By Edwin B. Smith
University of Mississippi
Can a dog-headed policeman break into song and dance, chew on a couch and catch the world’s most evil cloned cat, all before lunch?
These and other questions will be answered when “Dog Man: The Musical” takes center stage Saturday (Feb. 12) in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Mississippi. The matinee performance begins at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets can be purchased through the UM Box Office, and a promotional video is available here.
“This is the world of Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of such best-selling graphic novels for children as ‘Captain Underpants,'” said Kate Meacham, Ford Center director of marketing. “This hilarious and heartwarming new production will keep young audiences giggling for nearly 90 minutes.”
Based on the worldwide bestselling “Dog Man” hit series, the show’s premise is that it is actually the work of fifth-grade boys. Best buds George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they’re in fifth grade, they figure it’s time to level up and write a musical based on their favorite character: Dog Man, the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man and all hero.
With the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, Dog Man loves to fight crime – and chew on the furniture. While the hero is trying his best to be a good boy, Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings try to take over the city.
As the semi-canine crusader combats the felonious fish man, Petey, the world’s most evil cat, has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder. All this happens as George and Harold attempt to finish their show before lunchtime.
The show was written by Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander, who collaborated on the Emmy-winning series “Peg + Cat” on PBS, TheaterWorksUSA’s “Click, Clack, Moo” and the upcoming “Clifford the Big Red Dog” on PBS and Amazon. Jen Wineman directs and choreographs.
It stacks up as an epic musical adventure promising fun-filled, family-friendly entertainment for all ages.
University policy requires all individuals to wear masks in indoor public spaces, including the Ford Center.
