Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical
The biggest show on Netflix, Stranger Things, is about to be transformed into a comedy musical at Melbourne's Salty Theatre. Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical acts as a wonderful "companion piece" for hardcore Stranger Things fans. It's also a perfect entry point into the "magical world of musical theatre."
Ashley Taylor Tickell recently talked through the creative journey of bringing Stranger Sings to Australia. During our conversation, we chat about how special this is as a fan of the Netflix series, the thought process behind running this show & what audiences can expect from this debut theatrical season.
Finding a love for theatre
Before diving into Stranger Sings we wanted to get a little bit of Ashley's personal creative story. So we asked Ashley how she came to find her passion for musical theatre.
"When I was 9 years old my parents took my brother & I to see The Phantom Of The Opera," answered Ashley. "I remember we were very fortunate to be in the fourth row. There is this moment during the show when there is fire on the stage, so we could feel the heat of the flames. I just remember thinking that was the coolest thing ever & that one day I wanted to be on stage doing something like that. A year later I was cast in a production of Annie, playing Annie. I caught the theatre bug so hard, so quickly & I've been involved ever since."
Given that her passion & desire to create theatrical works came first through acting Pario was curious to learn how Ashley then transitioned into a directorial role.
"The shift towards directing & producing came for me when I started a family. I knew that I still wanted to be a part of theatre but I didn't want to have a life where I was touring or working at night all of the time. I wanted to be there with my son at bedtimes & reading stories," explained Ashley. "I've really fallen in love with being able to create from the ground up. As a director & producer, I get to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together & see artists connect to build these really awesome relationships. The shift from acting to directing has been a really great period of growth for me."
Bringing Stranger Things to the stage
For Ashley, the decision to bring a Stranger Things inspired musical to the Salty Theatre stage was twofold. Not only is Ashley a self-confessed "HUGE" fan of the Netflix series but the show also fits with the entire ethos of the company.
"From a directorial & creative standpoint, I'm excited to nerd out about the content of this show. As a producer at Salty Theatre part of our mission is to reach out to audiences beyond those who are already familiar with musical theatre. We want to introduce new people to the magic of musicals & the excitement of what that can be," Ashley explained to Pario enthusiastically. "So when I came across Stranger Sings obviously the fan in me thought it would be great, but professionally I also recognised it as an opportunity to reach new audiences... We can reach out to big fans of the franchise through this show as a way to fill the void between seasons 4 & 5 but also give them a taste of what musical theatre is all about."
Given that Stranger Things is such a popular & beloved series Ashley realised it was vital for everyone involved to be familiar with the Netflix series. As such, she told Pario that all of the cast members had "homework assignments" before they stepped foot onto the Salty Theatre stage.
"Between May & now they had to watch the series to get familiar with nuances because we know there will be lots of Stranger Things fans in the audience," said Ashley. "We really want to make sure the cast nails all of the little things that make these characters so iconic."
While that homework does seem like a big task it was one that the cast all happily accepted. In fact, as Ashley said, "The cast members who hadn't watched the show previously have since come to me saying how amazing it is & that they are now completely hooked."
Who is Strangers Sings! The Parody Musical for?
As mentioned previously Ashley describes Stranger Sings as a "companion piece" to the Stranger Things Netflix series. Expanding on this Ashley said that the writer of Stranger Sings, Jonathan Hogue, has done a "beautiful job of creating this almost love letter to the series."
In this vein, Stranger Sings focuses primarily on the first season of the Netflix series but also weaves in small touchstones from all 4 seasons of the show. In doing so Stranger Sings acts as a phenomenal entry point into both the Stranger Things universe & the world of musical theatre.
"Jonathan has a brilliant way of taking all of the major plot points & moments from throughout the series & has merged them with really iconic musicals & pop culture references," explained Ashley. "I think Jonathan has created something that you don't have to be a fan of Stranger Things to get a lot out of. If you're simply a fan of the 80s, pop culture or music theatre there is certainly something there for you."
The 80s are back baby!
Fans of Stranger Things would already know that the show is filled with 80s nostalgia which continues here in Stranger Sings. A fact that the creative team, particularly costume designer Emily Busch, relished when bringing this show to the Salty Theatre.
"The whole process has been really fun," said Ashley. "I feel like 2022 is the perfect time to do an 80s series because that era really has come back in full force in terms of fashion & style. Emily has had great fun sourcing costumes, the cast have all enjoyed trying on the costume & have even said 'I'd totally wear this in real life.'"
Perhaps the most fun though has been recreating the Demogorgon for a theatrical setting.
"Em has been having great fun with the Demogorgon," said Ashley brimming with joy. "Obviously there are a number of costumes you can buy online but she's used something like that as a base but then gone all out to build something that is a lot of fun. You will see some pretty spectacular dancing happening in the Demogorgon costume!"
Future of Stranger Sings & other transformative musical theatre productions
Looking ahead Ashley has grand plans for both Stranger Sings & the future Salty Theatre productions.
First & foremost Ashley, the cast & crew of Stranger Sings are all committed to ensuring this show is a raging success. Should they achieve this goal Ashley said "the next stop will certainly be interstate to give the rest of Australia a taste of the madness that is Stranger Sings."
In closing, though we asked if Ashley had her eyes on any other shows, be they Netflix, Amazon, Stan or Disney+ originals, that she'd like to bring to the Salty Theatre as musical theatre parodies.
"A series that I think would make for a great musical adaptation is Schitt's Creek," Ashley was quick to reply. "That show has so much heart but it already has that crazy, over-the-top quality to it so I feel adding a bit of music would notch it up without feeling out of place. The Boys would be another good satirical musical as well because that is such a crazy show!"
Nov 4-19. Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. $45-$65+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.strangersingsau.com
Follow Stranger Sings: The Musical Parody on Social Media: @StrangerSingsMusicalAU
Follow Salty Theatre's Creative Journey on Social Media: @SaltyTheatre
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