'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' Musical a Not-So-Horrible Hit for El Toro High School Audience

It was a battle between good and evil, heartaches and headaches, ray guns and hammer-like fists. But behind the stage curtain and scenes set in a laundromat, actors from the El Toro drama department were working hard, topping off two years’ worth of writing and rehearsals for the tongue-in-cheek musical “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog."

The El Toro version of online video series—created in 2008 by Buffy the Vampire Slayer director Josh Whedon and originally starring How I Met Your Mother actor Neil Patrick Harris—was directed by senior Derek Hedbany, who also played the role of evil-scientist Dr. Horrible. The play was filled with well-humored, relatable scenes pertaining crushes, internet smack-talks and face-offs between mad villains and superheros.

“It was a very stressful experience directing through all of it,” Hedbany said. “I didn’t know if it was going to come together—even yesterday I felt like it wasn’t going to, but it did today.”

But audience members said the show was a success.

“I love all of it," said sophomore Caitlin Sheek.  “It was very good and they did an awesome job.”

Other fans agreed, commenting on how well the play turned out.

“The play was amazing,” El Toro student Nikoo Caghdiri said. "The best part was when they sang about the homeless shelter."

The fun, however, wasn’t limited to those watching.

“It was a really fun play to do,” said cast member Amanda Koppe. “Derek did a really good job directing for his first time and pulling off the show.  It was just a really good time.”

Andrew Guzman, who played the role of Captain Hammer—a superhero who turns into a not-so-macho-man by the play's end—said the production exceeded his expectations.

“We really pulled through in the end,” Guzman said.

While the spotlights were on the students, drama instructors Daniel Blackley, Dave Roberts and Dan Fritz also got a taste of the action, filling in as the three members of the Bad Horse's Chorus.

“When Derek told us he wanted to have a surprise guest, he asked me and Dave and Dan to do it and said that it would be fun," Blackley said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever done that. It was fun. The kids got a kick out of it.”

The El Toro Drama Department's next show, a musical production of  Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, will run April 6 to 9.