How many Toxic Avenger musicals does the world need? Apparently, at least three ... The Toxic Avenger Musical, which recently opened Off Broadway at New World Stages, marks the third effort at turning the campy '80s flick into a singing-and-dancing stage fest. CurtainUp Review: The Toxic Avenger Musical
This was my first Toxic musical outing, but I brought along my friend Nora to get a veteran's take on the material. (She played the blind girlfriend, Sarah, in a production that debuted at Omaha's Blue Barn Theatre several years ago.) She seemed to enjoy the new take on "Toxie", but declared that the productions were like "apples and oranges" -- all too different to truly be compared.
So why The Toxic Avenger? It seems that audiences have had a fondness for the green-tinged sci-fi genre in recent years. Throughout the show, I kept a running list of other shows that are similar in theme/music/atmosphere: Urinetown, Reefer Madness, Little Shop of Horrors, Bat-Boy, etc. ... and green creatures are already well-represented on New York stages with Shrek, Wicked, and the now-closed Young Frankenstein.
Geek + Green = Superhero? Sounds like wishful thinking on the part of computer nerds everywhere. (Or, if green = $$, we've unearthed the dreams of many a producer on this small island.)
Green goo aside, I highly recommend the show based on the phenomenal fortitude of three fabulous performers: wise-cracking chameleons Matthew Saldivar and Demond Green, and, especially, the formidable force of nature that is Nancy Opel. It appears that one of her secrets is her shoes, but if the right pair of shoes could make everyone sing like that, Broadway would be a happier place indeed (and Carrie Bradshaw would be crooning ballads in her Blahniks).
No comments:
Post a Comment