That rippling glass of water on the dashboard. Velociraptors chasing children through an industrial kitchen. That part with the dick jokes where the dinosaurs hump each other -- oh, you don't remember that part of Jurassic Park? Well, then it's a good thing Old Murder House Theatre is coming to town to perform its live action parody of this Spielberg classic. You could use a refresher.
Brought to you by the same folks who created "Aliens...On ice!," OMHT's "Jurassic Live: Dino Action Show," is another big screen-to-live stage adaptation, which is what this Austin-based comedy troupe has become known for. They've tackled time travel with a Christmas light adorned cardboard DeLorean in Back to the Future, abused tin foil and fireworks in live-action Robocop, and skated to fame in Aliens...On Ice! This Sunday, July 1, at Texas Theatre you'll see their newest work, a hilarious retelling of the amber-encased classic, Jurassic Park, as they swing through Dallas on their first-ever National tour.
Old Murder House was originally formed in Savannah, Georgia in 2008. "JURASSIC LIVE" was actually the first play adaptation the group tinkered with. Back then the dinosaurs were made of cardboard, but as the group spent more time developing each show, the quality improved. Now, those ferocious beasts are constructed out of higher-end components -- fabric, wire mesh and gorilla tape -- and they've got a hell of a story to tell. "From the very beginning, we were trimming down movies," said Sam Eidson, LIVE's director. "Now, we've made them longer."
Murder House plays out the entire film for "JURASSIC LIVE" with some alterations and musical surprises, but making the audience enjoy themselves while honoring one of their favorite flicks is the group's main objective. "In general, the one big take-away is that it's fun," said Byron Brown, who plays Jeff Goldbloom and Ian Malcolm, said. "It's all about having fun." He also warns theater-goers to, "hold onto your butts."
Recreating blockbuster hits on a comic's shoestring budget isn't easy, which has thrust this troupe into brave new territories. Old Murder House's six-man crew went through the lengths of learning how to ice skate for their adaptation of Alien, "Aliens... on Ice." They've familiarized themselves with dance and, most importantly, for the sake of the art of theater, they've done their best to improve their acting.
Eidson says the show now has everything that Jurassic Park super-fans would want, as closely as Old Murder House could afford. The iconic ending. The grandeur of the dinosaurs. And, of course, some surprises that dino lovers are sure to appreciate.
Catch it all this Sunday at Texas Theatre. Tickets for the one-night only show are $20. Get 'em here. We've been warned that penis jokes will be abundant, so leave those tykes at home.
