Lizard Boy
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Cititour.com Review
No metaverses? No villains with eight arms or who can transform themselves into giant trucks? No child who must be rescued from a life-threatening situation? What kind of comic book musical is “Lizard Boy,” anyway? First and foremost, this 95-minute piece, now being presented by the Prospect Theatre Company at Theatre Row, is an unusually satisfying show – even if it doesn’t meet all of a comic book lover’s expectations. (It’s not even based on a real comic book!)
Indeed, one’s first impression on seeing the almost-bare stage (credited to Suzu Sakai) is the first indication not to expect zillions of dollars of CGI effects. In fact, it may prime you for amateur night, but the production’s eventual polish should not be totally surprising, since the show has been knocking around in regional theatre and the UK for over a decade (mostly with the same principal actors and director Brandon Ivie).
Much of the credit for the show’s success belongs to Justin Huertas, the multi-talented artist who wrote the show’s clever and heartfelt book, which is primarily about the need for self-acceptance no matter your gender, your sexual orientation, or your past. A true triple threat, Huertas also penned the pleasing indie-rock score (with faint echoes here and there of Joe Iconis and even Jonathan Larson) and performs more-than-ably as the title character.
Lizard Boy (aka Trevor) is a young, queer Seattle resident who is covered in green scales (there’s no real costume; use your imagination). As a result, he keeps himself locked in his apartment except for the one night of the year called Monsterfest, where normal humans dress up to look just like him. And because it’s Monsterfest, our “hero” dares to go out – after getting on Grindr for the first time (!) and matching up with Cary (the adorkable William A. Williams, completely comfortable performing in super-tight briefs or a giant onesie with pacifier!)
A rather seemingly stereotypical gay man, Cary immediately wants a little more sex and a little less conversation, especially as he thinks his new “date” is just in costume. But amazingly, Cary doesn’t reject Lizard Boy once he learns the truth. In fact, Cary needs real human connection just as much as Trevor.
Still, the big reason the pair put the possibility of intimacy on hold is when Trevor sees a magazine with a singer called Siren (the extraordinarily powerful Kiki De Lohr) on the cover – who happens to be performing that night at a seedy bar called the Crocodile. As it happens, Siren has been haunting Trevor’s dreams for reasons that eventually become clear, and his insistence on meeting her transforms both their lives (and Cary’s) in ways that aren’t immediately imaginable.
The three actor-musicians superbly play a wide variety of instruments, from guitar and cello to kazoo and glockenspiel, but this doesn’t feel like a John Doyle musical. It’s more like watching a local band come together to tell us a story. And while Huertas’ songs don’t necessarily stick with you, they are consistently affecting and tuneful and do an excellent job of giving voice to all the characters’ feelings.
In fact, I think many people will relate to the deeper dilemmas of the characters, like finding love or finding peace. Admittedly, their other problems are far from the quotidian, while you’re probably worried about whether the Q train is running properly. That’s life. Sometimes, you worry about what feels like the end of the world -- and sometimes, you have to worry about the actual end of the world.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://www.prospecttheater.org/lizardboy
Open/Close Dates
Opening 6/14/2023
Closing 7/1/2023
Theatre Info
Theatre Row
410 W. 42nd St
New York, NY 10036
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