REVIEW: Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical – Millennial Productions

Title: Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical

Presented by: Millennial Productions

Directed by: Kristen Barros

Musical Direction by: Victoria Keomahavong

Choreography by: Jess Briskie

Millennial Productions took audiences on a wild ride to Hawkins, Indiana, with Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical — a campy, unapologetic spoof of the Stranger Things phenomenon. Packed with ‘80s nostalgia, theatre kid humour, and quirky characters, this show was part tribute, part fever dream, and a joyfully absurd experience, even for those who have never seen an episode.

Directed by Kristen Barros, with musical direction by Victoria Keomahavong and choreography by Jess Briskie, the show dove headfirst into the bizarre little town of Hawkins — where, apparently, “stranger things have never happened”… unless you count poor parenting, disappearing kids, weirdos lurking in the woods, secret labs, mad scientists, and an alarming amount of Eggo waffles. This zany ride through Season 1 of the hit series was packed with hints to future plotlines, character cameos, and some sneaky musical theatre references for the nerds (me, I’m the nerd).

I caught the show twice — opening night and closing night — thanks to a very theatrical twist of fate: the lighting desk blew up right before the first performance. But instead of calling it quits, the cast and crew powered on like true theatre champs, performing the entire show under the glow of the house lights. No moody Upside Down lighting, no dramatic strobes for the telekinetic powers — just raw talent, improv, and the slightly unsettling reality that the cast could clearly see every single one of our reactions in the audience.

The actors leaned into the mishap with extra wit, turning an unexpected tech fail into a meta-parody moment in a show that’s already wonderfully self-aware and totally unhinged. It ended up being this one-of-a-kind, spontaneous experience. Of course, I had to go back for closing night to see the show with all its bells and whistles — and I’m happy to say, the energy was just as electric (pun intended) as before. By then, I had also binged the entire first season of Stranger Things, and my appreciation for both the parody and its characters had grown tenfold.

The twelve-person cast was an absolute powerhouse of comic timing, vocal might, energetic moves, and character commitment. Every performer pulled their weight, with some clever character doubling that turned the farcical tone up to eleven...

Jaime O’Donoghue was a show-stealer in the dual role of Joyce Byers and puppet-Will Byers (since Will is MIA the whole first season). As Joyce, she captured the intensity of Winona Ryder’s wild-eyed desperation with brilliant facial contortions and flailing emotional chaos. Her big unhinged solo 'Crazy' was a fever dream where Joyce imagines she is Winona Ryder — complete with guest cameos from Ryder’s greatest hits: Beetlejuice, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Little Women… As Will “dead-lifeless-eyes” Byers, Jaime somehow breathed life into the puppet. Her solo (or should we say duet?) 'When There’s a Will' was so convincing, I almost believed Will had a voice of his own. Jaime's physical and vocal antics were top-notch, and the absurdity of her scenes was the icing on the cake.

Joel O'Brien (Mike), Peter Wood (Dustin), and Elton Jun (Lucas) were the comedic dream team of awkward preteens. Their number 'The Adventure Song' was a riot of goofy moves and perfect childlike antics, made even funnier by the ridiculousness of grown-ups playing 12-year-olds. Joel's voice could move mountains, and he infused Mike Wheeler with all the leadership charisma and preteen goofiness you could imagine — plus, his wig was fittingly tragic. Peter Wood as Dustin was a ball of chaotic, lisping energy. At first, I thought he was overdoing it — until I actually watched the TV show and realised he was actually spot on. Elton Jun was a comedic MVP, juggling the roles of Lucas, the Demogorgon, and a surprise Erica-in-drag moment (complete with a death drop). His physical comedy was a constant head-turner, and his sassy Demogorgon acting choices were everything.

Kristin Sparks as Eleven nailed that perfect mix of sweet vulnerability, deadpan weirdness à la E.T., and full-on girl boss energy. She barely had any lines — fitting for Eleven — but more than made up for it with killer dance ability and a stunning voice. Her solo, 'The Dad I Never Had,' was touching, and her final dance-off showdown with the Demogorgon was gloriously extra — pink dress, blonde wig, the whole shebang (though I was secretly hoping for the makeover after the “unnecessary plot device” moment). But even with that cursed first wig, Kristin fully committed. How she kept a straight face through all of it is beyond me.

