I have never, ever seen Robocop, and honestly never planned to. I have seen and/or listened to many Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but while I love musical theatre there has never been an R&H show that ranked in my top 10 musicals. With all of that in mind, I left this show buzzing with laughter, excitement, and a very strange desire to watch both Robocop and South Pacific.

Not only is this production packed with strong vocalists, incredible dancers, and stellar acting (a lot of which comes from emerging, local talent in the Edmonton theatre scene), but it is also SMART. The musical theatre references are clear and recognizable enough that the audience is laughing even at the underscoring, and I can only assume the Robocop references are similarly seamlessly integrated. A massive credit to the writers, as this level of understanding indicates a strong respect and knowledge of both properties. The kicker was a HILARIOUS (to me) shot at The Pajama Game, a killer reference for any lovers of musical theatre history.

This cast is top notch and also clearly understand the classic musical theatre vocal style they have been tasked with reviving (considering the contemporary musical theatre vocal style that has taken over the stage in recent years). Stand-out vocal performances from Andrew Boyd, Sarah Kyle, and David Widder-Varhegyi, and a STELLAR blend of harmonies and vocal cameos from the entire ensemble.

Finally, I have to recognize and celebrate the DREAM BALLET. Never before has there been such an effective use of a dream ballet, and it was impeccably choreographed and performed in a way that fully justified a break from the normal pace of the plot but stayed oh-so-entertaining the entire time. I can't state enough how much I enjoyed it.