O’Connell & Company presents KHAN: THE MUSICAL! A PARODY TREK-TACULAR, directed by Daniel F. Lendzian and starring John Kreuzer as James T. Kirk, Len Mendez as Khan, Joe Greenan as Data, Vinny Murphy as Spock, Ashleigh Chrisena Ricci as Savek, Christopher Wagner as Dr. Bones McCoy, Dasia Cervi as Uhura, Miguel Gutierrez as Sulu, Nicholas Lama as Scotty, Joey Bucheker as Chekov, Audrianna Yates as Dr. Carol Marcus, Steven Maisonet, and Taylor Lee Hall. Running January 16th-26th, 2025, Performances will take place Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm, with an additional 7:30 pm performance on Sunday, January 26th. Please note that there is no matinee performance on Saturday, January 25th. Located at Shea’s Smith Theatre, 645 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202. Click for tickets.
KHAN: THE MUSICAL! A PARODY TREK-TACULAR blends the epic movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with the universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation in a musical with an original score (music, lyrics, and book by Brent Black and co-conceived by Alina Roth). Set in 2366, the era of The Next Generation, the show features Data, an android, presenting his own comedic musical version of The Wrath of Khan using virtual actors. This campy “show within a show” follows the vengeful Khan as he seeks retribution against the washed-up former Captain Kirk. Throughout Data’s production, he plays multiple roles and gains valuable life lessons.
RUNTIME: 2 hours, 15 minutes, one intermission
THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION: KHAN: THE MUSICAL is a ridiculously silly ride. As a lifelong sci-fi nerd, deeply immersed in the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises (much like the characters in The Big Bang Theory), I was obsessed. Growing up, my room was a shrine to these universes – action figures, ships, playsets — the whole nine yards. I still have most of it in storage! So, you can imagine my excitement at seeing this musical parody of my favorite Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan. I remember seeing it in the theater at the Holiday Shows as a kid (around 7th/8th grade) and instantly wanting to see it again. I have a soft spot for the original crew and the actors. In fact, I’ve been lucky enough to meet most of the cast, with the exception of Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and DeForest Kelly (Bones), at various events.
There are a lot of pitfalls that the show creators could have encountered, given the deep love and attention to detail that fans have for the Star Trek franchise. Still, it is quite apparent from the beginning that KHAN, though a parody, treats the original movie and the franchise with the affection of fans who intimately know and respect the source material.
The music is well done, with the songs fully integrated into the storyline and lyrics that help define essential elements of the character’s nature. They are filled with inside Star Trek references and jokes. For example, when we meet Khan for the first time, played deliciously and diabolically by Len Mendez, Mr. Mendez sings “My Wrath,” which gives a history of how he came to be in this place and the reason for his venomous anger at Kirk. While some references may be lost on those unfamiliar with Star Trek, the songs are well-constructed and enjoyable for all audiences.
The musical numbers reflect the research that Data experienced after he studied thousands of hours of twentieth-century musicals.
As the USS Enterprise leaves the Space Dock, there is a clever nod to Titanic: The Musical’s “There She Is” with their version, “Ship of Dreams.” Another treat is “The Hyper Channel Rag,” which recalls the number “We Both Reached For The Gun” from Kander and Ebb’s Chicago: The Musical. There are other references to Broadway musicals throughout, and while it definitely pays fan service to musical theater fans, what is great is that these songs are less parodies and more homages to these beloved songs.
Dasia Cervi is perfectly stoic and vocally dynamic as Lt. Uhura. Audrianna Yates is in fine voice and shows off her Fosse moves as Dr. Carol Marcus. And Ashleigh Chrisena Ricci plays Savek, our ingenue, gleefully. Ms. Ricci draws you in with her charm. When she gets a chance to sing, glorious sounds emanate from her.
Joe Greenan is the deadpan Lieutenant Commander Data. Joe as Data is our narrator and inhabits several other characters to nimble perfection. This is a tour de force performance. I have witnessed Mr. Greenan in several shows as leads and in the ensemble; he never ceases to amaze and impress me. Greenan, whether he is Data, David Marcus, or Scotty’s nephew, is a true triple threat: he has a golden voice, he is a beautiful dancer, and not only is he adept at comedy, physical or otherwise, but he also has an openness that connects you to the heart and soul of the character, even when it is an android.
John Kreuzer plays James T. Kirk with precision and is hilarious, exaggerating the mannerisms of William Shatner’s oft-parodied staccato line deliveries. Mr. Kreuzer, as Kirk, also dons one of the most laugh-inducing wigs I have ever seen on a stage, which adds to the pandemonium.
Vinny Murphy is becoming a more versatile performer with every role he plays. He continues to challenge himself, and it is paying off. Mr. Murphy is still and sardonic as Mr. Spock and gets to show off his tap-dancing skills when he meditates. Nicholas Lama, the MVP of the WNY Musical Theatre scene, plays Scotty with a stylized accent and charming relatability. My only gripe is there wasn’t enough of him in this show.
Daniel F. Lendzian sets a fast pace as the director with a lot of moving parts. The flow was good, and the transitions were fairly seamless. I think this show could have used a slightly bigger space to play in, as sometimes the stage felt crowded and the performers cramped. Choreographer Joey Bucheker is doing double duty by playing the spicy Chekov; he certainly delivers some clever, ambitious choreography. The set is somewhat minimalist but effective.
The video projection design by Todd Warfield worked well and enhanced the show. The lighting design by Jay Marks, delivered quite effectively and supported the action. Timmy Goodman’s costume design is faithful to the source without being an exact copy. The makeup design by Adam M. Wall supports the characters well, particularly with the Vulcans and Khan. The sound design at Shea’s Smith Theatre needs to be fixed, with mics having a history of intermittently going out. Despite the occasional technical difficulty, the cast’s strong performance ensured a memorable evening.
KHAN: THE MUSICAL is a must-see for Star Trek fans or fans of musical theater who love a parody. As a Trekkie, I was skeptical, but I must say the concept is brilliant. It has meta-quality being set during the time of The Next Generation. As mentioned, Data, the Android who wrote the staged musical within a show, chose to focus on the events illustrated in The Wrath of Khan, so basically, it is an AI-generated musical, which is very timely given the threat of Hollywood Studios replacing real actors in films and television.
This musical follows The Wrath of Khan movie plot pretty faithfully, and even if you are not a Trekkie, you will certainly enjoy this comical romp into space.
