On Friday night, I arrived at Thompson Hall only to be informed that the showing of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog had been sold out. I was one of many that had been turned away, and this only elevated my anticipation to make it into the small theater to see the show—a show that would only be viewed by a total of 500 people throughout its five night engagement.
Having to arrive an hour-and-a-half early for tickets the next day and wait another half an hour for the doors to the theater to open created an atmosphere that this show was something special. As a long-time fan of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, I went in with high expectations. However, at the very first line of the very first scene, I knew this was going to be rough.
Eric Wilbanks, who starred as Dr. Horrible, had an interpretation of the character that did not sit well. Much too loud and dramatic, Wilbanks was far too over the top in his acting and was unnecessarily overpowering. Certain lines were literally screamed and were awkward rather than funny.
It was also obvious that Wilbanks was reading lines from a script, and was not conversational or convincing in the role. Dr. Horrible is a very unique and interesting character, and the portrayal of him was very poorly done. The three groupies of Dr. Horrible’s nemesis, Captain Hammer were simply annoying and were so loud that the other lines couldn’t be heard. The absence of microphones made it very hard to hear overall.
While not ideal casting, Lizzy Ozamiz, who played Dr. Horrible’s love interest Penny, did a good job and seemed a more believable character, although a bit too soft-spoken. Andrew Enloe, who played as Dr. Horrible’s nemesis Captain Hammer, gave an excellent performance and showed the dedication and understanding of the character that Wilbanks seemed to lack.
Paul Brothers, who played as Dr. Horrible’s not-so-evil friend Moist, was extremely similar to the original version. His interpretation was ideal, and stuck close to home with the film but did add some needed flare for a stage adaptation. Brothers’ combined staying true to the original character and being entertaining to a live audience perfectly.
The comedy did have its laughs—most came from the script, but there were new things that contributed to the production’s humor. One scene included portraying Dr. Horrible as a giant throwing stuffed animals, which was a smart way to get that scene in the film on stage. Another joke made fun of Tom Cruise’s sexuality.
The set was simple but well done. The background was an audience favorite, created to appear like a centerfold of a comic book with different scenes in separate boxes. Several superhero allusions were in the scenes, such as Superman’s emblem and a spider near some radioactive materials. It was a fun night out and a nice way to spend an hour. However, overall it was disappointing.
With sold out shows and lines out the door, this production had a very high interest and could have been extremely successful if tickets were charged for and if a higher budget was given, which could have really added to the production as a whole.
The three directors spoke to the audience before the show and said that when they called the show’s creators to obtain the rights to produce the show on-stage, they were told that theirs would be one of the last five contracts that would ever be awarded. As one of the last productions of the internet phenomenon, I did expect more. To be one of the last productions of the musical is a very high honor, and the show did not do the original version justice whatsoever.
However, this was a low-budget, student-run production that did not charge for tickets. Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog was successful simply because of its name and exclusive nature. With that considered, the end result was still a fun night out.