5 Reasons to See Stranger Things: The First Shadow

The Upside Down has come to Broadway. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, based on the Netflix show, opened on Broadway April 22 at the Marquis Theater.

The play—written by Kate Trefry based on an original story by The Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Trefry—is a prequel to the hit Netflix series, which airs its final season this year. The stage show takes place in 1959, when a mysterious teenager named Henry Creel has moved to Hawkins, Indiana. The play follows how he becomes the evil Vecna, the ruler of the Upside Down. And perhaps answers why the Upside Down is located in Hawkins.

The First Shadow has to be multiple times at once: It needs to be satisfying to longtime fans of the series while also telling a compelling enough story for newcomers. Does it succeed? Below are five reasons to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow, according to a theatre fan and someone who's seen all four seasons of the Netflix series.

Company of *Stranger Things: The First Shadow* Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

1. Re-Meet Some of Your Favorite Characters

For longtime Stranger Things fans, the main reason to see The First Shadow is to see the origin stories of their favorite characters, who audiences have known for almost 10 years. How did they become the cynical adults that we meet in the '80s? What happened in 1959? Well, it involved a love square with a spunky and youthful Joyce (played by Alison Jaye) in the middle. Joyce and Hopper are the most developed adult relationship in the Netflix series. And getting to see them interact as teenagers answers a key question from longtime fans: Why has there always been this underlying tension between them? Why did they not become a couple sooner?

Then there's Bob, who's also tied in that love square (Juan Carlos giving a lovable performance); Bob provides some much-needed comic relief in this very emotionally heavy show. At a recent performance of The First Shadow, the audience sighed a collective "awwwww" when they heard his name for the first time, because of the beloved character's fate in the 80s. It lets us spend more time with a character that we spent way-too-short of a time with in season two of Stranger Things.

The final point in the love square is the man who becomes Joyce's ex-husband, Lonnie. We only see him briefly in season one, where he's an abusive dad; fans questioned how Joyce could have chosen him over Hopper. The First Shadow gives us a better idea while making you want to rewatch season 1 of Stranger Things (or start it if you haven't already).

T.R. Knight, Louis McCartney, and Rosie Benton in *Stranger Things: The First Shadow* Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

2. Louis McCartney's Astonishing Performance

While The First Shadow gives fans an opportunity to get to know some of our favorite characters better, it also tells a bigger story: Who is Vecna? In season four of Stranger Things, the writers give us some tidbits here and there about how Henry Creel became Vecna, but it left many questions unanswered. I went back and watched an origin story video just to cross examine all the points that were made in the series versus what we get in the play. And in this version, we get to know where he came from before they moved to Hawkins, why they moved to Hawkins, why his parents are scared of him, where his powers came from, all the things we didn't get to see in the series.

Then there's the actor who plays Henry in the play, Louis McCartney, who gives a jaw-dropping Broadway debut performance. He originated the role in the play's West End run and it's clear why the producers wanted McCartney to come with the show to Broadway. He's on stage 90 percent of the play and gives an athletic and astonishing performance. He has to portray an emotionally disturbed young man, who has powers—that means he's constantly screaming, yelling, running, floating. At many points, he's hoisted up into the air on wires. Not only that, but he also brings a humanity to Henry, who in the series is more one-dimensionally evil. So while the character of Henry can be frightening, the audience is also invited to sympathize with him, and even root for him—he's trying to be a good person, and he's trying to get through all the darkness in his life. And McCartney portrays that duality brilliantly.

3. The "How Did They Do That?!" Visuals

If you love to be scared, you're gonna love this show. There's so many jump scares, whether it's bright lights, loud sounds, gunshots, animals exploding, or some nauseating body horror situations��The First Shadow is a show that's really going to raise your heart-rate. Stranger Things the series is known for its visual effects�� both computer-generated and prosthetics. That's what makes the play so impressive. The fact that every night on the stage, that same level of spectacle is being done practically and live is mind-blogging. As frequent theatre-goers, the �뵺�� staff was talking about First Shadow after we saw it, and a lot of the effects (from visual effects designers Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher) were so good, we couldn't figure out how they did them. There's a scene involving a rat that had us wondering: Is that a real rat? Is that a fake rat? Is there a combination of a real rat, fake rat, and a digital screen rat?

Jon Clark's lighting design must also be praised because, for instance, when characters are floating in the air, it looks like they're physically floating—you can't see any wires or poles. It's rare to sit in a Broadway theatre and jump in your seat. If you want to be wowed, and scared, then go see The First Shadow.

4. Easter Eggs for All Kinds of Fans

Fans of Stranger Things will have a good time spotting all the visual references and callbacks to the original series. There's Ghost Busters, twinkling Christmas lights, Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," "Dream a Little Dream of Me," and too many others to list here.

But Stranger Things isn't just for fans of the television show, it's also for anyone who loves live performance. There's plenty of inside jokes for musical theatre fans, and a whole subplot involving Joyce and her friends putting on a production of Oklahoma!—it will speak to anyone sitting in the audience who's done high school theatre. There's also a musical number with showgirls and costume changes. Musical theatre and Vecna? Stranger things have happened.

5. The Love Story

You might wonder if you need to have seen all four seasons of Stranger Things to enjoy The First Shadow. The answer is no. If you've never traveled to Hawkins, Indiana, before, you won't have trouble investing in the story. Outside of the special effects and callbacks to the series, The First Shadow is a romance. Henry Creel is in love with a girl named Patty (played by newcomer Gabrielle Nevaeh), and their relationship is so awkward yet adorable that the audience is rooting for this young couple to ignore all the toxic adults around them and run away together. Nevaeh is also another performer to watch out for, because her role (similar to McCartney's) is extremely physical—there's a moment towards the end of the show after a bridge falls where Nevaeh falls back, and yet she's using her whole core to try and stay up—it's an amazing bit of illusion work and core strength. McCartney and Nevaeh create such a compelling love story together that, even though audiences know it's likely going to end in disaster, the play makes us believe that these two crazy kids might make it.

So you might say that The First Shadow is Romeo and Juliet, but with monsters.