Gilligan' still shipwrecked

Gilligan is sitting on the beach, minding his own business one sunny day, when all of a sudden out of nowhere, a giant silver alien in a neon purple wig steps onto the sand and bellows, "Change your ways or be doomed! That is all."

The incident is just one of the many crazy things that happens to Gilligan in "Gilligan's Island: The Musical," an updated version of your grandmother's favorite television show, now playing at Cabaret in the Square. It turns out that the alien isn't mad at Gilligan, it's just upset with everybody on Earth because they don't appreciate just how good they have it.

The storyline is pretty much the same. The castaways are still trying to get off the island. At one point, it's trying to send a rocket with an S.O.S letter to Washington, D.C. Every character plays a small part in putting the plan together, and the audience watches as it slowly falls apart.

The set is, of course, very campy. The palm trees are plastic, their hut is made of cardboard, and the ocean backdrop is painted onto the wall. As the opening music plays, the castaways creep onstage in the cardboard S.S. Minnow, and belt out the theme song.

The stage is cabaret style, with just a few rows of seating, putting the audience so close to the stage that you feel as if you're a part of the action. There are several musical numbers featured, all originals written by Hope and Laurence Juber, who have written for Broadway in the past. Some of them also included dance numbers that played on the ridiculous humor that made the television show famous.

"I thought it was delightful," said Vicky Vogue, a fellow entertainer. "I just liked the silliness of it, I guess."

Joe Demerly's portrayal of Gilligan stands out among the others, appropriately. He takes several falls, and runs around like a fool, but the sweetness that he brings to Gilligan's character shows his true skill as an actor.

Susana Breese plays Mary Ann, who is bright-eyed and charming. The love that exists between her and Gilligan distracts, if only momentarily, from the slapstick around them that grows more and more daunting as the show moves from one bad song to another. Unfortunately, while the songs are well intended, many of them just aren't engaging enough to hold much interest.

And indeed, the cast is chock-full of talent. The standout among the supporting cast is the Millionaire, played by Michael Tosha, who nails that snobby, talking-through-his-teeth-voice so well and never steps out of character. Stephanie Bax is also definitive as Ginger. She absolutely oozes all over everyone with an over-the-top sexuality that is fun to watch.

However, the show is ultimately disappointing because it invokes the feeling that this is just a re-hash of the television show. In a live format, such as a musical, it seems as though there is much more that could be done, and a lot that could have been left out. For instance, there is a song in which the Professor teaches Gilligan how to spell the word "hieroglyphics." It consists of spelling it over and over, backwards and forwards, until pretty much everyone watching loses interest.

This is a show that would be more appealing to kids or people who are big fans of the original "Gilligan's Island."

Performances are held on Thu. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., and Sun. at 2:30 p.m. through Feb. 12. Cabaret in the Square is located on 4476 Main St. Call 839-3949 for more information.