''Cannibal! The Musical'' (originally known as ''Alferd Packer: The Musical'') is a 1993 American

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

directed, written, produced, co-scored by and starring

Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. ...

in his

directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

while studying at the

University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado sys ...

, before reaching fame with ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...

'' alongside his friend

Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interes ...

who also stars in and produced the film. It is loosely based on the true story of

Alferd Packer Alfred Griner Packer (January 21, 1842 – April 23, 1907), also known as "The Colorado Cannibal", was an American prospector and self-proclaimed professional wilderness guide who confessed to cannibalism during the winter of 1874. He and fi ...

and the sordid details of the trip from

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

that left his five fellow travelers dead and partially eaten. Trey Parker (credited as Juan Schwartz) stars as Alferd Packer, with frequent collaborators Stone,

Dian Bachar Dian Bachar (; born October 26, 1970) is an American actor most notable for his roles in various films by or starring his friends Trey Parker and Matt Stone, such as '' Cannibal! The Musical'' (George Noon), ''Orgazmo'' (Ben Chapleski) and his mo ...

, and others playing the supporting roles. A live staged version was performed at Sierra College, in Rocklin, California, in May 1998. It was followed by Dad's Garage Theater, Atlanta Georgia, in the fall of 1998. The Dad's Garage version is highlighted in the special features of Troma's DVD release of the movie. The show has continued to find small theaters and audiences across America and beyond for many years. In 2001, a production was staged

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

at the Kraine Theater on East 4th Street in New York. A large-scale stage production was produced by The Rival Theatre Company at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It featured West End performers. It was executive produced by

Jason McHugh Jason McHugh (born October 10, 1968) is an American television producer and actor, best known for his work with Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He produced both ''Cannibal! The Musical'' and ''Orgazmo'' and played Frank Miller in ''Cannibal!'' and par ...

and directed by Frazer Brown. In 2011, producer Jason McHugh released a book titled ''Shpadoinkle: The Making of Cannibal! The Musical'' which chronicles all aspects of the creation and continuation of the ''Cannibal! The Musical'' cult phenomenon.

Plot

The film begins with a reenactment of the gruesome act of

cannibalism Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, b ...

described by the prosecuting attorney during Alferd Packer's 1883 trial. During this sensationalized account, a haggard Packer repeatedly insists that was not how it happened. During a break in the trial, Packer is enticed by journalist

Polly Pry Mrs. Leonel Campbell Ross O'Bryan (1857–1938), known under the pen name Polly Pry, was a controversial reporter for the ''Denver Post'' and later as a freelancer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She is best remembered fo ...

to tell his side of the story, which he proceeds to do, via flashback. He opens his tale with better times, galloping freely over green fields on his trusty horse Liane. In 1873, Packer was part of a group of miners in

Bingham Canyon, Utah Bingham Canyon was a city formerly located in southwestern Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, in a narrow canyon on the eastern face of the Oquirrh Mountains. The Bingham Canyon area boomed during the first years of the twentieth century, as ...

who hear of new prospects in Breckenridge. Together, the small group decide to travel together into

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the w ...

to stake a claim. Packer is appointed as the replacement for the original guide, since he claimed knowledge of the area. He and Liane set off on what Packer estimates will be a three-week journey with a party of five miners: Shannon Wilson Bell, an aspiring

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

priest; James Humphrey, who was forced by his father to join the party; Frank Miller, a cynical

butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...

who reluctantly joins their party at the mine; George Noon, a teenager hoping to meet women in Breckenridge; and Israel Swan, an optimist. Four weeks later, while attempting to visit Provo for supplies they become convinced they are lost. An attempt to ask a local for directions to Provo proves unsuccessful, with the local warning them of impending doom awaiting them in the mountains. Finally arriving at a frontier post in Provo, they run into a group of three fur trappers bound for Saguache; O.D. Loutzenheiser, Preston Nutter, and their diminutive leader, Jean "Frenchy" Cabazon. The trappers despise the miners, whom they contemptuously call "diggers", yet seem to like Packer's

Arabian horse The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DIN 31635, DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is ...

