With the return of summer comes the return of Forbidden Broadway – this time with an entirely new show: Merrily We Stole a Song. From Frozen to Phantom to Wicked, this fall-down funny, satirical roast of over 30 Broadway hits features outrageous costumes, silly spoofs of the songs you know by heart, and madcap impressions by a stellar cast!

We had the opportunity to sit down with two of those stellar cast members to learn more about their work, the show, and why Forbidden Broadway can’t be missed. Chris Collins-Pisano and Katheryne Penny have been with Forbidden Broadway since 2019, and this will be their second time performing at the Garner Galleria Theatre.

Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song, The Great Gatsby

DCPA: What is your favorite part of working on Forbidden Broadway?

Chris Collins-Pisano: I’ve done a few different versions: this new version you can come see here in Denver, two off-Broadway iterations, and a cabaret of solely Sondheim parodies called Forbidden Sondheim.

As to my favorite part of the show, that’s a little hard to decide….getting to sing all these amazing Broadway tunes is really fun, but it’s got to be working together with this scrappy little group to put on such a crazy and fun show every night.

Katheryne Penny: Doing Forbidden Broadway means you get to play multiple dream roles in one show. Managing all the songs, characters, impressions, wigs, costumes, and quick changes is both enormously challenging and so much fun.

DCPA: Several fan-favorite Broadway shows are spoofed in Merrily We Stole a Song. Which original Broadway show is your favorite? Which spoof do you think is even better than the source material?

Chris Collins-Pisano: Oh boy, big question… Sunday in the Park with George and Little Shop of Horrors are two of my all-timers, off the top of my head.

If you go back to one of the older cast recordings, we did a parody of the last, stripped-down Oklahoma revival that I think put the whole show’s concept on a skewer. In our version though, I would say the Cabaret, Gypsy, and Frozen numbers are especially sharp.

Katheryne Penny: I saw the Cabaret revival recently and it really blew me away. It was beautiful and poignant and so dark. Mimicking that unbridled dark intensity in a comedic setting makes for huge cathartic laughs.

Katheryne Penny in Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song, Frozen

DCPA: What makes a good roast?

Chris Collins-Pisano: I believe to have a good roast or spoof, not only must the joke at the heart of the parody be truthful, but it must be written and performed with love. Even if it’s mean! We do this because we love Broadway and this fantastic art form.

Katheryne Penny: It has to be based in truth, and hopefully a truth that everyone is afraid to admit. We can all experience the relief of realizing we’re all on the same page together in the moment during the number.

DCPA: How is musical comedy like Forbidden Broadway different than performing a typical Broadway show?

Chris Collins-Pisano: Forbidden Broadway is more like seeing a cabaret or revue than a Broadway show. We have no plot or book, per se, just a series of knee-slapping parody numbers.

It’s also like hitting a Broadway show with a shrink ray: the orchestra is shrunk to a piano and the big cast to just four, and we don’t have any fancy sets or effects. However, I think the five of us up there can still pack the punch of seeing something across the street at the Buell!

Katheryne Penny: It is so much more involved than any show I’ve ever done. Because the cast is so small and we each play at least a dozen characters, we’re always front and center. And when we’re not on stage, we’re in the wings pulling off adrenaline-spiking quick changes, making it to the next number by the skin of our teeth.

DCPA: Do audience members need to be familiar with the original material, or have any knowledge of Broadway, before seeing Merrily We Stole a Song? How would you convince someone who isn’t a theatre nerd to see the show?

Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song, Cabaret Broadway Revival

Chris Collins-Pisano: Being familiar with the shows we parody can certainly help; Gerard has buried quite a few deep cut references in his lyrics that musical theatre afficionados will lap up. On the other hand, I think the show is incredibly entertaining for all audiences, regardless of Broadway knowledge level. If anything, we hope that you leave this show wanting to go check out or listen to the shows we’re poking fun at!

Katheryne Penny: I like to think you get an equal benefit to watching the numbers from shows you recognize as well as ones you don’t. Obviously, it’s so fun to have a personal connection with any show we’re spoofing, but any shows you haven’t seen, you’ll get a super cut of everything going on right now on Broadway.

DCPA: Have you performed in Denver before? If yes, do you have any specific memories about Denver audiences?

Chris Collins-Pisano: I was here with Forbidden Broadway the last time we were in town, in 2022! I’ve been on the road with the show since then, but I still (no joke) hold Denver audiences as the standard for how good an audience can be. I’m thrilled to be back at the Garner Galleria, and I hope you all enjoy this version of the show. We have plenty of new material to show you all, and some old favorites as well.

Katheryne Penny: Chris and I began our Forbidden tour life at this same theater in December of 2022. I remember loving the intimacy of the space at the Garner Galleria and I remember the audiences being really warm and responsive. This feels like a homecoming of sorts and I can’t wait to experience it all again with new material!