Meat & Potato Theatre will present "Aliens (The Puppet Musical)," a musical-theater mash-up with puppets in homage to all things sci-fi, May 24-June 10 at The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Courtesy Meat & Potato Theatre 2012

Meat & Potato Theatre makes musical, mash-up meal of ‘Aliens (The Puppet Musical)’

Musical theater » Puppets, sci-fi and show-stopping musical numbers come together on one stage.

By ben Fulton

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published May 09 2012 08:17 am • Last Updated May 09 2012 08:17 am

Puppets set against a medley of sci-fi plots, all on top of a musical soundtrack, may sound like the unlikeliest of combinations. But let’s remember, of course that the immortal Jim Henson accomplished the impossible with every episode of "The Muppets."

Meat & Potato Theatre hopes to put its own mark on this once-in-a-lifetime genre with ‘Aliens (The Puppet Musical).’ The story line casts one Ellen Ripley, fresh from a planet where horrifying aliens slaughtered her entire crew, but now enlisted with the Space Mariners. Against her prior experience and advice, the Mariners have a corporate mission to return to the planet of her nightmares.

Optimus Prime, Alf, Bert and Ernie and Snake Plissken all make the show as characters, plus a rollicking eight-song soundtrack of musical numbers. Audience members shy of water might want to don a raincoat, as water pistols get frequent use.

With script and lyrics by Tobin Atkinson, plus music by Rob Hartmann, this puppet-play may sound child-like in form, but it promises to be thoroughly enjoyable to genre-educated adults in both content and execution. "Aliens (The Puppet Musical)" plays May 24-June 10 at Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts.

bfulton@sltrib.com

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