Review: Repo-The Genetic Opera

 *Personally, I miss everything about my old writing job of reviewing plays and events around town. I loved the people and the whole spectacle. There are so many people who are talented and I have been blessed to see a lot of them perform in integral roles. Even with the changes from Covid (an excuse for a lot of people) I have been able to find an alternative way to see some of the most interesting reproductions of dark musicals. 

Idaho State University put on a piece of the early version of Repo, before it became a cult success on the silver screen. The music was kitchy and irreverent, I absolutely loved the whole idea. After finishing my program at ISU I forgot about the story until a few weeks ago. I found it on a free streaming service and decided it was time to see it in its full glory.

+After an unfortunate event of bankruptcy and reposession the brains behind the Repo storyline was Darren Smith. He created an idea of where a world where people would be forced to pay monthly on their organs or the Repo Organ Man would come to repossess the organs, usually killing the host. Terrence Zdunich and Darren Smith expanded on the entire idea and created the world of the genetic opera.

The movie begins in 2056 where the world has seen some devastating illnesses that have decimated the population by organ failures. GeneCo became the savior of the people by creating organ transplants through a repayment plan. They became a super corporation with too much money. Beyond the much needed transplants, they also created Zydrate the ultimate addictive pain killer. 

We meet the Gravedigger at the beginning after a sequence of comic strips describe what is happening in the world in 2056. The GraveRobber who concocts a Zydrate alternative which is crafted from the bodies of the dead. He sells it on the street. If one has ever seen musicals like Cabaret with the Emcee or plays with a chorus on the sidelines, one can grasp the idea of the GraveRobber. The GraveRobber speaks to the audience watching and then imparts wisdom to Shilo.

Shilo has a blood disease that her overbearing father Nathan believes he can cure. In his past, Nathan and Rotti (The head of GeneCo) both fell in love with the same girl. Rotti creates a situation where Nathan is forced to become the RepoMan for GeneCo and collect the organs that have fallen into arrears. Shilo is unaware of her father's nighttime job, as she is kept in her room. She does happen to escape and meet the GraveRobber. Rotti entices her outside with the promise of a cure for her illness, and in hopes to poison her against her father.

As a lot of dark musicals go, some of the unsightly characters have nefarious ideas beyond the storyline. Rotti's children want the entire company to themselves while being drugged up, surgery addicts, and more. Rotti hopes to give it to Shilo if he can maneuver her in the right way.

This musical met with negative reviews as well as many people who hated the cheap gore. A lot of people hated some of the ways the music was ill-fitting, poorly rhymed, chanty, and poorly assembled. The earlier parts of the musical do have some poor tonal qualities, but as it continued through the storyline the songs got better and had a better range for the singers.

There were three characters I liked overall. The first was Nathan, played by Anthony Stewart Head. Many people know him as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was in the musical episode that Zdunich knew he wanted Head as Nathan. He has a great voice and his rock-esque demeanor makes his bloody alter-ego fun to watch as he is tearing into bodies. The gore is far from realistic, so suspension of disbelief make the musical more fun. The second character was the GraveRobber, played by Zdunich. The GraveRobber doesn't follow the rules and breaks the fourth wall interacting with the audience. His character is a lot of fun and pops up to reveal pertinent information for his own fun. Finally, I love Shilo, played by Alexa Vega. Her singing voice is incredible and the songs she performs show an impressive range.

If one likes fun music with awful gore effects then this musical is for you. It is an intriguing storyline and has music that one will find singing off and on throughout the day. 

Review: The Devil's Carnival by Darren Lynn Bousman

 Musicals and pop-operas are not considered a well loved mode of theater. However, a musical with an intriguing storyline tends to have a better audience response. Add audience participation and the musical becomes a new thing in itself. Musical Comedy Horror Films like "Rocky Horror Picture Show" "Sweeney Todd" and even "The Nightmare Before Christmas" resonate with audiences after they leave the theaters. 

Darren Lynn Bousman is a director on numerous Saw franchise movies, and created the musical horror film "Repo: The Genetic Opera". Cult horror musicals have created a following where audience members participate in the music and dress up, making it an event.

