On Michigan Avenue, of shopping fame,
A popular theater goes by the name
Of Broadway Playhouse, a tres intime space,
Tucked neatly inside Water Tow’r Place.
And there a young Britisher named Richard Marsh,
Has written a solo play that’s pretty arch;
The words all are laid out in couplets that rhyme,
Which Marsh rattles off in a manner that’s prime.
An agile performer, his rhymes are quite witty,
Still Yippee Ki Yay ain’t for all, more’s the pity.
To love it, you see, as a show that will thrill us,
One must love the movie Die Hard and Bruce Willis.
Such plot as it’s got is a riff on that movie,
And if you don’t know it, this show won’t be groovy.
For many, Die Hard is just pretzels and beer,
But Marsh thinks it’s epic, not unlike Shakespeare.
So if John McClane is a hero you treasure,
You’ll find Yippie Ki Yay brimming with pleasure.
Marsh plays all the characters, Gruber to Holly,
In voices and movements which often are jolly.
But “Yippee Ki Yay” is not simply fun,
Because there’s a sub-plot before it’s all done.
For Marsh and his bride fell in love on a date
Where they sat and watched Die Hard, what followed was Fate;
So we learn of the fortunes of Marsh and his wife
With Die Hard the touchstone that measures their life.
It’s a clever idea, surprisingly sound,
Which makes Yippee Ki Yay a bit more profound.
Still, I saw Die Hard 2, but never the first,
Which makes Yippee Ki Yay the best . . . and the worst!
There’s much to enjoy, though I don’t get it all—
Is McClane just a building who’s 40 floors tall?
But, friends, pay your money and you make the choice,
As for me now, dear readers, I silence my voice.
It’s at Broadway Playhouse, you need to remember,
Where shows will continue through 15 December.
JONATHAN ABARBANEL was Theater Editor of the Windy City Times for many years. He is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, and can be heard Sunday mornings on “The Arts Section” on WDCB Public Radio (90.9 FM) or at wdcb.org. Obviously, he’s not a poet.