Only in the alternate universe of theater could all of space be contained within the confines of a phosphorescently painted stage, reminiscent of a laser-tag arena.
“Earth Sucks: A Cosmic Rock Musical,” playing at the Art/Works Theatre in Hollywood, achieves just that ““ a cliche take on intergalactic comedy, complete with camp one-liners and spandex costumes that may leave audience members questioning the existence of intelligent life.
Inspired in part by David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” concert, “Earth Sucks” stars Emily Stern (the daughter of radio personality Howard Stern) as Echo Bell, a bored Earthling who teams up with an alien rock band to save the world from Ulinia Swords, a diabolical pop diva intent on brainwashing the universe.
Working off of the rock-versus-pop theme, the score features multiple genres of music and is not confined to any single style. Although the score is varied, it is not particularly innovative, and is too often reduced to lackluster lyrics, such as “my light’s expiring like a sun that has run out of fire or a man who’s just tired.”
Although the plot strives to satirize consumerist pop culture while reinforcing the value of universal love, the characters are too stereotypically one-dimensional to carry off the more poignant themes.
Beneath the experimental cosmic vibe, the cast of characters is sitcom typical: the workaholic and unconnected father, the absent mother, and the angsty teenage daughter. The lack of depth is especially noticeable in the protagonist, Echo, whose biggest problem, monotonously stated in the opening song “Earth Sucks,” is that “everything sucks.”
Echo’s role as the whiny adolescent is exploited to the fullest, providing a plethora of one-liners, such as the reference to the ’90s grunge band Nirvana as an “oldie” ““ a line sure to zing even the 20-year-olds in the audience. Echo’s alien love interest, Fluhbluhbluh (Yes, that is his name.), is also a source of humor, as he speaks, and even kisses, using a googly eyed sock puppet.
However, all too often “Earth Sucks” succumbs to baser comedic ploys, such as excessive punning on President Bush’s last name, exhausting the double entendre. While the outlandish play is certainly entitled to some outlandish humor, “Earth Sucks” does not offer enough of the cleverly humorous and altogether fails to delineate between the satirical and the flatly crude.
The characters who are more entertaining are not given sufficient material with which to establish an audience connection.
For instance, the wicked pop star Ulinia, brilliantly acted by Nakia Syvonne, has the potential for hilarity in her diva demands and simultaneous sexual frustration. However, she is limited by minimal stage time and a small number of lines, given the importance of her character as the villain of the musical.
One of the best moments of “Earth Sucks” occurred at the very end, as the rock band was allowed to jam without vocal accompaniment. Without this interference, the true talent of the musicians was displayed, despite being shrouded in layers of lame.
While experimental theater requires an appreciation for the psychedelic and alien, “Earth Sucks” fails to challenge musical boundaries or truly inspire ““ and it does not require a NASA scientist to realize that.
E-mail Brown at sbrown@media.ucla.edu.