REVIEW: Run to see ‘Burnout Paradise’
Photo: Burnout Paradise features the theatrical talents of Australian company Pony Cam. Photo courtesy of Emilio Madrid / Provided by Vivacity Media Group with permission.
NEW YORK — The eclectic and creative extravaganza known as Burnout Paradise is quite the sight to behold. There hasn’t been an off-Broadway show of this crazed magnitude and inspired silliness since Stomp and Blue Man Group. It’s only fitting that Burnout Paradise has set up shop — hopefully for a very long time — in the Astor Place Theatre, the longtime home of Blue Man Group. The two theatrical shows are cousins in the world of offbeat entertainment.
Here’s the premise of Burnout Paradise, which is brought to New York City by Australia’s Pony Cam collective: Four performers perform a variety of tasks, all while walking/running on treadmills. There’s also a cast member who serves as the emcee and timekeeper for the 75-minute evening. These tasks include a to-do list of leisure activities, the development of a grant application, the making of a meal for two lucky audience members and the performing of a piece of art.
Don’t expect anything run-of-the-mill at Burnout Paradise. There’s no predicting how the zaniness will proceed, but it will be unique, for sure. Every 12 minutes, the performers change roles and carry on where their colleagues left off.
The to-do list of leisure activities provides the most fun for the audience throughout the evening’s performance. Patrons are invited on stage to help out with a variety of interactive tasks, everything from shaving the performers to brushing their teeth. There are some basketball shots, a rave dance party (this is the most Blue Man Group quality of the show) and the singing of “Happy birthday.”
All told, the litany of activities is meant to be an allegory for how the world can easily become burnt out on so many obligations and tasks, from cooking to working to finding time for meditation.
Somehow throughout this melee, the performers stay on target, finishing their duties, talking to the audience in a round-robin fashion and walking miles for everyone’s entertainment. This is a demanding show, clearly, for the exquisite members of Pony Cam — Hugo Williams, William Strom, Claire Bird, Dominic Weintraub and Ava Campbell. Nothing is easy, even though it looks like oodles of fun.
To better enjoy the experience, audience members should be willing to participate because there’s more participation in this show than any other this humble reviewer has seen on a New York stage. One can enjoy a meal with Pony Cam. One can drink some Gatorade. One can play bingo. One can dance on stage. Or, one can sit back and watch the extroverts populate the theater with their antics.
Because of the nature of this unique theatrical experience, no two shows are the same, which should drive repeat business to Burnout Paradise. The shenanigans are mostly family friendly, but there are times when it felt a bit adult-targeted. One can see a late-night Saturday performance of Burnout Paradise getting rowdy and hilarious for the 18-and-overs in the crowd.
Pony Cam presented this show previously at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn and has toured it around the world. Now they are setting up for a long run on the Lower East Side, and their creativity serves as a reminder of that artistic off-Broadway scene of the 1990s when clever ideas and energized performers brought New Yorkers and tourists to this area of the Bowery and its surrounding streets. Perhaps Burnout Paradise will start a much-needed theatrical renaissance in this area of Manhattan.
Burnout Paradise has more creativity than any show in New York City right now, and the hard-working cast members of Pony Cam are having tons of fun exploring what it means to be truly burnt out.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Burnout Paradise, created by Pony Cam, continues at the Astor Place Theatre in Manhattan. Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.
