Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Director Matthew Gunnels and choreographer Brigitte Ditmars keep the large ensemble in sync. For those who prefer summertime theatrical comfort food with extra-sharp cheese, "Poseidon" will float your boat."

Chicago Reader - Recommended

"...Written and composed by David Cerda (with contributions from Scott Lamberty, Cheryl Snodgrass, and Taylor E. Ross), the show is a hodgepodge of clever sight gags, labored sex jokes (with lots of oh-so-obvious gay innuendo), on-target caricatures, passable song spoofs, and surprisingly serious monologues addressing the film's Dantesque subtext and its lasting impact on its devotees. Under the guidance of director Matthew Gunnels and musical director Kory Danielson, Poseidon! is both a send-up of the movie and a salute to its survive-at-any-cost spirit."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...If you missed Poseidon! the first time during its previous runs at the Theatre Building, the former Bailiwick and the New York International Fringe Festival, rush out and laugh along with it now while you still can. The cast is so large that it's unlikely to be remounted again, plus it probably won't be produced on such a grand scale."

Chicago Free Press - Recommended

"...this revival offers plenty to love. Cerda has genuine musical talent, and it’s great to hear “Just Panties” and “Air Pockets” again, along with the mesmerizing “Ordinary Day,” sung in the wake of the tidal disaster. The best new song, “God Wants Winners,” is a rousing patter number sung with panache by Derek Czaplewski; other stellar performers include Trista Smith and Andrew Swan. In fact, the only exception to the show’s good-singing rule is Ed Jones, whose Nonnie slaughters “The Morning After” in about eight short bars. It’s deliberate, of course—a running gag that shouldn’t be funny after the second or third time, but Jones never quits being a total crack-up."

Chicago Stage Review - Somewhat Recommended

"...There’s a lot of love and enthusiasm on this ride. Playful reenactments of tragic scenes and absurdly delightful musical numbers, like the vamp-tastic show-stopper “Just Panties,” abound. But the show would be better served by focusing on the film parody and less on the fanatical fans. This is where Hell In A Handbag really shines."

Time Out Chicago - Recommended

"...All of this fun, though, is somewhat hampered by the production’s split focus. Transitions between the framework of the TPA fans “watching” the movie and the parody itself are murky; a trio of soliloquies, while heartfelt, awkwardly halt the momentum; and both acts end abruptly. Although the production strains to make a metaphor of the ragtag survivors’ climb up through the sinking ship, this musical is nonetheless an enjoyable, charming disaster."