, telling Packer that she's a "trapper horse". Making camp, Packer and company reveal their goals for traveling to each other in song. The next day, Packer wakes up to discover his horse and friend, Liane, is missing. After Bell wounds his leg in a bear trap, the men attempt to cross the

Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...

near the Utah border. They camp out for the night after their crossing, with Packer singing a heartfelt song about Liane. Eventually, after a disastrous crossing of the Colorado River the Packer party is spotted by two " Nihonjin" Indians. They are taken back to the tribe's encampment near

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

where the chief warns them of a winter storm, allowing them to wait it out with the tribe. Packer's party also find the trappers camping out with the tribe, who proceed to brag about their lives in song, but then argue over the key of said song before a small altercation breaks out over Liane, whose feedbag Packer finds in their possession. In the present time, Packer is sentenced to death by hanging, with his execution to occur in Lake City. That night, alone, Polly muses over the case and Packer's testimony, and she reveals her growing affection for him through song. The next day, Polly visits Packer once again in prison, where he continues his story. The men set out in the wilderness and begin to suspect that Packer is really only interested in following the trappers to find his horse, and Bell's temper begins to shorten as his wound from the bear trap becomes infected and develops

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

. They encounter a foreboding "

Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...

", a tall

mountain man A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in the early 1840s). They were instrumental in opening up ...

with a wounded, pus-spurting eye, while unwittingly trying to steal one of his sheep for sustenance. Later, the badly frostbitten Swan tries to cheer everybody up with a song about building a

snowman A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture of a man often built in regions with sufficient snowfall and is a common winter tradition. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional ...

, only for Miller to destroy Swan's snowman with a

pickaxe A pickaxe, pick-axe, or pick is a generally T-shaped hand tool used for Leverage (mechanics), prying. Its head is typically metal, attached perpendicularly to a longer handle, traditionally made of wood, occasionally metal, and increasingly ...

. They soon run out of food, resorting to eating their shoes as they become lost in the snow-covered

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. Out of frustration, Bell shoots Swan in the head while in the middle of a song, because he does not appreciate his (Swan's)

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, know ...

-esque perspective on their predicament. The men discuss their dire situation that night over the fire, speaking of the

that the

Donner Party The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in th ...

had to resort to in California. They decide to consume the body of their dead companion as Miller cuts up Swan's body, and only Bell refuses to partake in the cannibalism. Packer then has a ballet-inspired nightmare involving himself, Liane, and Cabazon. After a few more days, the party loses hope, which leads to talk of sacrificing one of their own. Packer convinces them for one more chance for a scouting trip, but when he returns, Bell has killed the others, claiming they planned to kill and eat him after Packer left. Packer is forced to throw a cleaver at Bell, seemingly killing him, after threatening to turn him in, realizing he has gone insane. He is then forced to cannibalize the others to wait out the rest of the winter. Arriving in Saguache sometime later, Packer finds Liane, who has taken to Cabazon, upsetting Packer. The sheriff of Saguache, suspicious of Packer arriving without the rest of his party, eventually finds out the fate of the other members and attempts to arrest Packer for cannibalism at a saloon. A bar-fight between Packer and the trappers occurs, which Packer wins after brutally attacking Cabazon's groin using fighting techniques he learned from the Nihonjin chief, leaving Cabazon incapacitated with a high-pitched voice. Following this, Packer attempts to flee to

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, only to later be arrested there and brought back to Colorado to await judgment. On the day of Packer's execution in Lake City, the town breaks into song, celebrating Packer's impending death. However, he is saved at the last minute by Polly, who arrives on the scene with Liane. Polly reveals that Packer had gotten a

stay of execution A stay of execution is a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of a court judgment or other court order. The word "execution" does not always mean the death penalty. It refers to the imposition of whatever judgment is being stayed and i ...

from the governor stating that he could not be convicted of a state crime since Colorado was not a state at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, Cabazon, whose voice is still high pitched and wants revenge against Packer for their fight in Saguache, states the townsfolk came to see bloodshed and tries to trigger the gallows. The Nihonjin chief saves Packer by cutting his rope with a

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

before beheading Cabazon, satisfying the crowd's blood-lust. Packer, seeing that Polly brought back Liane, realizes he does not need her anymore and chooses Polly (much to the excitement of the chief, who takes off after Liane with his katana), and the two kiss, only to be frightened by a still-alive but badly maimed Bell.

