Bay Area Children’s Theatre presents ‘Fly Guy, the Musical’

Dominic Dagdagan as Fly Guy with Katie McGee and Benjamin Nguyen.

“Fly Guy, the Musical,” the latest piece from Bay Area Children’s Theatre, has the jokes you’d expect — and miss if they weren’t there — from a show about an insect. There are lots of “buzz”-related puns, and the title character introduces himself by announcing his craving for “something tasty … like an old, dead fish.”

But this musical, which Austin Zumbro wrote, inspired by Tedd Arnold’s “Fly Guy” books, also accomplishes something loftier, which is to channel a child’s appreciation for the banal, even the germ-ridden — something adults in the audience could learn from.

The production follows Fly Guy (Dominic Dagdagan) as he goes from pest to pet at the hands of a benevolent young human, fittingly named Buzz (Benjamin Nguyen). Executive artistic director Nina Meehan conceived the show and directs. Recommended for ages 4 and older.

— Lily Janiak for SF Gate

“Fly Guy, the Musical”: 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23. Through May 7. Freight and Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley; May 13-14. Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, 10550 Albion Rd., San Ramon; May 20-June 11. $20-$25. Children’s Creativity Museum Theater, 221 Fourth St., S.F. (510) 296-4433. www.bactheatre.org