Brent Barrett brings humor to the horrifying role of Hannibal Lector. Photo credit: Sara Krulwich.

Most who have seen “The Silence of the Lambs” could ever say laughing was apart of their agenda, unless you watched Silence! The Musical, a musical parody of the 1991 thriller; satirizes Jodie Foster’s and Anthony Hopkins’ roles as Clarice Starling and Hannibal “the Cannibal” Lector.  Theater 80’s ambiance gives off a feeling of a Prohibition-era bar, which is the perfect setting for Silence! as its audience can feel the eerie aura the theater’s décor gives off.

People who have seen “Silence of the Lambs” are already familiar with it’s suspenseful plot twists and turns.  Actress Jenn Harris appears like a caricature of Jodie Foster and exaggerates her accent humorously.  Also, Brent Barrett brings humor to the horrifying role of Hannibal Lector through his mellifluous voice.  However, the chorus of lambs completely dominated the play. Their smart remarks and antics while acting as props transformed the original plotline into a comedy. For example, instead of the glass screen between Starling and Lector in the prison remaining in position, two lambs held the screen as the actors broke out into song and dance.

Christopher Gattelli’s direction and music written by Al and Jon Kaplan can alleviate the nightmares brought on by the original movie. One can now laugh at aspiring F.B.I agent Clarice Starlings ‘struggle to find a psychopathic killer with the assistance of a cannibal detainee without the feeling of your stomach dropping. Yet, the only way to truly understand every joke in Silence! The Musical, watching “Silence of the Lambs” is mandatory pre-show or else you will be sleeping with the lambs.