These days, coming-of-age movies tend to center around
supernatural anti-heroes like vampires and zombies or self-obsessed millennials
like the gang in the current flick, “The Bling Ring.”
It can make a movie fan nostalgic for a time when adolescent
archetypes involved sensitive weirdoes, wacky wise guys and loveable geeks.
“It’s kind of sad,” said comedian Anna Barbay of the recent teen movie trend.
As someone who can quote dialogue from every John Hughes
movie ever made, it’s safe to assume the Chesapeake comic favors plotlines
based on say, a group of teenagers baring their souls to each other during a
Saturday morning of school detention or a kid who fakes being sick to play
hooky from school.
That is, films like the Hughes teen-centric classics, “The Breakfast
Club” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
“Everyone can relate to being an awkward teenager or having
raging hormones that make you go completely bonkers,” said Barbay, a member the
Hampton Roads based comedy troupe, Nerd Alert.
During the eighties, John Hughes had a hand in creating some
of the most iconic teen films of the era, but he also mined comic gold outside
of the adolescent genre with hits like “Planes Trains and Automobiles” and his
biggest grossing hit, “Home Alone,” which starred then 8-year old, Macaulay Culkin.
Pop culture expiration dates are fleeting but the movies of John
Hughes remain relevant thanks to cable television. “Most of us in Nerd Alert grew
up in the nineties when the TBS network seemed to play the entire John Hughes
catalog on an endless loop,” said Barbay.
Nerd Alert will skewer those films in “We Love You, John Hughes,” their
first headlining comedy show, being staged Friday and Saturday at the Venue on
35th in Norfolk.
“We’ve taken some familiar
characters and put them in different situations,” said Barbay. “Even if you’re not a John Hughes fan you’ll
have a laugh because of the utter ridiculousness of some of the sketches.”
Nerd Alert first performed together last summer to compete
for an opening slot at the Norfolk Comedy Festival. Several of its members had met
while training under the instruction of The Pushers, a local sketch and improv
comedy troupe including some of the writers behind the off-Broadway hit “Cuff
Me, The Fifty Shades of Grey Musical Parody.”
Although they didn’t win the contest, Nerd Alert felt like they were on
to something. “We all meshed together really well,” said Barbay. “We were all once extremely nerdy kids who
read comic books and were socially awkward. To disguise that fact, most of us
became the class clowns in high school.”
John Hughes died of a heart attack four years ago at the age
of 59. Although he retired from
filmmaking in 1994, the characters he created are unforgettable. Each member of Nerd Alert has a favorite.
Travis Carl:
Dean Edward Rooney from Ferris Bueller, for his tenacity and
never quit attitude. He also has a pretty sweet mustache.
Rafael Henriquez:
Cousin Eddie from “Vacation.” Beastly man. Leisure suit.
Kansas plates. Enough said.
Colleen Kristen:
Allison Reynolds i.e. the weird girl in “The Breakfast
Club.” I firmly believe in the power of awkwardness, and Allison was a master
of this skill. Plus, she got the hot bad boy in the end.
Stephen Johnson:
Kevin McCallister from “Home Alone.” If you are ever
abandoned by your family and forced to protect your castle against intruders,
it's not half as bad as dating Buzz's girlfriend. Woof.
April Threet:
The raccoons from “The Great Outdoors.” I love
wise-cracking, talking animals.
Dante Alvarado:
Ferris Bueller is the reason people use the sick excuse for
missing school and work...Ferris pulled off the ultimate "I need a me
day" by trashing an expensive car, hanging with his girl, and romping
through Chi-town.”
Matt Cole:
Del Griffith in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” for
keeping his laughter, smile and unending optimism in the face of tragic
personal loss and hardship. He makes Steve Martin's character, with his wife
and loving family, look like a whiny little girl!
Lisa Bolen:
Duncan from “Some Kind of Wonderful.” He's the bad boy with
a heart of gold. He will beat up the jerks who mess with his friends, and he'll
be witty while he does it.
Anna Barbay:
Jack Butler from “Mr. Mom.” I share a mutual understanding
of what it's like to be bullied by a preschooler and toddler, while your spouse
goes off to do grown-up things. It's almost like watching a biography of my own
life, if I were a dude.
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