‘Clinton The Musical’ Spoofs Bill, Hillary & Co.

OVAL OFFICE PARTY: The cast of ‘Clinton The Musical.’ Photo: Russ Rowland

CLINTON THE MUSICAL
Book by Paul Hodge & Michael Hodge
Music & lyrics by Paul Hodge
Directed & choreographed by Dan Knechtges
New World Stages
340 West 50th Street
212-239-6200
http://clintonthemusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

Some would say former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are long overdue for an Off-Broadway political satire, and it’s certainly the right time for this scathingly funny show by Australian brothers Paul and Michael Hodge. In roughly 95 minutes, the musical tells the entire Bill and Hillary Clinton saga. There is plenty of material that will get laughs from Republicans, Democrats and people of all political parties.

What’s most remarkable about Clinton the Musical is its objectivity (well, sort of) because audiences never know which side the show is on, but we know most of what we’re seeing is sophomoric and hysterical simultaneously. The simple fact that the play’s creators aren’t Americans gives the narrative an unbiased, incisive edge as we see the people from both political parties that made the Clinton Administration and Republicans in Congress in the 1990s so infamous.

The former president from Arkansas is portrayed, literally and figuratively, as two different men: There is WJ Clinton (Tom Galantich), the serious, charismatic leader of the free world; and Billy Clinton (Duke Lafoon), the sex-crazed, fast-food-eating bad boy (often nibbling on McDonald’s fries). Watching President Clinton and his misbehaving alter ego is fun indeed. Mr. Galantich and Mr. Lafoon’s give solid performances as Bill Clinton and his sleazy doppelganger, but both could have been more over-the-top because there is so much to parody about “Bubba.”.

All the key players, from Hillary Clinton (Broadway veteran Kerry Butler) to Monica Lewisnky (Veronica J. Kuehn) to Newt Gingrich (John Treacy Egan) to Linda Tripp (Judy Gold) and Kenneth Starr (Kevin Zak), are here. Al Gore is portrayed by a cardboard cutout. Ms. Butler has all of Hillary’s mannerisms down well and has a pleasant singing voice, and she’s especially potent when delivering timely bon mots about Hillary’s e-mail, but a few of the supporting performances are actually more satisfying.

The songs, ranging from “Lie to You” to “That Woman Miss Lewinsky,” have their moments (and the lyrics are too raunchy to quote). Although the obvious jokes wear thin quickly, it’s all in good fun.

Mr. Zak, as “special prosecutor” Kenneth Starr, is depicted here as a bitchy gay man. Just try to keep from laughing as he jumps across the stage, clad in a leather harness and see-through undies, making Bob Fosse-style Chicago moves in his rousing, ultra-campy solo number “A Starr is Born.” Mr. Egan’s Newt Gingrich is a whiny, ineffectual buffoon who, like Billy Clinton, always craves junk food. Both Mr. Zak and Mr. Egan portray gleefully grotesque caricatures of two villains in the Clinton Administration soap opera.

Comedienne Judy Gold is a delight when playing Monica’s “friend” Linda Tripp, the conniving, devious woman who helped uncover the whole Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. However, she’s less effective in numerous scenes as Eleanor Roosevelt (Hillary’s idol), delivering epigrams about women, power and duty to one’s country that become rather hit and miss by the second act.

All the iconic highlights of the Clinton presidency—from Paula Jones and the Whitewater scandal to the failed attempt to impeach him, and the rabid manner in which things were chronicled by the news media—breeze by with cheeky zeal under Dan Knechtges’ fluid direction.

Hillary Clinton had not officially announced her candidacy for the 2016 presidential race as of press time, and this show won’t win her any points from undecided “swing” voters. So, is the show simply capitalizing on the Republicans who want to dig up every bit of old dirt about Bill and Hillary? Not really. Political satire can be many things, but it is never supposed to be nice. Both Democrats and Republicans are given “equal time” in terms of mockery. No matter which side you’re on, Clinton The Musical will get your vote as one of the spring’s best spoofs of Washington politics.

LINDA TRIPP & MONICA LEWINSKY: Judy Gold & Veronica J. Kuehn. Photo: Russ Rowland

NEWT GINGRICH & KENNETH STARR: John Treachy Egan & Kevin Zak. Photo: Russ Rowland

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 9, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 5, 2015