For close to 30 years, the amazing world of Dav Pilkey has been inspiring readers to embrace their silly side. With “Captain Underpants,” he created a new institution that mixed literary wordplay with gross-out humor in such a way that it became essential to fostering imagination. Over the decades, he’s taken the characters in numerous directions – including a fictional half dog/half man/all hero created by protagonists George and Harold named Dog Man. Given the success of the spin-off series (over 20 million books in print), it made sense to see them shift their attention to other places, including the stage.
Based on the first four books in the “Dog Man” series, Theater Works has taken delightful strides to make Pilkey’s work a brisk and exuberant production. More importantly, this isn’t just an homage to a story most of the young audience knows by heart. There is a genuine effort to recreate a staged retelling that updates the antics in a way that makes sense to the franchise. Given how every book starts with George and Harold laying out their creative process, it makes sense that this version takes joy in turning the stage into a lesson on how to put on a show. Before adapting to a wider array of characters, the two boys turn to the audience and share a familiar story of being in their clubhouse making comics, trying to come up with a way to turn household supplies into an entertaining play for their welcomed guests.
One of the best aspects of Dog Man: The Musical is the fact that it neither feels too extravagant nor talks down to its audience. The sets look directly lifted from a panel, with many brightly drawn buildings with names like “The Science Building Over There” populating the stage in boxy cylinders. Costume changes are usually practical, finding them changing before the audience in moments of frenetic transition. Everything encourages spontaneity, forcing the audience to wonder how the next scene will play out with minimal props and a cast whose acceleration is only matched by their gift for landing a mix of punchlines and slapstick gags that play well with the audience.
It starts simply enough with the broad humor and characters whose motives feel designed by fifth graders. Petey has a twirling mustache flamboyance that is only matched by his clone L’il Petey and their inquisitive nature that aggravates him. A simple string of “Why’s” finds Petey looking for a way to stick the partying toddler in a box for somebody else to take and helps them cross paths with Dog Man, the only character reliant more on physical buffoonery than sentences that are clever enough to challenge the audience. Even then, Pilkey’s brilliance shines in that these moments are driven by the development of pathos. These crudely designed characters with exaggerated voices may at first appear too silly, but stick around and the heart begins to shine, eventually leading to a fairly satisfying conclusion that everyone can choose to be good or evil if they want.
The soundtrack is another nice touch. These aren’t necessarily Broadway-caliber tunes, but they still help to capture the grandiose nature of Dog Man. With a small cast, they take turns singing catchy melodies while dancing around the sets, recreating moments familiar to longtime Pilkey fans (such as Flip-O-Rama) and adding new lore for audiences to mull over. Even with its simplicity, the cast and crew find a way to make the heart of the show shine, where it’s about the wonder of creation, sometimes even commenting on how unexpected a decision is. It’s a meta show that may use a familiar novelty, but given that the show is about producing a fifth-grade-level show, it all works with a charming force that results in a nice balance of heart and absurdity.
Among the biggest compliments that can be given to a show like Dog Man: The Musical is that it is a perfect understanding of its material and audience. Those who have read “Brawl of the Wild” will find plenty to enjoy this narrative that effortlessly recreates many of Pilkey’s best moments. It also understands the right ways to make his humor more than a cheap gag, allowing it to foster enthusiasm and interactivity. This is a show that perfectly captures a sense of curiosity and even desires for those watching to make a show of their own. Given how silly it is in often trivial ways, it makes it all the more practical that the row of children sitting front row could be putting on their own production by the end of the weekend.
All in all, Dog Man: The Musical is a modest production that may not win over the more mature audience members who don’t find jokes about dogs slobbering kisses funny, but for those willing to embrace the craziness may leave with something hilarious and even heartfelt. It’s a show that allows itself to be gross and sometimes downright confusing, but by the end, there is an awareness that nobody is being talked down to. The ending may not make total sense, but it does enough to inspire someone to make their bedroom a stage, pulling a box together to make their own Science Center Over There. In that regard, it’s a jubilant piece of theater, and one that more than warrants taking the family to.
Comments
Post a Comment