THE BASICS: KRAGTAR!: THE AMERICAN MONSTER MUSICAL, by Kyle Wilson & Sam French, directed by Chris J Handley, presented by The Alleyway Theatre, starring Amy Jakiel, Amanda Funicello, Anthony Lazzaro, and Justin Gaskill. Previews are April 21,22,23,25 all at 7:30. Regular run April 26 – May 13, Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30. Industry night is Monday, May 1. There is one matinee Saturday, May 6 at 3:30. The Alleyway Theatre Main Stage, 1 Curtain Up Alley (between Pearl St. and Main St. a few feet north of Shea’s Buffalo) 716-852-2600 www.alleyway.com
RUNTIME: 2:10 including intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: This totally irreverent zany campy adventure follows scientists (and former lovers), Harry and Harvey, as they battle the Godzilla-like monster taking over America. With Congress shut down and refusing to help, they are the only ones who can keep the country from collapsing.
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION: KRAGTAR! The American Monster Musical was written by two Carnegie Mellon theatre graduates, Kyle Wilson and Sam French. There have been concert performances of KRAGTAR! In NYC, but Alleyway Theatre has given KRAGTAR a full-scale musical production and this the show’s Western New York premiere.
It’s hard to categorize KRAGTAR! — it starts off as a parody of monster films like Godzilla, but it turns into more of a parody of musical theatre. This is Little Shop of Horrors meets Book of Mormon with a dash of hippie sensibility about love tossed into the mix. And serious subjects like homophobia and crooked politicians are tackled, too.
The musical direction by James Welch is terrific – all the singing voices and the band — Mr. Welch, Robert Caso, Robert Zolnowski, and Jonathan Hager are top notch. A few of the mics needed to be turned up a bit – once in a while lyrics were difficult to catch. Speaking of the lyrics, they are surprising, wild, and sometimes x-rated. The book is laugh out loud funny and director Chris J. Handley has gone one step farther and added tons of clever comedic touches. This is a highly amusing production!
Tim McGrath’s sets are inventive, and set changes (and there are a lot of them) are fluid.
The lighting by Emma Schimminger is fine and adds a lot to the production, and the dozens of costumes by Lara Berich are memorable – especially an amazing Act 2 boudoir outfit worn by Amy Jakiel! All the choreography by Kevin Leary is lots of fun. I especially enjoyed the “dance” number on rolling stools.
Both handsome romantic leads have first rate singing voices, are strong actors, and they provide us with some lovely poignant moments. Justin Gaskell is the noble one, and Anthony Lazzaro is the idealistic one. They are the welcome ballast amidst the evening’s madness.
Amanda Funicello is Lazzaro’s stalwart teaching assistant and she shines in her heartfelt finale song about love.
Amy Jakiel is a force of nature who brings down the house when she lets loose with a hilarious performance as the antagonist – a religious dominatrix!
There is a lively, hard working, very talented ensemble — each member plays lots of roles and changes their costumes…..I don’t know…10 times? 20 times? More??? Backstage must be chaotic, but onstage it all looks effortless. Emily Bassett plays an austere librarian. Jetaun Louie and Sarah Blewett deftly dance a delightful soft shoe.
The ensemble is rounded out with three very funny performers who are an asset to any production. Nick Lama commands the stage as the wildly misguided coked-up Speaker of the House. Jeremy Kreuzer is a hoot as 4 year old Sunday school student. Actually, Jeremy and Nick even manage to get laughs moving scenery! Towards the end of the evening, Matt Rittler gets his turn in the limelight as a renegade congressman with a propensity for gold lamé!
KRAGTAR! is an offbeat musical featuring a high-spirited cast, top notch production values, and Chris J. Handley’s creative direction. I had a monstrously good time!
*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)
ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.
TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.
THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.
FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.
FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!
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