Martin Crimp's The City and How Obama Got His Groove Back Show the Art of Escaping Reality

How Obama Got His Groove Back is a romp of fitfully amusing political sketches. And when the jokes misfire, or knock you on the head for the fifth time, it doesn't matter much; this jukebox musical has good will to spare.

Director/co-author Derek Jeremiah Reid plays the title role, about a world-weary U.S. prez who'd much rather be on American Idol doing his best Otis Redding imitation than leading the free world.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW MCCRAY

Dan Via and Elise Ramacciotti in The City

Location Info

Map

Son of Semele

3301 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Category: Community Venues

Region: Mid-Wilshire/ Hancock Park

0 user reviews	Write A Review
Save to foursquare

Fremont Centre Theatre

1000 Fremont Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030

Category: Theaters

Region: Pasadena and vicinity

Related Content

• Gays Could Win Presidential Election for Barack Obama, Says Gallup Report
  October 25, 2012
• Obama Coming To L.A., Still Wants Our Money Despite Election Win
  May 3, 2013
• Romney Writes Off Latinos, Young Voters As Government Moochers
  November 15, 2012
• Presidential Winner 2012: Obama Beats Romney
  November 6, 2012
• Obama Marijuana Policy Shift? Gil Kerlikowske Notes 'Serious National Conversation' On Pot
  January 9, 2013

More About

• Barack Obama
• Derek Jeremiah Reid
• Martin Crimp
• Theatrical Plays
• Theater

"Old-school, I know," he quips to Michelle (Constance Reese), who is obsessed with keeping her man out of the hands of his newly hired dance instructor (Natascha Corrigan) and perfecting her weight-loss videos.

A very funny subplot has Mitt Romney (Phillip Wilburn) taking improv classes from Greg Gregory (Brent Pope, doubling as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has similar dreams of performing on American Idol). Regardless of whatever line he's fed by his scene partner (Courtney DeCosky), Romney has one, and only one, wooden response: "Hi, I'm Mitt Romney."

Thrown out of class for incompetence, Romney fires the instructor, who doesn't realize that Romney just purchased the improv studio. (Wilburn also does another gorgeous cameo as Donald Trump.)

When Romney and his wife, Ann (DeCosky), are on Fox News, being interviewed by Sarah Palin (Corrigan again), jokes abound about his favorite position being missionary and the pleasures of coming from behind. When Palin asks Ann about accusations that her husband is too stiff, she says that's no problem at all. Yep, old-school.

It's all silly, facile fun, with obvious jokes stating the obvious: Our political system is a farce.

Even if Reid's Obama concludes that he really does have serious responsibilities, it's hard to believe his too-tidy resolve. Maybe it was the way Reid was sliding from Harvard-educated brainiac to James Brown on the turn of a dime. Still, strange as it may seem, it's a good thing the play's serious ending misfires. It keeps the nuttiness on the surface, right where it needs to be.

It doesn't happen very often that a play's imperfection turns out to be its saving grace, but that's the case here. And Reid is terrific in the title role.

THE CITY | By Martin Crimp | Son of Semele Ensemble, 3301 Beverly Blvd. | Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 17, 7 p.m.; no perfs Sept. 7-9; through Sept. 23 | (213) 351-3507 | sonofsemele.org

HOW OBAMA GOT HIS GROOVE BACK | Written by Nicholas Zill and Derek Jeremiah Reid | City in a Swamp Productions at Fremont Centre Theatre, 1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena | Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m., through Oct. 7 | (866) 811-4111 | fremontcentretheatre.com