Review: SPIDER-GUY at The Gaslight Theatre

SPIDER-GUY swings across Tucson in The Gaslight Theatre's exciting and extremely entertaining new production! Growing up, I was an enormous fan of the web-slinging superhero. Gaslight has picked a sure-fire hit for this melodrama, and our packed house certainly enjoyed the show! I chose to bring my 3-year-old, and they were laughing, clapping, and even dancing along! At one point they shouted: "Hi Spider-Guy!" The actors waved. It was a great moment!
The Gaslight Theatre has always been great at entertaining family-friendly audiences. They own their brand as a family melodrama dinner theatre. And they do it well. I have never left a performance without a smile on my face, and the food is good too! I think anyone who sees a Gaslight show needs to understand going in that they are there to be entertained and to laugh. These shows are funny! Knowing this going in will set the stage for a great night out!
I have seen many shows at The Gaslight Theatre and this show is packed with some of the best performances at Gaslight in recent memory. Our headliners are Jake Chapman as the title character and Kelly Coates as Mary Lou, and they deliver the charm. The two leads were perfectly cast. This is the first opportunity I have had to review Todd Thompson, and his talent needs to be addressed. Todd is a Tucson treasure, with a rich and resonant baritone voice. He was delightful in his maniacal role here! Likewise, Heather Stricker stole the show in her performance in SPIDER-GUY. And her performance in the YOU'VE GOT TALENT Olio portion of the show was legendary! Buy your tickets and you'll see what I mean! The rest of the Ensemble cast rounded out the production very well. Mike Yarema, Erin Thompson, Jacob Brown, Janée Page, and Charlie Hall are stars in their own right, and represent some of the best entertainers that Tucson has to offer!
Peter Van Slyke has outdone himself this time. The writing is crisp and hilarious, with one joke after the next! The music direction by Josh Lamoreaux and direction by Katherine Byrnes/Mike Yarema was consistently entertaining. The choreography by Katherine Byrnes was fun and fast-paced. A particular acknowledgment must be given to Brian Gawne for the high-quality sound design. The sound effects in SPIDER-GUY were likewise some of the best at Gaslight. The sound and audio system is quality, and it is very easy to hear the actors, no matter where you are seated. I took note of this because I have attended past shows where it was harder to hear, so if any updates were made it is certainly appreciated!
First and foremost, SPIDER-GUY is a love letter to fans of comic books. There are so many jokes and references it is hard to keep up. The actors appeared to be having the time of their lives, which in turn meant that the audience enjoyed the show immensely. I noticed that there were many families in the audience who, like mine, were able to sit and enjoy the entire performance! A critic's kid enjoying the entire show is by far the highest praise a theater can get! And mine was supremely entertained the entire time!
The special effects in SPIDER-GUY are simultaneously impressive and hysterical. There are some great gags, and some genuinely impressive moments. Again, buy a ticket and see for yourself. That is all I will be saying here. But know that if you are a fan of web-slinging action, Gaslight's SPIDER-GUY delivers! SPIDER-GUY is infectiously entertaining and a non-stop thrill ride. It is a crowd-pleasing smash. Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.thegaslighttheatre.com/ but get them while you can! SPIDER-GUY plays through August 25th.
Photo Credit: Brian Gawne - Copyright The Gaslight Theatre