A theatre review of the Troubadour Theater Company’s “Lizastrata Online!” Based on Aristophanes’s “Lysistrata,” directed and adapted by Matt Walker, and presented by the J. Paul Getty Villa Museum Malibu.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several performances at The Getty Villa in their gorgeous amphitheater. I was so sorry to not see this show live, but the quality of the production is not lost in this filmed version. All the magic of the show is captured and if you can’t get to the mountain, then here is the mountain, coming to you online!
What a story. The ancient Greek women of Strata, fed up with the constant wars and usual male claptrap go on strike. They storm the Acropolis, seize all the money and embark on a sex strike until the men of Athens and Sparta find peace.
What a perfect story for the Troubadours and their insanely clever interpretation of this classic tale.
It’s a bawdy show, full of innuendo, cross dressing, vulgar hilarity and talented performers doing their utmost to entertain us as we tiptoe back into the world of live theatre. But “Lizastrata” is far from a tiptoe. More of a sashay, a catwalk, a spiraling sparkling sexy romp, all to the iconic tunes of the wonderful mistress of sequins herself, Liza Minelli.
Miss Minelli herself actually attended their closing night and was absolutely thrilled with it all. If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what is. So, sit back, take hold of your pearls and prepare to laugh out loud through the entire performance. Wonderful, incredible costumes, powerful wacky characters, prime time skewering, absolutely no one is safe from the sarcasm, and rightly so!
I love the Troubadours and their fearless passionate love of entertaining. We all need theatre, we all need to laugh and peep through our fingers at the absurd and the beautifully, flamboyantly and profoundly clever “Lizastrata!”
How brilliant are the folks at The Malibu Villa to challenge us all in this glorious way. I literally cried with laughter and loved every second of this show!!! The cast are incredibly good, the live band perfect and the setting of the beautiful Greek amphitheater exquisite. What a way to get back to the world!
You can see the Troubadour Theater Company’s “Lizastrata Online!” until November 28. So, why not shock your aging uncle and watch it for Thanksgiving instead of boring football!?
What:
Troubadour Theater Company’s “Lizastrata Online!”
When:
Online through November 28
How:
https://www.getty.edu/museum/programs/performances/lizastrata_online.html