What does one get when they cross a monkey, a bat, a man, a robot and a chimp? A “rebob,” of course.
Yes, Lucky Penny Theater has opened its musical homage to Napa Valley’s very own cryptids with Revenge of the Rebobs! A New Musical, running at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa through Nov. 2.
With book and stage direction by Lucky Penny managing director Barry Martin and music and lyrics by musical director Rob Broadhurst, Rebobs is an entertaining look at a hyperlocal legend.
Set in 1982 at the end of Napa’s Partrick Road, cryptid skeptic Randy Candeux (Jeremy Kreamer) is there to disprove the existence of the rebobs. However, he’s not alone on that road.
Plenty of townsfolk are also wandering around in the dark, including down-to-earth Candy Mandrew (Taylor Bartolucci); Scott (Skyler King) and his long-suffering girlfriend, Janet (Jenny Veilleux); three town goths (who must have been very au courant since the term wasn’t coined until 1979) named Razor (Sarah Lundstrom), Wendi (Emma Sutherland) and Chardonnay (Pilar Gonsalez), plus a creepy old man with questionable intentions named Old Man (Sean O’Brien).
If one loves inside jokes, this show’s chock-full of them. It’s a hilarious homage to the Napa that existed before the wine industry exploded. Kreamer gives a very committed and grounded performance, which is helped by some excellent singing. Bartolucci is perhaps typecast, but gives a very natural performance.
King does an impressive job at covering all the roles he plays in addition to Scott, while still keeping Scott as a cleanly separate character. Veilleux has impeccable comedic timing, which helps since her character (with one notable exception at the end of the play) is the most cartoonish. The cast gives energetic and entertaining performances despite Lucky Penny’s consistently unlevel mics.
My biggest qualm is that the script is so focused on the inside jokes that it makes easily fixed missteps. It contains everything from the petty—like not knowing that the chupacabra is a Puerto Rican cryptid (not Mexican) or referencing the Joshua Tree Skinwalkers instead of the Yucca Man—to the more alarming, such as an entire song and dance making fun of Napa State inmates.
It’s probable that these things wouldn’t have been so jarring except that the music, characters and the overall story are all very good. They are so good that this could play elsewhere, but first it needs a good dramaturg and editor.
‘Revenge of the Rebobs!’ runs through Nov. 2 at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center, 1758 Industrial Way, Napa. Thurs–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $25–$47. 707.266.6305. luckypennynapa.com.
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