Milwaukee’s First Stage offers its own version of a Halloween treat with the opening of Goosebumps: The Phantom of the Auditorium. This world premiere was written by John Maclay, who also contributed lyrics along with Danny Abosch, the show’s music writer. In this slightly spooky and scary tribute to The Phantom of the Opera, a couple of kids begin the show by talking excitedly about the upcoming middle-school annual play. The show’s director (delightfully played by veteran actor Carrie Hitchcock), promises her young thespians that the play will provide “chills, thrill, suspense and a phantom.” Of course, even she doesn’t know the full extent to which this play will challenge the cast. The theater-smitten students have heard the school is haunted, (further explained in the song, “That’s How the Legend Goes.”) Still, the allure of being onstage is stronger than any deterrent. The musical is based on R.L. Stein’s “Goosebumps” series for young readers. It began in 1992 and became an immediate hit with students worldwide. The show proves to be as captivating as the author’s original stories. Although the phantom appears a number of times throughout the musical (wearing a white mask and a long, monk-like robe), there isn’t much else to truly scare the children. Although Goosebumps is recommended for children 7-16, this reviewer noted that much younger children at the performance didn’t seem to whimper or climb up on their parents’ laps. Parents should happily note the absence of witches, skeletons, ghosts, mutilated zombies or monsters. Still, Niffer Clarke’s choreography alludes to zombies and Frankenstein with some of the dancer’s more stilted moves. The musical also contains dark passageways, secret elevators, unexplained noises and a few nifty special effects. Some of the show’s mystery is courtesy of a washed-up janitor (Chris Klopatek). He tells some kids who stumble into his “home” beneath the school the he worked at there until he was “downsized.” Like Hitchcock, Klopatek slides into his character quite easily. While Klopatek provides most of the musical’s chills, Hitchcock earns laughs with her portrayal of a slightly befuddled teacher and school drama coach. The musical also has a number of subplots that focus on various aspects of growing up. One of the most hilarious lines in the musical (according to the reaction of the young audience) comes when Zeke (Jake Koch at the performance I attended) takes the play’s leading role as the phantom. He states quite emphatically that his part had better “not involve kissing a girl,” despite the girl in question being a longtime friend, Brooke Rodgers (Chantae Miller) (the two young actors are quite credible in their respective roles). Another subplot surfaces when romantic feelings begin to stir between Brooke and a “new kid in town.” There are plenty of laughs throughout the show, and especially when Brooke and Brian (Cole Winston), her new love interest, stumble all over themselves when trying to communicate. The tunes are snappy, and the confusion between boy-girl relationships is nicely spelled out in song (“Babbling Brooke”). Goosebumps: The Phantom of the Auditorium may not be on the scale of some of First Stage’s other shows, such as the musicals Big, Shrek, and Big Fish, but the cast here is skilled and provides a smooth performance that is sure to add a mild scare to any kid’s Halloween.
