Fun with Fandom Musicals

You might think that adapting a Square Enix video game into a live musical parody would be esoteric, but the results are a very pleasant surprise. Created by Toronto-based theatre group Fandom Musicals, the show Fandom Hearts is an endearing romp with plenty of clever quips and nostalgia.

Originally performed at ConBravo in 2013, the musical lampoons the first Kingdom Hearts game using song, dance and quirky humour to re-tell the tale of heroism, friendship, and the endless struggle of light vs. darkness, but with a clever twist of cynicism that comes with the territory of growing up into adulthood. (In all fairness, the idea of a kid in clown shoes using a giant key to slay shadow demons sounded like a great idea at the time.) The songs for the productions were all written and composed originally by the members of the theater troupe, and this score includes an array of energetic, heart-winning tunes you’ll be humming for days.

As strange as the combination of musical theatre and video games might seem, the two industries have more in common than people realize. Much like how the gaming industry is dominated by formulaic cookie-cutter war shooters or RPGs that put style over substance, many theatre-goers are beginning to take culture for granted and prefer a conga line of flashy mega-musicals – even Canada’s Stratford Festival fell victim to this as it went through a phase of marketing American-made manufactured musical productions over actual Shakespeare production. This predicament gives groups like Fandom Musicals the potential to be very significant, since they give people whom otherwise wouldn’t attend live theater the opportunity to do so. With new works being developed (even musical parodies) by grassroots, independent artists, this could be a great time for the self-made artist to reclaim creative power and influence from the cookie-cutters of the gaming and performing arts industries.

If you didn’t get the chance to see the musical when it debuted last summer, the production has had screening events at other conventions around Toronto, including Anime North 2014 this past weekend where fans could revel in the fun and mingle with other fans of both video games and musicals. The crowd had plenty of laughs through out the show’s whirlwind story and we can’t help but love the plot holes because of how darn enthusiastic the cast is during their performance.

If you’re a fan of Mel Brooks’ filmography with his tongue-in-cheek, wacky and witty sense of humour, then Fandom Hearts is right up your alley. The play’s snappy dialogue and slapstick, you’ll love riding along on this goofy reenactment of an iconic video game we hold dear to our hearts.

For those of you that can’t frequent comic-cons around the Greater Toronto Area, the musical is also available to be watched on Youtube for free at any time, through the group’s Youtube channel:

Not to be slowed over after their first success, the group is already working on two new, all-new and original productions: Frost Bite, a Canadian Zombie musical premiering in the Fall of 2014; and debuting at ConBravo 2014 will be Star Explorers, a Sci-Fi musical that sheds light on the drama that goes on behind the scenes in the theater.

For more info, check out Fandom Musicals around the web!

Fandom Musicals on Facebook
Fandom Musicals on Youtube
Fandom Hearts Merchandise on Redbubble
Fandom Musicals on Bandcamp