Mom Theatre Blogger: 90210! THE MUSICAL! Show Review by Robin Gorman Newman
90210! THE MUSICAL!, the new Off-Broadway parody of the popular 90s teen soap Beverly Hills 90210, is now playing at Theatre 80, and if it’s a night of laughs and a trip down memory lane you’re carving, then this is the show for you. And, if you’re a diehard devotee of the original, hit tv series, then you’re in for a snarky treat.
From Bob and Tobly McSmith, the creators of Bayside! The Musical, Full House! The Musical!, Katdashians! The Musical! and Showgirls! The Musical!, 90210! THE MUSICAL! answers the intriguing questions: Can Brandon and Brenda be 90210 cool? Who would win the 1993 Sideburn Contest: Dylan McKay or Brandon Walsh?! Who dies at the Peach Pit?! Will Steve Sanders be eaten by a Sharknado?! Is Andrea Zuckerman poor! Can Emily Valentine kick her crippling UE4A addiction in time to burn down the school?! Will Tori Spelling graduate?!
No rocket science or any real plot, but fans of the show will remember themes from television and get a hoot out of the sendup here, Peach Pit and all. Raunch, puppets that flash, cross dressing……it’s all live on stage….and the talented cast is clearly having a good time, as is the audience.
The show includes such songs as “New Kids in Town,” “We Are Drama Zombies!,” “Oh Yeah! Dylan McKay!,” “Ballad of the Kid Who Accidentally Shoots Himself” sung by The Kid Who Accidentally Shoots Himself, “Peach Pit (The Only Place That We Go),” “Crazy for Emily Valentine (Who Is Crazy),” “U4EA IS A REAL DRUG, REALLY” and “Will Tori Spelling Graduate?” Two tunes in Act II are reminescent of songs from HAMILTON, which will please surely fans of the Broadway smash.
The cast of 90210! THE MUSICAL! features Landon Zwick (Full House! The Musical, Bayside! The Musical!) as Brandon Walsh, Alan Trinca (Full House! The Musical!) as Dylan McKay, Seth Blum (Bayside! The Musical! Full House! The Musical!) as Steve Sanders and Others, Thaddeus Kolwicz (Bayside! The Musical!) as David Silver, Alexis Kelley (Katdashians! The Musical!) as Kelly Taylor and Caleb Dehne as Tori Spelling. Ana Marcu, her her Broadway debut, makes a particularly appealing Brenda Walsh and sassy Emily Valentine.
The real life actress, Christine Elise McCarthy, who played Emily in the tv series, makes an appearance to chat with the audience and hawk copies of her novel Bathing & the Single Girl. And, of course, posed for photo opps.
Bob and Tobly McSmith (Creators/Authors) are the writers/directors of Bayside! The Musical!, Full House! The Musical!, Katdashians! The Musical!, Showgirls! The Musical! and JonBenet! Murder Mystery Theater!
90210! THE MUSICAL! features music by Assaf Gleizner. The production is directed and choreographed by Donald Garverick. Tegan Miller is the musical director, and Carmen Mendoza is the costume designer, who had a field day here, particularly with the male actors playing Andrea and Tori.
What’s next?! Some thoughts….The Partridge Family? Fresh Prince of Bel Air? Family Ties? No shortage of possibilities for the parody team at work here. Stay tuned…..
Theatre 80 is located at 80 St. Mark’s Place in New York City. For more information visit www.90210TheMusical.com.
Tags: 90210, mom theatre critic, off broadway show, parody, tori spelling
