Talent is Oozing with the Toxic Avenger at South Camden Theatre Company

by Evan Harris

I love theatre, but it’s not my only passion. I also love cooking, video games, and Dungeons and Dragons. Today, though, I want to focus on two things close to my heart: comic books and New Jersey.

In 1978, my dad opened El Dorado Comics, a store that closed before I was born. Still, his love for superheroes, art, and community shaped me deeply. This passion brings me to The Toxic Avenger—New Jersey’s “first” superhero and the subject of South Camden Theatre Company’s first-ever musical, directed by Joel Guerrero.

You may not realize it, but some major superheroes hail from the Garden State: Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel (fun fact, Kamala Khan’s name is pronounced the same way presidential candidate and diseased pumpkin Donald Trump mispronounces the future president’s name. (Also, vote.), Janet Van Dyne (Wasp), Tommy Shepherd (Speed), and Gotham City is often set in North Jersey. Yet none of these characters hold the same place in my heart as The Toxic Avenger.

As a child, I was obsessed with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon, where Toxie and his mutant team fought pollution and corporate greed. The show was goofy, reminiscent of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But the original Toxic Avenger film is far from kid-friendly—violent, dirty, and campy in the best way.

I’ve rambled a bit, but I say all this because I walked into the theatre with high expectations. I know what Toxie should be, and I’d hate to see him misrepresented. I also believe not everything needs a musical adaptation (looking at you, Mean Girls) so I was a little wary of what this show might be. That said, SCTC’s production of The Toxic Avenger: The Musical delivered one of the most fun nights of theatre I’ve had in a long time.

This was actually my first time ever visiting this particular theater. The theater itself is small but I was very impressed by just how nice it was inside. Impeccably clean, well decorated, and a gorgeous bar where you can enjoy snacks and alcoholic beverages. On the way to the restrooms, you can stop and admire photos from all of the plays they had done previously. It was nice to see a local theater that understands the importance and magic of plays in a world focused almost exclusively on musical theater. The house is also pretty small, likely less than a hundred seats but I failed to count. But the small house size served the show quite well as our actors would frequently break the 4th wall and interact with audience members. But more on that later.

I was struck by the set when I first walked into the house. Scenic designer Robert Bingaman made a clever, industrial-inspired design that featured an entrance on both sides of the stage, stairs to an upper level (both onstage and behind the facade), and a large central doorway that reminded me of the Fallout series. In addition to the clever construction that even featured a hidden library that pulled out from the wall, I was really impressed by the paint job. The entire set truly looked as if it was constructed from metal decades ago. I also loved the foaming toxic waste that oozed from various spots on the stage. The fluorescent paint would glow under certain lights, a simple yet brilliant effect that drove home the schlocky sci-fi vibe. It instantly transports you to the fictional toxic waste dump of a city, Tromaville, New Jersey.

The lighting, as done by Hunter A. Mountz, weren’t overly complex but certainly effective. Characters had signature colors that were often reinforced during their songs. Many of the songs had a ”concert vibe” when it came to the lighting which elevated the rock score throughout. 

Speaking of the score, the live pit was just awesome. It was led by pianist and musical director, David Schwartz. Alongside him were Steve Pappaterra, Corinne Kite-Dean, Will Shea, Scott Porreca. This show could have used tracks, sure. Most theaters around here do. But this band was just so punk rock. They had attitude and reflected it in their playing. In addition, the harmonies of our small cast were so incredibly tight. The hard work of the cast and Schwartz were front and center from start to finish. 

I also really loved the props featured throughout. This is a prop-heavy show in a relatively small space so Pam Stanley, prop manager, needed to be creative and they very much delivered. The production fully embraced its camp aesthetic (more on that later!), with intentionally low-budget props that added to the charm and humor of the show. A standout moment was when a character’s arm was ripped off, hilariously replaced by a mannequin arm with red paint acting as blood. Far from being a distraction, these over-the-top choices enhanced the darkly playful and irreverent tone of the performance, turning what could have been a weakness into one of the production's greatest strengths.

The costumes were also a blast to witness. Since some of our actors played numerous characters, there was a fair amount of quick-changing between (and during) scenes. The costumer, Louise Gareau, managed to create a series of costumes that were highly effective in portraying the various characters while still being simple enough that an actor could quickly throw one off and replace it with another in a very short amount of time. The best costume comes at the end of Act 1. I go a little more in depth on that later but I will not spoil the surprising and hilarious costume that closes out the first half of the show.  All that being said, I will say that Toxie’s costume could have used maybe a touch more attention. I don’t think any aspect of it was “bad,” per se, but some minor changes could ultimately enhance the entire costume. For example, the green muscle suit was untucked under his shirt and you could see the openings of the sleeves where the actor’s real hands extended from. I know I just praised the show for having intentionally low-budget props, but this felt a little different in that these were things that could have been altered but were not. Despite this, it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the show. Also, a big shout out to Ryan Smith who designed the hideous Toxie mask worn by Andrew Bozelli. It was grotesque and beautiful. I’m very impressed by how little it seemed to impede Bozelli’s performance. 

