The comedic events of Dog Man: The Musical could shock audience members who don’t know what to expect.
My 8-year-old son and I, both of us familiar with the amusing Dog Man graphic novels by best-selling author and illustrator Dav Pilkey, attended the production at Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing, MI on February 26, 2022.
We were seated near a few older people, likely grandparents, who were accompanied by children. They were laughing at the whit of The Opening Number and the slapstick of characters Officer Knight and his dog Greg (played by Brandon James Butorovich with a dog puppet on his arm) failing to properly defuse a bomb set by villainous, genius cat Petey (Cameron Chang).
The bomb exploded, severely injuring Greg’s body and Officer Knight’s head. Nurse Lady determined they could save both characters’ lives by attaching Greg’s head to Officer Knight’s body.
The nurse and her surgical associates then pulled out giant saws. One of those older people seated near us gasped.
Dog Man is “part dog, part man, all hero”. Presented by TheaterWorksUSA, Dog Man: The Musical was fun and funny throughout. Its story is drawn from the first three novels in the series – Dog Man, Dog Man Unleashed, and Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties.
The performers were excellent. Butorovich shined as bumbling goof Dog Man. His nonverbal communication which consisted of facial expressions, barking, and physical comedy were reminiscent of Tom & Jerry, classic Mickey Mouse, and Gumby cartoons.
Butorovich’s five cast mates seamlessly, and quite remarkably, switched portrayals of multiple characters while simultaneously blocking scenes. The constant movement held my attention, making the 60-minute run time zip from open to close.
Their over-the-top antics leapt from the novel pages and kept the audience inside Wharton’s Cobb Great Hall, including my 8-year-old and I and a few older people seated near us, roaring with laughter while rewarding the 6-member cast with gracious applause. |THIS ENT
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
