STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW Is A Triumph On Broadway — Review

The bad news…the Hawkins, Indiana Class of 1959 won’t be putting on another boring production of Oklahoma! this year. The good news…Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a truly breathtaking spectacle the likes of which has never before been seen on Broadway. 

With a tune and crackle of a radio, young Henry Creel (a fabulous Louis McCartney, in his Broadway debut) walks into a creaky house in Hawkins after abruptly moving from Nevada. With a runtime just under three hours, we are taken on an expansive journey that gives audiences a panoply of plotlines ranging from putting on high school musicals and young romance, to a budding gang of high school detectives trying to solve a case, and—oh—a mysterious monster living inside Henry trying to escape. 

It was only a matter of time before global media juggernaut Netflix sank their IP claws into stage adaptations. Stephen Daldry (director of Billy Elliott, The Crown) reached out to the Duffer Brothers shortly after the series began airing and asked if he could bring the science fiction world of the Upside Down to a stage—thankfully they said yes. After enlisting TV writer Kate Trefry for the book (Trefry, the Duffer Brothers, and Jack Throrne are all created with the story) I'm happy to report that the product is truly sensational. A stage wonderment that delivers a high-octane rollercoaster that jolts you into the stratosphere from the very first moment. 

It feels hard to go on without heralding McCartney, an actor making his stage debut with this production after transferring from the West End production. The frenetic energy he emits throughout the piece is astonishing for any actor to exhibit, not to mention one so young; this is perhaps the best singular performance of the season. With a cast of 34, many of whom are making their Broadway debuts, and some who are stepping on a stage for the very first time, Daldry and co-director Justin Martin steer the ship with ease and dexterity. Gabrielle Nevaeh also delivers a stunning debut as Patty Newby. In a role new to the franchise, Nevaeh stands her ground nicely, as she is joined by Alison Jaye (Joyce), Burke Swanson (Hopper), Juan Carlos (Bob), and Alex Breaux (Dr. Brenner), all bringing a fresh take to the fan-favorite characters they portray. 

Horror is a tricky genre to pull off on stage. A tame Grey House brought confusing plotlines recently on Broadway and Woman In Black had some fun jumpscares downtown at the McKittrick, but Stranger Things feels like the first truly successful production in this category; during intermission you can hear the buzzing crowd truly wowed with amazement.  

Enough can’t be said that this production doesn’t just change the game of Broadway, it smashes the game board and shoots it into a new dimension. When you take one of the most watched television shows in history and bring it to the stage, the pressure is high but Netflix and producer Sonia Friedman cracked the code thanks to the work of hundreds of artisans and crew—a nod should be given to Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher for their work on illusions and visual effects. Stranger Things: The First Shadow may just be the best production, visually speaking, to ever hit Broadway—well in this universe, anyway.  

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is now in performance on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on West 46th Street in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit here.