Seated in a small venue enclosed by narrow black walls, the stage is dark with white fluttering projections of the famous telltale moth. Eerie music and fog roll in, reminiscent of a haunted maze. The stage lights burst on and, instead of seeing something terrifying or grotesque, gaudy lambs with lurid smiles twirl on stage.
To imagine that a five-time Academy Award-winning movie like “The Silence of the Lambs,” a film that was so serious and disturbing with its unsettling concepts of cannibalism and jackets made out of skin, could possibly be made into a musical does not sound plausible.
Although, with music and lyrics by Jon and Al Kaplan and choreography and direction by Christopher Gattelli, “Silence! The Musical” is a phenomenal show. All of the defining characteristics of the film, like vulgarity, suspense and unnerving cannibalism, are enhanced into a fantastic comedy.
A psychological thriller, the movie and the play both follow the intellectual battle for information between imprisoned psychologist and serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Davis Gaines) and rookie agent Clarice Starling (Christine Lakin). Starling relies on what advice Lecter can give her on the capture of another serial killer, transvestite wannabe Buffalo Bill (Stephen Bienskie). Time is limited for Starling when Buffalo Bill captures Catherine Martin (Kathy Deitch), a woman who he plans to skin and use as a jacket.
“Silence!” successfully transforms the most memorable and disturbing scenes into wildly uproarious and catchy, sometimes slightly vulgar, show tune numbers. Fans of the movie cannot easily forget the horribly upsetting scene as Buffalo Bill hunts down Catherine for her size 14 skin, throwing her into the back of his van. The larger the girl, the more stretchy the skin. “Silence!” transformed this scene into the ridiculously funny hoedown “Are you a size 14?” complete with backcountry folk dancing lambs and Buffalo Bill’s trail of Twinkies to lure Catherine.
Known for its small venues and low-budget scenes in which the main props are finger guns, silly string, crayons and a desk, “Silence!” has charm, intelligence and downright naughty humor. Dr. Lecter’s dream number involving a younger version of himself dancing provocatively with Starling is embarrassingly risque but still humorous. The lambs have both wit and charm with their presentations of the other characters in the film, like turning psychiatric prison warden Dr. Chilton (Jeff Skowron) into a bigger looney than his inmates.
From her initial entrance running on stage to her final lines, Lakin has her performance of Clarice Starling ““ agent slash dancing extraordinaire ““ hilariously down to the husky (and slightly hard to understand) southern accent. Stick figure artist and serial killer Hannibal Lecter is righteously played by Broadway star Gaines, a man with killer pipes.
Bienskie’s performance as Buffalo Bill is both genius and a riot. He single-handedly made the most disturbing moment of the film (when Buffalo Bill dances around in drag and does “the tuck”) into a brilliant mockery cabaret/ strip tease while singing the about his dreams to be a desirable woman. Bienskie had the guts not only to dance around on stage in drag, naked beneath a flowery pink robe, but also to do “the tuck” himself.
But the true stars of “Silence!” are the lambs. With their ability to deliver both cunning and biting wit while twirling around on their hairspray cap hooves, they carry the play on their backs. Each lamb, while being a part of the furry chorus line, starred as one or more of the minor characters of the film and sometimes invented a new character just for kicks. Each of the lambs were given standing ovations during the entirety of the play.
Though it may be offensive, and it is advisable to watch the movie before attending, the excellent writing and fantastically hilarious performances kept the audience involved from beginning to end. Without the drag of an intermission, the actors kept delivering and the audience kept roaring.
““ Brigit Harvey
Email Harvey at bharvey@media.ucla.edu.