Parenting 101: The Musical, Kimmel Center

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Parenting 101: The Musical, Kimmel Center

POSTED: Monday, August 25, 2008, 8:52 PM

Acting like a bunch of babies.

Parenting 101: The Musical, the new song-and-dance comedy playing at the Kimmel Center through Sept. 14, introduces itself as a "musical form of birth control." Indeed, after sitting through the two-hour-and-20-minute show, I left wondering if I made the right decision to spawn. Skits on the teenage years — puberty, high school dating, driving lessons — made me wish there was a way to skip that inevitable period in my 3-year-old's life.

Still, the play, created by Nancy and Susan Holson and Joey Falzone, was satirical and cathartic for parents, as evidenced by audience members doubling over in laughter. The four actors, with the help of wigs, clothes and attitudes, managed to cast a wide array of characters from toddlers to brides-to-be. Jeff Brooks was outstanding in his ability to transform from a rapping to a tap-dancing grandma in an ABBA-inspired piece called "Grandma Mia." Brooks, with his muscular limbs, also made a hilarious cheerleader, resplendent in a bright red mini-skirt, his thighs as thick as tree trunks.

Some of the jokes were predictable, but a few skits were so outrageous and bold, you have to admire the writers for tackling the non-PC aspects of parenthood. You can't blame parents if they want to skip the avant-garde, especially when their brains are fried from fatigue. If you're in the mood for light-hearted comedy, Parenting 101 is fun for all.

Buy tickets here.

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