The Garage Theatre’s wonderfully chaotic and whimsical original production, “Steam Powered Rocket Ride to the Moon,” is a uniquely Long Beach play that takes place at the Pike in 1933. This interactive musical comedy pulls the audience into the world of its bumbling, lovable cast of characters as they navigate romance, friendships and an evil carnival ride.
The play was thoroughly enjoyable and genuinely fun to watch throughout. Be forewarned though, don’t go in with the expectation of quietly observing from a corner seat. Considering how much audience participation was involved, it’d be a good idea to grab a coffee beforehand, to help match the energy the cast deserved.
The play starts with Jeff McGinness and Bobby Zelsdorf providing necessary exposition for the play as Pike owner Gus Palooka and his Auntie Palooka. Their old-timey dialogue was rife with purposefully anachronistic jokes that had the whole audience laughing.
The lead performance of the night was Diana Kaufmann as Rod McGirdlebutt, the blundering yet hilarious roller coaster operator. McGirdlebutt finds his job at the Cyclone Racer endangered by the Pike’s newest ride, you guessed it — a steam powered rocket ride to the moon. Kaufmann’s performance is well complemented by leading lady Jess Nuptune as Dixie Troobaloo, a crack reporter with the Long Beach Press Telegram who turns the damsel in distress trope on its head as the play progresses.
Diana Rodriguez plays Guillermo Fao, McGirdlebutt’s loyal and absolutely adorable best friend. Fao is one half of my favorite couple from the play, alongside invisible-dog-walker Tricia La Rue, played by Curtis Meyer. These two characters had some of the best banter in the play, which both juxtaposed and complemented Meyer’s cool, breathy femme-fatale vibes and Rodriguez’s warm and energetic portrayal of Fao.
As for the play’s antagonists, Sean Blocker plays the devious Ian Sidious and Josh Riker portrays mad scientist Lucifer Prince. Sidious has a longstanding grudge against McGirddlebutt and his friends from past plays by the Garage Theatre featuring the same characters, while Prince, or “Moon Daddy” as he likes to be called, has the less petty yet more insane goal of raising an army of children on the moon.
Audience members were given stuffed tomatoes to lob at the two villains when they appeared on stage, which Blocker and Ricker took like champs, flawlessly delivering their lines even as tomato plushies bounced off their heads.
Several short musical numbers were sprinkled throughout the play, most under a minute. The vocals were a bit rough, and it seemed like each cast member was singing in a different key. But what the cast lacked in technical skills they made up for with pluck, and the musical tangents still prompted as much joy as the rest of the play.
The audience was constantly involved throughout the play, and was instructed to start boo-ing or ooh-ing as our heroes and villains entered the stage. Due to the immersive nature of the play and the talented cast, the minimalist design of the set was more than enough, with a small electric scissor lift convincingly serving as the titular steam powered rocket ride to the moon.
The talented cast, writer and director bring the Pike of yesteryear to life. Whether you’re a fan of comedies, musicals or immersive theater, or just looking for some evening entertainment in downtown Long Beach, this play is a sure crowd-pleaser.
“Steam Powered Rocket Ride to the Moon” runs at The Garage Theatre, located at 251 E. Seventh St., on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. until Dec. 21. General admission tickets can be purchased for $25 on the theater’s website or at the door.