‘Khan!!! The Musical!’ @ MusicalWriters.com (TX Wesleyan campus)
Photos courtesy of MusicalWriters.com
—Carol M. Rice
Star Trek has permeated our lives since it first appeared on television in 1966. The original series lasted only 79 episodes over three seasons, but this humble beginning spawned films, animated series, books, comic books, video games, prequels, and reboots.
Reboots of reboots, in fact—and then the inevitable parodies. A few of my personal favorites were featured on Saturday Night Live and The Carol Burnett Show. While I don’t consider myself a Trekkie by any stretch of the imagination, I was a fan of The Next Generation and have seen and enjoyed most of the movies.
Khan!!! The Musical! (billed as a “Parody Trek-tacular”) is based on the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, with book, music, and lyrics by Brent Black. The show begins with the android Data (played by the brilliant Clint Gilbert) telling the artificially intelligent audience (us) about his attempt to write a musical about one of the most dramatic events in Star Fleet history. We meet crew members and officers from the Starship Enterprise: Spock, Sulu, Uhura, Bones, Chekov, Scotty, and, of course, Captain James T. Kirk. The actors playing these familiar characters may not look exactly like their counterparts, but they definitely provide the distinct personalities and flavors one would expect from these icons.
As the emotionless Spock, Joshua Sherman manages to act, sing, and tap while his face never moves a muscle—a truly impressive performance. Oscar Seung as Sulu is mesmerizing as he channels his best George Takai while making the role his own. Janette Robinson gives Uhura a bit more sass and attitude than the original, and Natalie Hinds brings the sarcasm and wit of Bones to life with aplomb. Gideon Ethridge and Rowan Gilvie sport Russian and Scottish accents as Chekov and Scotty, and do a good job with both.
But it’s Ben Phillips as Captain Kirk who brings the whole picture together. His permed wavy hair and broken speech patterns, combined with an excellent singing voice and dramatic poise, help create a well-rounded caricature that beautifully pays homage to the self-centered captain we all know and love.
There are, of course, several characters in Khan!!! who weren’t Star Trek regulars. As Saavik, the excited half-Vulcan young cadet who just wants to make good, Rachel Nicole Poole is annoyingly eager (but in a good way). Elisa Danielle James portrays Carol, a former flame of Kirk and mother of his child, with just the right amount of intelligence and frustration. Jason Philip Solis brings a flamboyant flair to the title role—and finally, Mr. Gilbert’s Data, in addition to being our narrator and host, gets to play all the other characters in the musical, making each one of them unique. He obviously has a fabulous time bringing all of them to life, and even gets to die a couple of times.
Despite the fact that I’ve mentioned each of the actors and their amazing performances, this is an ensemble piece, and everyone in the big cast is given their moment(s) to shine. There’s usually at least one weak link in a show like this, but Khan!!! is a welcome exception. Everyone is absolutely solid, and their talent and chemistry are off the charts.
Director/Music Director Rebecca Lowrey has cast (and directed) the show well, and bringss out the best in her musicians, both onstage and in the fantastic live band. Christina Kudlicki’s choreography works well for the songs and the space, while Nicole Ellis’s scenic design is simple and on point, doing exactly what it needs to do (LOVED the captain’s chair!), aided by the projections designed by Ricky Olivarez and Brent Black.
A special shoutout to the costume design team of Hannah Bell, Pella LeFever, and Karen Potter. While I said I didn’t consider myself a Trekkie, I’m up on what Star Fleet uniforms from the various eras look like, and they were impeccable. Kudos for the attention to detail.
Khan!!! The Musical! is absolutely one of the most fun shows I’ve seen in a long time. I laughed from start to finish (my jaws hurt by the end), I enjoyed the moments “stolen” from other musicals (though I’m sure I missed some), and I just can’t say enough about the performances of this cast. We are beyond fortunate that Ms. Lowrey’s MusicalWriters.com has settled here in North Texas, and I look forward to what’s coming next!
The show is hosted by Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, and I don’t care where you are in the Metroplex, I can promise it’s well worth the drive. You don’t even have to know anything about Star Trek. Just GO!
As of this writing there are only FIVE performances left, October 31 – November 3.
WHEN: October 24-November 3, 2024
WHERE: TX Wesleyan Fine Arts Bldg., 1205 Binkley St., Fort Worth
WEB: MusicalWriters.com/khan for tickets. For map location, click: https://www.musicalwriters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/theatre-wesleyan-map.jpg
