The Zane Trace Players will open "The Monster of Phantom Lake: The Musical!" on Oct. 23 at The Renner Theatre in Zanesville. The production is the Ohio premiere of the musical, according to a community announcement, bringing the 1950s B-movie spoof to a local stage for the first time in the state for audiences in Muskingum County and beyond.
Written by Christopher R. Mihm with music by Adam Boll, the show blends classic horror, comedy and music reminiscent of 1950s pop. The result is a spoof that leans into the style of low-budget monster movies from that era while telling its story through songs designed to be light, playful and memorable for the audience from start to finish.
The story follows Professor Jackson, played by Nate Kearns, and graduate student Stephanie, played by Kayla Fello, as they investigate the secrets around Phantom Lake. Their search draws them into the mystery surrounding the lake and the creature said to be lurking there, setting up the encounters that drive the musical’s plot and its mix of scares and laughs.
That creature comes from toxic waste dumped into the lake, which transformed a legendary hermit, played by Jay Shaffstall, into a mutant monster. Kevin McCarthy and Kerby Staker play the garbage men doing the dumping, while Lee Hoover and Thomas Hoover portray a pair of cops who patrol the area in a canoe, adding another comic touch to the story.
Also drawn into the action are two teenage couples: Penny, played by Mayah Dalton, and George, played by Ashton Skoutelas, along with Amy, played by Katelinn Kiney, and Jonathon, played by Ethan Rodriguez. Ashlynn Smith completes that younger group as Elizabeth, described as their "Afraid of Everything" friend, whose reactions help carry the show’s comedy.
Shelley Tolliver is directing the production with Caitlin Staker, and Darla Revennaugh serves as musical director. Revennaugh described the music as fun and catchy, saying it stays in your head, a quality the creative team is counting on as audiences hear Boll’s songs, rooted in the pop sound of the 1950s, for the first time in Ohio.
The production also honors the memory of its original director, Margi Wysong, who died earlier this year. Tolliver said Wysong had an ornery spirit, a big heart and a bigger laugh, and that the goal is to carry out her vision and honor her memory. The show includes some scary elements and innuendo, the announcement notes, as the Players bring the premiere to the Renner stage.
Photo: Thesteeleisreal, CC BY-SA