Let These Bedbugs Bite!

There are many scary things in New York City but the most feared thing this city is faced with: bedbugs. With the magic of timing on their side, New York has been struck with a new outbreak of these tiny, pesty creatures taking over the subways. And now those tiny bugs are taking over musical theater. In the new musical Bedbugs!!!, a scientist on a mission sets out to destroy the population of bedbugs only to accidentally cause a mutation of anamorphic bedbugs eager to take over the world. With a mix of Little Shop and The Toxic Avenger, Bedbugs!!!, with music by Paul Leschen and book and lyrics by Fred Sauter, lives in a hilarious world of Sci Fi musical comedy. The musical follows Carly and Burt as she creates a toxic extermination spray that contains an ingredient that doesn’t kill but mutates. Along their journey they encounter a cast of zany characters including an abundance of New York stereotypes, a Canadian pop star, an undersexed bug king, and a legion of bedbugs. Once the mutation has occurred, all hell breaks lose on the city, and the libretto. The story gets crazy as Cimex, the bug king, begins to fall in love with his creator, Carly, forcing her to be his queen. Despite the insane plot line, by presenting it in such a campy manner, it all works cohesively with the rest of the script. For a musical that lives in it’s own imaginary world, the one hang up that could be delved into further is the exact cause of the mutation. The ingredient that causes the train reaction needs a clearer and larger set up, perhaps by Burt, so it’s understood that its inclusion is bad for all rather than informing when the moment is right. Leschen’s pop infused score is catchy and fun, rarely relying on a power ballad to win over the audience. However when Leschen does slow down the music, it’s usually given to pop star Dionne Salon which is a hilarious ode to her inspiration.