Review: DOG MAN: THE MUSICAL at The Henry J. Kaiser Center For The Arts

Dog Man: The Musical fetches laughs, heart, and legit Broadway-level craft in a show that never talks down to its audience. The jokes land. The music slaps. And the Dog Man–verse insider bits fly fast enough to keep kids giggling and grown-ups happily surprised. For those of a certain age, who are not in the know, the musical is based on Dav Pilkey's wildly popular Dog Man book series.

Official critic (and extremely discerning 10-year-old) Cameron Hodges awarded the show 4 out of 4 paws up, zero fleas, citing the very shiny, very awesome disco-ball moment as his favorite. (It had a special Dog Man name that escaped me, but trust me, it was PAW-sitive, sparkle perfection.)

The cast absolutely outdid themselves, with Nick Manna owning the role of Dog Man. His physical comedy, boundless energy, and perfectly calibrated earnestness made Dog Man feel ripped straight from the pages. Manna's Dog Man was equal parts heroic, goofy, and impossible not to love. Sit. Stay. Slay.

The music (Kevin Del Aguila) and lyrics (Brad Alexander) are every bit as clever and polished as “adult” musical theater, proving once again that great writing is great writing with no age limit required. The scenic design is wildly imaginative; the fact that this is a “kids’ show” clearly didn’t slow Timothy R. Mackabee down one bit. His sets and props feel playful, inventive, and joyfully maximal. Same goes for Heidi Leigh Hanson’s costume design which was bold, funny, and perfectly tuned to the Dog Man universe.

Extra tail wags for the venue: the newly reopened Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, back in action after more than 20 years. It’s a thrilling, long-awaited gift to downtown Oakland and a much-needed boost to the city’s arts ecosystem. Seeing a packed house of kids (and adults) losing their minds with laughter here felt exactly right.

Bottom line: Dog Man: The Musical rolled into Oakland, did all the tricks, stole our hearts, and exited far too quickly. If it comes back to town, fetch tickets immediately! This good boy is worth the chase!