Theatre Blogger: SGT. STUBBY: THE GREAT AMERICAN MILITARY DOG MUSICAL: Show Review by Lainie Gutterman
Photo by: Lynn Manuell
Recently, I was able to attend a preview for the new musical SGT. STUBBY: THE GREAT AMERICAN WAR DOG MUSICAL. The play, which opens on December 3rd at the St. Luke’s Theatre on 46th St and 8th Ave in NYC, celebrates the military exploits of America’s most decorated military dog of World War I. Stubby, a mutt from New Haven, CT, went “over there” with the 102nd infantry division and is credited with saving the lives of many wounded soldiers as well as warning of imminent artillery and poisonous gas attacks. Stubby was later promoted to the rank of Sergeant and got to meet three presidents (Wilson, Coolidge and Harding). For nearly a decade after the war until his death in 1926, Stubby was the most famous animal in the United States. A dog’s life it is.
The book & lyrics are by Jack Dyville and music & lyrics by Lawrence Wankel. While the story is inspiring and full of heart, the shoestring production, directed by Mr. Dyville, didn’t quite do it for me. The show seemed to be missing some “oomph” and vigor and promoted little thought about the subject and times. However, it was amusing and did incorporate some of the language and dialect used in 1917 and 1918 to create the mood of the early 20th century. The production also felt amateurish at times, with the recorded music drowning out some of the lyrics and a static set that never changed with the scenes.
The talented cast, with painted faces, gave it their all. The show features Matt Weinstein (Young Max In The 2015 Big League Productions How The Grinch Stole Christmas National Tour) Meghan Miller (The First Teen Queen Miss America, Bernstein Bears Live & John Tartaglia’s Imagi-Ocean), Daniel Joseph Baker (Season 6 Semi-Finalist on America’s Got Talent on NBC where Howie Mendell declared him a “Bonafide Superstar”), Bryan Ernesto Menjivar (In The Pink Pump Fits, Roy Arias Theatre), Patrick Steven Bovo (Love The Coopers, Fox Searchlight), Zach Green (Season 3 Participant In Simon Cowell’s X Factor), Richard Lisenby (named New Broadway Sensation at 2015 NYMF), Kate Zulauf (Disney Cruise Lines Golden Mickeys, Villain’s Tonight and Disney’s Believe) and Taylor Grace Sumner (Noteworthy Life Of Howard Barnes, Goodspeed & Founding Member Of Wildthings Children’s Theatre In Santa Ana, California).
The dancing was better than average but did not give you the feeling of the age nor the big band era which was to begin shortly after the conclusion of the war. The lighting and overall theatre set-up was impressive. The choreography by Darin Chumbley was lively, and the uplifting book provides 
some good laughs and offers a slice of military (and canine) history and conveys a sense of patriotism, a good takeaway for little ones.
At 90 minutes, SGT. STUBBY: THE GREAT AMERICAN WAR DOG MUSICAL serves well as an affordable family musical for both kids and adults, particularly dog lovers. Given the cost of a Broadway show, parents of younger children will appreciate the opportunity to take their family without breaking the bank.
