Internet sensation adapted for theater

For the computer-dwelling, nerd-culture types out there, a live performance of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" could either inspire a fanboy heart attack or a wave of bitter skepticism – and interestingly enough, both reactions are somewhat appropriate.

For those who have never heard of the Internet sensation "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," the program has a dedicated cult following.

In the original program, the audience follows the titular character's dastardly ascent into the infamous Evil League of Evil through a series of terroristic trials and battles with his arch-enemy, Captain Hammer. In the course of the story, Horrible (through his alter-ego Billy) falls in love with the local do-gooder Penny and finds himself not only fighting Captain Hammer for a seat in The Evil League, but also for Penny's heart.

Oh, and by the way, it's a musical.

The show took advantage of its Internet-based format by having blog-style expositional updates from Horrible – a detail that, while irregular and fresh, made the project seem improbable for an adaptation outside of the Internet.

With experience in comedy and improvisational performances derived from literary pieces such as "Moby Dick" and "Treasure Island," Savannah-based comedy troupe The Odd Lot rose to the challenge of not only recreating "Dr. Horrible" but adapting it for a live, theatrical showing.

Three weeks and only nine rehearsals later, the troupe performed in what they call their haven, the newly surging Muse Arts Warehouse.

In order to transfer cleanly to the stage for private production, the members of Odd Lot worked diligently to track down all the music and accurate scripts. They also added a few of their own original characters, songs and scenes, culminating in a unique take on a cult sensation.

From audience feedback during the show to ticket discounts for coming in dressed as a super-hero, The Odd Lot considers its target audience carefully, creating a genuine feel of community. The familiar jokes were met with riotous laughter, the pre-recorded video blogs were followed out by whistles and approving yells, and thunderous applause welcomed the original content. Even the technical errors in the show, though very few in number, were overlooked with friendly laughs from the audience.

The audience left the intimate theater space buzzing with excited conversation once the show ended.

"You know, I seriously thought there was no way a stage version of this show could be done properly," said Ross Spratt, who attended the shows opening night. "I'll admit it, man, I was wrong on this one. I don't remember a solid three minutes in there that didn't have us laughing."

The idea for the shows adaptation, while originally brought up on a whim, has a larger purpose in the eyes of The Odd Lot, according to Chris Soucy, one of the troupe's founding members.

"We don't regularly do big productions. We do improv," Soucy said. "This seemed like a good way to get our name out as well as The Muse. We actually put ourselves on that specific time constraint so we could get the ball rolling because we have a lot of things planned for this upcoming season."

For anyone who was not able to attend this show, people can still check out The Odd Lot doing improve comedy next Monday night. If audience buzz predicts an over-all rating for events at this venue, attendees can expect a lot of laughs.