Lots of people are excited about "Wicked Divas," the Fresno Philharmonic's big pops concert Saturday at the Saroyan Theatre.The concert features two illustrious alums of the Broadway smash "Wicked": Emily Rosek as Glinda and Nicole Parker as Elphaba. (I wrote about the upcoming event in Tuesday's Life section.)
The "Wicked" pedigrees of the performers is what will interest most folks. But for me, the exciting part about getting to interview Parker last week was the fact she makes me laugh on a regular basis when I play the cast album to Martin Shore's 2006 Broadway show "Fame Becomes Me" on my iPod.
I saw the show in its pre-Broadway run in San Francisco and thought it hysterical. This spoof of our celebrity "tell-all" culture went on to a short but memorable run in New York. (The problem, Short explains early on in the show, is that his real life is too boring to recap: married to the same woman for 25 years, three kids, no alcoholism or rehab, big snore. So to compete in the "one-man show genre, " he feels compelled to embellish.)
Parker has a sterling background in sketch comedy -- she was a cast member on Fox's "MADtv" -- and played a number of different roles in "Fame Becomes Me," including Ellen DeGeneres, Celine Dion and Britney Spears.
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Pictured: Nicole Parker, left, Martin Short and Mary Birdsong in the Broadway production of "Fame Becomes Me."
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This show just makes me smile. To this day, for example, I can be listening to my iPod on shuffle and hit the song "Would You Like to Star in Our Show" from "Fame Becomes Me," and I crack up every time. At this point in the show, Short has been struck by lightning, and a pseudo Joan Rivers starts interviewing possible celebrity replacements. Among them: Parker as Spears, who wanders on carrying a baby. Here's the exchange:
JOAN: Oh, Britney, how's motherhood treating you?
BRITNEY: (singing) Na-nah .... I love my baby .... (heavy breathing)
JOAN: Stop that, that's disgusting.
BRITNEY: Y'all, that is a song that I just wrote about my new baby because I'm so excited to be a momma again ... Woo-hoo! Oops!
JOAN: Oh my god, you dropped the baby!
BRITNEY: Y'all, that keeps on happening! I don't know why, but I just keep dropping him every time I see something shiny, like a diamond -- or a chicken McNugget!
JOAN: Is anybody here from Social Services? For God's sake, who wants a baby?
When I talked to Parker on the phone, I asked the important questions about "Wicked" (she played Elphaba for nine months on Broadway) and what audiences can expect from Saturday's concert. But I carved out a bit of my interview time to talk about "Fame Becomes Me." Call it the Broadway-fan detour.
She seemed amused that I brought the subject up, and she filled me in on what it was like to be in the show.
Being in the production was a blast, she told me. With its emphasis on sketch comedy and vaudeville, the show was never the same twice, and the tight-knit cast was always kept on its toes.
"To me, it was an absolute playground," Parker said.
And as for working with "Fame" musical co-creator Marc Shaiman -- who wrote the music for the Broadway musical Hairspray" -- she applauded the experience. "His work ethic was incredible," she said.
When I attend the Fresno Philharmonic performance on Saturday, then, I know I'll get caught up in those big, brassy diva songs that the "Wicked" gals do so well. But when it comes to the talented Parker, while Elphaba is the character with whom most people will relate, it will be different for me: she and I will always have Britney.
She was a delightful addition to the Saroyan stage. A wonderful performer, stellar voice and kept me laughing throughout the night.