Jagged Little Pill National Tour

[gleek4114]

Posted: 8/29/22 at 7:24pm

The show launches in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky this Wednesday (8/31) for two performances only. I’ll be attending both and will report back. I was lucky enough to see Heidi as MJ last November in the two months the show was reopened before Omicron shut it down, and I’m so excited she’s taking her career best performance on the road. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 8/29/22 at 8:31pm

Can't wait to hear your review. Interested to hear if they changed much from the Bway version.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/30/22 at 6:28am

Based on this Instagram post is looks like the orchestra is on an elevated platform which is different than the Broadway production which had the orchestra on two wagons that tracked in and out. I think the elevated platform for the tour looks great.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/30/22 at 1:48pm

The Australian tour also had their bandstand set up like that as well. I would’ve assumed having the band in the air like that would make it more difficult to tour compared to what they had on Broadway, but I guess it’s about saving playing space on the stage deck?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/30/22 at 1:58pm

It requires less crew to move the band up and down and on and off. 

[LoveThoseMusicals]

Posted: 8/31/22 at 10:43pm

Just left the opening night performance. 
 

Overall a very strong showing for a first performance.  
 

The cast was in top form.  Heidi did an outstanding job. 

Jo got a full standing ovation after “You Outta Know”.  
 

Set changes were minimal - except the placement of the band. However the moving screens moved in a way that created the same illusion of the band coming in and out as they did on Broadway. 
 

We absolutely enjoyed it and the audience was very engaged from beginning to bows!

Updated On: 8/31/22 at 10:43 PM

[gleek4114]

Posted: 9/1/22 at 12:05am

I was there tonight as well. Heidi is even better than she was on Broadway (where she was already phenomenal). The entire cast is strong, but Jade McLeod as Jo is a real find. They stopped the show with You Outta Know and the crowd was on their feet for them. The set was basically intact compared to it's broadway counterpart. For a first preview, the show was very sharp. We were told there could be stops and starts but everything flowed extremely smoothly. I just can't say enough good things about Heidi, seeing her in this show is an essential theatre going experience, she gets to use every tool in her arsenal, and its a marvel to behold.  

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/1/22 at 6:17am

By any chance, could you post the u/s list?

[gleek4114]

Posted: 9/1/22 at 8:41am

ACL2006 said: "By any chance, could you post the u/s list?"

SWINGS
MAYA J. CHRISTIAN, CLAIRE CRAUSE, SEAN DOHERTY, CHARLES P. WAY
UNDERSTUDIES
Understudies never substitute for the listed performers unless
a specific announcement is made at the time of appearance.
For Mary Jane-DELANEY BROWN, LANI CORSON;, for Steve- -SEAN DOHERTY, ZACH HESS;
for Frankie-_-MAYA J. CHRISTIAN, JORDAN LEIGH McCASKILL; for Nick- -JASON GOLDSTON,
DANIEL THIMM; for Jo- CYDNEY KUTCIPAL, ALANA POLLARD; for Bella-_ DELANEY BROWN
ALANA POLLARD; for Phoenix--JASON GOLDSTON, DANIEL THIMM:
for Andrew- SEAN DOHERTY, DANIEL THIMM

[gleek4114]

Posted: 9/2/22 at 2:43pm

I went to the second performance last night and there was a 20 min hold in the middle of act 2 for a tech issue. The platform that has the kitchen on it wasn’t moving. Other than that the show went as smoothly as the first night. 
 

Humble brag on Louisville as a city, we really showed up and gave this cast so much love for the first performances, both shows were absolutely electric. I personally can’t wait to see this cast again down the line.

[Globefan]

Posted: 9/2/22 at 2:49pm

Were there any script changes from Broadway?

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/2/22 at 3:22pm

gleek4114 said: "I was there tonight as well. Heidi is even better than she was on Broadway (where she was already phenomenal). The entire cast is strong, but Jade McLeod as Jo is a real find. They stopped the show with You Outta Know and the crowd was on their feet for them. The set was basically intact compared to it's broadway counterpart. For a first preview, the show was very sharp. We were told there could be stops and starts but everything flowed extremely smoothly. I just can't say enough good things about Heidi, seeing her in this show is an essential theatre going experience, she gets to use every tool in her arsenal, and its a marvel to behold."

Thanks for your review, gleek4114. 

Having found video of the pre-shutdown Broadway cast, I feel this is a jukebox musical done right for the most part. Yes, it can read Hallmark Original Movie for some, and I thought the first half of Act One was kind of a mess (save for the incredible staging of "Smiling" and the clever placement / context of "Ironic" ), but when the sexual assault subplot kicked in, that's where the show really finds its groove and takes off. Just my opinion, but I thought that for a time, Jagged had one of the best second acts in the District. Also, some of the one-liners throughout are just *chef's kiss*.

Not many will agree — and I understand that — but I feel it's one of the few jukebox musicals in recent memory that give me hope for the future of the genre. It's far from a perfect show, but I think this will do very well on tour. 

