‘Bedbugs!!!’ the Musical by Paul Leschen and Fred Sauter

A symphony of camp done just right, the musical Bedbugs!!! marshals over-the-top phantasmagoria in the service of a narrative that makes emotional (though not remotely logical) sense. A well-paced story rests on a foundation of brilliantly arranged songs inspired by ’80s rock and brought to life by electrically funny choreography featuring, among other amusements, an itching sequence. It’s an evening of zany, scary, laugh-out-loud fun. Think Rocky Horror with better music. Think Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Think Little Shop of Horrors. Think the twisted family dynamics of John Waters movies. Throw in an homage to Fiddler on the Roof‘s dream sequence. Bedbugs!!! merits all its exclamation points. It’s a big spectacle that colors outside the lines but never gets out of control. It does, however, almost spill beyond the confines of the ArcLight Theatre. Director and choreographer Robert Bartley squeezes set and action out of every angle and corner that he can, to the point where the biggest production numbers, like the Act I finale, become almost immersive and an audience member might even miss some of the action.