Middle East politics may not seem like fodder for musical comedy. And yet, ‘West Bank, UK,’ a winning theater production presented by the Malibu Stage Company, delivers in both categories. ‘West Bank’ plays at the Company’s venue, 22837 Pacific Coast Hwy., through Sunday evening. Written and directed by Stage Company artistic director Oren Safdie, with music and lyrics by Ronnie Cohen, ‘West Bank’ offers what is essentially a racy riff on Neil Simon’s classic roommate comedy ‘The Odd Couple,’ pairing a crazy Israeli with a slovenly, put-upon Palestinian. Lively and physical, ‘West Bank’ benefits from its core four actor/singers, whose entertaining performances skewer the regional conflict’s inherent absurdities (racial hatred, suicide bombers, 72 virgins, etc.) on a tasty shish kebab spear of acerbic broad humor. Jeremy Cohen (as the Jewish Assaf) and Mike Mosallam (Aziz, a Palestinian) create the show’s strong central performances. Janine Molinari and Anthony Patellis each do multiple duties interpreting several characters apiece. Patellis’ palette of colorful characters provides much comic relief, while the Broadway-ready Molinari demonstrates an electric stage presence. Molinari, as the boys’ American landlord and, especially, as the kooky frum woman Bathsheva, belts out her numbers forcibly with precision comic timing. ‘Can’t a girl be naughty and love God?’ sings Bathsheva during one of the show’s tamer lyrical moments. Also notable: the live musical talent incorporated into the show. Last week’s enthusiastic audience enjoyed the robust opening instrumental by ‘West Bank”s three on-stage performers”Chriz Michens-Zaborowski (percussion), Scott Baldyga (the show’s musical arranger and pianist) and Varoujan Nalbandian (violin)” as well as Yukihide Takiyama (bass/guitar), who welcomes arriving audiences with frenetic oud-playing from the theatre’s rear and also joins in with the trio on the show tunes. Acidic wit and pungent black comedy mix with a raunchy sexual humor to give ‘West Bank’ its edge. Those with at least a passing knowledge of Middle East politics, as well as the Jewish and Palestinian cultures, will be best equipped to get ‘West Bank”s snarky humor and exaggerated characterizations. In a sense, ‘West Bank”s comic sensibility seems very Israeli, very blunt and matter-of-fact. Given the chronic violence plaguing Israel, a dark sense of humor seems vital for survival. Here, such a comic sensibility operates to disarm and unnerve viewers regarding the difficult, sensitive subject matter that ‘West Bank’ comments on. One elderly viewer remarked, on her way out, that she enjoyed the play, although it was ‘a little weird in places.’ Fair enough. Peace in the Middle East may remain a present-day political impossibility; however, in the meantime, here’s the randy, raunchy, off-kilter solution. Malibu Stage Company next mounts ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane,’ a 1998 Tony winner depicting the dysfunctional relationship between a spinster and her domineering mother, on May 16. Catch the last weekend of ‘West Bank, U.K.,’ which plays through April 13, this Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m. Call (310) 456-3445. PHOTO CREDIT: Kitty Kang
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