Review: Time, Regret, and Indie Rock: Safety Not Guaranteed Delivers a Quirky Adventure

A quirky classified ad promising time travel, danger, and a vague disclaimer—“safety not guaranteed”—sounds like the setup for a sci-fi cult film (and it is), but it also proves to be fertile ground for an imaginative new musical playing at Signature Theatre.

Safety Not Guaranteed, featuring music and lyrics by Guster front man Ryan Miller and a book by Nick Blaemire, takes the offbeat premise of Derek Connolly’s beloved indie movie and spins it into a heartfelt, often hilarious theatrical adventure about regret, possibility, and the universal temptation to rewrite the past.

Backed by an energetic score and inventive staging under director Oliver Butler, the musical leans into its indie-rock roots while asking a surprisingly poignant question: if you had the chance to go back and change your story, would you?

The story follows Darius (a superb Mia Pak), a skeptical journalist who is part of a team tracking down the mysterious author of an ad seeking a partner for a time-travel mission. What begins as a reporting assignment quickly becomes something stranger—and more personal—as she finds herself pulled into a story that blurs the line between fantasy and emotional truth.

Pak brings a winning mix of skepticism and quiet vulnerability to Darius, capturing the character’s guarded, searching nature while gradually revealing the curiosity beneath it. Her voice is equally impressive, particularly on “Once Again,” a song she delivers with huge emotional depth.

As Kenneth, the eccentric, emotionally wounded writer of the classified ad, Gunnar Manchester combines boyhood charm with intense paranoia; Kenneth is perpetually on edge and seems like he could snap at any moment. His belief in the impossible isn’t played purely for laughs but comes from a deeply human desire to fix a mistake from his past. Manchester brings depth to his duet with Pak, “What’s Your Mission,” and shows his character’s aggression in the earworm “Jankholes.”

As Jeff, Darius’s jaded and somewhat irresponsible boss, Preston Truman Boyd is a hoot, playing the character’s self-indulgence and immaturity to a tee, while allowing a shimmer of regret to shine through his facade. His “I Wanna Go Back” is a crowd-pleasing spectacle, and Boyd steals practically every scene he’s in with his larger-than-life personality.

The always versatile Erin Weaver is charming as the spunky Liz and others; Joshua Morgan brings a welcome sense of calm as Tristan; and Tyler Dobies is endearing as the shy, socially awkward intern Arnau.

The warm, indie-rock score features several Guster songs, including the delightful “Architects & Engineers,” which opens the musical and gives the entire company a chance to shine, and the upbeat “One Man Wrecking Machine,” which underscores a key turning point near the end. The new songs Miller wrote are engaging, and there’s not a filler in the bunch; his work recalls the style of Joe Iconis and suggests he has a promising future in theater. The onstage band, led by conductor Jeff Tanski, was dynamic and several members even got to fill in as extras.

The production makes striking use of a minimal set, with scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado relying on clever staging rather than elaborate scenery. A raised platform housing the band becomes the central visual element, at times splitting apart to create different playing spaces and a sense of movement to the storytelling. This simple but effective design keeps the focus on the performers while still allowing the show to shift locations fluidly. Complementing the set is Jason Lyons’s dynamic lighting design, which does much of the heavy lifting visually—from the pulsing effects that evoke the mystery of the time machine to the fast-moving cues that heighten the tension during a robbery chase.

While the show is undeniably strong, it’s not without a few bumps along the way. One area that could benefit from further shaping by Blaemire is Darius’s arc as she learns more about Kenneth and his mission; it would feel more satisfying if she gradually became more open to the possibility of what he’s proposing rather than staying in journalist mode for so long.

Additionally, the story drags at times, and some of the side plots feel less developed than they could be. A bit more humor sprinkled into certain moments would also help keep the momentum moving. The laughs from a scene involving life-size characters early on could be replicated with slight changes.

Still, this production shows that the bones of a winning musical are clearly here and that it’s yet evolving since its world premiere in New York in 2024. The production remains entertaining throughout thanks to its inventive premise, engaging score, and the clear passion behind the staging. If Safety Not Guaranteed continues to refine its journey, it may well prove that some leaps through time—and into musical theater—are absolutely worth the risk.