“Rocky Horror” Fans will Love “The Toxic Avenger” at Players by the Sea

October 29, 2019
4 mins read
The Toxic Avenger, Players By The Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Photos by Josh Andrews
The Toxic Avenger at Players By The Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Photos by Josh Andrews

The Toxic Avenger, Players By The Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Photos by Josh Andrews
Photos by Josh Andrews

Jacksonville Beach’s Players by the Sea opened the cult classic “The Toxic Avenger” on October 25, 2019, which runs through November 10, 2019. The theatre is located at 106 6th Street North in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. For reservations call 904-249-0289 or visit playersbythesea.org.

This classic has its beginnings in a non-musical film released in 1984. Three sequels followed; none were hits. However, the story found a receptive audience as a musical, which made it to New York in 2009, and received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Off-Broadway Musical. The work was crafted by Joe DiPietro (lyrics) and David Bryan (music). The artists, who collaborated on “Memphis” (four Tonys), are well-known to theatre-goers. DiPietro has written a number of musicals, which include the popular “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” while Bryan is famous as Bon Jovi’s keyboard player.   

The Toxic Avenger: St. Johns Riverkeeper and Players by the Sea Theatre Team Up for a Musical

“The Toxic Avenger” is a timely rock musical that will knock your socks off. Players by the Sea’s production was expertly directed by Daniel Dungan who also designed the lighting and what must have been a challenging two-story set. His name may be familiar to you, as he is also the light designer for the Alhambra Theatre

The Toxic Avenger at Players By The Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Photos by Josh Andrews
Photos by Josh Andrews

The play opens with “Who Will Save New Jersey?” and has the entire energetic cast (of five) singing and dancing.  You will know that you are in for a fantastic evening with outstanding vocals as you learn that Tromaville, their hometown, has become a dumping ground for toxic waste, and they are powerless to change things (sound familiar)? 

The first character we get to know is the nerdish Melvin, portrayed by Cole Marshall, who is employed by the city as an engineer. Notably, he has limited social skills and he is passionate about the environment and has a plan (sort of) to stop the pollution. 

The Toxic Avenger: St. Johns Riverkeeper and Players by the Sea Theatre Team Up for a Musical
Photos by Josh Andrews

Melvin’s love interest is Sarah, a city librarian, who is beautiful, blind, and very independent. She has a unique technique for shelving a returned book: she uses touch to find a vacant spot and fills it with the book. She is portrayed by Alexandra Blackwell, who has a marvelous voice and stage presence, in her Players’ debut. She is a Florida State University graduate, and is the new Marketing & Communications Manager of Players by the Sea. You can expect to see more of her work in future musicals.

Ilana Gould portrays two characters: The hard-nosed sometimes in-your-face Mayor of Tromaville, and Ma Ferd, Melvin’s country-fried mother. Ms. Gould was the award-winning poished lead in Theatre Jacksonville’s “Hairspray;” she auditioned afterword for the part in a Broadway production. 

The Toxic Avenger at Players By The Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Photos by Josh Andrews
Photos by Josh Andrews

The program lists Clayton Ridley as Black Dude and Chris Berry as White Dude. These are demanding roles: both portray multiple characters which include men, women, thugs, policemen and more. Both have twelve costume changes, and have clearly mastered the split-second timing required for farce. 

Ridley, who teaches musical education and performance at KIPP VOICE Elementary School has been in a number of local musicals. Berry, who is relatively new to the local theatre scene, appeared as Eddie in “Wild Party” at Players, and Monty in “Violet” at ABET

The Toxic Avenger at Players By The Sea in Jacksonville Beach, Photos by Josh Andrews
Photos by Josh Andrews

The show revolves around Melvin’s transformation to superhero Toxie after being tossed into a vat of toxic waste by two bad guys and emerging with green disfigured skin and a dislocated left eye. While he looks like a damaged Shrek, he continues his pursuit of those responsible for the contamination and the corruption that made it possible and his courtship of Sarah. Marshall has a strong voice and handles this role well; his transformation from a somewhat timid civil servant to a righteously raging reformer is believable. (Well, almost believable; we need to remind ourselves from time to time that the story IS fiction).

Rather than go into the plot, we will note that it does include violence and some song titles. They include “Hot Toxic Love,“ “The Legend of the Toxic Avenger,” “Evil is Hot,” “All Men Are Freaks” “Bitch/…” and “A Brand New Day in New Jersey.” ADVISORY: Leave the kids at home. 

