This review for the live show of the podcast, “Welcome to Night Vale” comes too late for you to see a show, which is too bad because it was a fantastic stage performance. I wasn’t sure if the voice actors’ talents would extend to live theater, but my son and I enjoyed ourselves the entire time.
Cosplaying is an important part of any fandom, and there were plenty in the audience. I think the best part of cosplaying Night Vale is that it’s an audio-only story, so everyone imagines the characters differently. My son recognized a group in costume that ran a Night Vale panel at Genericon. I liked the Ominous Glow Cloud a few seats in front of us.
The weather was performed by Mary Epworth. We liked the lyrical dance music, but the volume was too loud. Actually, the music during the main performance (by the brilliant Disparition) was often louder than the speaker.
Cecil Baldwin, the narrator of the show, carried us along through a murder mystery in the town of Night Vale. I am very impressed. He was onstage the entire time and kept the energy going. He was joined by many guests, each greeted with enthusiasm by the fans. They looked like they were having as much fun as the audience. The actors were polished in their performances, and the humor was constant: “Just listen to my smile!” The audience even had a participation element to the storyline.
I would love to tell you more about the plot, and the guests that appeared, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. Yes, the tour is over, but the DVD will be out soon and then all the fans who couldn’t get to the theater can see for themselves who graced the stage and kept us delighted the entire evening.