Chelsea Sales (Nancy/Robin) had a commanding main-character energy, paired with a voice that absolutely sparkled. Her portrayal of Nancy hit all the right notes — perky, daft, and hilariously self-absorbed before Nancy's character development kicked in. Chelsea clearly had a blast bouncing off both Daniel and Emily's energy. 'Friends Forever,' the duet between Barb and Nancy, was a hilariously lopsided anthem about the unlikeliest of BFFs… (or maybe something more?) Their dynamic was both funny and a little heartbreaking, as poor Barb got swept along in Nancy's whirlwind of self-serving antics.

Daniel Lelić was a riot playing both Jonathan and Steve. His take on Jonathan Byers nailed that INFP awkwardness and sadboi vibes, while his Steve Harrington was all about hair-flipping swagger, confident delusion, and more daftness. His duet with Nancy 'In These Woods' was ridiculously over-the-top, featuring an interpretive dance break that had everyone cackling. Daniel's epic high note at the end of 'Nice' — a bromantic duet with Dustin that was completely unnecessary yet absolutely perfect — was seriously impressive!

Emily Rohweder absolutely crushed it as Barb “I-think-that-went-well” Holland, perfectly capturing the awkward and overlooked energy of everyone’s favourite ill-fated teen. Her solo 'Barb’s Turn' — a glammed-up parody power ballad à la Gypsy — was both powerful and breathless. I loved the gag of her getting winded mid-song. Big numbers are tough, folks! Emily's comedic instincts are razor-sharp, and her quick-witted improv on opening night had me absolutely howling.

Jacob Ballard was perfection as Jim Hopper — a gruff, loveable, improv king. It was a shame his song kept getting cut off ('Hopper Triggered' indeed), especially since Jacob has a stunning voice. Thankfully, his heartfelt reprise of 'The Dad I Never Had' with Kristin hit me right in the feels. His subtle one-liners and weary dad energy were spot-on. He steered the Upside Down madness with the comic exasperation of the only sane adult in a world gone bonkers — tired, ignored, but determined.

Special shoutout to Pheobe Lovell as Mrs Wheeler and Mr Clarke — her physicality as the dorky teacher was a treat, and she gave both roles just the right amount of caricature without going too far. Malcolm Hume as Dr Brenner was delightfully creepy in his tragic "Clive Palmer" wig. Anika Jocumsen as Max (who technically doesn’t exist in Season 1, but she's just there for the vibes) killed it in all the group choreography. These three also backed as very convincing trees in 'Adventure Song.'

The set featured nods to the show — Christmas lights and the alphabet wall, an angled portal doorway, and 80s-era lamps hanging overhead. The lighting design shone brightest on closing night (duh). But ironically, the absence of lights on opening night made certain scenes even funnier. The portal transport pantomime was ridiculous — characters flinging themselves through time and space without effects — and Emily’s commitment to lines like “Just pretend I’m in a pool!” had me snorting. Costumes leaned into the era and the absurd (Eleven’s hospital gown, Hopper’s Hawaiian shirt, Barb’s button-ups), and the wigs — while deliberately tragic — became part of the comedy. The Demogorgon costume was an absolute win!

Despite its parody format, Stranger Sings! required strong vocals and serious movement from its ensemble, and they delivered on both fronts. The energy never dipped, even with the physically demanding choreography and rapid role changes. Jess Briskie filled the choreography with cheeky nods to everything from High School Musical to Thriller, Pulp Fiction, and Hot to Go — all blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that kept the momentum up until the end. And the Bowie/Madonna cameos in 'The Final Battle' were deliciously unexpected. Because... MUSIC. WE. NEED. MUSIC!

Musical director Victoria Keomahavong worked wonders with this cast. In particular, the harmonies in 'Getting Closer' (Act I finale) were tight, layered, and so satisfying. Every performer brought vocal power, and despite being a small ensemble, they never sounded thin. And while there’s no single “main character” in the musical (unless you ask Barb), every performer had a moment to shine. Musical theatre references were peppered throughout — Mean Girls, Wicked, Gypsy, Xanadu, Yentl, Hadestown — along with pop culture callbacks and even a snippet of Running Up That Hill.

With a stellar cast, nonstop energy, and enough inside jokes to make any fan giggle, Stranger Sings was an absolute riot — whether the lights were working or not! Millennial Productions created something genuinely special: a lovingly unhinged celebration of fandom, theatre, and the art of roasting the things we love. It was meta and campy in all the right ways, never tipping into cringe. You could tell the team had an absolute blast bringing it to life — and the audience was right there with them.

Photography @bybrit.creative