Yippee Ki Yay: The Die-Hard Parody – 5 Stars!!
This Holiday season you may have engaged in a long debate as to which Christmas movie is the best. It’s A Wonderful Life is a classic. So is Miracle on 34th Street. Perhaps your childhood is filled with Memories from Christmas Story. Or maybe you like comedies like National Lampoons Christmas Vacation or Elf.
However, there is one debate that comes up, online and in person, nearly every December that divides people very viciously. It’s an argument that almost everyone has a strong opinion about. And that is – is Die Hard a Christmas Movie.
This Holiday Season you can continue the debate here in Boston. The Huntington Theatre presents Yippe Ki Yay: The Die-Hard Parody. Just in time to extend your holly jolly cheer, this is a great belated gift for that special someone who both loves live theatre and 80s action movies. So if you forget to get that special someone a present, tickets to this show could be a great surprise date night.
Yippee Kay Yi tours with a crew of only two. The lead actor and the writer. Darrel Bailey is the only performer on the stage. Bailey is a high energy performer who gives the show a ton of adrenaline in his performance. At the same time, this is a comedy and the laughs come readily. Comic timing and cadence are both in abundance in this show.
Richard Marsh is the writer. And what I can say is that the entire show is quite literally poetry. It is mostly written in rhyming verses. For theatre fans you get a feeling the Bard on Avon is alive in this production when the Iambic Pentameter being belted out hints of Shakespeare. At other times, you might think you are listening to slam poetry marathon. The change up is a good mix and much of the comedy comes from the puns that Rhyme.
What to expect? Well expect a one-man show telling the story of Die Hard. Also, expect something more. In the middle of the re-telling of the main movie is a side story about what Die Hard has meant and how it has affected lives. Not to give too much away, however, this is what we are really watching. A life framed by a high impact action movie. You may never see this classic action movie the same way again once you watch this movie. As someone who grew up with the Die-Hard movies, I found this angle to the production to be both moving and interesting. There is mostly comedy in the clear parody part, but there is also a human story that emerges. Kudos for creating a new angle to a classic.
Back to Bailey, our one and only actor. This larger-than-life performer manages to conjure the numerous characters that populate the story we are witnessing. And he does so in a familiar and absurd way that lends to the comedy of the show. You can expect a range of comedic talents. We see slapstick action, wacky props and more. We may even see another performer who makes a brief appearance yet makes no curtain call (no spoilers). So be prepared to laugh.
All the great and memorable moments of Die Hard are here for you to see. John Mclean will fight the bad guys, guns blazing. Hans Gruber will be there, bad accent and all. You will crawl through the claustrophobic air ducks as you fire at the incoming chopper. You will squeal as our hero runs barefoot through broken glass. And you better believe there will be a massive roof top explosion with some improvised bungee jumping. You don’t need to be familiar with the source material to follow this story, but you will get the most bang for the buck if you are. If you are a terrorist, you are left getting only a bang and no bucks!
For many, this is winter break. So, if you are looking for some fun this weekend, I highly recommend Yippee Ki Yay. Strong language and violence may make this a show for teens and up. But hurry – tickets are selling fast, and they are only available this coming weekend. The dates are December 27th to December 31st. Only 7 performances remain. Don’t delay!
For more information and to get your tickets please visit https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/whats-on/yippee-ki-yay/
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/WowsJqLi_Nw?si=BXo9xKoKZZmj5hg9