Fringe Encore Series: Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical

In all honesty, I had no intention of seeing Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical. The title annoyed me and the plot description sounded pretentious, but positive word of mouth spread and when an extension was announced for the Fringe Encore Series, I decided to check it out after all, and I'm glad I did.

The musical focuses on the part of the story when female dinosaurs started to become male due to the frog DNA that was used in their creation. It is told from point of view of the dinosaurs and Morgan Freeman (Lee Seymour) narrates. If you're thinking that Freeman wasn't in Jurassic Park, you're right, but his presence is explained and works in the the context of the story.

Written by Emma Barash, Bryce Norbitz, Marshall Pailet, and Stephen Wargo, the show is often silly, but unlike many shows in the same vein, it actually has something to say, taking a smart look at identity. Fans of the movie will enjoy the references (though where was Jeff Goldblum?). Though musical theater fans will get a kick out of the spoofing of the genre, the writers again successfully wrote a score that stands on its own. Kyle Mullins's choreography effectively mimics the movement of dinosaurs. The cast is vocally excellent and nails the comedic timing. Seymour doesn't do a traditional Morgan Freeman impersonation, but is particularly entertaining with his stoic delivery. Kudos to director Marshall Pailet and the entire creative team for taking this concept and running with it to create a tight, 70-minute musical that is entertaining from start to finish.

Remaining performances are Sept. 17 at 9:30 p.m. and Sept. 18 at 10:30 p.m. at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.