‘Dog Man: The Musical’ charms kids and adults in Beaver Creek

“Dog Man: The Musical” features the fun-filled antics of beloved characters from Dav Pilkey, the creator of the bestselling series “Dog Man,” “Captain Underpants” and “Cat Kid Comic Club.”

It revolves around two fifth-graders writing a musical based on their favorite hero, Dog Man, who likes to fight crime — and chew on furniture. In the story, Dog Man tries to save the city from Flippy, the evil fish and his team of Beasty Buildings, as well as Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself in the form of Little Petey.

“The heart of the story is very warm,” said Glory Yepassis-Zembrou, who plays Flippy. “It’s about friendship and finding yourself and knowing you are good enough.”

Dog Man ultimately shows the evil-doers that there’s more to life than destructive behaviors.

“It is so much fun because the books have been out for such a long time, and there are a lot of lines taken directly from the books. You can tell who has read the books, because the kids recite the lines. They are so excited,” she said. “And Little Petey is a whole comedy that kids can relate to.”

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Actors sing to prerecorded music, which she said “encompasses the superhero, crime-fighting energy you would get from Marvel, but it’s still understandable.”

Though she describes the musical as “very silly, on-the-nose and a little campy,” more sophisticated references, such as those to “Annie” or “Les Misérables,” entertain adults; even the New York Times noted that it makes adults laugh.

“It’s really smart writing,” she said. “As a parent, you’re coming to watch your kid enjoy it, but there are a lot of different jokes that adults can relate to that maybe kids don’t.” The show is recommended for ages 6 and older.