Advertising, what is it good for? Absolutely SOMETHING, say it again.

American soul singer Edwin Starr may not have been so inclined to update the lyrics to his 1969 smash hit anti-war anthem to reflect the marketing mayhem that tortures consumers but larger-than-life funnyman Rick Miller sees true value in this kind of impudent connotation.

HARDSELL is the name the new project and together with avant-garde theatremaker Daniel Brooks the bombastic offering hilariously targets those who make a living selling to us.

The clever concept behind the innovative presentation oddly began with drawing a parallel between marketing and molecular biology—‘sell’ and ‘cell’. In this age of relentless product promotion and around the clock ad nauseam, is this practice part of our DNA or is the behaviour learned?

It may sound like heavy stuff but the man of 1,000 voices is by no means inviting audiences into the Berkeley Street Theatre to cast judgment on the moral quagmire surrounding advertising. Instead, HARDSELL wades into darker psychological territory with Rick Miller relying on his alter ego to poke fun at an industry hell-bent on perpetuating brand distractions.

The high octane, multi-media divertissement packs such comedic thrill that lobbyists for the Association of Canadian Advertisers will likely have the artist dragged before a parliamentary committee to explain his actions when the show completes its run.

To assist the buying public in understanding what role it plays in commercialism’s hallway of smoke and mirrors, the intensely animated and piquantly playful Rick Miller goes beyond his own brand of humour to expose the method to his performance madness.

PLEASE NOTE: After consulting with Rick Miller about the crafty machinations of the advertising industry, TorontoStage.com admits that it, too, is guilty of ‘selling’ various productions to unsuspecting playgoers throughout the years. We deeply regret our missteps and sincerely apologize for any hardship brought upon our readers, subscribers, and spammers.