Jersey Arts Podcast · ArtPride New Jersey

'Dog Man: The Musical' Unleashes the Pilkey-verse Onstage

·29 min·1 clip

Dave Pilkey insisted upon one thing: Dog Man can't speak or sing in the musical.

Maddie Orton opens with Dog Man's place on the playground and sets up the show's arrival in New Jersey. She frames the character as one many parents and relatives may already know well. The episode centers on a conversation with director-choreographer Jen Weinman, book writer and lyricist Kevin Dell'Aguila, and composer Brad Alexander. They talk about translating Dave Pilkey's books into a stage production. Dog Man's roots in graphic novels are part of the discussion, along with the punny titles, the playful names, and the series' distinctive visual style. The guests explain that the character can stay silent onstage and still read clearly. That works because the actor carries the character through face, body, and fingertips. The team says kids really connect with that physical performance. They were initially curious whether an unspeaking Dog Man would land the same way as the books. The answer, they say, is yes. The episode also looks at the larger world of the show. That world has to keep the DIY spirit of the books without feeling cheap. Weinman and the team describe a balance between a homemade feel and a polished theatrical one. The set, lighting, and costumes all help create that balance. The result is a stage picture that feels both colorful and put together from found pieces. The conversation notes that the show looks like it was built from things on a shelf, but it still feels like a spectacle. Orton responds as a parent who already knows the character, which keeps the exchange grounded. The episode is also practical, because it gives performance dates and venue information for Bergen-Pack and State Theatre New Jersey. Throughout, the show stays warm and curious rather than stern or overworked. It lets the creative team explain how the musical was shaped, why it works for children, and what makes the theatrical world feel true to Pilkey's original spirit.

As heard by us

A warm look at how Dog Man becomes a stage show without losing its comic spark.

Dog Man comes across as sturdy stage material, not a novelty act. The conversation with Jen Weinman, Kevin Dell'Aguila, and Brad Alexander is at its best when it stays close to the practical work of turning Dave Pilkey's noisy, kinetic world into theater without losing the jokes…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want to hear how Dog Man's strange, silly world gets turned into a musical, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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