If you were a fan of Full House—and are hooked on Netflix’s Fuller House—but think it’s too sweet and unrealistic, don’t miss the opportunity to see a spoof of the ’80s/’90s sitcom that couldn’t be more antithetical. After five extensions, the off-Broadway show Full House the Musical! A Tanner Family Parody! presented by National Lampoon will close with a final performance on April 30.
For those unfamiliar with the original premise, the family comedy followed widower Danny Tanner (played by Bob Saget) and his three young girls, DJ (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen), as he tried to raise them with the help of best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) and brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) in a quaint Victorian home in San Francisco, where all of their problems were resolved within 30 minutes. In the sitcom bubble, the show never even came close to exploring the irony of three grown men living together in a city famous for its significant gay population.
In contrast, no topic—or raunchy language—is off limits in the spoof that’s been playing at Theatre 80 in the East Village since Sept. 10, which also follows Danny (played by Eric Williams), but in Full House The Musical!, the family patriarch loses his problem-solving superpower as he descends from righteousness to madness.
In the musical parody, Marie Eife portrays DJ as she struggles with an eating disorder and promiscuity; Marguerite Halcovage as Stephanie takes a walk on the wild side; and Marshall Louise plays Mary-Kate & Ashley, a combo of the show’s cute little girl (“You got it, dude!”) and the world-famous twins who played her. Seth Blum plays Danny’s friend and commedian Joey as well as neighbor Kimmy Gibbler and the family dog, Comet. John Duff plays the hair obsessed Jesse Katsopolis.
The book, music, lyrics and stage direction are by Bob and Tobly McSmith (Bayside! The Musical!) and features absurd tunes like “This House Is Too Full” by the Tanner Family and Comet the Dog, “Have Mercy on My Heart/Don’t Touch the Hair” by Uncle Jessie and “Look at These A**holes” by Comet the Dog.
Not geared toward the easily offended, the show is far from wholesome, and is recommended for audiences older than 16, but the teenagers in the audience, who were raised on Nick at Nite and YouTube, found it hysterical, as did the adults.
Performances are Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Theatre 80, 80 St. Marks Place (at First Avenue). Tickets are $25 to $50.
For more information, visit www.fullhousethemusical.com.
Haven’t gotten enough Full House? Check out the new art exhibit, Olsen Twins Hiding from the Paparazzi, which runs until May 1 at 563 Grand St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
