The TUNEabomber entertains with a clever embracement of absurdity and showcase of pure talent

Courtesy AnnaBeth Crittenden

At their KC Fringe debut, Michael Wysong and John Lampe’s The TUNEabomber proved to be the delightfully absurd spectacle that you might expect given just the name of the satirical musical comedy.

Written and performed by the creators as a two-man Cabaret, the show is centered around one query you didn’t know you wanted the answer to: “What if the Unabomber never wanted to be an eco-terrorist; he only wanted to be a musical theater star?”

It was easy for the Manhattan-based actors and musicians to capture the attention and curiosity of the crowd—if not through their steady stream of witty jokes and dark-humored musical numbers, then simply out of awe of the raw talent of the creators.

The show is even more entertaining when you know the backstory behind the show—two friends had a dumb idea. They accidentally ended up writing a full-on nonsensical Cabaret centering on one of the world’s most famous eco-terrorists. It now features 12 songs detailing a ridiculous version of events from the perspective of the fictional musical theater-obsessed TUNEabomber.

The show opens with Wysong running out on stage and identifying himself as the Unabomber’s (Ted Kaczynski’s) attorney and accompanist. It was a parole hearing, and the audience was the parole board ready to hear Kaczynski’s case. Wysong, an experienced Manhattan-based musical composer, situated himself at the piano for the opening number, where he would remain for most of the show.

Throughout the performance, he would sing, pause to say a snappy line, or throw on a hat or wig to play another minor character, all while playing his original songs and never missing a beat. It is truly unclear whether he indulged in a full breadth of air at any point in the hour-long show. One second he was at the piano, simultaneously playing the keys and harmonica; the next, he was performing slam poetry with Lampe’s Ted at center stage.

If this all sounds almost too ludicrous, it’s because it is. But it shouldn’t be misconstrued as a fatuous hour spent because it’s also very smart—with all the sophisticated original tunes, punchy scriptwriting, and witty pop culture and theater. And what makes it work is the creators’ unabashed embracement of the absurdity of it all.

There’s a refreshing aspect to watching the artists lean fully into their characters and the absurdity of it all, never breaking character as Wysong uses his belly as bongos during their slam performance. Such a feat was met with a roar of laughter and amusement at the remarkable sound quality.

@tuneabomber_musical Come see us in NYC and then at @Kansas City Fringe Festival and then at @Edinburgh Festival Fringe!!! Link in bio #edfringe #tuneabomber #musicaltheatre ♬ original sound – Tuneabomber

Though he doesn’t get much further than basic dance sequences and jazz squares, Lampe’s coordination of this choreography with perfectly delivered jokes and masterful singing is an accomplishment in and of itself.

The Manhattan-based actor and director couldn’t have done a better job casting himself as Kaczynski. Though the cabaret takes place outlandish alternate reality, Lampe’s strong performance makes it all surprisingly quite believable.

The audience frequently found their mouths gaping, shocked, and delighted at the same time as Lampe belts cheery musical theater tunes you never thought you’d hear: “They say I killed some people, and I guess they’re right // I’m often asked how I sleep at night!”

One of the most unexpected elements of the show is the amount of interesting yet mostly futile new knowledge audience members will walk away with. The music and dialogue together combine to produce a surprisingly comprehensive history lesson on the bizarre life of Ted Kaczynski. 

Chances are you know little to none about the Unabomber’s close relationship with his brother, peculiar pre-terrorist career, or the psychological torcher he was subjected to at Harvard when recruited by his professor to participate in experiments with the CIA. You will after this show.

Kudos are in order for the creators and their tastefully untasteful success of a show. It should certainly be considered one when their self-produced show born out of an absurd drunk text is now capturing art festival audiences—inciting an unprompted singalong from the crowd to the lyrics, “Return to the cabin, build a bomb.”