‘Stranger Sings!’ Parody Musical Debut Turns Oceanside Upside Down This Weekend

The West Coast premiere of award-winning “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical,” written by Jonathan Hogue and directed by Kevin “Blax” Burroughs, opens this Friday at Oceanside Theatre Company.

Set in the otherwise quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s, this parody taps into the nostalgia of a time when kids were free to roam unsupervised — though in this case, their adventures lead them into a terrifying, upside-down world.

This musical will break from the typical OTC mainstage format by providing an immersive experience, with some audience members seated onstage and actors moving through the crowd.

Burroughs, a San Diego native, offered further insight into this supernatural adventure inspired by the Netflix hit “Stranger Things” in a Q&A with Times of San Diego.

What made you choose this musical?

OTC’s 2024 season was themed as “Rambunctious, Bold, Loud & Fearless” so all of the shows this year fit that theme. I chose “Stranger Sings” first before any other shows because it spoke the most to me as a person and artist. I LOVE comedies and a parody musical of a popular show makes it that much more fun. The show is full of bold and fearless characters and the show itself is so very rambunctious and loud both literally and figuratively. And we pushed it even further…

What can audiences expect from this production?

Two hours of nonstop pure laughter. This show is a very silly and obnoxious time. It doesn’t take itself seriously and that makes it even more enjoyable!

Any challenges bringing “Stranger Sings!” to life?

The hardest part has definitely been finding the balance between staying true to the iconic characters from the Netflix show while also finding the moments where we can make it our own in this specific production. Comedy is also just hard in general. You don’t want to do too much and lose the laugh so it’s finding the sweet spot that is also a challenge.

Anything you’d like the audience to ‘know before they go?‘

If anyone has any kind of doubt of “Oh no, I didn’t see the Netflix show, I won’t be able to understand the musical,” there is nothing to worry about. The show is written in a way where it still tells you a bit about each character and relationship as if someone had never seen anything before. 

The show’s original production ran from September 2022-May 2023 off-Broadway in New York to sold out audiences, according to OTC.

Preview night for Oceanside Theatre Company’s “Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical” is Friday, Oct. 4, followed by opening night with a champagne toast on Saturday, Oct. 5. The show will run on select dates through Sunday, Oct. 20.

Tickets may be purchased here. For more information contact the box office at (760) 433-8900 or email boxoffice@oceansidetheatre.org.