Jonathan Hogue: Stranger Sings is for nerds and fans. And newbies

04 Feb 2025.

by Drew Rowsome -Production photos by Sam Moffatt

"What I love most about the series Stranger Things is the way it pays homage to all the iconography of the '80s which creates such a fun nostalgic viewing experience," says Jonathan Hogue, the writer and composer of Stranger Sings. The parody musical is billed as campy, hilarious and satirical, "So, of course I had to riff off of many of those special pop-culture nods," says Hogue, "as well as throw in a few new ones for good measure. Including lots of Broadway references. I built a whole inspiration playlist when I was first writing this score, since I knew that the songs would naturally vary in style and sound across the different characters. For a character like Steve, I knew his songs needed to sound more traditional '80s rock, so I listened to a lot of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin to get his sound right. Nancy felt more like a teen pop sound, so I pulled inspiration from Olivia Newton John and Cyndi Lauper. Barb and Joyce were my more traditional Broadway divas, so there's definitely flavors of Mama Rose in both of their songs."

Already Hogue has dropped names that I, who has only seen part of Stranger Things first season, am confused by. I wonder if knowledge of Stranger Things is necessary to get Stranger Sings. "The arc of the parody musical mostly follows the plot of Season 1," says Hogue, "so no need to be an expert on the series to enjoy it. I've actually had plenty of audience members tell me that they loved the show without having ever watched an episode of the series. It's a pretty easy story to follow, and there's really something fun in it for everyone, with tons of references to iconic '80s movies, songs, characters and icons for audiences of all backgrounds to enjoy." But there are treats for the true fans. "There are so many Easter eggs," says Hogue. "I'm the biggest nerd for the series, so of course I've added a number of fun deep-cut references throughout just for the deep fans. While the plot of this show largely follows the arc of season 1, I've made sure to include bits from all four seasons. Don't expect to see Vecna in this parody, but you'll definitely see a lot of the Demogorgon."

Stranger Things presented itself as horror which can be a tricky genre to get to work on stage or as a musical. "Since the show is a parody, I wouldn't necessarily say it plays as much into a horror tone as the series does," says Hogue. "But I certainly had fun taking the horror elements of the series and taking a satiric spin on them. I think the joy of creating parody is in the careful subversion of something that feels familiar, so I really enjoyed getting to twist audience expectations and sometimes take them into a wildly different direction than they might have anticipated. I grew up in love with musical satire, so Monty Python, Mel Brooks, and Starkid have been lifelong inspirations that have absolutely influenced my style. I also love shows that are scrappy and imaginative—like Peter and the Starcatcher—and I always wanted this to feel like a show where we could move across multiple storytelling locations and planes with the simple switch of a wig or a prop. I love innovative storytelling like this - it feels like real theatre magic."

Stranger Sings was a huge hit off-Broadway winning many awards and a dedicated fan base. "One of our show's biggest fans trekked from Canada to see the off-Broadway production 11 times," says Hogue. "I'm beyond thrilled we've been able to finally bring this show to Canadian audiences. and what better city to make our Canadian premiere in than Toronto, I can't wait to see it take off from here." Hogue is impressed by the Canadian cast. "Every cast we've had for this show has brought new amazing ideas to the production. Because comedy is so naturally organic and collaborative, I'm always finding myself laughing at new bits in the show I've never discovered before because a brilliant new actor found a bit that really took off. This show always feels like something fresh and new with every production we've opened around the world. I hope audiences are taken by the infectious spirit of brilliant comedic actors bringing boatloads of creativity and joy to telling this story. My hope with this show has always been that it would become a home for nerds and fans to feel like they're seen and valued. It's really the most fulfilling part of this journey to see the family that this show has grown all over the world. I can't wait to now bring that joy to Canada."