Cast

(credited as Juan Schwartz) *

Toddy Walters Toddy Elizabeth Walters (born October 24, 1969 in Denver, Colorado) is an actress/singer/songwriter. Career A Denver native, Toddy Walters has been a singer/songwriter/actor/voice actor for the bulk of her life. Walters went to the University of ...

as James Humphrey (credited as Mathew Stone) *

as George "California" Noon *

as Frank Miller * Jon Hegel as Israel Swan * Ian Hardin as Shannon Wilson Bell * Duster as Packer's horse, Liane * Robert Muratore as Jean "Frenchy" Cabazon * Edward Henwood as O.D. Loutzenheiser/The

* Andrew Kemler as Preston Nutter * Masao Maki as the Chief of the fictitious Nihonjin Indian tribe (credited as Maseo Maki) *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

foreign exchange student A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions. A student exchange program may involve international travel, but doe ...

s as Nihonjin Indians * Junichi as Junichi * Tomomi as Tomomi, a young Indian girl whom Noon swoons over * Audrey Stafferd as the Voice of Doom * Randy Parker (Trey Parker's father) as Judge Jerry * Jessica James Kelly as Tiny Tim/Baby Packer * Martin Leeper as the Sheriff of Saguache (credited as Marty Leeper) * Brad Gordon as Mills * Steve Jackson as the Sheriff of Lake City *

Stan Brakhage James Stanley Brakhage ( ; January 14, 1933 – March 9, 2003) was an American filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film. Over the course of five decades, Brakhage created a large ...

as Noon's father * Don Yannacito as Humphrey's father * Kevin Allen as a passerby who glances over Polly Pry with a confused look as she performs "This Side of Me" * Liane Adamo as one of the dancers during the "Hang the Bastard" number (uncredited) * Chris Graves as a drunken man who plays a

cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...

break in "Hang the Bastard" (uncredited) * Joe McHugh (Jason McHugh's father) as General Store Clerk (uncredited) * Brody McHugh (Jason McHugh's sister) as Woman leaving store (uncredited)

Cast notes

Musical numbers

# "Shpadoinkle" – Alferd # "Shpadoinkle (Reprise)" – George, Alferd, Shannon, Frank, Swan, and Humphrey # "That's All I'm Asking for" – George, Alferd, Shannon, Frank, Swan, and Humphrey. # "When I Was on Top of You" – Alferd # "Trapper Song" – Frenchy (voice of Parker), Loutzenheiser, and Nutter # "This Side of Me" – Polly # "Let's Build a Snowman" – Swan # "Let's Build a Snowman (Reprise)" – Swan # "That's All I'm Asking for (Reprise)" – George, Alferd, Shannon, Frank and Humphrey # "Hang the Bastard" – Company # "Shpadoinkle (Finale)" – Polly, Alferd, and Company Contrasting with the musical's generally dark and morbid humor are its cheerful songs, all composed by Parker, including "Let's Build a Snowman", "When I Was on Top of You", "Hang the Bastard", and "Shpadoinkle" (pronounced ''shpah-doink-ul''). The last of these is a transparent

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

of the song "

Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" is the opening song from the musical ''Oklahoma!'', which premiered on Broadway in 1943. It was written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The leading male character in ''Oklah ...

" from the

Rodgers & Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

musical ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

''. Two songs that were originally going to be in the film, but later taken out, were "Shatterproof", a rap song to be sung by Packer during the bar fight scene, and "Don't Be Stupid", a song to be sung by some of the Bingham Canyon miners after the reprise of "Shpadoinkle". An interview with Ian Hardin (now known as Ian Keldin) revealed that Trey thought "Shatterproof" made Packer seem too tough.

