You know you've told a timeless tale when your low-budget 1984 horror-comedy becomes a beloved cult classic, spawns three sequels, an animated children's TV series, mountains of merchandising, and, in 2008, an Off-Broadway musical. Clearly Lloyd Kaufman had his finger on some kind of pulse when he created The Toxic Avenger. A lucky thing, since his finger is so often elsewhere.
Other than being a musical, The Toxic Avenger play differs from the 1984 Troma film in a few ways. For instance, rather than just being bully bait, nerdy Melvin starts out as something of a toxic crusader, which is what prompts Tromaville's mayor to get him thrown in a vat of toxic waste. Just as in the film, however, Toxie is born from Melvin's near-death experience, and he proceeds to mop up Tromaville's toxic landscape and political offices. The musical ran for almost a year in New York, produced a cast album, received some awards and several favorable reviews, and went on a national tour. Not bad for a hideously deformed guy in a tutu, armed only with his mop and superhuman strength! The following is the opening number from the musical that sets the stage for our hero's transformation/entrance. Who are you going to call when Jersey finally gets overrun with toxic waste? You know who.
A few clips from the New York production:
No comments:
Post a Comment