Oberlin Music Theater Dives into the Upside Down for "Stranger Sings!"

Oberlin’s Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space is about to get a little…stranger. 

Beginning April 23, Oberlin Music Theater invites audiences to Hawkins, Indiana, circa 1983—a time when hair was bigger and unsupervised children were snatched by interdimensional creatures. The occasion is Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical, an over-the-top take on the hit Netflix series in all its campy 1980s glory.

Created by Jonathan Hogue, the award-nominated musical follows Mike, Eleven, Lucas, and Dustin as they face dancing monsters, teenage drama, and a trip to the Upside Down—the name for Hawkins' dark alternate dimension—this time with plenty of laughs. Critics have called the show “screwy” and “non-stop fun,” praising its ability to capture the “glorious nostalgia of the 1980s.”

Directed by Assistant Professor of Music Theater Laura Welsh, with musical direction by Sarah Nelson and choreography by second-year music theater major Valeria Flores, Oberlin’s production leans into the humor and heart of the original production. “I'm a huge sci-fi fan and a child of the ’80s," says Welsh, "and this production is designed to revisit highlights of the series and the decade that inspired it in a joyful and humorous way.”

That sense of play extends beyond the stage, and Welsh warns that viewers seated in the front rows should be ready to participate. “The first rows are our ‘audience interaction seats’—ticket buyers beware! If you sit there, you will hold props, give high-fives, wear costume pieces, and be incorporated as part of the set.” Viewers sitting further back can still expect a “fun romp through ’80s archetypes” without the expectation of being part of the show.

Behind the scenes, Welsh adds, students are enjoying the trial and error of comedy. “Comedy is fun, but it’s hard work. Jokes are like math equations—they have to be carefully balanced.” The collaborative process has been especially rewarding: “Our students bring in amazing ideas, and then we shape them together, moment by moment, scene by scene. We all laugh a lot along the way.”

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical runs April 23 through May 3, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. Welsh suggests arriving early for pre-show music bingo and prizes. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical contains mature themes and situations, including strong language, suggestive content, and gun violence (including gun shot sound effects). This production also uses strobe lighting, which may affect photosensitive viewers, and theatrical fog and haze throughout the performance.

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical has no relation to Netflix.

TICKET INFORMATION: General admission tickets at $15 ($10 for students and seniors), available online, by phone (800-371-0178), or in person by visiting Oberlin's Central Ticket Service (67 N. Main St., in the lobby of the Nord Performing Arts Complex) from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.