Production

The film began as a 3-minute trailer made for a film class, having been an idea Parker and his friends had for a while but also inspired in part by Parker's resentment towards his ex-fiancée Lianne Adamo after discovering her cheating on him not long before their wedding, with Packer's disloyal horse "Liane" in the final film being based on her. After the trailer drew much attention, Parker and Stone raised around $125,000 and began shooting the full-length film. The film was shot during weekends and on spring break in 1993, and according to Ian Hardin, most of the crew failed their film history class as a result. Filming was done on location throughout Colorado in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado National Monument Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. This is an area of desert land high on the Colorado ...

, Black Canyon, and Ouray, with the courtroom scenes being shot in the actual courthouse that Alferd Packer was tried in, in Lake City, and the town scenes taking place in Provo, Saguache, and the hanging scene being shot in different parts of the Buckskin Joe Old West theme park in Canyon City. A few incidents happened during filming, such as Parker getting a hairline hip fracture after being thrown from one of the horses playing "Liane", fights occasionally breaking out among the crew, some of the main cast experiencing cold shock and almost being swept away by strong currents from crossing the icy

Gunnison River The Gunnison River is located in western Colorado, United States and is one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River. Description The river flows east to west and has a drainage area of according to the USGS. The drainage basin of ...

that doubled for the Green River, as well as inclement weather and even an avalanche complicating shooting. This film was originally titled ''Alferd Packer: The Musical'' in 1993. The

film premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its fi ...

d on October 31, 1993, in Boulder, Colorado, at a cinema near the University of Colorado campus. A fake protest organized by friends of Parker and Stone, organized along the lines of an animal rights demonstration, took place in front of the theater. The film then played at Raindance Film Festival in October 2004. Parker and Stone attended. It was not released generally until 1996, however, when

Troma Entertainment Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces low-budget independent films, primarily of the horror comedy genre. Many of them pla ...

picked it up and renamed it ''Cannibal! The Musical'' out of concern that not enough people outside of Colorado knew who Packer was. Few people outside of Colorado ever saw the film since Troma did not distribute it widely. Parker and Stone's animated

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

'' debuted the following year. Several live productions of the show have been mounted, with excerpts from one live version available on the DVD.

Home media

Following Matt and Trey's success with ''South Park'', Troma re-released the film on VHS and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

and it enjoyed a decent

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

. The DVD contains a "Drunken Director's Commentary" where Parker and Stone along with most of the cast get drunk as they watch the film, although there are a few times when the commentary cuts out. The film has since been released on UMD for the

Sony PSP The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...

. A special edition 13th anniversary DVD was released by Troma with added features, including all-new interviews with the cast and crew. The film was re-released in November 2008 as the first of the "Tromasterpiece Collection," as Troma considers ''Cannibal!'' to be one of its best films. Included in the new two-disc version, with over three hours of special features, never-before-seen deleted material and stage shows. Songs such as "Shatter Proof" and the early short films of Parker and Stone were considered to be a part of the new DVD, but these additions were ultimately rejected.

Stage productions

There have been several amateur productions of ''Cannibal! The Musical'' since 1996. The first was at the

Sierra College Sierra College is a public community college in Rocklin, California. It is part of the Sierra Joint Community College District, a district that covers over , serves Placer, Nevada and parts of El Dorado and Sacramento counties. History The c ...

in Northern California and then at Dad's Garage Theater where it won accolades by fans and the press. In 2001, Saturday Players launched a six-month off-off-Broadway run of the show that earned critical acclaim and returning audience members. In 2004, ''Cannibal'' made its European debut in Rome at the Teatro di Servi. In 2005, the first High School group attempted the show at The

Ironwood Ridge High School Ironwood Ridge High School is a public high school located in Oro Valley, Arizona. Ironwood Ridge is one of three high schools in the Amphitheater Public Schools, Amphitheater Public School District and serves grades 9-12. The school mascot i ...

