By J.E. Ballantyne Jr.
You’re probably aware of the popular Netflix show, “Stranger Things,”which has garnered considerable attention with its final season arriving this month. The Millennial Theatre Company has gotten into the act with a parody musical stage version of the show titled, “Stranger Sings,” which opened at the Youngstown Playhouse on Friday night.
Being presented in the small Moyer Room, the show transports the audience back to Hawkins, Ind., circa 1983, just like the television series. It focuses on the first season of the series when a local youth named Will Byers disappears. What follows in this Off-Broadway hit are all of the adventures and characters from the series that have made it so popular.
The audience is welcomed literally to the small town with a high energy opener, “Welcome to Hawkins.” And just to give you an idea of the fun this show carries, later in Act II, Ryan Stewart enters singing “Gary, Indiana” from “The Music Man” but substituting Hawkins instead. There are show and ’80s references galore.
This is a strong, talented cast with many familiar faces from past Millennial productions as well as Playhouse productions. Many in the cast play numerous roles that come and go so fast that you almost need a scorecard.
As they search for the missing pal Will, Mike (Ben Doss), Dustin (Ryan Stewart), and Lucas (Gesse Matlock) serve as the glue that ties the whole show together. From their first appearance, playing Dungeons & Dragons, they get stronger and stronger as the show progresses. They provide much of the comedy, although comedy is the total menu for the entire evening.
As mentioned earlier, Will has disappeared. But Will is a puppet, expertly operated by his mother, Joyce, played by Jackie Collins. Collins has a huge mountain to climb through the entire show. As well as speaking and operating Will, she also plays her own character – Will’s frantic mother who literally goes crazy during the search. Collins is a powerhouse in both roles. The chain smoking mom (with 3-4 cigarettes in hand at all times) has over-the-top energy and a wild deranged look in her eye especially during her big number, the appropriately titled, “Crazy.”
Collins never lets up in the energy department. Vocally, she has challenging songs and handles them all with professional ease. And as far as the banter between her and Will, she gives any pro a run for their money.
Along the way, as they search for Will, they encounter Nancy and Eleven, both played by Natalina Kazimir. She is a favorite with Millennial having been in many of their productions. The two characters are polar opposites; and Kazimir gives each one 100% commitment. With her belty voice and snappy line delivery, she gives both characters a quality that makes her fun to watch. You could feel the audience feeding off of her high energy.
Nancy’s best friend, Barb, played by Caitlin Overton, is the one character in
the entire show that undergoes a real change from beginning to end. Early on
she plays Barb as awkward and self-conscious but during the torch song, “Barb’s Turn,” she converts the character into a totally new direction. She was a real audi- ence pleaser with her Act II number getting a roar from the audience.
I had not seen Joshua Fleming on stage in quite a few years, but in his role as Sheriff Jim Hopper, he makes it clear how much he has developed as an actor. He gives a strong, confident performance and has a knack for comedy, even comedy that is a bit underplayed in some cases, which worked very well. He brings a maturity to the role as Hopper with an otherwise younger cast.
Edward Bazzell does double duty as Steve and Jonathan. Again both roles are totally different but Bazzell sets each one apart and sells both of them with professional flair. He seemed exceptionally comfortable in both, which helped to see each one as though separate actors were doing the roles.
Jaye Mills makes a couple of short appearances as Dr. Brenner, a mad scientist and appropriately overacts each scene to the delight of the opening night audience. He gives the role just the right crazy, cartoonish character that fits right in with the proceedings. And speaking of overacting, Ty Hanes does a great job as the Demogorgon, a creature-like character without spoken lines. But Hanes didn’t need any.
Even the ensemble in this production hits high marks. They were all front and center each time they made an appearance and their energy and sharp moves were on target with everyone else. They provided a strong complement to the leading roles, helping to add to their character development. Kali Davies-Anderson stood out in the ensemble. This is not to say that the rest didn’t measure up to her, but her energy, focus and stage presence certainly set her apart. She was the focus each time she made an entrance, including in her small role as Mr. Clarke.
Playing one role in this show is exhaustive but when playing numerous roles it can drain an actor quickly. That didn’t happen. Costume changes were fast with sometimes just a few lines before an actor was back on stage as a different character. All handled that smoothly.
The music, by Jonathan Hogue, is campy, very upbeat, and demanding. The cast cut through any difficulty with ease.
Set design by Joe Asente, who also directed, is bright and includes everything from a ton of Christmas lights, to a transistor radio, a Muppets calendar, an old ’80s wall phone, and a ton of little fun items that make it fun to just sit and scan the set during intermission.
Choreography by Danielle Mentzer is snappy, energetic, original and fast-paced. Costume design by Ty Hanes and Daniel Chiaberta borrowed a bit from the original production but also showed a lot of creativity and flash. Again, with the fast changes they had to be easy to remove and quick to put on. Great work in all areas.
Joe Asente hits the mark again with this Millennial production. A clean, fresh, slick professional production in all areas. If you are looking for something a little different and with plenty of laughs and great music, this campy little show should fit the bill.
“Stranger Sings” will continue Nov. 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 9, 16 and 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Pictured at top: Ben Doss, Gesse Matlock and Ryan Stewart star in Millennial Theatre’s production of “Stranger Sings.”