NYMF: Bedbugs!!! The Musical: Once Upon a Mattress

The year is 2012, and the population of New York is overrun by plagues of bedbugs. Carly "The Bug Lady" (Celina Carvajal), an exterminatrix whose mother (Tracey Gilbert) broke her neck while being attacked by bedbugs when Carly was just a child, is dedicated to ridding the world of those pests. But under pressure of time, and not heeding the warnings of her plucky sidekick Burt (Ryan Bogner) who keeps pushing copies of Rachel Carson's seminal environmental book Silent Spring on her, she develops " Bedtime for Bedbugs", a potion which has the unfortunate effect of turning the bedbugs into human-sized monsters, which begin to terrorize New York, led by ruthless rocker Cimex (Chris Hall) whose hair, makeup and codpiece rival David Bowie's in Labyrinth. Meanwhile, Canadian 80s Pop Diva Dionne Salon (Brian Charles Rooney), who Carly was watching on Star Search the night her mother was killed, is in town with her overbearing manager/husband, Dexter Diabolique (H. Wayne Williams) for a comeback concert. When Cimex discovers Carly is his "mother", he becomes determined to make her his bug queen, but will Carly come to the dark side? It's all very silly and highly enjoyable.

Paul Leschen's music is eerily reminiscent of 80s rock- many of Carly's songs have an unmistakable Pat Benetarishness about them, and Dionne Salon's power ballads are likewise spot-on. Leschen clearly has a love for the genres he's spoofing, and affectionately nails them to the wall. Fred Sauter's lyrics are occasionally difficult to understand, what with all the hard rocking going on, but are very witty when they can be heard. Their book is likewise witty and highly amusing, though some of the subplots are not fully developed, and things lag a bit in the middle of Act II before the big conclusion, which actually becomes somewhat affirming, with a tacked-on aesop about female empowerment and staying true to one's convictions.

The cast is spectacular - Carvajal really rocks as Carly, bringing her true fighting spirit to the forefront. Bogner is adorable as Burt, especially in his scenes with his bug-attacked 2-second boyfriend (Stephen Sheffer). Hall is perfectly bizarre and wonderful as Cimex, who comes across as a mix of Frank-n-Furter from Rocky Horror and Rocky himself. Rooney steals the show with every scene he's in, especially with his flawlessly funny Celine Dion impersonation - the night I attended, it seemed each of Dionne Salon's uber-Canadian vowel shifts generated giggles and gaffaws.
The supporting cast is top-notch, as well- each playing a bedbug minion as well as various other roles in some lickety-split costume changes (the costumes by Amanda Bujak and Chris Rumery are giddy and wonderful and generate laughs on their own). Williams, in addition to Diabolique, also plays a bedbug, a Hasidic Jew and a cameraman. Gilbert plays Carly's mother, a preppy mother, and the owner of a diner, all with perfect definition. Sheffer is hilarious as Burt's aformentioned dryly ironic hipster boyfriend Chad, as well as a sexually experimental bedbug. Mark Fisher is unctuously handsome as newsman Tom Wansett, as well as being the semi-willing recipient of Sheffer's bedbuggery.

Samuel Buggeln's direction keeps things moving without letting the myriad storylines get confused.

The band rocks it out, led by the composer on keyboards- Alexandra Vega on drums, Bryan Joel Pina on Guitar, and Eric Day on Bass.

For those who pine for the heyday of rockers like Bonnie Tyler and Heart, or just for sci-fi comedies like Ghostbusters or Gremlins, or, in short, for the glorious excess of the 1980s, this may be right up your alley. The show has been so popular that extra performances were added, so get your tickets quick.

Bedbugs!!! The Musical
Part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival

Remaining performances:
Wednesday, Sep 24th at 8:00 pm
Thursday, Sep 25th at 4:30 pm
Saturday, Sep 27th at 4:30 pm
Saturday, Sep 27th at 11:00 pm

Photos by Quinn Batson

1. Ryan Bogner (left), Celina Carvajal (center), Chris Hall (right)
2. Ryan Bogner (left), Chris Hall (center), Celina Carvajal (right)