Saw this for the 7th time last night with understudies on for Kimberly, Aunt Debra, and Pattie and it really just solidified for me what an absolutely beautiful piece of theatre this is. Every performance was in excellent shape - especially Justin Cooley, who is still finding so much in his performance almost two years into playing this role - from the teen ensemble all the way up to Colleen Fitzpatrick’s Kim.
Colleen has really found a perfect balance of the warmth and joy Victoria Clark baked into the role and a more hardened, hurt side of the character that I think works perfectly considering her circumstances. The scene where she finally lets her anger out at Buddy on the morning of her birthday is so believable and just a gorgeous calibration of the performance.
Betsy Morgan was hilarious as Aunt Deb. I thought I was going to miss Bonnie Milligan, but Betsy really killed it. She has more of a Cheri Oteri vibe, and she makes the character a bit more manic. And she absolutely blows the roof off with her voice. I hope she gets to do it on tour, because she’s phenomenal and will only get better with time.
Emily Koch was also fantastic as Pattie. What I appreciated about her performance by the end was how she shifted the energy from Alli Mauzey’s zaniness to a more subdued take. You believe she wants to try to be a good mother, where I usually feel Alli’s Pattie is totally unfit to parent.
This show just doesn’t get old, for me. It leaves me feeling so elated and sad and grateful all at once. Every time I see it, I leave with my face soaked in tears and absolutely giddy. Rarely do I feel so moved by a piece of art, but this really checks all the boxes. I’ll be so sad to see it go in a few months.
Updated On: 1/21/24 at 10:08 AM
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