Just opened this thread back - thank you all for your kind words. They mean a lot to me, especially today.
So here’s some thoughts I have on the show. Material like this can go one of two ways. It can go extremely maudlin or it can be life-affirming and I was relieved it went with the latter. It’s a new take on the “if you knew you only had X amount of time left, what would you do” story. It really is a lovely little show and I don’t use “little” as a negative. In fact it reminded me of an off-Broadway show from the early/mid 00’s (is that how we write it?) that would have developed a little cult following. I don’t know how else to say it but the people I’ve said that to who were around then knew what I meant.
The magic of the show is grounded in Victoria Clark’s performance, and I’d say it’s the best she’s ever been on stage. Never for a moment do you not see a 16 year old girl (even during that one moment in act two) and if any acting role is a testament to an actors ability to completely transform - it’s this one.
The show is also as strong as it is because of a uniformly superb supporting cast especially that of Bonnie Milligan (who is serving Aidy Bryant realness in the best way) and Ally Mauzey who brings a grounded realness to a character that very easily could have been a cartoon villain. Justin Cooley has, I think, a very tough task to make his Broadway debut as a young man acting alongside a Broadway vet (I believe 3x his age) as his contemporary love interest and it’s maybe the sweetest romance I can remember seeing in quite a while. The fact that it never comes across as anything other than “sweet” just proves how talented he is.
The score (for me) was a bit of a mixed bag but there was more to like/love in it than the songs that didn’t work as well - and that’s where that mid 00’s Off-Broadway feel really was noticeable for me, in music that felt like it was “ALMOST there”.
I’ll echo what others have said that I hope it does well but….who knows. If it does succeed I can just imagine the replacement ideas. Patti? I could barely type that out without bursting into laughter but you all know damn well you’d pay a thousand dollars to see it.
But go see this if you can. If only to see Bonnie and the mailbox.