Giant Green Lizard! The Musical
Encyclopedia
Giant Green Lizard! The Musical is an original two-act musical
written for and produced at the Maverick Theater
in Fullerton, California
in July 2006. It is a musical parody
of the Japan
ese monster movies from the 1950s. The book, music and lyrics were written by Jeremy Gable
, from an idea conceived by Maverick Theater owner Brian Newell.
The original title of the musical was Godzilla
, The Musical, but the creators were notified by Toho Film Company Ltd that they could not use the name or likeness of Godzilla without permission. Therefore, the monster was renamed Gizard and the show was given a new title.
Giant Green Lizard! The Musical utilized both of the Maverick's theatrical spaces. Act One took place on the cabaret
stage (which was set up to look like a karaoke bar), while Act Two took audiences to the proscenium
stage, which was used as a lookout point for the Tokyo
skyline. The show featured video segments, a miniature-scale destructible set of Tokyo, and a dozen original songs - including "Out of Synch", "Love Song For Gizard" and "The Monster In Me".
The show received a positive notice in the entertainment trade BackStage West, particularly noting its "inventive score" and "off-kilter sensibility". .
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
written for and produced at the Maverick Theater
Maverick Theater
The Maverick Theater is a storefront theater in the city of Fullerton, California, in Orange County. The theater was founded in 2002 by Artistic Director Brian Newell. Needing a venue to run his Elvis Presley musical The King, Newell rented a space at The Block at Orange, formerly occupied by Mars...
in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
in July 2006. It is a musical parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese monster movies from the 1950s. The book, music and lyrics were written by Jeremy Gable
Jeremy Gable
Jeremy Joseph Gable is an American playwright living in Philadelphia.Gable was born in Lakenheath, Suffolk, England. He grew up in Post Falls, Idaho...
, from an idea conceived by Maverick Theater owner Brian Newell.
The original title of the musical was Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
, The Musical, but the creators were notified by Toho Film Company Ltd that they could not use the name or likeness of Godzilla without permission. Therefore, the monster was renamed Gizard and the show was given a new title.
Giant Green Lizard! The Musical utilized both of the Maverick's theatrical spaces. Act One took place on the cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
stage (which was set up to look like a karaoke bar), while Act Two took audiences to the proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
stage, which was used as a lookout point for the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
skyline. The show featured video segments, a miniature-scale destructible set of Tokyo, and a dozen original songs - including "Out of Synch", "Love Song For Gizard" and "The Monster In Me".
The show received a positive notice in the entertainment trade BackStage West, particularly noting its "inventive score" and "off-kilter sensibility". .
Opening Night Credits
- Nick McGee - Gizzard
- Enrique Munzo - Thomas/Boner
- Liza A. Rios - Mary
- Stan Morrow - Toji-San
- Christopher Gomez - Stephen H.I. Thompson
- Jules Toyama - Suki
- Paul Burt - Kevin
- Ernest Lee - Haru-San/Reporter/Camera Man
- Jeremy GableJeremy GableJeremy Joseph Gable is an American playwright living in Philadelphia.Gable was born in Lakenheath, Suffolk, England. He grew up in Post Falls, Idaho...
- American Tourist - Brian Newell - Lights, Sound and Video
- Jason Chavez - Technical Assistance
- Leah Nichole - Technical Assistance
- Cristian Diaz - Computer Assistant