TAMARIE’S TEXAS TOAST is delicious in a catastrophic theater

Summer is officially here, which can only mean one thing…a new Tamarie Cooper show is playing at MATCH! I’m such a fanboy! She’s the undisputed QUEEN of SUMMER in the Houston theater scene, and you’re just not a “hip kid” unless you’re there. TAMARIE’S TEXAS TOAST represents her 28th musical rumination on all things Tamarie, and this time she tackles “The stars at night are big and bright!” » (insert applause here)

Yeah, y’all! It’s a tribute to and a parody of Texas, with equal doses of awe and decimation. It’s unexpected, because let’s be honest, y’all… Texas can be pretty scary these days. That topic is perhaps more triggering than anything in CATASTROPHIC THEATRE’s recent production of CLEANSED , which is saying something. The state’s politics, recent abortion restrictions, border issues, anti-transgender legislation, and culture wars seem to fly in the face of CATASTROPHIC’s diverse mission statement. Yet, maybe it’s our pain that makes it funny. Sometimes you just gotta laugh, and TAMARIE’S TEXAS TOAST is ready to deliver. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself with food in your hands before the show is over (you’ve been warned!). At the very least, you’ll want to hit the drive-in after the show.

Every year I’m amazed at how different and yet the same Tamarie Cooper shows are. She creates these original musical revues with co-creator Patrick Reynolds, and they have a few tropes that emerge but also seem to highlight something different each year. I would say that this time around, I felt the strength of the ensemble in TEXAS TOAST. Usually, I can point to one person or one piece of solo work that stands out, but in this production, it feels like a group effort and everyone comes out to play. This company is just really good at putting on funny-as-hell sketch musicals. It’s like SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE was written by Kander and Ebb.

But there were certainly some standouts, including (minor spoilers ahead):

I squealed with delight at the trio of Texas-sized cockroaches played brilliantly by Clarity Welch, Scott Lupton, and Julia Oppenheim. Scott has a clever monologue with a great ending, but all three of them were graceful and then scared the crap out of everyone. Be careful if you’re sitting near the stage, I’m pretty sure Clarity hit a few people in the head with her multiple cockroach legs. This theater company should really consider bodily injury waivers.

Walt Zipprian becomes Jesus and the Republic of Texas, two of the kinds of tour-de-force performances we’ve come to expect from this Houston artist and cultural icon. He deserves a Tony simply for making the Republic so believable, so complex. But my nightmare fuel will be his “brave little toaster” Halloween outfit with which he opens and closes the show. I’m pretty sure I’ll wake up screaming, imagining this late at night. When he offered me bread, I nearly had a panic attack. It was as much about the carbs as it was about the seven-foot-tall toast monster grinning at me.

Sara Jo Dunstan embodies a gendered and breathtaking Texas. She is the man! She writes a scholarly treatise on macho postures that will be the subject of thesis dissertations.

Bryan Kaplun as Mexico is another iconic performance from one of Houston’s finest comedic actors. He has depth, such skill and a sensual delivery. He is the Latin dad of your dreams. When he teams up with Clarity Welch to deliver the Tejano music, it is pure majesty! They are the two who made me laugh the most all night.

John Dunn as Buc-ee’s beaver AND the embodiment of America? I mean, it’s typical as usual, and I hate that they keep giving him roles he was born to play, but there you go. You won’t find any other gas station mascot that comes close to the pathos he delivers here.

Juan Sebastian Cruz and Dillon Dewitt Give a “Salute to Texas Rap” That Will Have You Singing HIP HOP HOORAY!

Kyle Sturdivant steals every song he appears in; he is truly unstoppable. At one point in TEXAS TOAST, there is a hint that there might be a solo performance from Kyle one day, and I am here for it. He makes a seductive homecoming queen, and when he teams up with Rebecca Randall to do a gospel number about a popular fast food chain? It is the highlight of the night! These two deliver one of the catchiest songs of the night. And they amazingly capture the best thing about Texas, please email me if you think I am wrong so I can tell you off.

But who is the magic, pure and unfiltered? Tamarie Cooper. Somehow she puts on these shows year after year, and it’s amazing to watch her win over an audience just by being herself and allowing us all to take a look at the inside this wonderfully distorted brain. She writes the damn things with Patrick Reynolds, teams up with musicians to develop the lyrics, directs the play, and choreographs the musical numbers (including a jaw-dropping tap dance routine this year!). And she stars in it. This is not a triple threat; she is a woman who is a force of nature. And she slyly folds back the punk rock roots of CATASTROPHIC when they were otherwise called at the Axiom. She created one of the best things about living in Houston, and she sees this kind of stupidity every year.

Technically, things are fine, as usual. Ryan McGettigan’s Texas-sized, neon-hued set is stunning. Tim Thomson’s video design is as funny as the actors, and Shawn St. John’s sound work is on point throughout. You get what you pay for in a “pay-what-you-can” theater.

This show is a joy every year and I always look forward to it. Tamarie Cooper is simply a treasure of the Houston theater scene, and I hope she’s still doing these wildly funny musicals thirty years from now. She’s surrounded by incredible talent, a skillful technical team, and catering from a certain fast food chain. How can you not love it? Just go see it; it’s a summer tradition.

TAMARIE’S TEXAS TOAST runs through August 3rd at MATCH, and all tickets are general admission and pay what you can. Fridays are labeled FREE BEER Fridays and Sundays are matinee performances. MATCH is easy to park at and has plenty of food and drink options nearby.

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