Updated On: 9/2/22 at 03:22 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/2/22 at 3:42pm

I absolutely loathed every second of this mess on Broadway. Elizabeth Stanley and the music aside, I thought the whole thing was shockingly awful. Curious to see how this will do in the road.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/3/22 at 1:26am

One of the worst things I've seen ever. Bad direction, bad design, bad book. Just a ****ty Lifetime movie on stage. 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 9/3/22 at 9:12am

Add me in the camp that thought this is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. The music is great, of course, but it’s a bad after school special that crams way too much into it and it starts to become unintentionally hilarious. I love Heidi, but I will not be seeing this again lol

[Lot666]

Posted: 9/6/22 at 9:25am

My husband and I saw it twice on Broadway, once with Elizabeth and then again with Heidi. We actually liked it even more the second time around and felt that Heidi's performance exceeded Elizabeth's. Had it not closed, we would definitely have gone a third time. We'll be seeing the tour if it comes anywhere near us.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/15/22 at 10:09am

If anyone is interested, the tour will be playing the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn this summer from June 27th through July 2nd.
ETA: It’s actually in “discussion,” but I’d assume it’s still likely to play there. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be on here. Also, does anyone know iatse lingo? I’m trying to figure out what “venue hold only - no buyer” means.

Has an equity tour played there before or is this the first time?

Updated On: 11/15/22 at 10:09 AM

[LushyBear]

Posted: 11/15/22 at 2:29pm

I saw this in SF purely because Heidi is in it.

 

The show was better than expected, but I think the plot is doing too much. It's a whiplash of stories that are opened up, and none of it is focused enough. I had a good time, despite sound issues (which are not necessarily the fault of the production, the Golden Gate Theater is an odd space for sound it seems).

[LarryD2]

Posted: 1/7/23 at 9:58am

Does anyone know if Heidi has any prescheduled absences during the Philly leg of the tour? I gather she was out of the show on Thursday night. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/7/23 at 10:41am

Curious how this tour is selling and if it's planning on running another year? I only see it booked through August 2023.

[JanMaxwellsBag]

Posted: 1/7/23 at 12:49pm

I won the ticket lottery for Friday 1/13. I looked at the inventory for that night and it’s not sold super well beyond the Parquet floor section. 

I’m hoping for good seats, because the Academy tends to swallow up shows that aren’t big spectacles. I saw Beautiful from the Amphitheater section and felt so far away (wink wink nudge nudge).

I had forgotten Heidi was doing the tour so I’m excited to see her if she’s in.  

Updated On: 1/7/23 at 12:49 PM

[RunnyBabbit]

Posted: 1/8/23 at 5:46pm

I won a single lottery ticket for Friday 1/6 in Philly.  I was center orch (parquet), row J (which is actually row 18 because of the multi letter rows).  Great seat for the lottery.

I hadn’t seen the show before and didn’t really know anything about the plot going in.  Heidi was in Friday night and was amazing.  That was about the most I could say for the show though.  The songs largely felt shoehorned into a plot that didn’t really work. Even when songs were performed well (which was a little hit or miss), I couldn’t help but be taken out of it when sections of lyrics wouldn’t make any sense at all.  I think the choreography bothered me most after that.  It was very well performed, but it was half creative and half so literal it felt like what I would come up with when I was putting on shows in the living room for my parents when I was 10.

Overall, not bad for a $35 lottery ticket, but I’m glad I didn’t pay full price to see it.

Also, still hate that musicals are at the Kimmel Center.  It’s a horrible place for musicals and I wish they would go back to the Merriam (Miller) or would have more at the Forrest.

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 1/8/23 at 10:46pm

JanMaxwellsBag said: "I saw Beautiful from the Amphitheater section and felt so far away (wink wink nudge nudge)."

Thank you so much for this lol

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/9/23 at 8:48am

ACL2006 said: "Curious how this tour is selling and if it's planning on running another year? I only see it booked through August 2023."

Well, it has been annouced for Toronto originally during the Brooklyn/Cleveland/Montreal/Layoff period on the list previously, but then a calendar for subscribers came out with dates in October/November 2023, so I'm going to assume with that info that it will continue past the current schedule. 

[JanMaxwellsBag]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 12:17pm

Saw last night’s performance. The lottery seats were in row D of the balcony, which were perfect. It looked well sold around us but definitely not sold out. Our row specifically had a bunch of empty single seats, so each group was able to spread out, which was nice. I couldn’t see the two balconies above us so I am unsure what the whole picture is with sales. 

I actually went in with low expectations and wound up completely moved by the entire experience. The design was spectacular and I found it very effective. The transition into the church at the end of act one was especially thrilling. The book and story are definitely imperfect, but I was very invested in it. Not everything landed, but the stuff that did made me very emotional, as someone who has experienced some of the traumas dealt with in the show. 

Heidi was on and she was phenomenal. I’ve been a fan since the [title of show] days and have never gotten to see her live in anything, so it was a real treat to finally have that experience. Smiling, Forgiven, and Uninvited were emotional and impactful, my friend and I both had streaming tears during those songs. 

Jade McLeod was also a standout as Jo, and their You Oughta Know brought the goddamn house down. But the whole Frankie/Jo/Phoenix subplot feels super underbaked. 

But overall I had a wonderful time and am very glad to have seen it. 

Updated On: 1/14/23 at 12:17 PM