Susan Granger’s review of “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical” (Off-Broadway – Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s)
Whether or not you’ve been faithfully watching the Netflix sci-fi/horror series “Stranger Things,” there’s something to laugh about in writer/producer Jonathan Hogue’s campy, delightful satire “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical.” Of course, if you’re an avid fan, it’s even funnier.
Background info: Now in its fifth and final Netflix season, “Stranger Things” is set in 1983 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where unauthorized experiments in a secret laboratory have opened a portal to an alternate dimension called The Upside Down, where there are monsters like the Demogorgon, a hideous humanoid with supernatural powers.
Meanwhile, nerdy local middle-schoolers have befriended a telekinetic young girl called Eleven, who managed to escape from the laboratory; they hide her and offer her sanctuary….So much for the TV series plot.
On-stage, it seems that young Will Byers (a puppet operated by Carolina Huerta) is now stuck in the Upside Down and needs to be rescued; his mother, Joyce Byers (Caroline Huerta), is, predictably, frantic. Eleven helps Will’s pals Mike Wheeler (Nicolas Hermick), Dustin Henderson (Jeremiah Garcia) and Lucas Sinclair (Jamir Brown) find him, aided by Chief of Police Jim Hopper (Nicolaus Colon).
In a departure from the TV series, one of the primary characters turns out to be Nancy Wheeler’s best friend, Barbara “Barb” Holland (SLee) as the formulaic “frumpy best friend.” They sing: “We’ll stick together, friends forever, and best friends never, they never die.”
Nancy is Mike’s older sister who is dating Will’s older brother, Jonathan Byers (Kyle Mangold), along with Steve Harrington (Kyle Mangold). Yes, it’s a bit confusing.
On the TV show, Barb mysteriously disappears and is eventually discovered to have been killed by the Demogorgon. But – here – it’s “Barb’s Turn,” an energetic musical number. Justice for Barb!
With book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Hogue – who is pursuing a graduate degree in theater management & producing at Columbia – the show is directed by Nick Flatto with choreography by Ashley Marinelli, scenic design by Walt Spengler, lighting by Jamie Roderick, sound by Brendan McCann, and puppets by Matt Anderson.
Extended by popular demand, “Stranger Songs! The Parody Musical” will run at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s, just off Times Square in Hell’s Kitchen, through August 13, 2023. FYI: You must climb six steps to get into the theater; plus, the two bathrooms are small and do not have wheelchair access.