Stage Talk with Rick Koster
Where every show has something to say.
Let’s get the obvious question about entertainment polymath Randy Rainbow out of the way first:
Yes, that’s his real name.
True, his parents considered “David,” “Clark” and even “Ace,” but in the end they settled on “Randy.”
Oh, you meant his last name? Yes, “Rainbow” is real, too. The Rainbow clan of Huntington, NY, in fact. There are scads of Rainbows up there!
Now that we have that cleared up, Randy Rainbow returns Nov. 15 to the Garde. If you’re not familiar with him, it’s time to join his legion of fans including the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Carol Burnett, John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sarah Silverman, Martin Short, Steve Martin and Rosie O’Donnell.
Through the prism of musical comedy, Rainbow spins out dazzlingly witty observations and melodic mimicry on our increasingly bizarre world. Though the four-time EMMY and -GRAMMY-nominated talent has been highly successful as a writer, producer, actor, satirist and host of a self-titled web series and viral videos, Rainbow’s solo onstage variety programs are the fusion of ALL his talents.
Backed by a tight four-piece band, Rainbow utilizes his versatile voice and gleeful charm to reconstruct favorite songs from across the spectrum of the Great White Way. You’ll recognize familiar melodies from “South Pacific,” “Mary Poppins,” “Wicked,” “Grease,” “The Music Man” and more – all lyrically transformed by Rainbow’s scalpel-sharp eye to reflect current events and culture in a way that magically transforms our national divide into a series of happily hummable choruses.