It seems like anything can be turned into a musical if you are willing to add an exclamation point to a noun. CRISPR is the Nobel Prize-winning technology that allows for gene editing, a critical tool in modern medicine and in the development of better crops. CRISPR The Musical uses this bit of scientific fact to create a fun sci-fi musical.

We open with two down-on-their-luck scientists who are beavering away at developing a better type of soybean. They are foiled at every turn by the evil dean of science and her minion, as well as two anti-science protestors who don’t understand the technology and are convinced that a better Soybean will somehow trigger a zombie apocalypse. Two actors, Duane Stanford and Lina Zika, play all six roles.

Much of the show’s humour is based on the fact that we have a lot of costume changes; this is basically a farce with musical numbers. Though the first song is full of science facts, that’s about it for the science info. We get plenty of jokes aimed at greedy companies and crazy conspiracy theories, as well as one (slightly too long) imaginary zombie apocalypse sequence that warns of the perils of genetic modification but from the perspective of someone who has no idea how that works.

Amid the science-savvy songs, physical comedy and rapid costume changes, there’s a clever and silly musical. The songs aren’t terribly memorable but carry the story well and are stuffed full of gags and moments; they are there to make the performances more powerful.  The show’s biggest issue is that there’s a lot going on in a short space of time, and the story is all over the place. This is also its biggest selling point, as it allows the performers to stuff every moment with physical comedy or incredibly nerdy science jokes.

CRISPR! The Musical shows that you can turn anything into a musical and that it’s always fun to try.  An entertaining and fun show with a lot of potential.

You can discover more about future CRISPR! The Musical shows by clicking here.