USU's Department of Music Will Perform Rock Comedy Musical for Halloween

LOGAN, Utah — With Halloween just around the corner, USU’s Department of Music presents “The Toxic Avenger,” a dark-humored love story by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, inspired by a cult film. Showings will run Oct. 28-31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Caine Lyric Theatre.

“The Toxic Avenger” premiered on Broadway in 2014 and is set in a New Jersey town grappling with toxic waste. The story follows a nerdy boy who is infatuated with a blind librarian and embarks on a mission to win her heart — even if it takes cleaning the town of all the toxins. Along the way, he discovers the corruption of town leaders and falls into toxic waste where he is transformed into a hero.

“It’s a love story at heart and has the sense of, does the guy get the girl? Is it a happily ever after?” Director Dallas Aksoy said. “There's also a big theme of how we care for our environment.”

Vocal performance majors and cast members Emma Dunster and Kae Ra Davis share their love for the music, highlighting how it stands out from anything they’ve done before.

“I've really gotten to take the music and make it my own, and I like to put my own kind of flair on it,” said Davis, who will play the librarian.

Dunster will play two characters: the corrupt mayor and the protagonist’s mother.

“When I am playing the two at the same time, you can tell clearly who is who. I’m working on a Jersey accent for the mayor and the mom will have something else,” Dunster said. “I'll probably work when we do staging on different physicalities. Maybe the mayor is more assured and imposing, and the mom is frazzled.”

Audience members will see everything from rock love songs to gory scenes. Aksoy recommends audience members to prepare for a “spook-alley-inspired from the moment they arrive at the theater.”

“Be ready to just have a good time,” Aksoy said. “It’s something that's out of the box and crazy, but that's the spirit of Halloween.”

For additional details and to purchase tickets, visit online.