The Hartford Players Theatre Company presents: THE GUY WHO DIDN'T LIKE MUSICALS

The Hartford Players Theatre Company presents THE GUY WHO DIDN'T LIKE MUSICALS, through March 23rd at Inspiration Studios in West Allis, WI.

By Mary Boyle

In 2009 a theatre company called StarKid Productions was born at the University of Michigan.  Bold and innovative, they produced their works by utilizing Kickstarter, meaning anyone could help support the production.  One of the people who supported their 11th stage show was a local actor from the Milwaukee area named Logan Milway, and Logan is the reason I came to know about the inexplicable phenomenon that is THE GUY WHO DOESN'T LIKE MUSICALS.  After a short run in the fall of 2018, the show was uploaded to YouTube and has now been viewed over eight million times.  Six years later, Logan finally got his chance for his "dream role" as Paul, the Guy, himself, in the Hartford Players Theatre Company's production of this underground gem of a musical that Logan originally helped bring to the stage.

Directed by Abigail Ford, TGWDLM is definitely a show for mature audiences.  Based on the 1956 horror film, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this production has far more humor than horror but makes good use of adult language.  Paul (Logan Milway) works in an office (not unlike Office Space) with his three coworkers:  Charlotte Sweetly (Elena Donley), an anxious wreck of a woman trying to repair her marriage with her husband, Sam (Colleen Cline), Ted Spankoffski, a young, overconfident womanizer, and Bill Woodward (Brandon Haut), a divorced father who is hoping to gain favor with his teenage daughter, Alice (Maddy Buchta) by taking her to a performance of Mamma Mia!  When Bill invites Paul to the musical, Paul refuses, because he really doesn't like musicals.  Instead, Paul heads over to the local coffee shop in hopes of seeing his favorite barista, Emma (Brianna Deans), who is crabbier than usual because the management is making the staff sing for every tip.  Paul is sympathetic, and the two of them bond over their mutual hatred of musicals.

As it happens, Bill never gets to take his daughter to Mamma Mia! because a meteor crashed straight through the marquee and into the theater; however, the following day, strange things begin to happen in Hatchetfield.  Everywhere Paul goes, people are singing – beginning with the Greenpeace girl (Mackenzie Gehrke) and even his boss, Mr. Davidson (Kory Friend).  Paul heads to Emma, needing a strong coffee and someone to confide in, but the two quickly realize that something truly is amiss.  Together with Paul’s coworkers, they find refuge with one of Emma’s professors from college, Professor Hidgens (Cobi Tappa), an eccentric doomsday prepper whose home is like a fortress.  What has come for the simple people of Hatchetfield?  Will this band of unlikely people be able to do anything to help?

With music and lyrics by Jeff Blim and book by Nick & Matt Lang, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals is a hilarious parody mash up of musicals and campy 50s horror films that really can’t be beat.  Clever, fast-paced, and full of pop culture references, the entire show will keep audiences laughing and entertained from start to finish.  The cast and crew do an admirable job in keeping with the original, which is important, because anyone with an internet connection can see it.  The set, costumes, and “special effects” are spot on and the cast, overall, is strong – how they all manage to play it so straight without cracking up is admirable.  Cobi Tappa and Kory Friend are scene-stealers as Professor Hidgens and Mr. Davidson, so look for them.  Inspiration Studios is an easy to find, intimate space, which means seats are limited – don’t miss this one!
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THE GUY WHO DIDN’T LIKE MUSICALS runs through March 23rd at Inspiration Studios in West Allis, located at 1500 S. 73rd Street.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://hartfordplayers.ltd/tickets/.  Seats are general admission and $25 each.
 
The Hartford Players do professional theatre, they just don’t get paid for it. The goal is to give our community the very best in theatre by tapping into the incredible pool of talent that walks by you in the grocery store and sits near you in the restaurant at lunch.  They create beauty on the stage today and nurture the seeds of tomorrow’s beauty together through scholarships for worthy students of the arts.  The Hartford Players is a 501 (c) (3) organization. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.