Preview by Alan Jozwiak of Silence!: The Musical: Falcon Theatre
“œHave the lambs stopped screaming?“
This is a question that Hannibal Lector asks of Clarice Starling during the 1991 Oscar winning film Silence of the Lambs as he probes her mind to get at her deepest fears. This psychological thriller has both entranced and scared audiences for 24 years.
And now this material has been turned into a very funny musical!
Called Silence! The Musical, this musical is a wild parody of the film, poking fun at everything which made the film a smash success.
For those who are still undecided on whether they want to see the musical, here is some F.A.Q. about Silence! The Musical.
What is Silence! The Musical about?
Silence! The Musical deals with FBI Trainee Clarice Starling getting assigned to the case of Buffalo Bob, a serial killer whose latest victim is the daughter of a Senator. In order to find her, Starling seeks the aid of Hannibal Lector, a serial killer who“™s in prison for his crimes and gives Starling clues as to the location of Buffalo Bill. The musical becomes a race against time as Clarice Starling fights to find Buffalo Bill before he ends up murdering the Senator“™s daughter.
Do you have to have watched Silence of the Lambs to understand Silence! The Musical?
No you don“™t. The musical is a parody of the movie and follows the storyline fairly closely. Audiences should be able to follow along if they did not see the movie or have not seen it in years.
However, if you see the film, you will get some of the inside jokes sprinkled throughout the script.
Does this musical depict graphic elements from the film?
Surprisingly, there are few graphic elements depicted from the film. Since this is a musical about serial killers, the characters discuss and poke fun at cannibalism and serial killing. We never get to see these events actually taking place on stage. As a result, there are no body parts or gore presented.
Does this musical use adult language?
Silence! started out as a Fringe show, so the creators have taken a no-holds barred approach and like to use adult language. There are even songs in the show with profanity in the titles that I could not include in this article.
However, Silence! The Musical refrains from swearing every other word and the show tends to be more strategic in its use of profanity.
Because of the mature adult language, Falcon advises that this show is not appropriate for those under 18 years of age.
Who are some of the stars of the show?
Playing Clarice Starling is Lauren Bailey, with Michael Hall playing Hannibal Lector. The rest of the cast includes Brandon Bentley, Burgess Byrd, Michael Dean Conley, Terry Gosdin, Jay Myers, and Katrina Reynolds.
The musical is directed by Falcon Theater“™s Artistic Director and Co-founder Ted Weil.
I hope most of your questions have been answered about this fun romp into the world of serial killers, cannibals, and those who fight against them.
So if the lambs have stopped screaming, have some liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti and see this show! (If you have seen the movie, you know what this means.)
Silence! The Musical runs Fridays and Saturdays, September 25 to October 10, 2015 at the Monmouth Theater in Newport, KY. Go to falcontheater.net for more information.
