celebrity guest each evening performance.  The guest this evening is Broadway sensation and former Star Search winner Billy Porter, performing "What Matters Most is Shtupping".  The musical selections are not written in the programme and are not handed out to auidence members until after the show to avoid spoiling the fun.  The director's goal was to make these musical numbers as one surprise after another.  This same concept occurred during the Broadway revival of Sam Mendes' Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret where programmes were also distributed to audience members after the performance.

Musical theatre fans may recognize some of Ward's musical compositions taken from various Broadway composers.  "Wow" is actually "One" from A Chorus Line, "My Heart is in My Chest" is Frank Wildhorn's "It's Only Love" from The Scarlet Pimpernel, "Be Afraid" is taken from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, and "On the Trail" is from Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods.  While some of the numbers are not as clever as the aforementioned, The Grave White Way stays afloat beautifully with a vocally and dramatically talented cast surrounded by Sarah Gurfield's brilliant tight stage direction.  Gurfield is best known for her assistant direction in Bat Boy the Musical which enjoyed a healthy run at the Actor's Gang El Centro Theatre a few seasons ago and later transferred to Off-Broadway's Union Square Theatre.  Veteran stage choreographer Kay Cole, who has also performed in A Chorus Line, lends her talent in livening musical scenes with quite a few hilarious numbers.  Michael Zinman's lighting design captures each scene change quickly and effectively utilizes a state-of-the-art lighting system and follow spots.  Jeannine Campi created simple yet effective costume designs, along with Gary Wissmann's scenic design resembling the front and backstage areas of a Broadway style theatre.

The only problem with The Grave White Way would be Jon Massena's sound design.  As intimate as the 99-seat Hudson Backstage can be, do the actors need to be miked when a piano is the only instrument accompanying the performers?  I think not.  With that aside, musical theatre fans can greatly appreciate The Grave White Way and find humor in each number along with their favorite celebrity guest.  Upcoming guests include Jason Graae, Lillias White, Davis Gaines, Kristen Chenowith, and Stephen Schwartz.