Review: TAMARIE'S GREATEST HITS VOLUME 3 at CATASTROPHIC THEATRE

It’s funny that Tamarie Cooper is afraid of cockroaches, because when a nuclear war comes, the only things left will be these bugs and her cast for the Tamarie Cooper SHOW! It’s true, they seem unstoppable. 30 years and 29 shows, and the girl has helped write more musicals than just about anyone you could name - Sondheim, Kander, Ebb, Rodgers, Hammerstein. This year, the summer kicks off with TAMARIE’S GREATEST HITS VOLUME 3, now playing through the end of July! It is what you expect. A friend told me, “It has just the right amount of poop, egg rolls, and ego!” He was very correct, and it reminded me of three things I love a lot (remove the poop and insert Tamarie Cooper!). Every ten years, Tamarie decides to create a show around her most popular numbers from the past decade. She repackages them into a playful tribute to her milestone, and it scares me that I have reviewed at least two of these Greatest Hits volumes. How the heck have I been in the audience this long? Tamarie Cooper has ruled over Houston Theater’s summer since the 90s! I don’t think even she can explain it, but I am thankful it is always there. She’s a good time gal, and we need her more than ever with all the bad time boys running the world today. Let freedom ring, and let Tamarie sing! 250 years of America, and 30 of those with Tamarie out there.

The cast for these things is unreal and unparalleled. The level of thespian Tamarie attracts is insane. Some of the most talented artists in H-Town including: Raymond Compton, Dillon Dewitt, Sara Jo Dunstan, Jenna Morris Miller, Rebecca Randall, Clarity Welch, and Abraham Zapata. Mara McGhee blows the roof off anything she sings! She brings the soul! We have Greg Dean doing a surreal and sad clown number, wherein he looks like Brandon Lee’s THE CROW character gone to seed, waxing nihilistic with a puppet. Walt Zipprian is a sardonic, sexy bellhop, and also reprises his award-worthy portrayals of Ann Coulter and Gwenyth Paltrow. Chaney Moore shows up in the chorus. Freaking Chaney Moore! She’s so fab. Bryan Kaplun reprises his BROADWAY WORLD “Best Actor” considered role of a perfect cannonball of poop, and does the splits even after having a baby not that long ago! John Dunn almost steals the entire show as a tap-dancing Frederick Nietzsche. He’s a blast! But you have to give it up to the biggest diva in the room, Kyle Sturdivant. He’s always the yin to Tamarie’s yang, and this year he plays a character I mistakenly thought was a tribute to me in the 80s (to be fair, he sports my hair from then!). He also reprises the “food ballet” to wondrous and horrifying effect. Kyle needs his own gig. Maybe a CATASTROPHIC CHRISTMAS WITH KYLE? (nudge nudge)  But at the center of it all is always the red-headed, buxom, little Miss Voice of her Generation, Tamarie Cooper. She writes scenes, she writes lyrics, she puts some of her most embarrassing life moments into musical numbers. She’s just a freaking comedic genius, and Houston’s own local Lucille Ball. I once asked why she doesn’t have an HBO show, but now I wonder why she isn't a TikTok influencer with over 4 million followers. She’s that freaking good! 30 years in, and still doing the splits! 30 years in and still willing to be covered in canned cheese! 30 years in, and she still has all the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent that any Houston actress could muster. I want thirty more years!  

Now let’s acknowledge the incredible tech work here as well. Patrick Reynolds has helped with the book, and Miriam Daly, Hoe Folladori, Erin Rodgers, and Alli Villines have all added musical flourishes. It’s a flawless piece of musical theater that is quirky and all too real. Ryan McGettigan’s set is worth waiting three decades for! It’s glorious and evokes a '50s game show feel or a Vegas diner. Just like the leading lady, timeless but not afraid of tacky! Tim Thomson does incredible things with his video design; it becomes its own character. Tamarie and Kyle do brilliant work directing and choreographing everything (as if heading up the show in performance wasn’t enough). This could rival a Broadway tour in terms of sets, lighting, and costumes.  

This time around in TAMARIE’S GREATEST HITS VOLUME 3, it’s a little more personal and not quite as political. It’s a joy to see this company celebrate thirty years and twenty-nine shows conceived by Tamarie Cooper. It’s just like her - fast, funny, larger than life, and never met a WHATABURGER she couldn’t take on. It’s a Valentine to our Houston summer institution, and nobody does it better. And with a “Pay What You Can” pricing model, it’s a helluva lot cheaper than seeing the World Cup. Besides, they really don’t know how to make eggrolls at NRG or… oops!... Houston Stadium. And they certainly don’t have dancing nihilists and poop! And can they do the splits? For thirty years? 

TAMARIE’S GREATEST HITS VOLUME 3 will be running at the MATCH through the month of July. There is plenty of pay-for-parking, great air conditioning, and a concession stand that serves cold beverages. And if you hit them up on Friday, it’s FREE BEER! Whataburger is not included, but there is one about 10 minutes from the venue on Shepherd near 59! It’s open 24 hours. Not that I would know.

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