It's easy to see why Gainesville's Hippodrome State Theatre so often uses actors Mark Chambers and Billy Sharpe. The two can easily be credited as being the funniest men on the planet, and when sharing the spotlight, they create one of the funniest musical comedies running anywhere. The Big Bang, Jed Feuer and Boyd Graham's musical which runs on the Hippodrome stage through September 28th, is a hilarious evening out and the perfect start to a season of great theater.

The Big Bang involves Boyd (Sharpe) and Jed (Chambers) performing a backer's audition for their new musical which covers the complete history of the world from creation to the present. With able assistance from their keyboard player, Alberta (Tane DeKrey, who also plays the kazoo beautifully), Boyd and Jed speed through highlights of their twelve hour opus, including showstopper after showstopper like "Free Food and Frontal Nudity," the "Nuns Cantata," and a hilarious Eva Braun torch song, "Loving Him."

Chambers and Sharpe ham it up wonderfully in their many roles, with Sharpe shining most as Egyptian queen Nefertiti and while singing a passionate ballad about the Irish potato famine. Chambers shows off his usual brand of brilliance, lightly poking fun at Christopher Columbus and Eva Braun. Directed for the stage by the always able Lauren Caldwell, and musically by Tane DeKrey, this duo is a comic phenomenon. Not to be forgotten is Judy Skinner's terrific choreography.

Mihai Ciupe has designed a lovely set, with Stan Kaye's lighting adding wonderful texture. Marilyn Wall and Lorelei Esser's costuming and props are ingenious, allowing the tiniest detail to add so much more to each character.

The Big Bang continues to play the Hippodrome State Theatre stage through September 28th. Visit hipp.gru.net for further information about this production and the rest of the Hippodrome season.

- Matthew MacDermid