Which of the following of these five things is the most unbelievable? That Jerry Springer – The Opera is what it says? That Jerry Springer – The Opera won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best New Musical? That Jerry Springer – The Opera makes The Book of Mormon look like wholesome entertainment? That The Jerry Springer Show is still on television having passed its 25th Anniversary? That Republicans in the wake of another school shooting will actually do something about gun violence other than offer their prayers and condolences? Too easy a multiple choice question probably.
The homepage for this television show recruits new guests and currently asks: “Did you have a child with a transsexual or are you pregnant by a transsexual?” “Are you ready to turn up and get lit and confront somebody?” “Do you have a sexy job?” Somehow this amalgam of trash has been turned in an opera. Well, actually more of a musical with operatic flourishes. The opening number starts: “My mom used to be – My mom used to be – My mom – Used to be – My mom – Used to be my Dad.” The lyrics of this show are laugh out loud hilarious. Crude, rude and as over the top as the source material. Act I of this show is raunchy musical comedy wrongness. I was howling throughout.
Frankly, it’s a bit hard to understand how this show took so long to get across the pond from London. Yes, the second act is as blasphemous as anything I have ever seen, including a now PG rated The Book of Mormon. The first half of this inspired lunacy is the real thrill here. The second half is funny too but falls slightly short of sublime genius. That I can use sublime genius and Jerry Springer in a sentence is enough to recommend this show. Full credit and gratitude for this outrageously fun piece goes to the composer and lyricist Richard Thomas and the book writer Stewart Lee.
There is a song entitled “This is My Jerry Springer Moment.” If the line “so dip me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians” tickles your funny bone, then there are hundreds of laughs in store for you here. I did not actually count the laughs but there are way, way, way more than a few dozen. I’ll say no more except that the music is terrific, the singing fantastic, the set totally on point, direction that precisely escalates the chaos and a perfect Tiffany Mann as Shawntel. The New Group has scored a colossal success with Jerry Springer – The Opera.