Friendly world-premiere 'Parental Advisory' asks big questions as it exudes love of hip-hop

Milwaukee Repertory Theater's "Parental Advisory: a breakbeat play" is one of the friendliest stage shows I've seen in some time.

The MC (Amir Abdullah) and DJ Timeless (Marvin Quijada) draw us into their world as they start creating beats and rhymes again after a pandemic- and life-induced hiatus. They remind us of the power of music as a communal experience, be it their hip-hop or some other genre, powered by a feedback loop between audience and performers.

Kyle Haden directed the Rep's world-premiere production of Idris Goodwin's play, which opened Friday night at the Stiemke Studio.

Haden, scenic designer Sydney Lynne and sound/music designer Chris Lane have worked hard and successfully on verisimilitude here. Audience members approach their seats through a walkway filled with mementoes of Timeless and The MC's music career. The attractive stage set is a warm and lived-in music room and home studio, with all the sonic gear Timeless needs.

Impressively, the Rep has cleared the permissions gauntlet to use excerpts from Digable Planets' "Nickel Bag," Ice-T's "Colors," Wu-Tang Clan's "Protect Ya Neck" and Schoolly D's "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" in the show.

The MC, in his early 40s, is at a crossroads as a performer. The street and survival tales he rapped about as a young man aren't his lived reality anymore. "My real now is parent-teacher conference, 529 accounts, life insurance, prostate exams," he kvetches.

"Come on, homie … There’s all types of lanes," responds the generally upbeat Timeless (whom we learn actually had a much rougher upbringing).

Overlapping this crisis of confidence, The MC is processing how his young son got in trouble at the private school he attends for repeating lines from a Wu-Tang skit, leading to a wonderful question: "What is the appropriate age to play Wu-Tang for your child?" There's no simple answer to the issues inherent in that query (though the Rep recommends this show for people 16 and older).

Timeless and The MC also bring us back to the origins of the Parental Advisory sticker and explicit lyrics label, including a choice audio excerpt from Frank Zappa's 1985 testimony at a Senate hearing.

You don't need to be hardcore about hip-hop to enjoy this show. As The MC, Abdullah has a strong, clear delivery. And being older than old school myself, I thoroughly enjoyed his rap version of "We Wear the Mask," the 1895 poem by the Notorious PLD (i.e., Paul Laurence Dunbar).

Quijada's irrepressibility and comic skills greatly enhance "Parental Advisory"; the show sags a bit when he is offstage for a spell. More than just a hype man and beat master, Timeless makes these 90 minutes a dialogue about the intersection of art and life.

For those who like to come to a show prepared, the Rep's Play Guide for "Parental Advisory" is excellent background reading. Download it at milwaukeerep.com/shows/show/parental-advisory under the Resources tab.

If you go

Milwaukee Repertory Theater performs "Parental Advisory: a breakbeat play" through Oct. 29 at the Stiemke Studio, 108 E. Wells St. Visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.

RELATED: 15 Milwaukee performing arts shows we're excited about this fall 2023

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Rep's 'Parental Advisory' is friendly visit with hip-hop duo