‘Forbidden Broadway’ pushes the parody envelope with humor

One minute she’s parodying “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked,” dressed as Broadway superstar Idina Menzel. The next, she’s doing her best Barbra Streisand impersonation.

But through it all, Trisha Rapier is aiming to have fun through humorous imitation.

Rapier, an Orange County native, has been performing in and traveling for 12 years with the show “Forbidden Broadway,” which parodies shows and personalities.

“It would be really intimidating if Liza or Barbra actually came to the show, but, luckily, I don’t know if they have,” she said. “That’s probably a good thing. You want to do the impersonation justice and poke fun at them enough to get the laughs. It’s all coming from me just being their biggest fan, so getting to joke at their mannerisms or vocal dynamics is just fun for me.”

This weekend will mark the first time Rapier is bringing the show to Orange County. It runs through Sunday at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, in Costa Mesa.

Rapier, who now lives in New York, said she is excited to perform in her hometown.

“My family can just drive a short distance to come see me in the show,” she said.

Although this is “Forbidden Broadway’s” first time on an O.C. stage, Rapier is far from a stranger to the theater experience.

As a kid, her family took her to see a live production of “Cats” at the now-defunct Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles, and from there, Rapier saw many shows at venues around Orange County and Los Angeles.

“I think Orange County was a great place to grow up because I was able to go to so many performing arts centers to watch shows,” she said. “I was always seeing shows. My mom was a big theater advocate. That really shaped my love of theater.”

Rapier performed in musical productions and choirs throughout grade school and at San Clemente High School, from which she graduated in 1992.

Into adulthood, she performed in “Tommy” on the Shubert stage, which she said brought her career full circle. The Shubert, which opened in 1972, was demolished in October 2002 to make way for the 2000 Avenue of the Stars office building.

Rapier said “Forbidden Broadway” often changes routines from production to production. Shows being parodied this time include “Matilda,” “Once,” “Les Misérables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Wicked.”

She added that although the musical pokes fun at the Broadway scene, it is meant for a slightly edgy “Saturday Night Live”-type audience that can appreciate parodies and humor, even if they’re not too familiar with the original content.

“We always like to have something for everyone, so even if they’re not the most savvy theatergoer, there’s always something that someone will recognize and they’ll be in on the joke,” she said. “Everyone loves to laugh. It’s always wonderful to see something you’re very familiar with, especially a dramatic musical like “Phantom of the Opera,” turned upside down and made fun of in a very wonderful way.”

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IF YOU GO

What: “Forbidden Broadway”

Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $79

Info: scfta.org