Things are getting pretty bloody off-Broadway — and we couldn’t be more excited.
“Teeth,” a new musical by Tony-award winner Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs, based on the cult 2007 horror film, is now playing at New World Stages following an incredibly well-received run earlier this year at Playwrights’ Horizons.
Last week, The Post caught up with one of the stars of “Teeth,” Tony nominee and Olivier Award winner Andy Karl, who joined “Teeth” for its second NYC run. At all shows, he plays three (!) parts, each of which is guaranteed to make your skin crawl.
“I’ve never done anything quite like it, which is great for an actor, but also just feels very special to do a show that is like some people have never seen before,” Karl said.
In the production, Karl portrays Pastor O’Keefe, the stepfather of the musical’s protagonist Dawn (played by Alyse Alan Louis, who Karl notes is “just incredible” and “wonderful to watch”) and also plays a heinous gynecologist (who shows shades of the dentist from “Little Shop of Horrors”) as well as an incel-coded Truthseeker.
Plus, in case you didn’t think he was busy enough, the 50-year-old also serves as the Australian voice of the ominous Godfather.
Since “Teeth” is a cult film, diehards have certain expectations of the adaptation. Karl says he revisited the movie before he started rehearsals to know what a true fan may be thinking coming into the production.
“They have a certain amount of expectations of what the basic idea of the show is,” he said. “What I believe Michael R. Jackson, Anna K. Jacob, our director Sarah Benson, and our choreographer Raja [Feather Kelly] did was elevate the piece from the movie. It has its own voice, certainly at the end. It has things that it’s dealing with idealism. It takes it a step further.”
Karl is no stranger to film-to-stage adaptations; he’s acted in “Legally Blonde,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “9 to 5,” “On the Twentieth Century,” and “The Wedding Singer,” in addition to originating lead roles in “Rocky” as Rocky Balboa, “Groundhog Day” as Phil Connors, and “Pretty Woman,” as Edward Lewis.
“I think one of the best things you can do with any movie to stage transfer is reach beyond what the movie was saying and go a step further, and I think they really do that visually and also thematically,” he mused.
“Teeth” is also in a unique position as a horror film being adapted into a self-professed musical comedy, and the balance of that was something Karl had questioned when he got offered the (four) roles.
“What’s great about this show is that it rides so many lines,” he explained. “We have very fun moments in this show and campy moments, but there’s also — as any good horror film will, examines something about humanity and shows it back on itself.”
Karl further elaborated about the show’s themes: “It has themes about idealism and religion and sexual suppression and women and men, but it also has this campiness and this horror about it, which really takes it into the fantasy realm.”
As someone who doesn’t often inhabit truly villainous roles, Karl says that playing the baddie is fun, “but you always have to have the sense that this character believes firmly what he believes in.”
“I think when we started rehearsals, I was a bit serious because I wanted to know why anyone would say the things that the pastor says, why would the gynecologist do what he does?” he recalled. “I wanted to know. I wanted to seek out some sort of history with him and find out what the backstory is.”
So, what puts the horror in “horror comedy?” Why, the blood, of course!
“We do pretty horrific, amazing SFX with lots of blood,” Karl explained. “The first two rows of the audience, with their ponchos, get doused with blood if they’re lucky.”
“I think fans of horror films will be pleasantly surprised and happy to get all the bits of gore that they need,” Karl said, when asked why people should go see “Teeth.” “But I think theater fans who understand story will get a great story told in a very unique way.”
“It’s really exciting,” he added later. “I truly believe in “Teeth.”
But what drew Karl to the show he described as “wild, horrifying, and hilarious” initially was, without spoiling the ending, how each of his characters end the show — so you’ll just have to see for yourself the “quite unique” way Pastor is taught his lesson.
The musical comedy is running at the New World Stages from now until Jan. 19, 2025.
This interview was lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
“Teeth” Broadway schedule
For the next two months, you can catch “Teeth” at the New World Stages.
However, the show doesn’t adhere to your standard Tuesday through Sunday Broadway schedule every week.
Based on our findings, the off-Broadway “Teeth” runs Wednesday through Monday, going dark on Tuesdays.
Then, some weeks, there are Tuesday shows. Occasionally, they take Thursdays off. Matinees typically begin at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Basically, the biggest takeaway we have is that if you want to see “Teeth” live, you ought to study the schedule.
For a closer look, you can find the complete “Teeth” schedule here.
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