Mackenzie Newbury choreographed this wild show which had to be a big challenge. With a show as outrageous as this one, it would be easy for the choreography to be overshadowed by the music. But Newbury went above and beyond in achieving choreography that was just as wild as the show itself. These five actors pulled off daring and acrobatic moves in several different numbers. At one point, Toxie flipped his girlfriend, Sarah, around his shoulder and held her up in the air, all while singing. In a different song, two henchmen lifted the villainous mayor into the air as she… well… I won’t go into too much detail but maybe leave the kids at home for this show. Talk about core strength, I’ll tell ya. 

The show started with two actors, William McHattie and James Joseph Edward Jesberger, Jr., entering through the house and getting right in the faces of the audience, immediately setting the tone for the next 2 and a half hours. Let me just say that McHattie and Jesberger, Jr. were absolutely hilarious. You could tell these two actors greatly enjoyed the material as well as each other. These two actors, more or less, made up the entire ensemble of the show. This show only featured 5 actors so McHattie and Jesberger, Jr. portrayed well over 6 different characters throughout the show and did so hysterically. On top of all that, they were both just excellent singers. McHattie also led the band with an acoustic guitar he played live. I was constantly impressed by their wit juxtaposed against the sheer absurdity they brought to the table. 

Another actor who managed to play more than one character was Neena Boyle, who briefly played a foul mouthed nun but truly shined playing our protagonist’s chain-smoking, Jersey broad of a mother and the antagonist, the evil and sex-crazed mayor. Good God, this actor is hilarious. Between her over-the-top character work and stunning vocals, she stole every scene she was in. The peak of her performance came at the finale of Act 1 where her two primary characters have a confrontation that results in her singing a show-stopping duet with herself, while simultaneously beating the crap out of herself. It was very reminiscent of Confrontation from Jekyll & Hyde The Musical, except this version is slightly more unhinged and a hell of a lot funnier. Boyle is the kind of actor that you seek out regardless of show.

Shannon Sullivan played blind librarian and love interest of our titular character, Sarah. Sullivan’s voice was absolutely incredible. During one particular song, Sullivan sang in whistle tones that were so effortless, I almost couldn’t believe it was her singing them. And don’t let me forget her physical comedy. This is an actor who is absolutely fearless onstage. Slapstick is such a tricky thing to pull off well but I had so much fun watching Sullivan stumble about the set. She managed to maintain the illusion of being blind throughout the entire show which is a feat in and of itself. 

I saved our protagonist, Melvin Ferd the Third (better known as The Toxic Avenger, or Toxie for short), for last because actor Andrew Bozelli had one of the hardest jobs of the entire cast. Bozelli spent the majority of the show clad in a green-skinned muscle suit and a mask that almost completely covered his face. An actor’s face is one of their most important tools. Taking that away forces the actor to express themselves almost exclusively through physical acting. Bozelli managed to capture the meekness, grief, joy, and rage that The Toxic Avenger is known for. For a big green monster with his eyeball dangling from his head, one could imagine how difficult it would be to take this character seriously. And let’s be honest, very little of this insane show takes itself seriously. But Bozelli manages to make you really feel for this hulking mutant whose normal life was taken away from him. Particularly during his song, “You Tore My Heart Out,” where Toxie laments the pain he’s enduring. Bozelli’s voice has a kindness and gentleness to it that really sells the depression that accompanies being a geek turned freak. Maybe I’m taking the song a bit too seriously. He does at one point sing regret for tearing a man’s head off with his bare hands. But I think the thing I enjoyed most about the entire show was how effectively it pulled off the campiness of the material. 

This is a production that understands camp. Webster defines “Camp” as “something so outrageously artificial, affected, inappropriate, or out-of-date as to be considered amusing” and “a style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture.” I find these definitions to be missing something. While Camp is often described as tacky, kitschy, garish, and over the top, I believe that true Camp requires sincerity, above all. Sincerity is what separates Camp from simple tackiness. This is a show full of nonsense, chaos, and filth (literally and otherwise). But our actors and the characters they embody took everything so seriously. You can see the amount of hard work that went into this production. Everything was intentional and effective. The performances were extreme and zany but never at the cost of their characters’ truth. I think a lot of credit needs to be given to director Joel Guerrero. Everything about this production demonstrated a deep understanding of the style and humor found in this unique genre. 

I’m going to end my review by saying this: this show probably isn’t for everyone. It’s trashy. The show is full of sex, drugs, and violence. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this show politically correct either. But those aren’t weaknesses, they’re strengths. This is a show that knows exactly what it is. It’s absolutely hysterical. It was one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in ages! And the talent put forth by literally every member of this production deserves to be seen by many more people. Leave grandma at home and enjoy this raunchy, gut-busting fever dream of a musical. I can’t think of a better way to kick off Spooky Season than by watching a hideous monster and a blind nymphomaniac sing a love ballad into a dildo as a microphone. 

The Toxic Avenger runs Friday, Saturday and Sundays, now till September 29 at South Camden Theatre Company. Purchase tickets here: https://southcamdentheatrecompanyinc.thundertix.com/events/223238