The Toxic Avenger in Mesa is a Thrill for All

By McKaylee Lemon Brown

Mesa Encore Theatre (MET) in Mesa, Arizona presents The Toxic Avenger Musical, and its humor and wit engages the audience. The edgy musical will have you rooting for the return of the Garden State. Comic relief is provided for the everyday modern American that can appreciate politically relevant and racey humor.

Director Louis Farber has developed a comical musical based on the 1984 film, The Toxic Avenger. Emillio Castro (Stage Manager) dealt with sound hiccups quickly and kept the show running without any pause. Castro’s crew was efficient and quick and did not cause distraction. Lorelee Godden (Technical Director/Master Carpenter), Lexi Corpron (Scenic Designer), and Robert Andrews (Assistant Scenic Director) work as team to create a very simple and practical set design for the intimate theatre. Stacey Walston (Lighting Designer) keeps the focus on the action and utilizes black lights to play off of the fluorescent paints in the set and costumes in between musical numbers. Her lighting work maintains the feeling of the toxic environment. Allison Bauer and Jessica Tully (costume designers) perfectly portray a cast of five in dozens of distinct roles. Peter Bish (Sound Designer) accents important voice changes with his sound effects to help the audience understand the development of the main actor from a nervous geek into a confident avenger. Rita Liegl (Hair and Makeup Designer) accents the brilliant costume designs with hair and wig styles appropriate for the various personalities. Subtle additions of glitter on the actors emphasize the intensity of moments because they appear to be large beads of sweat in the lighting of the theatre. In addition, the strong character appearance, Kat Bails (Choreographer) does an amazing and amusing job in planning dance moves and gestures that put characters into a distinct role even when it can change every couple minutes.

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Cassie Chilton (Mayor Babs Belgoody, Ma Ferd, and Nun) doesn’t miss a beat in her three roles. She quickly transitions from a worried nun to an egotistical Jersey girl and again to a disappointed middle-aged mother. Her voice inflections are different for each role and she makes it easy for the audience to understand the motives of each character. At the conclusion of the number, “Bitch/Slut/Liar/Whore” she is on stage as two of her opposing characters at once. She rapidly changes accents and body positions to portray the argument between two women and it’s entertaining to watch her accomplish it with so much energy.

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Connor Wanless (Melvin the Third and the Toxic Avenger) portrays an insecure and worried geek whose infatuation for a girl causes him to muster up the courage to save the Garden State. He emphasizes the character’s insecurity with nervous posture and occasional shakes in his voice. He fits his nerdy personality perfectly and as he transitions into being the toxic avenger he develops a confident, booming voice, deep and raspy undertones in his singing, and witty responses to the girl of his dreams, Sarah (Emily Kamps). Wanless appears very confident in his adoration for Sarah as a character, simultaneously showing insecurities when Kamps pushes physical intimacy. Kamps interactions with Wanless are cordial to start. As Wanless develops into the Toxic Avenger, Kamps is struck with fan-girl adoration and breaks out into song with “My Big French Boyfriend”.

Michael Thompson (Black Dude) and Devon Mahon (White Dude) bring the best humor to the musical. Michael and Devon play at least four characters with drastic costume changes. Thompson and Mahon are first to sing in Act One and they set the stage for the jokes to continue for the rest of the show. Costume changes happen so seamlessly. Thompson and Mahon would run off the stage in athletic clothing and be back full of life and energy to do a number in drag with sass in every breath. These two men are incredibly versatile actors. Mahon sings a folk song, “The Legend of the Toxic Avenger” that is sure to repeat in your head in the future.

MET’s The Toxic Avenger is energetic. The show is almost two and a half hours long with a ten-minute intermission, yet the audience was cheerful and laughing through both acts. There is no delay for humor during this musical. The cast works effortlessly to maintain a fast-pace while changing character roles without ever dropping their energy level. I recommend seeing the show to anyone who needs a good laugh and enjoys blue humor.

Note: The show has adult language.

Mesa Encore Theatre Presents: The Toxic Avenger, Musical, Book by 
Joe DiPietro, Music by David Bryan, and both wrote the lyrics.
Mesa Arts Center, 1 E Main St, Mesa, Arizona
April  5-21 2:30, 7:30 PM
Tickets: Adults $28; Seniors (Age 60 & up) & Students with current ID, $25
Mesa Encore Theatre Facebook Page
The Toxic Avenger, Musical Facebook Event