Review: Buffy -- Once More With Feeling

Guest review by Jevon Phillips

6/27, Los Angeles: Slaying 'em with a song, baby! 'Buffy the Musical' -- the musical 'Once more ... with feeling' episode of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer- (the greatest show of all time, incidentally) -- screened in L.A. for the first time last night in West-friggin-wood (Go Trojans). And it knocked my cushiony socks off.

From start to finish, there was LOTS of loud singing throughout the theater. Raucous, but not raunchy. Though it was continual, it didn't get in the way of the TV-watching. Truthfully, I'd say most people were on key and decent singers.

The pre-show -- yes, there was a pre-show -- highlighted some fan creations. The Dresden Dolls' 'Coin-operated Boy' was used to spoof Buffy's 4th season relationship with Riley Finn, and was probably the highlight. A tribute to Buffy's mom was touching, a look back at one of Alyson Hannigan's first roles (My Stepmother is an Alien -- IMDB it) had a surprising contemporary twist, and some trivia tidbits displayed the depth of the crowd's knowledge of the Buffyverse. Nerds, but I'm one of them.

Musically, the songs are fun. Joss Whedon is a great writer, and it seems to extend to all venues and genres. The bulk of the music is kind of showtuney, but they fit nicely. Throw in a high-pitched ballad by lesbian lover Tara (to her Willow), a 'rockabilly' diddy from Spike the vampire, and the jazzy stylings of Sweet the demonlord, and it's an OK mix of music.

The show itself is interactive eyecandy. Vampire teeth, poppers, dry cleaning, bubbles and kazoos bring it all together well. The actors in the NY show add something to the experience, but not having them does bring the focus back to the show itself, and forces the audience to 'make their own fun' without relying on the actors.

Someone who did rely on the actors, though, was Joss Whedon. The creator, along with writer-producer-running buddy extraordinaire Marti Noxon, showed up at the Majestic Crest theater (a cool venue, by the way, despite its location. Go Trojans!), to rile up the already riled. A guy of few words, Whedon admonished the crowd to lighten up on Buffy's sometimes-bratty sister Dawn, and was touched by the continued Buffy worship poured on the series, and specifically, the musical episode. The program creator Clinton McClung said that he'd created a cinematic work on TV, and that feat is what made it all possible. Awww.

Go see it!! Or rent it and sing along in your house by yourself, popping poppers and swinging drycleaning around with vampire teeth on and holding a stuffed bunny. Or is that just me?