After a workshop production at the Palm Theater in Telluride, Colorado from March 5th to the 15th 2020, MacGyver: The Musical concluded a successful premiere at Stages in Houston, Texas from February 4th to March 4th 2022.
Audiences and critics alike were thrilled by the improvisational and immersive production, and a recording has been completed with a projected release date by the end of 2022.
Broadway World labeled it a “new camp classic” and Preview from the Houston Chronicle called it “a clever invention”.
Houston Press said that this is “a show that everyone, even the MacGyver ignorant, can enjoy”.
On August 22nd 2022, Houston Press announced its 2022 Houston Theater Awards. MacGyver: The Musical won Best New Musical Production, singled out for its “wildly talented cast”, and Best Lighting for Christina Giannelli, who made the show look like “an 80’s TV dream”. The show was also nominated for Best Set and Property Design, Director, and Costumes.
MacGyver creator Lee Zlotoff believes the acclaim confirms his intention, which was “to create a MacGyver project that would possibly be for the whole family or the community to enjoy as one”. The two years from workshop to premiere worked because of a simple tactic: gathering good people and letting them contribute to the show’s success.
Cast and crew enjoyed the production as much as audiences and critics, which was an “exhilarating experience…[creating] something new and innovative,” said Set and Property Designer of the production Kirk Domer. Kenn McLaughlin, Director of the production, said, “I am immensely proud of what we created and I am eager to see where MacGyver: The Musical can go from here”.
For further comments from the cast, audience members, and reflections on the creative process from Lee Zlotoff, watch the video featuring highlights from the premiere!
“You never know what’s going to happen… It’s real live theater!”
-Lee Zlotoff