Guess what, Shrek? The Toxic Avenger is in town, and he’s gonna kick your ass! A witty, vulgar and tuneful new musical adaptation of the 1984 camp-classic film, this mean green monster from New Jersey is handing out geraniums and whoop-ass at New World Stages—and he’d rather save the geraniums for his blind girlfriend.
Armed with a smoking band, a brilliant quartet of supporting actors and nearly two full hours of rocking songs, Nick Cordero as Toxie is giving both Shrek and An Inconvenient Truth a run for their money. In retrospect, Al Gore clearly made a grave error in not including a monstrously funny, deranged mayoress (played by Nancy Opel in a tour-de-force performance that’s equal parts Sarah Palin and Megan Mullally) and a hot, blind librarian love interest. Separated from politics, the green cause suddenly seems sexy when presented by the picked-upon nerd Melvin Ferd III, who goes vigilante in a nuclear way after an unfortunate encounter with some dangerous green goo.
The Toxic Avenger could easily have been just a lazy stroll through hackneyed satire: yet another screen-to-stage adaptation that thinks it’s smarter and funnier than it is (yes, Shrek, I’m talking to you again). But book writer and lyricist Joe DiPetro deserves piles of praise for milking, along with other running gags, a blind librarian for all she’s worth, without veering into overkill. In any other show, Sara Chase’s delectable, dizzying turn as the visually impaired Sarah (who accepts the Avenger as her new, smelly French boyfriend), would have stolen the show.
Luckily for director John Rando, the rest of the actors share Chase’s razor-edged timing. There are no standouts in the cast for the simple reason that to choose one would be to share Sophie’s choice. How could anyone single out Opel’s frantic, frenetic duet with herself as the mayor and Melvin’s nagging mother over hardworking ensemble members Demond Green and Matthew Saldivar morphing into an impromptu girl group with Chase? And just when you think Rando has mined all of the outrageous laughs he can from the material, he stages a rollicking chase scene that has to be seen to be believed.
Though the show could be trimmed a bit (at almost two hours, even this much talent threatens to wear out its welcome), it’s hard to carp when everyone’s obviously having a ball; even Cordero, who must both dismember villains and sing ballads under the weight of his slimy, oozing makeup, is obviously enjoying himself, occasionally spurting the first few rows with goo or clambering onto a railing to snarl a song in some unsuspecting audience member’s face (thanks, Cordero). In the process, he delivers the year’s most surprising leading man performance, both scary and heartfelt. Few other actors could juggle both that disgustingly realistic makeup with a surprisingly affecting romantic subplot. Of course, it helps that DiPetro has liberally sprinkled plenty of slapstick in with the romance; blind characters sure come in handy when it comes time for a joke.
The icing on the cake is the show’s score, written by DiPetro and composer David Bryan (a founding member of Bon Jovi). Roaming through musical genres, from folk songs to a dirty, funny tango between Opel and Green, these songwriters don’t believe in stinting on lyrics or powerhouse notes; Chase, in particular, impressively belts out her songs in a thunderbolt of a voice, singing about everything from Oprah to toxic love. By the time the cast gathers on stage for the show’s rousing last number (a insistent earworm that will remain in your hand for the duration of your commute home), only the most misanthropic audience member will have failed to crack a smile. Who knew that nuclear waste could be so damn fun?
> The Toxic Avenger
Open run. New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.), 212-239-6200; times vary, $51.50–$71.50
Armed with a smoking band, a brilliant quartet of supporting actors and nearly two full hours of rocking songs, Nick Cordero as Toxie is giving both Shrek and An Inconvenient Truth a run for their money. In retrospect, Al Gore clearly made a grave error in not including a monstrously funny, deranged mayoress (played by Nancy Opel in a tour-de-force performance that’s equal parts Sarah Palin and Megan Mullally) and a hot, blind librarian love interest. Separated from politics, the green cause suddenly seems sexy when presented by the picked-upon nerd Melvin Ferd III, who goes vigilante in a nuclear way after an unfortunate encounter with some dangerous green goo.
The Toxic Avenger could easily have been just a lazy stroll through hackneyed satire: yet another screen-to-stage adaptation that thinks it’s smarter and funnier than it is (yes, Shrek, I’m talking to you again). But book writer and lyricist Joe DiPetro deserves piles of praise for milking, along with other running gags, a blind librarian for all she’s worth, without veering into overkill. In any other show, Sara Chase’s delectable, dizzying turn as the visually impaired Sarah (who accepts the Avenger as her new, smelly French boyfriend), would have stolen the show.
Luckily for director John Rando, the rest of the actors share Chase’s razor-edged timing. There are no standouts in the cast for the simple reason that to choose one would be to share Sophie’s choice. How could anyone single out Opel’s frantic, frenetic duet with herself as the mayor and Melvin’s nagging mother over hardworking ensemble members Demond Green and Matthew Saldivar morphing into an impromptu girl group with Chase? And just when you think Rando has mined all of the outrageous laughs he can from the material, he stages a rollicking chase scene that has to be seen to be believed.
Though the show could be trimmed a bit (at almost two hours, even this much talent threatens to wear out its welcome), it’s hard to carp when everyone’s obviously having a ball; even Cordero, who must both dismember villains and sing ballads under the weight of his slimy, oozing makeup, is obviously enjoying himself, occasionally spurting the first few rows with goo or clambering onto a railing to snarl a song in some unsuspecting audience member’s face (thanks, Cordero). In the process, he delivers the year’s most surprising leading man performance, both scary and heartfelt. Few other actors could juggle both that disgustingly realistic makeup with a surprisingly affecting romantic subplot. Of course, it helps that DiPetro has liberally sprinkled plenty of slapstick in with the romance; blind characters sure come in handy when it comes time for a joke.
The icing on the cake is the show’s score, written by DiPetro and composer David Bryan (a founding member of Bon Jovi). Roaming through musical genres, from folk songs to a dirty, funny tango between Opel and Green, these songwriters don’t believe in stinting on lyrics or powerhouse notes; Chase, in particular, impressively belts out her songs in a thunderbolt of a voice, singing about everything from Oprah to toxic love. By the time the cast gathers on stage for the show’s rousing last number (a insistent earworm that will remain in your hand for the duration of your commute home), only the most misanthropic audience member will have failed to crack a smile. Who knew that nuclear waste could be so damn fun?
> The Toxic Avenger
Open run. New World Stages, 340 W. 50th St. (betw. 8th & 9th Aves.), 212-239-6200; times vary, $51.50–$71.50
