MORNING BUZZ LIVE! by Kyle Fines, Racquel Belmonte and Carla Mah (Mixtape). At Randolph Theatre. July 8 at 8:45 pm, July 11 at 11 pm, July 12 at 3:30 pm, July 13 at 1:45 pm, July 15 at 1:45 pm. See listing. Rating: NNN
Taking cues from Kathie Lee and Hoda, Morning Buzz Live! satirizes the wacky world of boozed-up morning TV.
During a regular taping, veteran host Marie-Claire (Racquel Belmonte) is forced to work with Linda Wu (Carla Mah), a diversity hire replacing white guy Josh (Kyle Fines). All three employ wild antics in order to boost ratings while grappling with their own deep-rooted issues with the entertainment industry.
At its best, the show mimics SNL sketches, with each actor one-upping the other with slapstick humour. All of the scenes dont make a coherent whole, and the ending seems to go off course. But these talented young artists show promise, not only as comedic actors but as writers as well.