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Taking on one of Euripides's darker, infrequently performed tragedies, writer-director Mary Fulham reimagines the blood-and-gore tale as an upbeat musical with a bubble-gum score, set in the gated community of Thebes-by-the-Sea. A Barney Fife crew of security guards stands in for the chorus; Zeus appears as a philandering, golfing CEO; and the forces of evil arrive in the shape of a draconian homeowners association. Fulham has a light touch when dropping allusions to contemporary politics and pop culture (here, Hercules' heroic labors are refashioned as a 3-years-stint with a reality TV show in the underworld), and her less-than-stinging style of social commentary owes more to Jon Stewart than Michael Moore. An accomplished six-member cast keeps the show afloat, and even the climactic bloodbath comes with its own catchy tune.
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