REVIEW: The Saved By the Bell Show

I was invited to check out the Saved By the Bell Show at Bryant Lake Bowl last evening and had a great time!  I’m a big fan of the series and was very excited to attend.  The Saved By the Bell show is two, live-action episodes with nostalgic commercial reenactments mixed in where the television commercials would have been.  The comedic, live action setting is perfect for highlighting the ridiculousness of Saved By the Bell.  Much of the show’s comedy is derived, not from parody or exaggeration of the original (like the travesty that is Michael Bay’s  Transformers franchise), but rather by just portraying SBTB as it really was: simplistic, melodramatic and endearingly unrealistic.  In other words, the archetypal 90’s after-school programming.  It was fun to play the studio audience and make all the cliche “awwww,” “ooooh” sounds at overly dramatic pauses.  The Dana’s Boys cast did a great job knowing their characters and what to emphasize to get a laugh.

Of course the highlight of the evening was the episode featuring the original Mr. Dewey (Patrick Thomas O’Brien).  I presumed he would only be featured as a cameo but he had a significant role in the second act and he committed to his character such that Mr. Dewey was portrayed just as on television.  He was excited to be there and give the audience a thrill.  This presence added a lot to the show.  After the show, Patrick stuck around for autographs and pictures.  The line was long but he was very patient and fun to chat with. He is the essential “Minnesota Nice.”

The Saved By the Bell Show plays at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater through May 11, 2013.

Bryant Lake Bowl Theater
810 W Lake St.
Minneapolis
Tickets: Monday and Tuesday May 6 and 7 at 8:00pm (doors 7:00) $10 & Thursday, Friday and Saturday May 9, 10 and 11 at 10:00pm (doors 9:30) $15 / $13 in advance or with Fringe button