Word: jestered
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This unique turn of the plot works on a number of levels throughout the performance. In the sisters' mockery of dance both in their home and later in-front of the ball, and in their interplay with the Shakespearean court jester (dressed in the Lampoon's purple, red and yellow), the sisters offer an unexpected element of hilarity to romance and of mockery to ballet's conservatism. While offering comic relief, the cross-gender casting also fits into the old English tradition of en travestie, linking theater to dance. Finally, stylistically, the stage presence of two giant stepsisters dwarf...
With the exception of the sardonic jester (John Berman), who embodies jaded urban humor at its best, the male characters are generally insipid. Thankfully, their female counterparts easily cover for this lack,... so to speak...
Prettiface has more devious plans in mind, however. Behind her vapid facade and over-stuffed brassiere lurks a scheming mind and evil intentions. She soon confesses to her grumpy (but hilarious) Jester Gigolo (John Berman) that she actually killed her sister so she could rule the kingdom...
...shining supporting character is Berman's jester, who remains consistently dour throughout the play. He's a child star gone bad, and he has stooped to spying for Prettiface with all the bitterness of Danny Bonnaducci on "Oprah...
SHOW BUSINESS: The Court Jester of Conservatism...