Review: SAW THE MUSICAL at Hudson Theatres Mainstage

I love horror movies. 

And I love musical theater. 

So, it stands to reason that SAW The Musical—a mashup that fuses the grotesque 2004 cult horror film Saw with a campy song-and-dance spectacle—would be right up my alley.

After all, I’m a girl who appreciates a well-done movie kill scene (almost) as much as a perfectly choreographed Cell Block Tango. I should love this. I really should.

But SAW The Musical, now playing at the Hudson Theatres Mainstage in Hollywood, left me wanting more than a songified parody of a cult horror classic. Sure, it was funny at times—and I give it credit for being bizarre. But turning torture porn into musical theater just didn’t work for me. 

The musical follows the same basic plot as the movie: two strangers wake up shackled in a grimy bathroom with no memory of how they got there. They soon discover they’re pawns in a sadistic game orchestrated by a mysterious figure known as Jigsaw, who forces them to make horrifying choices to survive. 

And, yes, at least one limb will be sawed. 

Conceived by producer Cooper Jordan and written by Zoe Ann Jordan, with music and lyrics by Anthony De Angelis and Patrick Spencer, SAW The Musical premiered Off-Broadway in New York in October 2023 following a successful tryout in Philadelphia.

The musical version takes out all the scariness. It’s a parody, after all, so audiences know going in to expect more camp than horror. 

Oh, and it’s also a gay love story, because why not? 

About that: While there were a few jokes that got some chuckles from the audience, much of the sexual innuendo felt forced. I mean, it’s one thing for Jigsaw to belt out a torch song (which the talented Alyssa Corella did perfectly). But having his bloodied and chained-up victims fall in love? It’s too much.  

Make no mistake: There will be people who love SAW The Musical. Two women sitting beside me at the show, for instance, had driven from San Diego to see the show for a second time. They, along with a few other repeat viewers I talked to, appeared to love every song, dance, and splatter of the 100-minute production. There was also at least one fan dressed as Jigsaw's creepy-cheeked puppet. 

With its devoted fan base, it's not surprising to hear that the show's Los Angeles residency was extended from April 6 to December 31. There appears to be a niche here, even if I'm not part of it. 

That said, the cast is good. The show is performed by three talented performers: Reagan Osborne (Dr. Gordon), Jack Cathcart (Adam), and Alyssa Corella (Jigsaw). Together, they do a fantastic job in their lead roles while also rotating through the story’s ancillary characters—including the dead body in the middle of the room that may or may not be a plot twist. 

The songs, while uneven, have their moments. I laughed out loud at the absurdly catchy “Onco-la-la-la-logist,” which skewers Dr. Gordon’s narcissism with the help of a blow-up sex doll who plays his mistress. Corella, whose resume highlights her dance and acting skills, is also quite the puppeteer.  

Visually, the set delivers exactly what it should: bloodied tiles, a grimy toilet hiding clues, and a wall-mounted “brand new IKEA clock” that fans of the film will recognize. The theater itself adds to the vibe—it felt like walking into a Universal Studios haunted house, Instagram-ready and mood-lit.

I also appreciated that the first two rows on the left side of the 99-seat theater were plastic-wrapped and designated as the “Splash Zone.” Basically: Sit here and you may get a bit blood-stained when the sawing starts. (Note: I was sitting in the second row of these seats, but I escaped un-splattered.)

Ultimately, I liked SAW The Musical for its weirdness. But even as a horror-loving theater nerd, I didn’t quite fall in love. For me, this bloody musical parody didn’t quite slay.

SAW The Musical will play at the Hudson Theatres Mainstage through December 31. For more information about it and the national tour, go to sawthemusical.com. 

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