IT CAME FROM BEYOND (click for the homepage)

If you love the 50’s as much as I do, you have to see this show. It is a hilarious send-up of that classic age with fantastic music and lyrics. Taking place at a high school in the 1950’s, Harold has a new comic book that will make or break his science project due tomorrow. However, slacker Steve is paired with Harold by their teacher, Mr. Fielding during a two-hour detention session in…the Twilight Zone. For you see, Harold’s new comic book doesn’t just tell a story, it affects and reflects the world around him as everything goes wrong and aliens invade from…BEYOND! Biggest selling point for me was Kevin Earley, whom I saw as Terry in the Colony Theatre’s production of Sideshow and as Sherriff Joe in the Laguna Beach Playhouse production of Spitfire Grill. But when I get there, I find out two incredible facts:

1) Some of the lyrics were written by Stephen Michael Schwartz who is an original member of Parachute Express and who was at the show that night! The only reason I recognized him was because my childhood was inundated with the “biggest hit” from Parachute Express at that time, (which also got it’s own music video from Disney), Doctor Looney’s Remedy. The music video premiered on the Disney Channel, but I think it was also in front of the VHS release of Pocahontas, but I’m not 100% sure.

2) This is the first fully mounted production of the show, so getting to see it at this stage before it gets to Broadway (it has to be headed there, I have faith in it) is really special.

So if you can’t think of anything good to do on the weekend, head on up to Los Angeles and check out this beautiful gem of a show.

IT CAME FROM BEYOND

Written by Cornell Christianson

Music/Lyrics by Stephen Michael Schwartz & Norman Thalheimer

Directed by Coy Middlebrook

Choreography by Heather Marie Marsden

The Cast

Harold/The Professor – Kevin Earley

Becky – Heather Marie Marsden

Steve – Todd Fournier

Mr. Fielding/The Colonel – Stephen Breithaupt
Miss Benson/Jayne – Ali Spuck