Blasphemy! was the second last show of the Fringe, and the last one I saw. One of the main reasons that I picked this show was for the title. Some of my past choices have been Scruplousity and Sacrilicious!, but just like with this play, I liked the title more than the work.

Don't get me wrong: there were things that made me laugh:

• I, too, feel that the CBC has "jumped the shark": but hands off "Little Mosque". That is funny and groundbreaking ... racist bastard!
• I enjoyed the lesson in talking with my hands, and plan to do so often now that I have been instructed in how to do it properly. Up until now, I was just doing a lot of wild gesturing, but now I have focus and direction. I did not enjoy the introduction to this section, where he promised to "Wop it up a bit": even though he is Italian and I am not ... racist bastard!!
• The Lucky Charms leprechan skit - hilarious! However, I refuse to believe that Tony the Tiger's wife "shags like a $2 whore" ... racist bastard!!!

The other thing that attracted me to this play was his love of comic books. Even better, Anthony Trombetta appears to have a love of onomatopoeia in comic books, and included my favorite, a tradmark of your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman:

THWIPP!!!

Anthony closes the show with a letter he wrote to Jesus. This was a bit of a letdown ... even though Jesus writes back and they make a date to go to the fair.

Meh.

Blasphemy!
Jump the Shark Productions
3.5 stars out of 5

Jesus loves Tony, this I know, for the Fringe show told me so.

Actually, it's Anthony Trombetta's wife Erica who loves him. She's just playing Jesus in the 45-minute stand-up/sketch comedy show known as Blasphemy! A twisted and oh-so Canadian look into Trombetta's head.

Spending the past 10 years living in the Yukon has certainly had an affect on the comedian, who touches on the tough questions of Mansbridge vs. Robertson, how to become a Rapture co-coordinator and, the classic, do Care Bear stares hurt? Fortunately, spending all of his 33-years in either "middle-of-nowhere" Ont. or Whitehorse has given Trombetta a hilarious and skewed look on life. Who said living inside your head was bad?

The comic book enthusiast (read: self-professed geek), injects short character comedy sketches between teaching the audience how to speak Italian and reciting letters to Jesus. The result is a solid Fringe comedy that allows the audience to get loose and enjoy. Laugh at what you think is funny, says Trombetta, I won't be offended.

Aside from a laugh-cramp inducing performance, the ticket price is worth it just to encounter the most pleasant Son of God since Ted Neely.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008