By Michael Babieri****Sometimes a show comes along that is so goofy, so off the wall, and yet so charming, you can’t help but love it. Such was the case for me with Lynda Rodolitz’s new show Animal Magnetism, at Don’t Tell Mama.
Lynda Rodolitz is an actress and singer who was recently crowned the 2018 winner of Mama’s Next BIG Act! She’s worked in experimental theater, done stand-up comedy and has appeared in solo and group cabaret shows. Her last show, Lynda Rodolitz is Off Her Rocker, was a 2017 MAC Award nominee for Musical Comedy Performance and this new act could certainly make her an award winner!
The conceit of the show is a clever one: Rodolitz’s love life is looking glum, so she looks to the animal and insect kingdoms for possible dating ideas! Her opening number, David Yazbek’s “Chimp in a Suit,” from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, seemed to indicate the troubles she had encountered in her suitors, of late: ‘Dress up a monkey in Armani, he may seem precocious and cute. Despite all that primpin’ you still got a chimp in a suit!’ We also heard “Talk to the Animals” (L. Bricusse), which seemed a logical choice for a show of this…(ahem)…nature. A medley of “Abba Dabba Honeymoon (W. Donovan, A. Fields), “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life” (V. Herbert) and “Hollaback Girl” (G. Stefani, P. Williams) continued Rodolitz’s ape-like through-line and showcased her strong, if imperfect soprano on the Victor Herbert piece, in particular. Her broad comedic style and comfort with off-color language brought to mind the bawdy comedy of Rusty Warren—a big favorite of mine. And one couldn’t ask for a better ending to a monkey medley than with Rodolitz exclaiming “THIS SHIT IS BANANAS!” Perfect!
“Hello Young Lovers” (Rodgers & Hammerstein) and “Once Upon a Time” (C. Strouse, L. Adams) were paired beautifully and gave us a taste of Rodolitz’s softer side. She introduced the songs by telling us she hadn’t had a serious relationship in a long time, which brought poignancy to her lovely, sensitive vocal. And though she got ahead of the music a few times, she kept her focus, while her attentive band covered the gaffe masterfully and kept her on track.
Some of my favorite moments in the show centered around Rodolitz’s depictions of insects and how they can transform from ordinary to extraordinary. To demonstrate, 
she gave us Radiohead’s “Creep” (A. Hammond, M. Hazelwood)—a brave and fabulous song choice—while wrapped in a cocoon-like cape of green sateen. She then transitioned (see what I did there?) into Bock & Harnick’s “Gorgeous” and opened the cape to reveal the wings of a monarch butterfly! Just lovely. I also enjoyed the silliness of her high-pitched insect trills during “Don’t Bug Me” (B. Menzie, C. Coons) and the screwball comedy of her earthworm sock puppets performing “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (N. Diamond, Alan & Marilyn Bergman).
In researching her animal subjects, Rodolitz discovered that while some species mate for life, there are others that are more promiscuous. This reminded her, she said, of the 1970s, so her next medley was, of course, set to a disco beat. She affected a mock-sultry tone for “Let’s Get It On” (M. Gaye, E. Townsend), which led into a collection of stories and songs illustrating animal sexuality. We heard about bonobos apes, garter snake sex orgies and the mating rituals of kangaroos, while she alternately sang “That’s the Way I Like It” (H. Casey, R. Finch), “Hot Stuff” (P. Bellotte, H. Faltermeyer, K. Forsey) and “Le Freak” (N. Rodgers, B. Edwards). She also explained that marsupials have three vaginas, which, she said, gave new meaning to the lyric “once, twice, three times a lady!” …Pause for huge groan and laugh!
The classic “Indian Love Call” from the operetta Rose Marie (R. Friml, H. Stothart, O. Harbach, O. Hammerstein II) gave Rodolitz a chance to unleash her inner animals in the form of braying penguin squawks, the yips of the Arctic fox and the low grunts of the Galapagos tortoise, as well as chickadee tweets, elk sounds and even the cry of a lemur! With each new animal, Rodolitz just got sillier and sillier, and while it might have been a tad shrill and overloud, it was all truly hilarious!
As the winner of Mama’s Next BIG Act!, Rodolitz was paired with Director Lennie Watts and Musical Director Steven Ray Watkins to assist her in crafting a solo show of her own, employing 
intelligent, sometimes unexpected song choices and a smart, yet somewhat goofy narrative. The three of them created a show that allowed Rodolitz’s natural comedic chops to take center stage, combined with a few serious moments, which gave the act enough balance to reveal the lovely lady behind the comic mask. Rodolitz was also supported beautifully by Watkins at the piano, Don Kelly on percussion and Matt Scharfglass on bass, who provided a full, lush sound that underscored the theme of the show, yet never overpowered Rodolitz’s vocal abilities.
So, is Lynda Rodolitz a perfect singer? Well, no. But truth be told, perfection can be boring. What she is, however, is a very good performer who was so committed to her material that any little vocal flaws were easily ignored, so the entire show worked! When she closed out the night with a campy, cat-centric medley of “Born Free” (J. Barry, D. Black) and “Eye of the Tiger” (F. Sullivan, J. Peterik), I thought to myself: this show is WILD!
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