Review: CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL Doesn't 'Meat' My Expectations

2.5 out of 5 stars

If you bill a show as "From the co-creator of South Park and The Book of Mormon" you're going to set the expectations pretty high. Cannibal! The Musical opened last night in Toronto, and as much as I really wanted to like it - it came across rather flat, even in the intimate Panasonic Theatre.

The show's premise is simple: Alfred Packer (played by Liam Tobin), the only person in the US to ever be convicted of Cannibalism, reluctantly leads a group diggers through mountains. One murders another, and the group eats the dead one to survive.

Packer leaves for a few minutes and returns to find all but the murderer dead. He kills the murderous traveler in self defense and feeds on the group to survive until he can continue traveling. Eventually he arrives in a town and is tried for Cannibalism. He is convicted but ultimately avoids a hanging. Amidst all this, numerous sexual references are made towards a horse that by the end of the night are tiresome and no longer funny.

One of the main issues with the show is that all of the action I've described here happens in the second act. For most of the first act, the cast wanders around the small stage - doing numbers in a style reminiscent of a Bing Crosby/Bob Hope "Road to..." comedy film. Younger audience members might know this style better as a Brian/Stewie travel episode on Family Guy.

The traveling adventure style might work well on film and television, but is terribly boring to watch on stage. (Think Lord of the Rings on stage, but without the multi-million dollar rotating and rising platforms.) Combining the low-budget aesthetic along with little action makes for a first act that feels terribly long. While not my cup of tea, the second act is better paced and is more entertaining overall.

A big issue for me with this production is the music. From my second row balcony seat, I had a lot of trouble hearing the performers over the accompanying music. The show's program credits only two musicians (Aaron Eyre, also serving as Music Director, and Stacey Maroske) and uses synthesizer technology to make up the rest of the orchestra - and it's not done well.

Part of what makes a musical fun to watch is that each performance is unique and the performers can react to each other and the audience - while the conductor adjusts the tempo and dynamics as needed. This type of control isn't really possible with synthesized music, and it was evident during songs when performers had to keep going to keep up with the score, even though the audience was still reacting.

The show's score itself is also unimpressive. Some of the tunes are fun to listen to, but none are particularly exciting. One act two ballad, "Meat My Destiny" stands out as better than the others and makes for a fun few minutes. None of the songs here come close to matching anything in The Book of Mormon.

While the show itself isn't great, the cast is phenomenal and makes the most of the material. Liam Tobin and Elicia MacKenzie make a great couple, even if their on-stage romance seems rushed. Mark Andrada makes for a hilarious Indian Chief, while Lana Carillo plays his sexually frustrating daughter (and later in the show, amongst other roles, a nun!) The rest of the cast is rounded out nicely by Marty Adams, Constant Bernard, Troy Goldthorp, Mike Nahrgang, Tim Porter, and Trevor Martin.

According to the show's website, it intends to tour. I think the material itself has potential, but in it's current form doesn't make for what I consider to be an entertaining night at the theatre. Hopefully future incarnations will have improved pacing - and maybe some new tunes too.

If you're curious, or a fan of the original film. Cannibal! The Musical is now playing through March 8th at the Panasonic Theatre. Tickets are available at Mirvish.com.

Follow Alan Henry on twitter at @alanhenryTO. Also, find him on Facebook!

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