MIDNIGHT (Off-Broadway) — Page 5

I saw yesterday's matinee with a friend who saw the 2nd workshop run in March in the UK. I thought it was one of the best new original musicals I've seen in the last 10 years. My friend said they made major revisions from what he saw in March that made it much stronger. I had no problems following the plot and I thought that the 2nd act "surprise" was set up very clearly. Judging from the conversation going on around me at intermission, it was apparent everyone knew exactly what was going to happen in Act 2. And apparently the 2nd act has been reworked entirely - they re-thought the "surprise" element it is now limited to 24 hours. While it definitely was a shift in tone from Act 1, I found it completely engaging, It helped to streamline the narritive, gave it an almost relentess forward propulsion, and also made the enormous clock set piece that looms over the proceedings a part of the narrative. There is probably one ending too many and it makes its points almost a little too on the nose, but it was all well-earned and ulitmately very moving.

The cast was phenomenal (we had an u/s on in the role of Scarlet who was sensational). Ayanna George is simply astounding. Jeremy Beloate was a bit of a cipher dramatically but sang the role gorgeously - I would love to see what JJ Niemann would do with the role. Set designer Morgan Large did an amazing job fitting the show into the Daryl Roth in a space 2/3rds smaller than what they had in London. While I thought it worked well in the space, I think it would really play better in a larger space.

The performance started about 10-15minutes late because they had only 1 security person wanding everyone in what was essentially a sold out house. It was 2hrs45mins with a 15 minute intermission.

Overall, I think it is a very ambitious piece that is an undeniable achievement that definitely deserves to be seen/heard/experienced by as many people as possible. They have apparently made substantial revisions that demontrate Mr. Hall is not hesitant to "kill his darlings" which boads well for its future. That said, I do think the wide-spread criticism of Todrick wearing too many hats is somewhat justified. If the show sets its sights on Bway (and lord knows there will be many upcoming vacancies) - I think it would most benefit from a director who could help shape the material and performances into something extraordinary. I think James Robinson who has in recent seasons staged Porgy and Bess, Champions, and Fire Shut up in my Bones at the Met, would be an ideal person for the gig. It is a big piece with big emotions and themes on an almost operatic scale.

Ultimately, it is a show that has at its core a queer, interracial love story. The reality is that even in this, the year of our Lord 2026 , that is a tough sell not only for commercial Broadway and straight audiences but for many in the queer community as well. That will be a tough sell and not a slam-dunk. I wish it nothing but continued success!

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