If you haven't seen the Animaniacs, you're really missing out. Molded very much in the classic Looney Tunes style, Animaniacs featured the zany trio of Yakko, Wakko, and Dot -- along with a host of other creations like Pinky and the Brain -- as they stirred up trouble in every situation imaginable. Though digestible for children, it seemed very much aimed at the adults, a far more rare breed then than it seems to be today.
And it boasted plenty of clever and funny music. There was a song to explain time zones, a song to mock California earthquakes, a song naming every country in the world (at the time), a song naming every U.S. state and its capital, a humorous Christmas play on words, and much, much, much more. Animaniacs Live took two hours of this music and presented it with a full orchestra for a wild evening.
The event was anchored and hosted by Randy Rogel, the writer/composer of the majority of these songs, and Rob Paulsen, the virtuoso voice artist behind Yakko, Doctor Scratchensniff, Pinky, and others. Making featured appearances were Jess Harnell and Tress MacNeille, the voices of Wakko and Dot. (Though if you've watched any cartoon made in the last two decades, you've probably heard the work of one or both.)
Together, these performers all rattled off rapid fire songs with the live orchestra. Sometimes, they upped the "degree of difficulty" by playing in sync with the original cartoon as it was projected on a large screen behind the orchestra. In the second act, they brought in some unusual treats, like the original version of a song that was rejected and never used on the show, and a sprinkling of songs Rogel had written for other cartoons -- from a sentimental look at the possibilities of growing up, to a condensed appraisal of all 37 of Shakespeare's plays. There was even a brief encore, in which the "Yakko's World" song was given another verse to update it for the new countries to appear since the original version was recorded.
The audience, naturally, ate it up. We were mostly adults, who had enjoyed the Animaniacs at various ages when it ran new on television. But there was also the next generation of fans, infected by their parents thanks to DVD. And sprinkled here and there were people dressed in costumes -- a few Wakkos, a handful of Dots, and even a Hello Nurse.
Sadly, it was a one-night only performance, so I can't urge any of you to go. (None of you Denverites, anyway. Those in other cities might consider looking for future tour dates.) But it was such a fun night, I couldn't help but gush about it.
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