On the day of his death, Arizona Senator and 2008 presidential candidate John McCain finds himself in the lobby of a 3* hotel that turns out not to be the wonderful afterlife he anticipated in heaven, but the inside of Donald Trump’s brain, where he encounters a group of familiar figures the former president can’t get out of his mind, in his relentless need for power, affirmation, and winning. Presented by Quixote Productions and co-conceived by the late Grant Woods (McCain’s first chief-of-staff, Arizona Attorney General, and a eulogist, along with Joe Biden and Barack Obama, at McCain’s funeral service) and Jason Rose (a Republican political consultant, PR firm president, and theater producer in Arizona), the new surreal musical comedy Ghost of John McCain, written by Scott Elmegreen (book) and Drew Fornarola (music and lyrics), and now making its Off-Broadway debut in a limited engagement at SoHo Playhouse, takes an over-the-top look at our current American values and socio-political climate of cut-throat rivalry and divisiveness during this “election cycle from hell.” Jason Tam (front) and Luke Kolbe Mannikus. Photo by Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade. Starring Jason Tam as McCain and an all-in company of five – Luke Kolbe Mannikus, Aaron Michael Ray, Zonya Love, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, and Ben Fankhauser – playing the multiple roles of Trump, his brain, and a Greek chorus of the people he obsesses over, both real and imaginary. They include Teddy Roosevelt, Roy Cohn, Lindsey Graham, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Eva Perón, Sarah Palin, and (the recently added) Kamala Harris to Taylor Swift, Kanye West, the Phantom of the Opera, CATS’ Grizabella, the Grim Reaper, a Sexy Lady Fox News Anchor, his own Daughter-Wife, Arizona MAGA voter Karen, and a host of others, in the over-stuffed absurdist piece, directed by Catie Davis, that is frequently confused and sometimes redundant (perhaps because of where it takes place), inherently controversial (already criticized on social media by McCain’s daughter Meghan, who hasn’t seen it), and often laugh-out-loud hilarious and irreverently observant, as it moves through numerous shifting scenes and locales inspired by Trump’s properties, with glimpses into a golden bathroom (scenic design by Lawrence E. Moten III) and sixteen songs that recall his professed appreciation for Broadway musicals (orchestrations by Frank Galgano, Matt Castle, and Fornarola, with additional arrangements by music director Vadim Feichtner). Jason Tam and company. Photo by Evan Zimmerman/Murphy Made. Much of the extended show bombards us with rapid-fire vignettes and readily identifiable character impersonations in the format of SNL skits, performed by the sidesplitting cast with quick changes of costumes (by Mieka van der Ploeg) and hair and wigs (by Ashley Rae Callahan), a Hitler puppet, telling props, and voiceovers (sound by Daniela Hart/Uptown Works NYC) recalling actual events of recent years. Among the most riotous bits are a dance-off competition (lively choreography by Sunny Min-Sook Hitt) between Trump, who sees himself as an entitled, demanding, and juvenile fourteen-year-old in an oversized suit and big red tie (well-played by Mannikus), and McCain, who doesn’t want to participate; Trump drinking a bottle of Clorox during the COVID pandemic, left by the janitor Biden (the outstanding Fankhauser) who’s there to clean up after him; a sexualized Graham (also played by Fankhauser, who absolutely nails every role with spot-on accents, demeanors, and comedic deliveries) recurrently appearing as Trump’s “good good good good boy” in S&M gear; the angry and frustrated Karen (portrayed with powerhouse vocals by Zonya Love) ultimately rebelling against Trump and his unfulfilled promises; Trump’s inflated ego insisting “I’m the Brain” (Aaron Michael Ray in a wildly over-sized costume of his cerebellum); and Hillary (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) smugly singing “I Told You So” and later demanding a do-over, “starting in 1996.” Ben Fankhauser and members of the cast. Photo by Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade. There are also more sober segments signaled by changes in lighting (by Colleen Doherty) from colorful neon and flashing marquee lights to a darker tone and spotlight, as in the scene of McCain’s imprisonment for consistently refusing to sign an affidavit naming Trump “the greatest president who’s ever lived,” with a poignant 11th-hour number performed with genuine emotion by Tam. Will he ever get out of Trump’s head? Is musical theater the answer? While Ghost of John McCain delivers sardonic laughs, it also drives home the serious message to get out and vote in November if you care about the future of our country, so see it and do it. Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes, without intermission. Ghost of John McCain plays through Sunday, November 10, 2024, at SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $120- 200, plus fees), go online.