Nuttier than a fruitcake, spicier than spiked eggnog, "Bob’s Holiday Office Party" is back and naughtier than ever.
Playing for a dozen years, this raunchy, uproarious absurdity set in the conservative Midwest has a cult following for those needing a break from the standard seasonal fare. Now a tradition in its own right, the play which originally began as a sketch comedy, adds new mirth each year for its loyal audience members affectionately nicknamed ‘Bobophiles.’
This is not a play for the kiddies, however, and as Bob says "Leave the kids at home!" This serves as a fair warning to all virgin Bobophiles. Prepare for Bob and his Neuterberg gang to pop your cork with outrageous debauchery, slapstick gags and good old fashioned tomfoolery.
Set in the small and staunchly conservative town of Neuterberg, IA, the folks here can get mighty loose with the lips and the booze. The population may not be in the triple digits and the IQ’s certainly aren’t either, but the lovable troupe includes classic characters such as the village idiot, the salty sheriff, the back alley whore, the neglected pastor’s wife, three farm maids, the gay mayor and his uppity wife, but no partridges in a pear tree here. It’s just good ole Bob Finhead trying to keep his head and his airhead clients above the beer keg.
Within the rundown insurance office decked with dime store decorations and a prominently displayed Perry Como Christmas album, the Neuterbergers ring in the holidays with beer, sex, and brazen political incorrectness that would make Imus sound positively charming. These small town folks may seem like they’re from Lake Wobegon, but they’re miles away from anything Superior, and nothing short of being irresistibly funny.
Although there have been some cast changes over the years with veteran actors such as Mo Collins of "MADtv," head writer of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" Karen Kilgariff, and Jim Turner of "Arli$$," getting their improvisational chops with Bob’s loosely scripted play, the current cast lobs jokes like school kids in a snowball fight. The action is a flurry of physical comedy and punchy setups, smacking the audience with fast, crunchy, hardballs of riotous, bawdy wit.
Like any holiday office party that gets out of hand, there’s always someone that should be wearing the lampshade of shame on their head, and every character has their moment. There is the preacher’s wife acoustic song about looking the other way at her husband’s affairs because Jesus loves her after all. The NRA farm maids’ four-way with the sheriff, the sheriff’s lap dance with the tongue urchin whore, and plenty of beer funneling, sordid affairs, gossip, and blind drunk stumbling to go around.
"Bob’s Holiday Office Party" is a surefire escape from the holiday blues. Skip your boss’s party and RSVP to Bob’s instead. You may not get that raise, but this play will definitely raise your spirits.
Curtain Call: It’s like spending Christmas with Garrison Keillor on crack.
"Bob’s Holiday Office Party"
The Lounge Theatre
6201 Santa Monica Blvd.
Runs: Nov 29th – Dec 22nd
Thurs – Sat at 8pm
Sundays at 7pm
Admission: $25
323-960-7714
www.bobsofficeparty.com
Photos by Ed Krieger
