Dog Man: The Musical
Dog Man: The Musical cast (Jeremy Daniel)
(Posted 3/14/23) By Fern Siegel
It sounds like animal Armageddon: A dog’s head on a man’s body. But rather than a cop-gone-rogue story, in the hands of Dav Pilkey, the “Dog Man” books have been entertaining kids worldwide since 2016.
Now revived off-Broadway at the New World Stages, Dog Man: The Musical is great family entertainment. It offers sweet, upbeat songs, fast pacing and energetic actors who are clearly having fun. Both kids and adults will enjoy the silly, warmhearted tone, while the take-home lessons of kindness, friendship and good triumphing over cartoon evil never go amiss.
The show, book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila and music by Brad Alexander, is adapted from four Pilkey graphic novels: “Dog Man,” “Dog Man Unleashed,” “Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties” and “Dog Man Lord of the Fleas.”
Two friends, George (DeShawn Bowens) and Harold (Dan Rosales), best known as the Piqua, Ohio, fourth graders from Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” series, decide to write a musical. Their teacher warns them it’s hard work — but the duo, now in fifth grade, are undeterred. (“Dog Man” is the first comic book they ever write together.)
They posit a crime fighter, due to unforeseen circumstances and rather sketchy surgery, who emerges as a man with a dog’s head. Dog Man (Brian Owen) can’t speak, and he has many dog-like habits, but he’s loyal, devoted to fighting crime and big on friendship. Those traits come in handy when he’s charged with finding master cat criminal Petey (a standout Jamie LaVerdiere), busy devising dastardly plots in his secret lab, and Flippy (Crystal Sha’nae), a bionic fish.
Petey, a ginger cat with black stripes, has two terrific numbers, “Without Me” and “The Evil ABCs,” the latter alongside Li’l Petey (L. R. Davidson), his son. Their relationship unfolds in unexpected ways. That’s one of the musical’s pluses: It doesn’t bang audiences over the head with its messages. It lets them play out naturally.
The talented ensemble is aided by Tim Mackabee’s colorful sets and Heidi Leigh Handon’s costumes. Of special note is David Lander’s perfect lighting design, as well as Jen Wieman’s zippy direction. All have done Pilkey proud.