Review: HAIR BALL! A BIGFOOT MUSICAL ADVENTURE at Open Eye Theatre

HAIR BALL! A Bigfoot Musical Adventure. Featuring a live 3-piece band, witty songs, stilt-walking Bigfoots, and imaginative punk rock puppetry, HAIRBALL will make for a perfect Minnesota summer night out!

The resort town of Discovery Island descends into chaos, with trash cans looted and hairballs fouling the streets, and local conspiracy nut Jerry Loudermilk (Maren Ward) convincing the locals that a supernatural forest beast called the 'Megapaw' is to blame. When aspiring teen detective Winnifred Highsmith (Abilene Olson) goes missing after discovering a baby Megapaw, the alarm is sounded and Montgomery Ward (Luke Aaron Davidson), Canada's elite forest ranger, arrives to save the day! Suddenly everyone is lost in the woods, seeking the hidden heart of the forest. Will they find it before the shifty resort owner, Fobelius Dort, burns down the trees to make a bigger golf course?

With script and music by Josef Evans, direction by Joel Sass, stilt puppetry by Anne Sawyer, and costumes by Andrea Gross. Featuring performances by Maren Ward, Abilene Olson, Georgia Doolittle, Luke Aaron Davidson, France Roberts, Lux Mortenson, Tom Reed, and Rick Miller, with musical mayhem by Spencer Chandler (keyboards), Ellie Fregni (violin), and Tamir Nolley (guitar and saxophone).

This was my first time attending an Open Eye Theatre production. It was a beautiful evening on the green roof at the Bakken Museum. It was nice to see a production outside and it was a theatre in the round vibe. The entire cast committed to their characters and I could hear and understand them all clearly, as we were outside. The balance between the music and speakers was good. The costumes and the creative effects added a nice touch to the dialogue that was heartfelt and comedic. The group songs and the music was fun and there were some great solo songs. There was also some audience participation and there were a lot of laughs throughout the show! I don't want to give too much a way but the end was impressive as well!

I would recommend seeing Hair Ball! A Bigfoot Musical Adventure! It's for the whole family!

For more ticket and show information, click here

Photos by Bruce Silcox.