Carhops in Bondage

Think Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Happy Days, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what Carhops in Bondage is all about: a lot of giggles, a bunch of guffaws and a handful of belly laughs, served with absurdist humor of the sophomoric sexual variety. It’s fun, it’s light and it’s not for the uptight.

The plot, which barely matters, has the Queen of Outer Space, her performing androids and a baby-blue Wookie wannabe in search of the perfect fuel, which they find at Earth’s S&M Burger Palace, where the roller-skater carhops offer complications galore. Wackiness ensues, wrapped in delightful parodies of classic ’50s doo-wop hits.

High points include Cynetra Verona’s turn as an intergalactic Eartha Kitt, purring “Where Is My Martian?” practically any time the divine Raelynn Saunders (the Queen of Outer Space) is onstage. She was surely a drag queen in a previous life. Low points were few—a handful of missed cues and a tendency on the part of the hyperactive Cimarron Spell (as poodle-ish Blinky) to rush through lines so the jokes get lost in the laughter. Both undoubtedly will be corrected as the show gains its feet after a rocky start. (The opening was delayed twice, and several roles were re-cast.)

The sets, elaborate and charming, require some down time to change. Kudos to the Players for a creative solution: the giddy Wanda (Bethany Hidden) provides a bit of down-home stand-up entertainment. She’s not afraid to ask the audience for input, so bring your best slightly off-color jokes to share.