“Crane kicks, catching flies with chopsticks and epic fights, the legend of The Karate Kid is reborn in this new musical!“
Adapting an iconic property such as The Karate Kid into a musical is certainly a challenge. It is the kind of show you can be forgiven for being sceptical about. Trying to capture such a classic story onstage would have been difficult enough on its own without also turning it into a musical, which for some may be hard to imagine but the cast, crew and creators behind this endeavour have done a superb job of capturing the magic of this world in a way that feels authentic.
For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows a young boy named Daniel LaRusso as he learns the skills necessary to defend himself from local bully Johnny Lawrence and his fellow classmates from the Cobra Kai dojo. His mentor and maintenance man Mr Miyagi teaches him in the art of karate and how to find balance within himself. The Karate Kid is the epitome of 80s pop culture, up there with the likes of Ghostbusters and Star Wars. Its popularity has grown more and more over the last 4 decades with sequels, a reboot and even a beloved tv show following students of Daniel and Johnny. It only makes sense that the legend would eventually reach the stage in an era where it seems every film of icon status is becoming a musical. The question is, does it work? The answer is a resounding yes!
The music in this production is impressive, in terms of tone and lyricism. For any movie fans wondering if aspects of the original score make it into this version of the story, they may at first be disappointed to know it doesn’t but composer and lyricist Drew Gasparini stated in an interview on BBC Breakfast his opinion that trying to include the original music would have felt like “you’re not adapting fully, you’re just copy-pasting” which would have gone against his desire for it to “feel new and fresh”. The main feeling that washed over me after this performance was how distinct the music felt. Gasparini really did an exceptional job in creating the sound for this show. Not just in terms of the songs themselves but specific moments such as Daniel being rescued by Mr Miyagi after trying to escape the Cobra Kai students. It was a beautiful piece of music and not the only example. The songs were delightful. Some followed a more standard musical theatre vibe but not in a way that felt boring or lacking creativity. Most songs felt different, very different. “Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.”, the number echoing the Cobra Kai mantra, felt unique and unlike anything else. The slick, precise choreography that went along with this was the cherry on top and made this moment a clear standout. In fact, the fight scenes throughout were all brilliantly executed. The cast all clearly received appropriate training and the effort shows. Which is, let’s face it, fairly essential in a story like The Karate Kid. The score can go from intense moments like this to much more zen compositions in songs like “Balance”. There are some moments of real tranquillity in the music for this show that helps separate it from other productions and gets to the core of the story. Also, something that was very clear is that Ali’s solo “Who I’m Going To Be” will reach every audition room for any musical production for the next few years. Theatre kids are really going to eat that one up and Abigail Amin gave an outstanding performance, in this moment and throughout.
Capturing the essence of some of cinema’s most famous characters requires committed performers and Gino Ochello and Adrian Pang accomplished this with great success as Daniel and Mr Miyagi. They were able to capture the spirit of the bond these two characters share and bring that emotion to an entirely new audience. Both men were excellent vocalists and it should be addressed that Pang had an uphill battle making a figure like Miyagi singing onstage feel authentic to the character and he certainly came out on top. Ochello is also especially deserving of his flowers as The Karate Kid is his professional stage debut. This is likely to be the start of a very prosperous and hopefully long career for him in theatre. A shoutout for Joe Simmons is also in order for bringing the classic 80s villain Johnny Lawrence to life with so much energy.
The set and costume designers deserve high praise for bringing this world to life. The transitions were excellent and the space felt so vibrant. Through the use of iconography such as the Cobra Kai logo when at the dojo or even sitting in Mr Miyagi’s apartment clipping bonsai leave, it felt real and lived in. The bandanas and dojo apparel will give any film fans a nostalgic throwback too.
Overall, The Karate Kid feels like it was a perfect choice for a new musical. Not only will it be perfect for stage lovers who are already fans of the franchise, it will bring an entirely new generation into the fold. This production is currently at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh till 27th June. The next stop on the tour is the Theatre Royal in Glasgow from 30th June-4th July.