i echo what everyone else said: its a painfully pedestrian book, trying to make a story out of not all that much (bratty teenager fights with mom, falls for (and lies to/stalks) a man she legally should not be with, has an absent father). its every silly musical trope you can imagine and you see them all coming miles away; very much feels like they said "we have this insane music catalogue to use, and these insanely talented actors, so who cares"
no one cares. the music is so well-weaved into "the story" and the performances are so stellar, you just get swept away. Moon sings like a dream, but she also carries the show, powering through awkward narration like very few could. her character is insufferable and she just levitates right past it. i dont know how she will be able to handle these vocals 8 shows a week (and she sounded like she might be beginning to struggle a tiny bit) but it really is a star-making rocket-hot performance. mazel tov.
and she has shoshana bean at her side, matching her energy and vocal fireworks (she stopped the show, twice), but also doing masterful line reads here. in mr saturday night bean was crushed by the creaky hokey book but here she cuts right through, making a meal out of every scene shes in (and its a tricky character). her voice has changed/matured much since Wicked and since Waitress but shes so masterful with it she just finds new ways to use it. she and brendan victor dixon are electric and singing something special. and kecia lewis brings such power, dignity, grace, to every moment on stage. the Bad Book Monster forces her into some truly awkward moments in act 2 but theyre no match for her. masterful.
so with these people singing so many classic songs (and songs i never heard but that are still solid) its hard to resist. by the time the show closes with Empire State of Mind (which is the only song that didnt feel organic to the plot, but how can they not) youre just bopping along as all these wonderful actors jump in and lift you away. cute becomes moving and fun.
still, hard to forgive some of the laziness here. Shoshana Bean lays and clears the same little table maybe 9 times. she cuts a carrot, she grates cheese. shes always either rushing off to work or making dinner. we were laughing by the end. and the choreography is.... well the ensemble is excellent but it can be very distracting. again some snickers. and as someone else pointed out, the laziness extends to the more serious subjects to. police brutality is hinted at but it isnt brutality, just harassment, and one relatively minor incident is parlayed into an emotional number about prejudice in america that seems to come out of nowhere. (but kecia naaaaails it). the show's treatment of an absentee father is....puzzling, as is the decision to pointedly make Ali 17 yrs old, turning a rebellious dalliance into.... a crime? Again its sorta glossed over to get to the next banger, and thank god for that but if you stop and think about it all... meh.
so, dont. enjoy it. i did. Row B mezz right was perfect view (the extreme side are definitely partial view at times but we were centered enough that it didnt matter). the set is sleek (reminded me a bit of tommy with less manic energy) but nothing special, and the show is mostly performed center stage. id imagine front of the balcony would be fine for this if that price point works best for people. im guessing this runs a while.
Updated On: 4/4/24 at 12:06 AM
