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I attended Saw: The Musical, The Unauthorized Parody of Saw at the New Box Theater on Saturday, December 28, 2024, having previously seen it at the AMT Theater in September 2023. While I went in with some optimism based on improvements I’d heard about, this performance left me feeling disappointed overall.

The New Box Theater is much smaller than the AMT, which initially gave me hope that the show would feel more intimate and engaging. However, after climbing four flights of narrow, steep stairs (not ideal for someone with arthritis), I found myself struggling to enjoy the experience. Despite being just 10-15 feet away from the performers, I often couldn’t understand what they were singing due to the overpowering volume of the musical tracks and the performers not being mic’d. This was a shared frustration with my partner, who echoed my sentiments about the overwhelming music drowning out the vocals.

The venue itself was fine, with narrow but fairly standard NYC seating. The issue wasn’t the space but the lack of microphones. To make matters worse, several scenes featured characters wearing large, full-head rubber pig masks, which made any dialogue or singing from inside them completely unintelligible. Mic’ing the performers and balancing the sound levels would have made a world of difference.

The actress in the cast stood out the most for me, but unfortunately, I couldn’t identify her because there were no programs—digital or otherwise—to let me know who was playing which role. While what I could hear of the music sounded fine, the piano accompaniment felt monotonous at times, banging away at full volume without much nuance. The lyrics, true to parody form, were humorous, though much of their impact was lost due to poor audibility.

The writing was a mixed bag. Some jokes landed well, particularly with an audience that was clearly far more enthusiastic about the show than I was. Many attendees brought squeaky pig souvenirs—or purchased them for $2 on-site—and delighted in squeaking them during the performance, cackling at nearly every joke. That shared enthusiasm added to the energy of the room, even if the material didn’t resonate with me personally. However, much of the humor felt inconsistent. While some lines were genuinely funny, others were nonsensical, fell flat, or relied too heavily on cheap gags that failed to elevate the parody.

The show leaned heavily into the queer undertones of the Saw franchise, an interpretation that has long been discussed among fans and one I don’t oppose. In fact, exploring this subtext could have been a compelling and clever subplot, adding depth and nuance to the parody. Unfortunately, the execution felt repetitive and shallow. Instead of thoughtfully engaging with the idea, the show reduced it to a series of overplayed “will they/won’t they” moments and predictable gay innuendos. Jokes about dildos, eroticism, and pants-stuffing quickly became tiresome, detracting from the potential for something sharper and more meaningful. Rather than adding dimension to the characters or humor, these moments came across as uninspired and at times undercut the parody’s ability to fully capitalize on the clever premise of merging horror with camp comedy.

On a positive note, the production value suited the show’s parody nature. The low-budget set and creative lighting were effective, and the team has tightened the show since last year. Scene changes, which were previously excruciatingly slow (some taking up to 2-3 minutes), were much quicker this time. However, the decision to forego microphones in this smaller venue was a huge misstep, and it significantly impacted my ability to enjoy the performance.

The “splash zone,” though hyped up by the show, was underwhelming. My TDF tickets, priced at $37 compared to $58 non-discounted, were not supposed to be in the splash zone, yet we were handed trash bags to protect ourselves. The splashes only happened twice, and they felt more like an afterthought than an immersive feature.

Ultimately, I can’t recommend Saw: The Musical unless someone knows exactly what they’re walking into and doesn’t mind the lack of polish. For a parody, the show has moments of humor and creativity, but the sound issues, inconsistent writing, and lack of performer amplification were too much to overlook. Mic your performers and balance the sound, and this could be a far more enjoyable experience. As it stands, it’s a slog—even for a Saw fan like me.