Hot Boy Summer: Premier Jason Kenney roasted in new 'flashback 80s frat musical'

EDMONTON -

Alberta's premier will be mocked – and his infamous "Open For Summer" plan ridiculed – in a new theatre production coming to the capital city.

Hot Boy Summer is a "flashback 80s frat musical" that takes a lot of creative license and more than a few shots at Jason Kenney.

The plot centres around the so-called Best Summer Ever plan that saw Kenney's UCP drop COVID-19 restrictions, then later apologize when he declared a public health emergency in September.

"We made Jason Kenney the hero of this play, as it is a satire," Byron Martin said of the sarcastic production he co-wrote with Simon Abbott.

"A whole bunch of hijinx occur, which may run parallel to our current government. Notley is a villain in this universe and her boyfriend is Justin Trudeau, so we take a lot of liberties."

The poster features a bare-chested Kenney in a cowboy hat, former health minister Tyler Shandro holding a keg and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw pouring a cocktail, while NDP leader Rachel Notley scolds them all.

The man portraying Kenney is a self-titled "old mule" of local comedy.

Theatre veteran Donovan Workun took a page out of the premier's playbook by refusing to answer whether or not he's a fan of Kenney.

"Is there another question? I reject the premise of that question!" Workun said to background laughter Tuesday.

"Jason Kenney is the hero of this play. We're going to kill him with kindness."

KENNEY IS A SARCASTIC 'HERO' WHO PLANS RODEO PARTY

Jokes aside, Workun acknowledged that Kenney has a tough job in leading a province fiercely divided over how to handle the pandemic.

"I think it's a thankless job. People are going to be unhappy no matter what you do. Somebody is always going to be upset, and then you throw in the pandemic…yeah, I guess I do sympathize a bit," he said.

But it's the premier's "ineptitude" and his "lack of ability to do anything" as a growing fourth wave started to swamp Alberta's healthcare system that really made Workun upset. And he's not alone.

Polling has consistently shown Kenney's pandemic approval rating at or near the lowest of all the country's premiers.

"Not making a choice has made everyone mad," Workun said.

It's not his first crack at political comedy. Workun once portrayed former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

"Rob Ford had too much personality, Jason Kenney doesn't have enough, so they're like salt and pepper, exact opposite," he explained.

Hot Boy Summer runs from Nov. 10-21 at Campus Saint-Jean in Edmonton's southside.

The 90-minute musical features songs called Ottawa and There's Nothing Like The Rodeo.

There's also a tune about former Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and the pandemic travel scandal she resigned after called Aloha.

"Maybe everyone is going to hate us at the end of this, I don't know," Abbott said with a laugh.

Tickets are $35 and are available on Grindstone Theatre's website.

On Tuesday, Grindstone Theatre announced the first 10 shows had sold out, and two more Sunday shows were added.

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the premier's office for comment on this story, but a response was not received.