Career Destroyer

Once again, the Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre resurrects a classic stinker of a film when it presents the stage version of KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. Released straight to television in 1978, KMTPOTP is a rock & roll version of the Phantom of the Opera starring Paul, Gene, Ace and Peter, but it's set in an amusement park — and it's frankly terrible. Goofy special effects for the superheroes' super powers (that's right — they're superheroes in this turkey), a less-than-stellar plot, substandard dialogue and acting — heck, Peter Criss' lines were delivered so poorly that the director overdubbed him with another voice! In short, it's the perfect vehicle for the Magic Smoking Monkey treatment. Performances are at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (April 25 through May 3; there's an audience costume contest at each 10:30 p.m. show) at the Regional Arts Commission (6128 Delmar Boulevard; 314-534-1111 or www.stlshakespeare.org/monkey). Tickets are $10 to $15, and reservations are recommended, as KISS brings out the kids, what with the lasers, teleportation and mind-blowing rock riffage.
Fridays, Saturdays. Starts: April 25. Continues through May 3, 2008