Hawkins, Indiana, could also be residence to murderous monsters, but it surely’s means much less threatening once you toss in campy musical numbers and foolish wigs.
You get loads of each in Stranger Sings: The Parody Musical, which payments itself as a “hilarious ‘the other way up’ take” on the hit Netflix horror drama about younger buddies dealing with supernatural forces in a fictional ’80s city. It is enjoying off-Broadway in New York now, and runs by way of Jan. 1 in London. The present involves Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 4, with extra Australian cities on the docket.
With its colourful forged of ragtag characters, large ’80s hair and ponderous moveable telephones that would double as doorstops, the collection virtually begged for musical satire, says Jonathan Hogue, author and producer of Stranger Sings.
“After I began exploring this collection as a parody musical, the songs and story beats all fell into place so naturally, as if the present was meant to be musicalized, and parodied, from the start,” says Hogue, a giant fan of the Duffer brothers’ creation, which ended its fourth season in August. “Who would not need to see Joyce get a giant brassy showstopper together with her Christmas lights? Or Barb develop into a vengeful musical diva?”
Jamir Brown performs the Demogorgon and SLee is Barb in Stranger Sings: The Parody Musical.
Evan Zimmerman
The remainder of the gang’s right here for the musical model too: Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Eleven Hopper, Steve and Jonathan. Stranger Sings follows season 1’s story arc, which explains the reappearance of poor, ill-fated Barb, alive once more and doing duets with questionable bestie Nancy.
“We’ll stick collectively, buddies perpetually, and greatest buddies by no means, they by no means die,” they sing with a figuring out wink.
The present lasts round two hours and options 14 songs — about life in Hawkins, awkward teen crushes and the stress of getting your baby kidnapped and brought to a different dimension. Among the extra amusing lyrics come from a quantity that includes psychic child Eleven singing about sketchy Hawkins Nationwide Laboratory scientist Dr. Brenner. Her father determine does some very unpaternal issues, like put Eleven in a sensory deprivation tank to take advantage of her telekinetic powers for presidency evil.
“I all the time wished a dad who would by no means make me cry,” Eleven sings. “One who’d inform me, ‘Child, I am so happy with you,’ as a substitute of ‘Keep in your cell ’til July.'”
“I acquired quite a lot of concepts from watching and listening to basic ’80s movies and music, however I additionally carried a lot inspiration over from my lifelong obsession with Saturday Evening Dwell, Mel Brooks, Monty Python and different sketch comedy creators,” says Hogue, who’s pursuing a graduate diploma in theater administration and producing at New York’s Columbia College. “It was additionally necessary to me that whereas the present remained humorous all through, I additionally made positive to infuse it with simply the correct quantity of coronary heart in order that audiences actually cared about these characters, as foolish as they’re.”
The present’s pulled in usually enthusiastic opinions, with critics calling it high-energy and hilarious. It received seven Broadway World Off/Off-Off Broadway Awards in 2021, together with greatest new musical, greatest costume design, lighting design and scene design.
Hogue has watched all 4 seasons of the Netflix present, met the forged and even been an additional in just a few episodes. However he says audiences can nonetheless benefit from the musical even when they’ve by no means heard of Madmax or the Thoughts Flayer or tweeted utilizing the #justiceforbarb hashtag.
“Certainly one of my favourite issues to listen to … is viewers members telling me, ‘I’ve by no means seen an episode of Stranger Issues and I beloved this present,” Hogue says.
This is not the primary time Stranger Issues has been set to music. 5 years in the past, singer Brian David Gilbert got here out with a comedic musical backing monitor to be performed rather than the primary season’s common audio monitor. The album’s additionally referred to as Stranger Sings, however is not related with the musical.
The fifth and last season of Stranger Issues is anticipated on Netflix someday in 2024. The Duffer brothers have confirmed a time soar for season 5, however they have not revealed particulars.
Within the meantime, possibly a hip-thrusting Demogorgon in a good physique go well with will tide you over.
‘Stranger Issues’ Stars Then and Now: Wow, They’ve Actually Grown Up
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