Insanely funny would be the first words that come to mind in describing New Millennium Theatre’s presentation of Police Academy: Insurgency Emergency. Whether you’ve seen any of the seven Police Academy movies or not, you’ll be sure to enjoy this live adaptation directed by Adam Rosowicz who wrote the script along with Matt Russell.
After the disliked Captain Harris blows up in a car explosion, his nemesis, the carefree officer Carey Mahoney, is relieved until the entire bumbling unit is sent to Iraq to assist the Iraqi police by teaching them their own brand of law enforcement in the hopes of improving their country’s safekeeping. Unfortunately for Mahoney, the Iraqi captain, Al-Haras, has the striking resemblance and mannerisms as Harris. Needless to say, like Harris, it doesn’t take very long for Mahoney to get under Al-Haras’ skin thanks to his smart-ass remarks.Once the team assembles in Iraq a series of hilarious misadventures and zany buffoonery take place. Throughout the hilarity, the two squads are working together amidst their differences and later stumble upon a terrorist plot.
All the main characters from the Police Academy movies are present in this adventure including a Moses Hightower that you will just have to see for yourself. The cast did a terrific job in finding the nuances of each character portrayed and in many cases made them funnier than they were originally as was certainly the case with Leslie Ann Sheppard’s “Laverne Hooks”, Ryan McChesney’s “Sweetchuck”, Sean Harklerode as Commandant Eric Lassard and Scott Morehead’s “Eugene Tackleberry”. Overall, the entire cast was terrific.
One of the show’s highlights was an absolutely riotous scene in which all fifteen cast members were involved in a shootout that got even funnier the longer it went on. Though appearing completely chaotic the scene was thought out in detail and well choreographed.
Producer Chad Weise again succeeded in bringing the offbeat and ridiculous to the stage in a way that really reaches the audience like he has done so many times in the past with such hits as “The Texas Chainsaw Musical”, “The David Bowie Christmas Special” and “Office Space – The Musical”.
Police Academy: Insurgency Emergency is playing Friday and Saturdays at 10:30 pm through April 11th at the National Pastime Theater (4139 N. Broadway). Tickets are only $15 so there’s really no reason to miss out on this very funny production.
For more info call 312-458-9083 or go to www.nmtchicago.org.
