I Wanna Play A Game, Broadway!: ‘Saw: The Musical’ (2023) – Theatre Performance Review

When Saw first hit theaters back in the early 2000s, it absolutely blew people away with not only its concept, but its twist ending. An instant classic, it sent horror legends James Wan and Leigh Whannell into the stratosphere. Those who were left wanting more surely got some in the future, as Saw turned into one of the longest (and goriest) horror franchises ever. For a while, it was the highest grossing horror franchise. Who would’ve guessed how profitable torturing people would be? While I am a guilty fan of the entire franchise, I definitely raised an eyebrow when I heard that Saw: The Musical was coming to Off-Broadway.

While I am no stranger to horror on stage, a movie as serious and intense as Saw does not immediately spark the idea of “musical” in my mind. But who am I to say what works and what doesn’t? I was lucky enough to get invited to the red carpet premiere of the show and went in with an open mind. While it sounded like a strange idea, it also sounded like a guaranteed fun time. Little did I know, having to sit through Saw: The Musical would be the most painful trap of all.

Before I give my thoughts, I want to say that I think the performance given out of all three of the actors was commendable. And yes, I said “all three.” There are only three actors in the show so there is a lot of double casting, but I didn’t even realize until halfway through that this was the case. All the actors were very capable of singing, which made watching The Jigsaw Killer belt out a tune kind of enjoyable. The songs were actually pretty catchy too, especially the opening one. The acting and the use of the stage was very well done, especially with how small the production team was. However, this is where my positives for this play end.

My biggest gripe with the play was the humor. I think having a musical parody of Saw has a lot of potential, especially with the admitted plot holes the movie has. I don’t think the script of the play utilizes its potential well, as a lot of the jokes felt childish. Not saying I’m the CEO of Funny Jokes, Inc., but a lot of the jokes made me cringe instead of LOL. When a parody is not funny, it’s like a car without wheels.

While Saw: The Musical may not have been the most enjoyable experience for me, I do suggest any fans of the original franchise check it out. It’s fun to be surrounded by fellow fans and it’s very obvious that this is a parody, it is also obvious it was crafted to honor the franchise. It’s an experience for sure, but to some, it may be more painful than the needle pit.

For tickets and showtimes, visit https://www.sawthemusical.com/