There’s so many things that can make a production successful. It can have an incredible technical presence in which the audience can find themselves lost. This can mask poor storytelling easily, just as the ability to tell a good story can hide the limited technical aspects. Some will create philosophies that will change your life. Some make you think about your own future and present life. But if you look for the most important piece of the entertainment puzzle, well, it is to entertain. In that aspect, the laugh-out-loud funny and joyful “Beware The Chupacabra!” soars on stage in front of our very eyes.
The absurdist musical follows on the steps of productions like “Urinetown,” which spotlights what troubles society using the most ridiculous of plots. In this case, it’s all about a tailor who starts going out with a high society girl after she falls in love with his dresses. Throw in there a future father-in-law that hates the tailor and a crazy search for a mythical creature in the jungles of Mexico and you have the basic plot of this play. The creature being the titular Chupacabra, of course. And I have to say, the folks at Mind The Art Entertainment did a great job at creating what was one of the most enjoyable experience I had in a theater.
Created by R. Patrick Alberty and Christian De Gré “Beware The Chupacabra!” manages to have the perfect balance for a show to succeed. The ensemble’s work is the heart and soul of the musical. And I mean everyone! From the main characters to the players, all of them seem to be having as much fun as we are seeing them. The technical aspects had a lot to do with this. Having a simple and effective set and an economical lighting design let the players flow on and off stage easily without distraction or making odd transitions. Instead, each one seems like a complete person, even those characters that were there for a only scene left an impact.
Now not everything was amazing! No. In fact, I wasn’t amused by the first quarter of the production. At first, it seems like it’s trying very hard to be witty. The musical numbers are very similar, and the book doesn’t really grab you. Add to that the fact that the space was so big that the orchestra drowns the voices of the performers and I spent most of the numbers figuring out what they were saying, and the result was a muddy introduction to the world. But all of that dissipates once the main character arrives in Mexico. It’s like the creators themselves couldn’t wait to get to that part to bring it all together.
There’s a reason this team is comprised of award-winners. Their production oozes the cleverness most musicals dream to have, and the audiences love it. “Beware The Chupacabra!” had a great run at the Fringe NYC this year and manages to stand out from the huge pack that make up the program of this festival. The whimsical show will be back at some point, and if I were you I would be checking when. Besides a slow intro into the world, this show is first class. New work is alive, so SUPPORT IT!
How good is it?
Twisted Talk: Have you seen any Mind the Art Entertainment productions before? What did you think of ‘Beware the Chupacabra?’ Discuss below!
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