After Bousman created "Repo: The Genetic Opera" with Terrance Zdunich they postulated creating a sequel to "Repo". They used three stories from Aesop's Fables to create the artistic world of "The Devil's Carnival."

                                           *This is the Ticket Master (Dayton Callie) and the Devil (Terrance Zdunich)

John (Sean Patrick Flanery), Tamara (Jessica Lowndes), and Ms. Merrywood (Briana Evigen) are introduced in a flutter of scenes. The audience is given a glimpse of their intense issues. John is having issues in a bathroom and we see him engulfed in grief over his son's death. Tamara is being pursued by her boyfriend, and he is seen with a gun. Ms. Merrywood is seen in her trailer with a bag full of stolen jewels. She is pursued by the police. As the intensity increases, we assume that each character succumbs to the drama and are killed. 

As each character decides the scenes change in intense ways. John, as he slits his wrist, sees the devil and the room melts around him. Tamara's boyfriend shoots her through the window, but the car begins to freeze. Finally, we see Ms. Merrywood's trailer explodes in confetti and garish clowns drag her out.

As the musical continues we discover the three main characters are a part of the evening's performance including the other side show acts. The ringmaster discovers the three characters wandering around the carnival and informs them of the "666 Laws of the Carnival." The audience finds out that the sins the main characters are being relived in the carnival for all to make mockery and hopefully they will learn their lesson.

The Devil (Terrence Zdunich) decides to take part specifically in the night's festivities. He tells three Aesop's fables: The Dog and Her Reflection, The Scorpion and the Frog, and The Devil and his Due. Each of these fables typify the new arrivals to the carnival. 

The Dog and her Reflection is about Ms. Merrywood. She commits the sin of greed and thievery, which is against the laws of the carnival. She is whipped in front of the crowd while the hobo clown sings "A Penny for a Tale." The song gives evidence of Merrywood's sins where her greed is never enough and led to her downfall.

This musical is definitely a lot of fun to watch. Bousman created the world of the carnival with lights and colorful painted animals, but with the glow of red all around. If the audience looks around and reads some of the signs, one can see that the lights do not change the fact that one is attending a carnival in hell. 

There are some interesting trivia facts that make this show worth a watch. Bousman shot this film in 7 days. The shooting was done at night because there is no sun in hell. The makeup for Zdunich only took an hour to take off. When the film went on tour they wanted to create a whole experience. Audience members showed up dressed in costumes for costume contests, creating a world. 

One can dismiss this as a weird show or only for weird people: However, one cannot deny that the atmosphere and aesthetics of the carnival draw people in to the storyline. The music is catchy and the new arrivals in hell, although their backstory is a little short, play their roles.

Personally, I was a little wary when it first started. The opening song "Devil's Carnival" was off key and weird. However, some of the best shows I have seen start poorly. The world of the carnival was rich with colors and I especially loved the juxtaposition of red and blue colors within the world. The two songs I like the most were "Beautiful Stranger" and "Penny for a Tale." Beautiful Stranger is sung by Merrywood's copy (the carnie Twin morphs into a mirror of the character, or someone that would create the best psychological torture). Briana Evigen has an amazing voice and her facial expressions give her character a lot of range.

"Penny for a Tale" is sung by the Hobo Clown, who is played by Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch. The deep sultry voice of Moody gives the clown character real range. It looked like he had a lot of fun playing his character.

"In All My Dreams I Drown" is a song that was added to the credits where Tamara is singing with the Devil. It's a haunting tune that gives the idea her character will continue to commit the same sin of trusting men who just want to use her. 

I highly recommend seeing this production, if not for the music, then to see the aesthetic of a carnival that would be run by the Devil. Historically, side shows and carnivals were considered a place of sinful fun. It would make sense that the devil would be running a carnival where his acts must perform over and over again reliving their sins they commit in life. 

Rating: This show is definitely not for younger audiences. There are issues dealing with suicide, murder, and sexual encounters. There are innuendos throughout the production. 

**Stay tuned for my review of Alleluia: Devil's Carnival (A review of Heaven, before the Carnival got off it's feet). Not everyone in heaven is good intentioned.