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Resolves Modern-Day Conflicts
With Ancient Sensibility
By Pat Lindsey

It isn’t often that I’m blown away by a new musical, but that’s exactly what happened to me at the World Premiere of The Karate Kid:The Musical at STAGES St. Louis on June 1st. This show is something special. It will make you laugh, cry, root for the underdog, remember what it was like to be a teenager, and tug at your heartstrings every chance it gets. But most of all, it will give you a fun evening that will make you feel happy.
Based on the book and original screenplay written by Robert Mark Kamen, the story takes us on an emotional three-month journey with 17-year-old Daniel LaRusso (John Cardoza), whose mother has moved them from New Jersey to California just prior to the beginning of his senior year in high school. Everything they own is packed into their car, including Daniel’s bike, his most prized possession left to him by his deceased father. Daniel’s mother, Lucille (Kate Baldwin) is excited to be starting a new life and job, but Daniel sees himself starting at Square One without any friends or the life he once knew.
Act I begins at breakneck speed. Daniel meets the girl of his dreams, Ali–“Ali with an I” (Jetta Jurianz) and Johnny Lawrence (Jake Bentley Young), the bully who doesn’t want Daniel anywhere near Ali. Within a few minutes, Johnny beats up Daniel and his gang destroys Daniel’s bike. All of this drama soon leads Daniel to Mr. Miyagi (Jovanni Sy), his apartment building’s maintenance man, who becomes Daniel’s best friend and the heart of the show.
Mr. Miyagi is a quiet man of few words who has brought centuries of Japanese traditions with him from Okinawa. When Daniel discovers that he knows karate, he implores him to teach him to defend himself against Johnny and the other bullies who are making his life miserable. Mr. Miyagi reluctantly agrees to be Daniel’s mentor and then proceeds to use unusual methods to teach Daniel the principles of karate, including “life is balance.” Meanwhile, Johnny and his gang are taking karate lessons at the Cobra Kai dojo under the fearless leadership of John Kreese (Alan H. Green), a Viet Nam veteran who still wants revenge “for losing that war”. When Kreese finds out about the rivalry between Johnny and Daniel, he demands that it be settled at the upcoming karate championship match.
Fans of the original  film and the Cobra Kai Netflix series exploded in raucous cheers and applause when the scene changed to the Cobra Kai dojo set where the karate students were engaged in riveting martial arts choreography. The audience also went wild when Alan H. Green belted out his songs, “Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy” and “The Whole World Will Be Watching.” That audience reaction signified to me how well this show has captured the essence of the beloved movie nearly 40 years after its original release and why it will undoubtedly be headed to Broadway.
The music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini were the first elements of this new show that blew me away. The lyrics are such a natural continuation of the dialogue that it’s easy to forget that the actors are singing through much of the show. Outstanding vocalists, such as two-time Tony nominee, Kate Baldwin, and John Cardoza, who just completed his Broadway run of A Jagged Little Pill, fantastic sets, a talented ensemble, and amazing choreography by Keone and Mari Madrid, seamlessly bond to tell this story of love, joy, and human conflict that can help all of us live better lives.

Credit for this masterpiece goes to the impressive creative team who produced a show that left me wanting nothing else. After being pulled into the characters’ lives and empathizing with each and every one of them, I witnessed their conflicts being resolved in the best possible way. I was completely satisfied. And I left the theater with a big smile on my face.
The Karate Kid: The Musical is being performed now through June 26 at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at stagesstlouis.org.

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