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Triassic Parq

  • Theater, Musicals
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
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Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

Circle Theatre’s remounted musical spoof takes on science, faith and dinosaur sex with songs.

If you think the idea of a Jurassic Park musical sounds, well, like a very bad idea—don’t worry, you’re in good company. Circle Theatre has remounted its 2015 production of Triassic Parq, a totally unofficial musical parody that gives you singing dinosaurs, sex-having dinosaurs, and singing-about-sex-having dinosaurs. It’s a good time, even if it’s not quite as goofily transcendent as it wants to be.

Directed here by Tommy Bullington and Nicholas Reinart, Triassic Parq gives audiences the dino side of the story. Within the park, the dinosaurs have created a 100% female, religion-based society that revolves around the almighty goodness of “The Lab.” Led by the Velociraptor of Faith (Jacob Richard Axelson), the dinosaurs are horrified when one of their members, T-Rex 2 (Veronica Garza), spontaneously grows a (sparkly, silver, hilarious) dong. Soon, the young Velociraptor of Innocence (Parker Guidry) is sent on a cross-park journey to find answers from the long-ago exiled Velociraptor of Science (Marissa Druzbanski), while T-Rex 1 (Erin Daly) and T-Rex 2 (who’s been exiled as well) try to grapple with their newfound attraction. Sure, life finds a way, but the path it travels is messy and filled with confused dino sex.  

The show is a sometimes awkward mix of pure meta irreverence and a surprisingly earnest (if simplistic and kind of dull) parable about science versus faith. The cast sings the hell out of the thing, but Triassic Parq is at its best when it’s taking the piss out of musical theater tropes, not indulging them. It also has to be said that a few of the writers’ comedic gambits, which probably seemed transgressive in 2010, now feel slightly tone deaf. (Exhibit A: Morgan Freeman is a character—the narrator, obvi—but is played by a white woman. Exhibit B: a story that literally revolves around sex-change panic.) Luckily, the songs about horny dinosaurs have held up just fine.

Despite its flaws—and the cramped space that the Heartland Studio affords it—Triassic Parq has a goofiness bonded into its DNA that carries it through quite nicely. It’s just surprising how seriously the show takes itself at times. And a little disappointing too. Fewer dino deities, more dino dicks.  

Circle Theatre at Heartland Studio Theater. Music by Marshall Pailet. Book and Lyrics by Marshall Pailet, Bryce Norbitz and Steve Wargo. Directed by Tommy Bullington and Nicholas Reinart. With ensemble cast. Running time: 1hr 40mins; no intermission.

Written by
Alex Huntsberger

Details

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Price:
$28
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