Alien invasions and infectious show tunes are an unusual combination but feel surprisingly natural in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals.
The Amateur Musical Theatre Society (AMTS), a new student-run club focused on creating accessible entries to musical theatre at Queen’s, staged its inaugural production of the StarKid Productionscult hit The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals from Jan. 21 to 24 at the Tett Centre’s Rehearsal Hall.
The story follows Paul, played by Ethan Curtis, ArtSci ’27, a reluctant office worker with a disdain for musical theatre who is plunged into the apocalypse when his town of Hatchetfield is overtaken by a singing alien hive mind. The show balances satire with slapstick, leaning into exaggerated performances and fast-paced humour.
The ensemble’s the production’s strongest asset. Every musical number erupted with infectious enthusiasm, filling the small space with exaggerated movement and character. Particular standout numbers include the show’s title track and the aptly titled “Show Stopping Number” from the second act.
While choreography and staging are limited by budget and venue, the cast’s commitment sells the scale of the story. Supporting characters, in particular Bill, played by Aiden Harbridge, ArtSci ’28, and Ted, played by Aiden Smith-Hansen, ArtSci ’29, provide consistent comedic highlights as the town spirals into musical madness.
For director, co-producer, and AMTS founder Elliot Norman, ArtSci ’26, the choice of show was strategic and personal. “I’ve long been a fan of the show and of StarKid,” Norman said in an interview with The Journal, adding the production’s modest scale made it feasible for a first-time company. “It was a smaller-scale show, so we could get away with having a smaller budget and less props, or less sets.”
Assistant director, co-producer and AMTS founder, Delaney Prangley, ArtSci ’26, described the production as a collective leap of faith. “It’s a town that was kind of thrown into a musical, and that was the way for a lot of our cast. They kind of took a chance on us and luckily, it’s paid off so far,” she said. Many members of the cast and crew are in their first year, making the production an early introduction to student theatre for much of the team.
AMTS itself emerged from a perceived lack of opportunities for low-stakes musical theatre at Queen’s. Norman said the group wanted to create a space with “a lower barrier for entry,” expanding access to musicals beyond limited casting opportunities. Prangley framed the club as a return to theatre for theatre’s sake. “It wasn’t necessarily to pad a resume or CV, it was just to live in the moment and to make friends and just do it for fun,” she said.
Vocally, the cast sounded strong. Although some performers delivered songs more confidently than others, the rough edges align with AMTS’s mandate to lower barriers to participation. As Norman explained, the society sought “a lower stress and more accessible venue for musical theatre,” expanding the cast beyond the original script to include as many performers as possible.
Visually, the production is minimal but effective. Lighting and costumes clearly establish character and tone, while moments of cartoonish gore reinforce the show’s horror-comedy aesthetic. Although strikingly minimal, with only a few pieces of set dressing and a couple props on stage at any given time, the set and props still effectively communicated location and context to the audience.
The collaborative ethos behind the production is palpable. “Ten people would jump on and [ask] what they could do to help,” Prangley said, describing how the cast and crew addressed technical challenges collectively. That spirit translates onstage, where the cast’s chemistry drives the production’s energy and is noticeable through the smiles etched onto each performer’s face during every ensemble number.
The general response to the production has been overwhelming for AMTS’s founders. Norman said the run of the show, which was completely sold out, has been difficult to process, adding that people are already pitching future shows and expressing interest in continuing the society after the founders graduate. “I still haven’t fully processed that this is real,” Norman said. “The support has been amazing. It’s truly indescribable.”
As a first outing, AMTS’s debut is often hilarious, sometimes rough around the edges, but always enthusiastic, marking a promising beginning for the club.
Tags
AMTS, musical, Musical theatre, Queen’s AMTS, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, Theatre
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