by Joanne Engelhardt

Poor old New Jersey!  For a state that is best known as “The Garden State,” it certainly gets a lot of bad press.  Consider “The Toxic Avenger, The Musical,” now on stage at Los Altos Stage Company’s Bus Barn Theater through June 28.

This musical comedy takes place in the fictional New Jersey town of Tromaville, more specifically its toxic waste dump near the New Jersey Turnpike. It’s here that a timid, aspiring earth scientist named Melvin Ferd the III makes the decision to clean up the state.

With a book, music and lyrics by playwright Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, the rock musical was written in 2008 and was originally based on a 1984 film of the same name. Critics lauded it as exuberantly silly fun, and since then it’s been performed in theaters all over the world.

LASC’s production, shrewdly directed by Doug Brook, has a lot going for it: five fine actors, several of whom play a slew of roles with quick off-stage costume changes; incredible costumes, especially the toxic-looking prosthetic worn by the Toxic Avenger himself, plus one costume made of two halves of two costumes; a five-member band hidden at the rear of the stage, led by conductor Gus Kambeitz; and a whopping 18 songs sung by the quintet of actors, all of whom have strong voices and decent dancing skills.

But really, how can you go wrong when seeing a play with a blind librarian, men in hazmat suits, a wacky nun, sundry unattached arms and legs lying around, drag queens, a guitar-playing hippie, a random scientist, two guys dancing in sparkly mini-dresses, and the story’s hero admitting that he has killed people—and immediately adding: “But only polluters!”

Appearing as “Black Dude,” Gary Stanford is terrific in a variety of different roles, while Max Mahle, as “White Dude,” is equally well cast (and he plays a mean guitar!). The two female cast members, Kennedy Johnson as Sarah, the blind librarian, and Molly Thornton as Ma Ferd, the frighteningly diabolical Mayor Babs and a random Nun, are equally terrific.  Harker Russell plays both the timid Melvin Ferd the Third as well as the title character (The Toxic Avenger).

Cast members sing such interestingly named songs as “Who Will Save New Jersey?” plus “Kick Your Ass,” “Thank God She’s Blind,” “Hot Toxic Love,” “Evil is Hot,” “Choose Me Oprah,” and “All Men are Freaks.”

Director Doug Brook might well have reined in some overacting, and a few off-stage costume changes occasionally held up the action, but “The Toxic Avenger, The Musical” is two hours of lively, zany fun. If that’s what you’re looking for, this production is right up your alley.

There are definitely some rather adult-themed storylines in “Avenger,” which makes it somewhat unsuitable for younger audience members. LASC Executive Artistic Director Gary Landis says there is no stated minimum age for this show, but adds that most of the theater’s main stage productions contain adult-themed material and are recommended for mature audiences.

“Toxic Avenger, The Musical” plays in Los Altos through June 28. For further information, click here.
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Rating: ***1/2 (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
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“The Toxic Avenger, The Musical,” by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan. Director: Doug Brook. Assistant Director: Tonya Mara. Music Director: Gus Kambeitz. Choreographer: Brittany Watts. Scenic Designer: Gary Landis. Assistant Scenic Designer: Jack Landis. Costume Designer: Greet Jaspaert. Lighting Designer: Aya Matsutomo. Sound Designer: Chris Beer. Props Designer: Laura Merrill. Prosthetics Designer: Chris Mahle. Wig Designer: Melissa Mei Jones. AWM/Wardrobe Crew: Marisa Kingsley and Alvina Xu. Master Carpenter: Bryan Hornbeck. Scenic Painter: Edgar Vazquez. Photographers: Evelyn Huynh, Christian Pizzirani. Production Manager: Rebecca Voss.

Cast:

Melvin Ferd the Third/The Toxic Avenger: Harker Russell. Sarah the Blind Librarian: Kennedy Johnson. Ma Ferd/Mayor Babs/Nun: Molly Thornton. Black Dude: Gary Stanford. White Dude: Max Mahle. 

Musicians:

Conductor/Bass: Gus Kambeitz. Keyboard: Gary Dominguez; Guitar: Francisco Hernandez. Woodwind: Antony Pickard. Drums/Percussion: Phoebe Chou.