Mike Schramm

Bob Kulhan is on stage playing a young boy who's run away from home. Also, he's a little "special." And, we found out last scene, he's gay.

If it seems a little unplanned, it's because Kulhan is part of Baby Wants Candy, renowned for improvising hour-long musicals based on an audience title suggestion. Tonight, to celebrate their one-thousandth show, they're premiering "The Rock Opera," featuring the YES bAND backing up the nine-member cast.

Before the show, Kulhan and fellow Baby Stewart Ronson do the math. Is it really number 1000? "Pretty darn close," says Ronson. Since 1995, they've been doing "The Musical" at ImprovOlympics twice a weekend. Add in 200 shows at other venues, and you get 1000, which is long for any company, much less an improvised musical. "It's still fun for us," says Kulhan.

Each show is known by its title. "'Hands of Time are Choking Me' was great," remembers Ronson. "We did the whole [second half] in reverse." Kulhan likes "I Love You, Black Man," but says it's single moments that are really memorable. "There's something romantic about improv. Magic happens."

During tonight's musical, appropriately titled "So It's Come to This," there's just been such a moment. One of the cast members, a cop who walked offstage with a prostitute, has just returned with his shirt off, and the audience loves it. The cast gathers together, singing a reprise of the spontaneous title song until they hit the final note and are drowned in applause for the one-thousandth time.

(2004-11-10)

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