It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. While Christopher Walken himself may not blush effusively at the performances in "All About Walken", he certainly would appreciate the efforts at 'impersonation' put forth by the group, and so will audiences. Directed by Patrick O'Sullivan, "All About Walken" plays Monday evenings through  March 12th at the Paul G. Gleason Theater in Hollywood.  

Kenzo Lee and Brennan Vetter

Beginning their second season on January 29, 2007, the cast, which includes Michael Bayouth, Lily Hollleman, Amy Kelly, Kenzo Lee, Patrick O'Sullivan, Tara Price, Brennan Vetter and Troy Vincent, treated the opening-day audience to their vision of Walken's performances, which span the past three decades.   The performance was less homage than a good old-fashioned ribbing at the expense and past performances of the character that is Christopher Walken. The audacious undertaking is certainly made with a light-hearted and good-natured feel and the performances are made in good jest.

Those who know Christopher Walken and his performances have certainly come to appreciate and admire the manner in which he delivers his lines and most certainly the inflections in his voice. I dare not attempt to capture the essence of Christopher Walken on page, nor will I try to explain his hold on the American pop culture.

Amy Kelly and Tara Price

One need only watch the various cinematic performances rendered by Mr. Walken, not to mention his turns on 'Saturday Night Live', to understand what this cast has aptly portrayed and captured.  Those that are unfamiliar with Walken's work would nonetheless appreciate the spirited bunch of cast members who treated the audience to a rousing remembrance of the cornucopia that has been Walken's career, along with their own liberties taken with the character.

Michael Bayouth, Amy Kelly, Patrick O'Sullivan

Several actors/performers, over the years, have attempted to 'impersonate' Christopher Walken, however, very few have been able to capture the veteran actor's charisma, to say nothing of having captured his 'accentuations'.  

Of note was Michael Bayouth's performance, though, which effortlessly captured the unique cadence of Walken's voice and to a certain extent, his persona.  Also noteworthy was Amy Kelly's original sketch involving a Christopher Walken 'commercial'. Fans will certainly appreciate the impersonations by the female cast members, especially Lily Holleman's unique interpretation of Mr. Walken's histrionic voice. 

Lily Holleman and Kenzo Lee

Even the most ardent fans of Walken, who may have forgotten his classically-trained dancing past, will be refreshingly reminded by Kenzo Lee's rendition of Walken's self-choreographed dance number in Fatboy Slim's 'Weapon of Choice'. The troupe assembled towards the end of last year and performed well into December and they begin 2007 on a very upbeat note. As eclectic as the performance was, even more eclectic was the manner in which this comedy 'team' was fashioned together.

According to Michael Bayouth, he found out about the chance to do Walken via Craigslist and he says 'the rest is history'.  The Gleason Theater provided a comfortable setting in close proximity to the performers and the audience was made to feel a part of the performance. 

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