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, but the show was censored by the school and performed off campus as a benefit. Later that year the show made its German debut at the

University of Regensburg The University of Regensburg (german: link=no, Universität Regensburg) is a public research university located in the medieval city of Regensburg, Bavaria, a city that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university was founded on 18 ...

and played many small colleges and community houses in the US. In 2006, the show debuted at its first Fringe Festivals in Minneapolis and Victoria, Canada and continued to find adoption by small colleges and community theaters. In 2008, The Insurgo Theater Movement launched the show in Las Vegas for the first of several runs by their company. Unexpected Productions launched the first of four October runs of Cannibal in Seattle. Also in 2008, The Rival Theatre Company produced the first large-scale professional production. The show ran from July 31 to August 25 at the George Square Theatre, Edinburgh for a total of 26 performances. It starred

Aimie Atkinson Aimie Allen-Atkinson (born 5 June 1987) is an English stage actress and singer. She is known for portraying the role of Katherine Howard in British comedy musical ''Six'' on the original UK tour and in the West End production at the Arts Theatre, ...

as Polly Pry and James Topping as Alferd Packer. Original film cast member

made a guest appearance as Mr. Mills. Other guest stars included

Jim Bowen James Brown Whittaker (born Peter Williams; 20 August 1937 – 14 March 2018), known professionally as Jim Bowen, was an English stand-up comedian, actor and television personality. He was the long-time host of the ITV game show ''Bullseye'', ...

and The Q Brothers. This production was planned a six-week run to the West End from July 27, 2010, at the

Leicester Square Theatre The Leicester Square Theatre is a 400-seat theatre in Leicester Place, immediately north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. It was previously known as Notre Dame Hall, Cavern in the Town and The Venue. The theatre hosts st ...

. However, after copyright holder Jason McHugh withdrew the rights in May 2010, the show was canceled. In 2011, M.P.M.M. Productions, performed the musical in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, Canada during the 2011 Winnipeg Fringe Festival. It won "The Best of Fest" for its venue (meaning it outsold other shows in the venue and was awarded an additional show). The show also debuted in St Louis and Denver with great reviews and enthusiastic casts and audience members. In May 2012, Logan Donahoo Presents performed a version of the musical in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

during the 2012 Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, in the Yellow venue. The show was successful, receiving positive reviews, and winning Patron's Pick for its venue, meaning that it had outsold all of the other shows and was awarded an additional performance. ''Trey Parker's Cannibal! The Musical'' played in Toronto at David Mirvish's Panasonic Theatre for a four-week run (February 10 to March 8, 2015). Additional book, lyrics, and music by Christopher Bond, Aaron Eyre, and Trevor Martin. It was announced in early 2014 that a production of the show is being produced at the Waterfront Theatre in Vancouver, B.C. by independent traveling theatre troupe Last Chance Productions. The show ran from June 12, 2014, until March 8, 2015, with two separate seating areas (a "Gore Zone" where audience members are subject to splash-zone-esque involvement, and a less messy "Gore-Free Zone".) In 2019, Cannibal the Musical had its Bay Area premiere. It was performed by The Other Other Theatre Company in San Francisco. The show ran from July 21–29 at MoonSpace.

Reception

''Cannibal!'' currently holds a 63% "Fresh" approval rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

based on 19 reviews, with a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

of 5.2/10. The site's critical consensus says: "If you're only going to watch one black comedy about a real-life explorer whose fellow travelers ended up eaten, make it ''Cannibal! The Musical''."

References

External links

* * *
UK Production
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannibal! The Musical 1993 films 1993 comedy films 1993 directorial debut films 1990s black comedy films 1990s historical comedy films 1990s musical comedy films 1990s Western (genre) comedy films American black comedy films American films based on actual events American independent films American musical comedy films American Western (genre) comedy films Camcorder films Cultural depictions of Alferd Packer Films about cannibalism Films based on classical mythology Films directed by Trey Parker Films set in Colorado Films set in the 1870s Films set in the 1880s 1990s Japanese-language films Mormonism in fiction Songs about cannibalism American student films Troma Entertainment films Works by Trey Parker and Matt Stone Films with screenplays by Trey Parker Films produced by Trey Parker Films scored by Trey Parker Films produced by Matt Stone 1990s English-language films 1990s American films