My friends tend to call me a “crazy dog person,” and they are absolutely correct. Well, maybe not about the crazy part, but I absolutely love dogs. In fact, I cannot pass a dog on the street without petting it, sometimes a little too long from the look on some of the owners’ faces.
Anyway, you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that there was a musical coming to the Kirk Douglas Theatre entitled ‘Mutt House.’ I saw it opening night, Sunday, July 15, 2018, and I’m still smiling, big.
“Mutt House,” created and written by Tony Cookson with music and lyrics by John Daniel, Tony Cookson, Robb Curtis Brown, and David O, is the story of a quirky, insecure outsider named Eddie Corbin (the wonderful Ryan McCartan) who has been bullied all his life because he believes that he could talk to animals and guess what? He can and does.
Eddie lives in a neglected downtown animal shelter with six lovable zany mutts including a rambunctious pit bull, Bradley (Garrett Marshall), a handsome Lab mix named Digger (Ben Palacios), Max, a pudgy Corgi played by the hysterically funny, Max Wilcox, a haughty French Poodle, Sophie (the excellent Valerie Larsen) a sweet loyal mutt named Donna (Amanda Leigh Jerry) and finally Pepe, a Chihuahua played by Grammy Award-winning musician, Gabriel Gonzalez. Watching him do a smoking hot salsa is alone worth the price of admission.
When the city threatens to close the shelter, Eddie must do something he’s never done before–stand up for himself and fight for the lives and the home of his furry friends.
This is an absolutely funny, beautiful musical with a great message that will definitely touch your heart-strings. I know it did mine. Everything about this production is great, including the costumes by Allison Dillard and the choreography by Janet Roston.
Rounding out this awesome cast is the fantastic Heather Olt who plays Mayor Jenkins, a politician who may or may not have a ‘heart’, Hannah Matthews (Claire Adams) the Mayor’s assistant who is terrified of dogs and Eddie’s love interest) and Gerry (Boise Holmes) Eddie’s caring boss.
‘Mutt House,’ brilliantly directed by Ryan Bergmann, is a musical for everyone. Even if you’re not a dog lover, I promise you will be by the time the show comes to an end.
“Mutt House” plays at the Kirk Douglas Theatre located at 9820 Washington Blvd, Culver City until Sunday August 5th. Performances are: 8 p.m, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:30 p.m, Thursdays, 2 p.m and 8 p.m on Saturdays, and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m Sundays. For tickets: Call 213-628-2772 or go to the website.
