Scissorhands: A Musical Inspired by the Film

Film/TV/theater producer wunderkind Bradley Bredeweg ("The Fosters") returns to Rockwell Table & Stage with another modern twist on a classic.

His last success was "Love is a Battlefield" – the "Romeo and Juliet" reimagining that told the tragic tale through the use of Pat Benetar songs. This time he adapts a more recent classic with "Scissorhands: A Musical Inspired by the Film."

By utilizing pop songs from the last five decades as well as Christmas songs to fit the season, this clever, but fairly faithful version of Tim Burton's much-loved film takes the story to a few new places while keeping it firmly entrenched in the fairy tale we all adore.

The biggest change is the casting of Jordan Kai Burnett as Scissorhands. While I thought the gender-swap would be off-putting as the character is so well recognized, it was actually easy to fall into the change; especially because Burnett's characterization is so endearing and she still sort of looks like Depp. What this modification does is add an extra layer to the original theme of bullying by broaching the topic of gender fluidity and identity. At one point the motherly character of Peg (the excellent Emma Hunton) even changes the pronoun for "Edward" to they/them to allow for it.

The other more recognizable change is the backstory of Edward – now called "Scissorhands" for most of the show. The effortless Dionne Gipson plays the Inventor, originally portrayed as a gentle Dr. Frankenstein by Vincent Price. Here, the Inventor is a woman who couldn't conceive and decides to make a child for herself. That child became Scissorhands and, like the film, she was unable to finish them before she died of a heart failure. The device here works beautifully as Gipson's Inventor is the heart of the show and adds a compassionate layer that threads throughout the story.

The show utilizes songs from a number of different eras and Bredeweg and co-writer Kate Pazakis choose these brilliantly while skillfully interweaving other songs together. Tori Amos' "Snow Angel" is mixed with "Angels We Have Heard on High" to thrilling effect, and "Let's Have a Kiki" from the Scissor Sisters is combined with Christmas staple "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Other songs range from Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Abba's "Money, Money, Money," to Gary Jules "Mad World" touchingly performed by Gipson and Burnett. Lady Gaga gets three from her oeuvre culminating in a lovely version of her recent "A Star is Born" ballad "Shallow" that Burnett performs with Natalie Masini who plays love interest Kim.

The cast of this latest from the Fuse Project is always at the top of their game especially with the vocals. The band, fairly hidden this time around, is perfection as usual, and the lighting design by Joey Guthman is effective in the small space. There are some nifty effects, too, such as the use of paper fans to create the snow and/or leaves that Edward sends flying into the air when he works on his creations.

The whole production will lift your soul, drift you into the Christmas spirit, and remind you once again why "Edward Scissorhands" has become the classic film it has. With its relatable and timely themes, the world needs "Scissorhands" to remind us we all have a place in this world.

And this month, that place is Rockwell Table & Stage.

"Scissorhands: A Musical Inspired by the Film" has been extended through January at Rockwell Table & Stage, 1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. For more information and tickets visit www.rockwell-la.com