If you went into Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog looking for your average musical, you were sorely disappointed. Instead, the traditional roles of hero and villain were flipped in this wacky, fun Student Studio production.
As someone who had never seen the original web series, co-written by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) and starring Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle), I was greatly looking forward to seeing this production with fresh, objective eyes. When told the show was playing here, a friend of mine tried to get me to watch the original, but I was determined to see it first as put on by the students in Student Studio.
The experience of Dr. Horrible began once the audience was handed programs made to look like vintage comic books and entered Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theater. The opening scene was already set up, but the audience immediately noticed the backdrop used for the entire production. It looked like an open comic book and each panel illustrated a different setting used throughout the show: Dr. Horrible’s Lab, the Laundromat, a back alleyway and various others.
But the fun part was that these scenes were full of references to comic book superheroes that the audience couldn’t help but try to decipher. It was a game of “I Spy” that the entire audience could enjoy while waiting for the show to start.
And having something to entertain audiences before the show was important. All three weekend shows (from Thursday to Saturday) sold out within 30 minutes of tickets being available and people were lined up to get into the theater almost an hour before show time.
Dr. Horrible is a musical in which the stereotypical “villain” is actually the hero that the audience roots for, and the stereotypical “hero” is actually the villain. Dr. Horrible has been trying for years to get into the Evil League of Evil by trying to do evil things with his inventions. He is always stopped by Captain Hammer, however, the town’s local superhero.
Dr. Horrible keeps a video blog of his experiences trying to get into the League and also about his crush on Penny, a girl who uses the same Laundromat as him. Throughout the show, the audience can’t help but root for Dr. Horrible as he slowly gets to know Penny just as she starts going out with Captain Hammer, a self-centered and attention-seeking jerk.
According to the directors prior to the show, Student Studio’s production was one of the last stage versions of Dr. Horrible as the people in charge are no longer granting stage rights for productions of the show.
So getting to see it performed live by such a talented group of students was a real treat, especially considering the fact that the show was completely student-run.
The songs were catchy and fun while also helping to move the plot along nicely. All of the actors performed their parts wonderfully, but special praise must go to the three main actors: Eric Wilbanks as Dr. Horrible, Lizzy Ozamiz as Penny and Andrew Enloe as Captain Hammer. Each performed their part amazingly, connecting with the audience as well as bringing lots of laughs.
The show was directed by Blake Sharrits, and co-directed with Zac Schnell, the producer, and Rob Steinburg, the technical director. All three did a wonderful job of bringing this show to life on stage for student enjoyment. It really showed that they loved the source material and were committed to putting on the best show possible.
Overall, it was a great show and a fun time. Having first been a viral video online, the runtime is very short, but instead of being a downfall to the show, it only made me want to see more. Congratulations to all the students involved for making such a memorable event.
