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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, July 11, 2013
Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com
Index This Week’s Obsessions .......................... 20 New concert venue .................................. 21 Role-playing at Empty Space .................. 22 Spinning out of town .............................. 24 Photography exhibit ................................ 25 ‘Spamalot’ a can’t-miss .......................... 26 Summer bazaar ...................................... 26 Calendar .............................................. 27-29
“So many women come up to me afterward saying, ‘Oh, my God, I needed this; I haven’t escaped the house in so long.’ It’s their big night out.” — Danielle Trzcinski, star of “Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody”
A whip-smart ‘Grey’ parody ‘Spank’ has fun with sexy literary smash BY ASHLEY FISCHER Contributing writer
G
ood news, ladies: Christian Grey is coming to town. “Spank!”, a musical parody of the steamy and wildly popular “Fifty Shades of Grey” series, heads to the Fox Theater on Friday for one hot night of improv, specialty cocktails (spanktinis, anyone?) and, yes, even strip-teases. Just in case you’ve been rather tied up lately, E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades” novels tell the sordid tale of virginal hardware store employee Anastasia Steele’s seduction by wealthy bondage enthusiast Christian Grey. Since its debut in 2012, the play’s three casts have been traveling the country entertaining audiences with an enticing take on the novels. The twowoman, one-man show blends singing, dancing and a hearty helping of audience interaction to depict E.B. Janet (Suzanne Sole), a frustrated housewife who takes advantage of the temporary absence of her husband and kids to pen her own Chardonnay and libido-fueled romance. “It’s a super fun show,” said Danielle Trzcinski, who plays the Steele-inspired Tasha Woode. “It’s like ‘Saturday Night Live’ meets Chippendales.” Her role as Woode gives Trzcinski a chance to flex all of her acting muscles — “finally, all my training and my student loans are paying off,” she joked — while simultaneously paying homage to the naughty phenomenon that worked its way into the hearts (and nightstand drawers) of millions of women. “The audience is like, 99.9 percent women,” she said. “There are usually a few men who the women drag along, usually their husbands and their boyfriends. It’s really a lot fun. So many women come up
Author “E.B. Janet,” played by Suzanne Sole, continues the story in “Spank.”
‘Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody’ When: 8 p.m. Friday; show is immediately followed by meet-and-greet session with the cast. Where: Fox Theater, 2001 H St. Admission: $44 Information: 324-1369
to me afterward saying, ‘Oh, my God, I needed this; I haven’t escaped the house in so long.’ It’s their big night out. Usually, they do a whole event where they get all dressed up, then go out for drinks, catch up with their friends, and have a great night of laughter.” If you still haven’t managed to plow through the books, don’t worry; Trzcinski said that even those who aren’t aware of the alternate definition of “playroom” will be laughing
right along with everyone else. But for true fans of the series, “Spank!” provides a chance to let loose, including, but certainly not limited to, the use of some semi-kinky props. “Women come to the show in handcuffs and in silver ties, they bring whips — all sorts of things,” Trzcinski said. “The show itself is definitely a parody of a book, that, at the end of the day, is very easy to make fun of. And for the fans, it’s really a celebration.” But let’s face it: Women don’t attend for Trzcinski or Sole. They’re there for Drew Moerlien, who portrays Hugh Hanson, the “Spank!” equivalent of Christian Grey, the lascivious hero of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” “My co-star, he’s incredibly funny, talented and very goodlooking,” Trzcinski said. “He’s also a great person and wonderful to work with — but it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s very nice to look at.”
PHOTO BY PAUL SCHNAITTACHER
Danielle Trzcinski and Drew Moerlein embrace in a scene from “Spank,” a parody of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” playing Friday at the Fox Theater.