Book by Robert Mark Kamen

Composition and Lyrics by Drew Gasparini

Directed by Amon Miyamoto

Review by Hunter King

The Festival Theatre

The Festival Theatre was filled with excitement and nostalgia Tuesday night as they opened The Karate Kid: The Musical. The film The Karate Kid has become a bit of a classic, launching the career of Ralph Macchio and spawning several sequels, and a remake in the 2010’s with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the leading roles. The story tells of a 17 year old boy, Daniel, and his mother who move to Los Angeles in a search for opportunity after facing financial hardships. Daniel faces bullying at school after becoming friends with Ali, a girl from the wealthy part of town. Daniel soon turns to Mr. Miyagi, the maintenance man of his and his mom’s apartment complex, who teaches Daniel many life lessons and the art of karate.

This new musical adaptation is very faithful to its source material, going as far as to keep it a period piece set in the 1980’s. The set is simplified, utilizing mostly rolling flats, designed to look like fusuma walls, which contribute greatly to Bradley King’s lighting design, as they constantly change colour to match the vibe of the scene. Derek Mclane’s set imagines the world that The Karate Kid is set in to be almost within a dojo, with small elements like arcade games and traditional American furniture acting as the acknowledging factors for what the interior of these places might look like. The fusuma walls, while still a bit finicky (especially when closing quickly) make the story feel overall connected, while ensuring that transitions are quick and painless when going to the many locations in the story.

Gino Ochello is believable as the 17 year old Daniel, bringing a youthful energy and naivety that is needed in this coming of age story. The audience can watch his progression into adulthood in real time, as he learns life lessons and makes mistakes along the way. Despite having moments of lashing out, Ochello never feels unlikable as Daniel, which is an important balance to find when playing a younger character. On the note of balance, Ochello manages exceptionally well to find stability in his performance between vocals that could rival in difficulty to those sung by the titular character in Dear Evan Hansen, and a physical performance that makes you wonder how any human being can have that much stamina. 

While Ochello puts on a believable performance, Adrian Pang seemingly puts on no performance at all, he simply is Mr. Miyagi. Pang pays homage to the late Pat Morita, having the same subtle humour that Morita showcased in his portrayal of the character, but Pang does so in a way that somehow remains subtle, and adapts to fitting the room for thousands to see. On stage Mr. Miyagi is often accompanied by an ensemble of “spirits” who are unseen forces that help guide the story. While in some sequences, such as “Balance” and “Bonsai” this works well, in others they can sometimes feel like they don’t belong on stage, especially in intimate moments between Miyagi and Daniel. Just as was the case with Morita in the film, Pang makes Mr. Miyagi go on a journey from being mysterious, to eventually being the most empathetic and loveable character of the show. 

Pang’s performance is highlighted by one of the strongest numbers of the entire show, “Balance” which comes about halfway through the second act. The number is inspirational both in its message, as well as in the way it was staged. The number seemingly takes influence from classic inspirational musical numbers such as “He Lives in You” from The Lion King, and has a similar empathetic effect on the audience. Drew Gasparini has a few songs that will likely be well remembered from the show, and while there are a few tracks that are skippable, many have the earworm effect that is needed in a West End style musical. Some of Gasparini’s best work is seen in the villains’ songs, notably “Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.” and “Typical Ali Mills”, the first of which is sung by Matt Mills as John Kreese, the hardened Vietnam veteran and leader of the Kobra Kai dojo. Mills has a natural showmanship and takes on the militaristic persona with ease, and while some of his lines are a bit strangely written, he tackles them with conviction and brings a menace to the character. 

The other main villain is Johnny Lawrence, played by Joe Simmons. Simmons, like Mills, approaches the character with conviction, but has several lines that are a bit more oddly written. His vocals stand strong in “Typical Ali Mills” which is perhaps the catchiest song in the show, as an upbeat and fun start for act two. The biggest struggle Simmons faces is a common problem in the production, but perhaps most notable in Simmons’ character: the dialogue of the script is a bit strange. Robert Mark Kamen’s book does a nice job overall at adapting the film for the stage, but even as a period piece, some of the dialogue feels out of place, and often seems to go back and forth between trying to be appropriate for families and keep the grittiness of the film. While the film received a PG rating in the United States, it was released shortly before the wide adoption of the PG-13 rating, and uses regular profanity, which exists in the staged production as well, but often in a way that feels abnormal, such as when Kreese uses words like “fricken.”  

The show also has some structural flaws, primarily that it starts very slow, and gradually builds to being interesting. In a reverse of the standard “musical theatre curse” The Karate Kid has a far more interesting act two, which leaves the show with a nice taste in the audience’s mouth after the show, but may leave them feeling iffy during the interval. Other elements that could use a bit of attention are certain design elements, such as Ali and her friends’ costumes that sometimes feel closer to “the plastics” from Mean Girls, than actual clothing that young women would wear in the mid 80’s. Additionally, the show experienced some technical difficulties, primarily with spotlights that were constantly chasing actors rather than moving with them. 

Despite these difficulties, the show is not without its merit. Keone and Mari Madrid’s choreography is nothing short of inspired, with every simulated fight looking not only realistic, but also stylised in a way that makes the combat have some level of beauty behind them. Performances were overall solid, and many of the songs have a ring to them that can get stuck in your head for days. The show was satisfying and though a few edits and some cleaning up of act one would serve it well, the show was exactly what it was designed to be: a coming of age nostalgia machine with a catchy soundtrack and impressive fights that will likely thrive on the West End.

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