Puppeteers for Fears' CTHULHU: THE MUSICAL Will Embark on West Coast Tour

Performances begin July 6.

By: May. 23, 2023
Puppeteers for Fears' CTHULHU: THE MUSICAL Will Embark on West Coast Tour

Puppeteers for Fears, Oregon's only dedicated puppet musical horror troupe, will bring its original show, Cthulhu: the Musical!, on the road to cities throughout the NW for performances on the company’s "Back From the Dead," 2023 summer tour.

"We're really excited to be back in action after Covid," says the company's Artistic Director, Josh Gross. "So we are bringing our biggest production yet, on our biggest tour to date. We are holding nothing back on this one."

Far from the lo-fi puppet show stereotype, the production features a full cast of five actors with elaborate custom-made hand-and-rod (Muppet style) puppets, a full-rock band, and projected multimedia backgrounds. It has sold out entire runs in Oregon, Washington, and Los Angeles, and has earned rave reviews from publications like from SyFyWire, Bloody Disgusting, Broadway World, Jefferson Public Radio, The Seattle Times, and more.

The play is adapted from the 1929 short story, The Call of Cthulhu,” by horror icon, H.P. Lovecraft, and tells the story of his most famous creation: Cthulhu, a giant, malevolent, octopus-faced elder god who hibernates beneath the ocean, communicating to humans through their dreams, slowly driving them mad. Though Lovecraft is not as much of a household name as writers like Stephen King or Edgar Allen Poe, he is widely considered to be the creator of the genre of gothic horror, and the creatures and themes he created are highly influential on modern literature of all genres. The story PFF chose to adapt is dark, disturbing, and totally unfit for musical comedy—all qualities that make it a perfect fit for their irreverent style. 

“We are always looking to turn classic themes on their head instead of rehashing tired storylines,” says Gross. “So when thinking about what our next piece might be, I sometimes add the words, 'the musical,' to different phrases in conversation to see how people react, if it has that magic combination of familiar hook, and new twist. When I said, 'Cthulhu: the Musical,' for the first time, a bunch of heads immediately turned in my direction, and strangers started asking where they could see it. So I knew we had to do that as a show, even though the challenge of turning something so dark into musical comedy was pretty daunting. It was definitely worth it though. There was a lot of comedy to be found and this show is so much fun to perform.” 

Cthulhu: the Musical! will be directed by Katy Curtis, and with a script and original songs from playwright Josh Gross.  Performances will feature live puppetry, a full rock band, and multimedia backgrounds courtesy of visual artist and Production Designer, Aubry Hollingshead. It stars Hunter Prutch, Alyssa Marie Mathews, Alex Giorgi, Jake Raiter, and Forest Gilpin. 

Tickets for all performances are available at Click Here.

Tour Dates

7/6-7/8 - Ashland, OR, Local 31 

7/9 - Dunsmuir, CA, The Wheelhouse

7/13 - Brookings, OR, Chetco Pelican Players

7/14 - Eureka, CA, North Coast Repertory Theater

7/15 - Redding, CA, The Dip

7/16 - Sacramento, CA, Harlow’s

7/17 - Nevada City, CA, Nevada Theatre

7/19 - Reno, NV, Good Luck Macbeth

7/20 - San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill

7/21 - Mt. Shasta City, CA, Jefferson Center for the Arts

7/22 - Medford, OR, Johnny B’s

7/27 - Redmond, OR, High Desert Music Hall

7/27 - Myrtle Creek, OR, The Grand Victorian Theatre

7/28 - Eugene, OR, Whirled Pies

7/29 - Portland, OR, private event

7/30 - Astoria, OR, Labor Temple

8/2 - Seattle, WA, Chop Suey

8/3 - Baker City, OR, The Churchill School

8/4 - La Grande, OR, La Grande HQ

8/5 - Boise, ID, Visual Arts Collective

8/9 - Portland, OR, Holocene

8/10 - Salem, OR, Infinity Room 

8/11 - Corvallis, OR, The Whiteside Theater

8/12 - Klamath Falls, OR, Linkville Playhouse

8/17 - 8/18 - Coos Bay, OR, The Dolphin Playhouse

8/19 - Roseburg, OR, The Sunnyside Theater

8/20 - Ashland, OR, The Black Sheep




RELATED STORIES - Portland

1
Make It A Date Night With Dinner And A Show: Deschutes Brewery, Now Available Inside Portl Photo
Make It A Date Night With Dinner And A Show: Deschutes Brewery, Now Available Inside Portland Center Stage At The Armory 

Bend-based craft brewery and restaurant Deschutes and theater veterans Portland Center Stage have been long-time next door neighbors and collaborators on NW 11th and Davis. Now, they are combining forces to provide theater audiences and event-goers a dining option within the Armory's beautifully designed lobby: dinner and a show!

2
RIPPER Gothic Rock Musical to Return to Portland in November Photo
RIPPER Gothic Rock Musical to Return to Portland in November

'Ripper: Song of the Knife' is a gothic rock musical inspired by a fictional serial killer in an alternate London. Follow Detective Beth Stride as she unravels a story of love, death, and betrayal. Get ticket and event information here!

3
Red Yarn to Present The Get-Together Album Release Family Show at Crystal Ballroom Photo
Red Yarn to Present The Get-Together Album Release Family Show at Crystal Ballroom

Join Red Yarn and his full band, along with special guests, for an inclusive celebration of community and childhood at the album release family show. Don't miss this all-ages dance party at the legendary Crystal Ballroom in Portland.

4
Portland Opera to Receive $31,669 Grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust Photo
Portland Opera to Receive $31,669 Grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust

Portland Opera has announced that it has been awarded an Oregon Cultural Trust grant for $31,669 in support of the company’s upcoming workshop of The Factotum. This spring, Portland Opera will collaborate with the creative team to support the development of this exciting new opera for a future season.  

More Hot Stories For You

Videos


#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Arsenic and Old Lace
Lakewood Theatre Company (9/08-10/15)Tracker
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Girl From the North Country
Keller Auditorium (6/18-6/23)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Brighton Beach Memoirs
Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART) (2/17-3/03)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Harlem Quartet
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (2/18-2/18)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Time for Three
Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (3/12-3/12)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Gruesome Playground Injuries
Twilight Theater Company (10/13-10/29)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little
Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART) (3/23-3/31)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano & Christopher Cano, piano
Lincoln Performance Hall (2/05-2/05)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Blues for an Alabama Sky
PassinArt: A Theatre Company (9/27-10/22)
#repshow# in #getregions.name[i]# Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART) (12/02-12/17)
VIEW ALL SHOWS  ADD A SHOW  

Recommended For You