The Toxic Avenger: St. Johns Riverkeeper and Players by the Sea Theatre Team Up for a Musical
Photos by Josh Andrews

Thomas Toomy was the prosthetics designer. Lisa Fleming created the many costumes, and was also backstage to help with the quick changes. Fleming will be making her stage debut in December as Mrs. Cratchit in “A Christmas Carol” at Players. Gayle Featheringill Gayle Featheringill was the Stage Manager.

Sound design was the work of Chinua Richardson.  Stephanie Riner created the frenetic choreography; Anthony Felton was the Music Director. The Production Manager was Jereme Raickett

Check out the art in the gallery, which features fantasy scenes painted by Drew Hunter, who is VP of Creative Design at Sally Dark Rides in Jacksonville.

Being Rocky Horror Show fans, we have been hoping for a challenge to that popular show; Rocky fans will love this one. Staging is in the Studio Theatre which has limited seating, so call for your tickets as soon as possible.

 

The Dual Critics of EU Jacksonville have been reviewing plays together for the past nine years. Dick Kerekes has been a critic since 1980, starting with The First Coast Entertainer and continuing as the paper morphed into EU Jacksonville. Leisla Sansom wrote reviews from time to time in the early 80s, but was otherwise occupied in the business world. As a writing team, they have attended almost thirty Humana Festivals of New America Plays at Actors Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky, and many of the annual conferences sponsored by the American Theatre Critics Association, which are held in cities throughout the country.

They have reviewed plays in Cincinnati, Chicago, Miami, Sarasota, Minneapolis, Orlando, New York, Philadelphia, Sarasota, San Francisco, Shepherdstown, and The Eugene O’Neill Center in Waterford, Massachusetts. They currently review about one hundred plays annually in the North Florida area theaters, which include community, college, university, and professional productions.

Current Issue

Recent Posts

SUBMIT EVENTS

Submit Events

Advertisements

Blackberry Smoke at the AMP

Date

Title

Current Month

Follow FOLIO!

A Century-Old Rivalry: Top Plays This Millennium for the Florida-Georgia Football Game, Brandon Spikes tackle on Moreno
Previous Story

A Century-Old Rivalry: Top Plays This Millennium for the Florida-Georgia Football Game

'Jekyll & Hyde' at Alhambra is a Chilling Unforgettable Tale
Next Story

‘Jekyll & Hyde’ at Alhambra is a Chilling Unforgettable Tale

Latest from Dual Critics

FOOTLOOSE AT THE ALHAMBRA

“Footloose” opened at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre on October 22 and will remain on stage through November 22, 2020. The Dual Critics of EU Jacksonville – Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom – did not review the opening of this production, which was sold out before it even opened! Looks like

LOVE, SEX AND THE I.R.S at the ALHAMBRA

ALHAMBRA THEATRE AND DINING REVIEW The Alhambra Dinner Theatre is staging “Love, Sex and the IRS,” a farce that plays out at whirlwind speed. It opened on September 30, 2020 and will remain through October 18, to be followed by “Footloose” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The play, written by

EXIT STRATEGY – A PHASE EIGHT THEATER COMPANY REVIEW

Phase Eight Theater Company Delivers Excellent Acting with Superb Direction and Performances Phase Eight brought the Jacksonville premiere of “Exit Strategy” to the stage on October 3, 2020 to an enthusiastic audience. The company, known for provocative productions, was founded several years ago by JaMario Stills, a Douglas Anderson School

CINDERELLA at the ALHAMBRA

The Dual Critics review of “Cinderella” at Alhambra Theatre & Dining find it to be “A lively heartfelt charmer.” The Alhambra Theatre opened “Cinderella,” a long-awaited summer musical on June 11th, 2020, which remains on stage through July 26th. The music is by Richard Rogers, the lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein

FROM THE ARCHIVES: QUILTERS AT PLAYERS BY THE SEA IN 2002  

Reviewed by Dick Kerekes and originally published in EU JACKSONVILLE in 2002 As theatres are closed throughout the world because of the current pandemic crisis, the Dual Critics along with many others, are revisiting and republishing some of their previous work. The musical “Quilters,” was staged at Players By the
July 5th Cleanup
GoUp

Don't Miss

Players By The Sea Theatre, Worth & Lauren New Voices winners, New Voices Young Voices

Players By The Sea is Looking for New Voices

New Voices Program at PBTS Puts Important, Relevant Stories Into

ROMEO & JULIET Presented by an All-Female Cast at PLAYERS BY THE SEA

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM