Bayside! The Musical from a Saved by the Bell Superfan

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything here, but it's been a pretty chaotic year. Still, when my friend Tatiana Levine, a hilarious writer and human being-- but also Saved by the Bell super fan-- offered to talk about the much-buzzed Bayside! The Musical, I knew I had to have her write her thoughts for this blog. Here's what she said about the show's current incantation, with Dustin Diamond of Screech fame:

My knowledge of Saved By The Bell is something I am super proud of. I've seen every episode that Zack Morris has ever been in. I know that Hot Sundae could've been huge if it wasn't for Jesse Spano's caffeine addiction. And I know Kelly and Zack were way too fucking young to get married during The College Years. But I've made my peace with their mistakes and I decided to put the past behind me and attend Bayside! The Musical. And I was not disappointed.

The show stayed true to SBTB's campy goodness. Every character was an extreme version of themselves which led to a lot of cackling and knee slapping from me. I didn't stop smiling until the intermission because my face needed a break, by the way. They made a reference to Jesse's stepbrother, Zack's wrestler girlfriend, and even to Kelly's nuch older boyfriend who dumped her at The Attic. Every single song was amazing. Especially Lisa's freestyle rap about white people.

Seth Blum, who played Tori AND Mr. Belding AND Max, was a standout performer. He was completely out of control as Tori (there was a condom tied in his wig). Another amazing performer was April Kidwell as Jessie Spano. She was the best thing about the musical. The caffeine addiction schtick never got old and it led to one of the funniest moments of the night. Dustin Diamond makes an appearance as himself which was really weird, but also kind of cool because DUSTIN DIAMOND.

If you're a fan of SBTB or you genuinely like trying not to piss your pants, I highly recommend seeing Bayside! The Musical. It was magical.