How well do you know the “Die Hard” movie? I speak not of seen-it-once-or-twice basic awareness of the 1988 John McTiernan film about a New York cop (Bruce Willis) who saves his wife from terrorists attacking a highrise building on Christmas Eve. I’m talking about a deep and abiding familiarity with the lines, the plot points, the characters like John McClane and Hans Gruber and, well, empathy with the potential redemptive power of said movie when it comes to saving a struggling marriage with children.
I’d have thought that was a pretty small subset of the general population, given that “Die Hard” is not exactly “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or even a legitimate Christmas movie, although those are fighting words if you are a superfan.
Either way, such fans are the target audience for “Yippie Ki Yay,” the one-man comedy show currently found at the Broadway Playhouse in downtown Chicago. It’s written and performed by Richard Marsh, a British actor-writer millennial and an erstwhile poetry slam champion.
Here’s what you get. Marsh acts out bits of the movie and integrates its artistic charms into a recounting of his courtship and marriage to the dork-loving Jen, a nerd-meets-nerd relationship that began with shared fandom of guess which movie? The title comes from Jen’s Reddit message board handle. It’s also an iconic catchphrase in the movie, with a common subtextual epithet added for emphasis.
And if you didn’t know that before reading this, you are thinking about buying tickets to the wrong show.
Assuming you did, you’ll likely be just fine in the company of Marsh, a smart, witty and modestly charming performer who is dab-hand with the rhyming couplets and the Mike Birbiglia-style storytelling.
It’s pretty clear that Marsh has none of the rights pertaining to the movie and thus there are no scenes from “Die Hard” or, indeed, any images of the film itself or its stars. And nothing from the audio track either. Lawyers clearly have made sure that the show stays within the constraints of the ever-useful parody defense, which is how shows like this (and similar others trading off “Friends” or “The Office”) manage to make a buck off an audience’s interest in an intellectual property that is not owned by the producer. As a result, you get generic sound effects and Marsh re-enacting stuff with a chair and a teddy bear and a few Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Zero production values, then, if you don’t count Marsh’s vest. And a lot of very dim lighting cues.
The show feels a lot like something you could see at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival or above a London pub as closing time otherwise beckons. It’s overmatched by the Broadway Playhouse; the show would be far better in a space about half this size, ideally with tables for drinks, this being one of those attractions likely funnier to those who have pregamed their experience.
Still, if you’re really hardcore, here’s your “Christmas Carol,” “Wonderful Life” and “Christmas Story,” all rolled up into one dweeb-friendly package. Just don’t drop the absurd price of $95.50, for goodness sake; there are discounts out there and the cheaper seats are perfectly in keeping with the show.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: “Yippie Ki Yay” (2.5 stars)
When: Through Dec. 15
Where: Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut St.
Running time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Tickets: $36.50-95.50 at www.broadwayinchicago.com
