All Rise...

Judge Brett Cullum's one man show is called "Tales from a Suburban Square."

The Charge

Inside an actor as he prepares for a one man show.

The Case

Most people know John Leguizamo from such movies as Moulin Rouge, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Spawn, and Ice Age. But the man got his start doing solo theater where he spent his formative years, alone on a stage creating comedic portraits of family and friends. Tales from a Ghetto Klown takes us behind the scenes, as John develops his latest one man show to appear in New York City, around the country, and even into Columbia for his first Spanish language performances. From Broadway to South America, cameras follow Leguizamo as he crafts and tweaks the show during development. It's an interesting yet laborious process fans will find enlightening and fun. More importantly, it shows us the crazy inner turmoil an actor goes through to prepare for a performance, and the problems that can arise at any theatrical venue: inclimate weather, shaky theater bookings, and uncertain funding which almost derails him at every turn.

John Leguizamo: Tales from a Ghetto Klown features the hourlong documentary that premiered on PBS in July 2012. Presented in standard definition 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 Surround audio, the transfer looks and sounds fine without any hiccups or digital artifacts. What makes this release more interesting than catching a rerun of it on TV are the bonus features, which include a ton of bonus footage: clips from the show, deleted sequences, and digital featurettes created specifically for the web. This additional hour of material offers a significant look into the performance that's lacking from the main feature.

Tales from a Ghetto Klown ushers us into the private world of John Leguizamo. It's a captivating journey that works quite well for anyone interested in this talented performer or theater in general.

The Verdict

Guilty of revealing the less than glamorous process of mounting a show.

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