OK. I know what you’re thinking. Bedbugs??? A musical??? Yep. That’s what I thought at first also. To begin with, it gave me the creeps, to be honest. I’ve seen bedbugs. They’re usually almost microscopic, and they still creep me out. How would I respond to one that was large enough to actually eat me? There was just one way to find out — go see the show BEDBUGS!!! Seriously, how bad could it be? A singing, dancing bedbug? Can’t be too creepy, right? Well, partly right.
Creepy factor aside, I have to say I really enjoyed this musical. What’s not to love? Given the premiss of the show – a geeky, scientist-lady who is determined to create a solution to rid New York City of its bedbug infestation and inadvertently causes them to mutate into monsters that destroy the city, and then goes and falls in love with their grotesque leader – I was a tad bit skeptical.
The show, however, never failed to surprise. From it’s 1980’s rock-and-roll score by Paul Lessen and its book and lyrics penned by Fred Sauter, to its disgustingly creative costumes designed by Philip Heckman, BEDBUGS!!! brings us one fun twist after another. The story, farfetched as it is, never fails to keep us interested. How could you not want to know what will happen next?
This production is so well-staged and tight-fitting. It gives us performances that are strong and endearing (yes, it’s possible to fall in love with a bedbug – you’ll see), and sets and special effects that are worthy of any stage in NYC. In fact, it would be nice to see BEDBUGS!!! live on in a larger space. Scenic designer, Adam Demerath, does a fine job with the space and resources that he has; however, with a bit more space (and more dollars from larger audience capacity), the potential is practically unlimited.
Don’t run away, but run TO the ArcLight Theatre, 152 West 71st Street in New York to see BEDBUGS!!! before it closes on October 26th. Don’t worry, you don’t need to take any bug spray. They’ll provide that for you! And instead of running away when it’s over, you’ll probably leave humming a tune, or maybe even doing a little head-banging dance.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.bedbugsmusical.com.
