We’ve all watched the Netflix phenomenon that is Making A Murderer. We all love true crime – but should it be made into a musical? That is the question.
The show begins in Manitowoc County in 2015, with Betsy (Gillian Hardie) the tour guide thoroughly fed up with people only wanting to see and hear about things connected to Steven Avery. Steven Avery was wrongly convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder in 1985. After serving 18 years in prison, he was exonerated. Only two years after his release he was charged with the murder of Teresa Halbach and is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
If you judge this just as a musical, forgetting that this is a real story – it works. The musical numbers are original, catchy and well-sung. I enjoyed the scientists’ number ‘DNA Will Save The Day’ sung in the style of a barber shop quartet. There are moments sung A Capella which are incredibly effective, and there’s a ballad sung by two of the cast in tribute to Teresa which is beautifully harmonious.
The use of video projections could use some improvement. When the scene was set inside the courtroom, the video projection was of the outside of a courthouse – why not inside. And when at the salvage yard, the projection was a bird eye view of it, which seemed odd.
The vocals are strong throughout, Ken Kratz’s (Phil Mealey, also the writer) showman number is fun – if not a bit too long. Making A Murderer: The Musical has a great finale highlighting all the people that the Innocence Project has and is helping. Avery is superbly portrayed by Matt Bond.
The show does a good job at showcasing injustices within the justice system and highlights the broken system we have today. It’s an important story to tell, and if you judge this as a musical, this one is great. But there were times in which I remembered that a woman really had been murdered, and this led to some feelings of discomfort whilst watching. I know the purpose of the story is to highlight that Avery may not have committed this murder, as there are inconsistencies – but a woman was still killed. Maybe…. not everything should be a musical?
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
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