NEW YORK—It’s hard to believe that “Forbidden Broadway,” now at Theatre 555, has been around in one form or another for over 40 years. According to the program bio of creator-writer-director Gerard Alessandrini, this satirical musical revue has “spawned 25 editions [and] 13 cast albums.” It’s pretty much retained its original cabaret style set: a piano, several standing microphones, and a backdrop with a shimmering curtain of metallic-like tinsel strips. Fortunately, thanks to a talented cast and some very strong material, that’s all it needs.
Setting the mood is the rollicking opening number “Sit Down You’re Blocking the Aisle.” It’s a lament about the lack of proper theatrical etiquette in today’s world; an usher (Jenny Lee Stern) decries how people don’t turn off their cell phones and an audience member (Chris Collins-Pisano) flatly refuses to sit down when asked.
