Rating (out of four stars): ★★★
A rock musical based off a 1984 B-movie characterized by my fellow show attendee Justin Stabley as “grossploitation” might sound like a disaster from the outset. “The Toxic Avenger” at Phoenix Theatre pulls it off surprisingly well, though some weaknesses in the show weighed it down.
This review raises some difficulty because of the line any performance tows between strength of the performers and skill of the writer. Joe DiPietro wrote the book for the musical, and DiPietro’s storytelling has holes.
In the so-bad-it’s-entertaining film, apex-of-awkward Melvin Junko falls into a vat of toxic waste and transforms into a mutant with super-strength who kills bad guys and falls in love with Sarah, a blind librarian. While the musical is a somewhat loose adaptation of the film (the standout element, though one of many, is that the main villain is the mayor rather than a group of out-of-control adolescents) the basic plot remains the same.
What’s missing from the musical is much indication of Melvin’s actual toxic avenging. The musical fixates on his relationship with Sarah and entirely fails to develop his role as a hero who kills bad people. The arc of his heroism, in fact, takes place offstage, narrated by a folk singer, which obscures whether it actually happened.
Despite the faults in DiPietro’s writing, the show delivered. All five actors in the show sang brilliantly. While all were excellent, Johanna Carlisle, who played Mayor/Mother, and Trisha Hart Ditsworth, who played Sarah, were particular standouts.
With excellent character acting, Carlisle developed two believable characters who commanded the stage. She even managed to do a song as both at once with particular finesse, though the gimmick in itself made the scene feel awkward and exhausting to watch.
Ditsworth, meanwhile, also put on an incredible character performance. Her handle on the dance choreography was also notable — her movements were crisp and distinct.
Both women’s voices were, as they say, on point. They sang with power and strength without losing the choreography or dropping character.
Perhaps the best song in the show was “Hot Toxic Love,” the profession of love sung by Sarah and Toxie, the mutated version of Melvin, played by Caleb Reese. Their voices blended perfectly, and the music — played live by a band on a high platform over the stage — helped compellingly develop the scene.
One final excellent point of the show was the use of costumes, props and set design. The costume changes were unbelievable, with ensemble actors Nathaniel Tenenbaum and Lucas Coatney going through innumerable changes, sometimes multiple times in one scene. The set, too, had many different designs, all of which were spectacularly constructed under scenic designer Beowulf Boritt.
All in all, the show was well-designed and performed. While some parts felt awkward, such as Reese’s stiff navigation while in costume as Toxie, the most disappointing element of the show was in the writing. The performance is still worthwhile, and it left me grinning at almost every turn.
Contact the columnist at molly.bilker@asu.edu
