The beauty of art is that it’s subjective, that it allows artists to create and bend rules to give their audiences what they want. Some go for deep and complex plotting that question the philosophical aspects of our everyday life. Others are musicals in which the desire to express something is so big, they have to sing to be able to express them. There’s award winners and audience favorites. Horror schlock fests and intense psychological thrillers. There are so many genres that it’s easy to say there’s something for everybody. Then there’s the shows that are created for a specific audience, one that will understand the plot and the jokes without you having to do much for it. From “Bayside: The Unmusical” to “Puffs,” unofficial parodies of established properties have graced our stage, providing laughs and moments in which audience members can rejoice and new eyes can feel interested in the already famous product. Well, now you can put the new show by Steven Brandon and Steven Christopher Parker, “Game of Thrones: The Rock Musical” to the list.
Do not get me wrong, this show has been created for and will be enjoyed by Game of Thrones fans. Which to be honest, is a huge pool. With inside jokes and clever characterizations, “Game of Thrones: The Rock Musical” goes for the heart of the series, and creates witty moments for those that follow the eternal game of Westeros. Brandon and Parker, who already successfully pulled the parody musical with “Lost: The Musical,” have done a good job in here, making something as complex as this franchise in a silly musical full of absurdism and social commentary.
The ensemble of the piece is what ultimately sells the show, as they not only seem to be having an overwhelmingly good time on stage, but they infect their audiences with it. And the best part? They roll with the punches. The audience was rowdy, sometimes too rowdy, but it never deterred the cast from moving forward. If anything, it gave them fuel. And because they did that, people that were on the fence were able to enjoy the production a lot more. While the musical numbers feel pretty generic and mostly repetitive, the play itself is hilarious. I wonder if they just did it straight as a play with no music, if it would be a better show in general. As it stands, it’s a good time, but not memorable.
“Game of Thrones: the Rock Musical” doesn’t pretend to be anything but what it is. A ridiculous production made to ensure you can escape from everyday life and fill your time with laughter. It’s not deep, it’s not great, it just is what it is and for that, we should be happy.
Out of 4 stars:
