By Bri Scala
It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl, boy gets thrown into a vat of toxic sludge, boy emerges as a disfigured mutant hellbent on avenging the planet—and New Jersey, of course.
Produced by Troma Entertainment in 1984, Lloyd Kaufman’s The Toxic Avenger didn’t attract mainstream appeal upon its initial release. It was too low-budget, goofy, and a bit too gory for your average filmgoer. But over time, through late-night reruns and VHS rentals, the film eventually found a cult following amongst those who like their heroes grotesque and their love stories with a side of political incorrectness.
If the eighties film wasn’t quite your taste, fear not. In 2008 it was reimagined for the stage, with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by David Bryan. The result is something surprisingly accessible. While the humor remains, the gore has been largely replaced with infectious song, dance, and some seriously impressive costume changes. The show is part love story, part revenge fantasy, and part hilariously old-school environmental PSA.
Brent Rodgers, known for his inventive, high-energy productions with Riverside High School’s theater program, directs the New Castle Playhouse cast with the same spirit. David Lynch and Elijah Groves are hysterical as the show’s shape-shifting bookends, playing an impressive range of side characters affectionately dubbed “White Dude” and “Black Dude.” Their comedic timing is both perfect and completely unhinged. Leah Grimm is a delight as the devoted Ma and the scheming, sexy Mayor—her double-duty solo number a highlight of an already stacked show. Holly Marshall plays Sarah, the bubbly blind love interest with an angelic set of pipes and a knack for physical comedy. Aaron Shanor balances the mayhem as Melvin, the pacifist nerd turned eco-mutant superhero, delivering earnestness that keeps the comedy from veering too far off course. Even so, it’s hard to imagine a cast more gleefully committed to the absurd.
The New Castle Playhouse Annex couldn’t be a better fit for the show’s weird charm. The set, while mostly static, is filled with tin barrels brimming with neon-green foam and lit with a foggy chemical glow that briefly turns the room into a post-industrial wasteland. The occasional bursts of house lights pull in the audience, breaking the fourth wall and inviting viewers to be part of the chaos.
Like its title character, The Toxic Avenger: The Musical has mutated into something strange and deeply lovable. What began as a B-movie oddity has become a subversive celebration of power ballads, campy irreverence, and hometown devotion.
This show is rated PG-13 and contains adult content and language. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. October 30, 31 and November 1, and 2:00 p.m. November 2. For tickets visit newcastleplayhouse.org.
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