I went back last night after seeing the show off-Broadway and I loved it just as much. I remembered the comedy of the play quite well, but I forgot how much of an emotional punch this show packs. The scene between Jordan and Laura is so raw and heartbreaking, and from more or less that point on I had tears running down my face for the rest of the show. I don't think the writing is perfect- it gets a little repetitive here and there, and some of the punchlines are telegraphed from far away- but it nails so much about loneliness and dating and particularly the way social media enables us to obsess over potential lovers. I mean, who hasn't done the kind of deep social media dive that Jordan does? Maybe we all aren't as obsessive or needy, but these moments felt really true to life. Elements of the play tend towards the sitcom-y at times, but at its core it's a deeply felt play about loneliness and abandonment, and I think lots of people can relate to that.
The cast, largely in tact from the Pels production, is still uniformly excellent. All three girlfriends do lovely work, especially Lindsay Mendez. Barbara Barrie is also very touching in her scenes- her last phone call with Jordan is a particularly great moment from her. However, Gideon Glick's performance is the reason people should run to this show. I know Ben Platt has been getting most of the attention for Dear Evan Hansen, but as far as I'm concerned Glick is giving the male performance of the season. In the hands of a lesser actor, Jordan would be absolutely insufferable, but with him, you can't help but like him even as he makes truly awful choices. He also really delivers in his big scene with Mendez- that rant is ferociously delivered, but he builds the character's resentment so well that it never comes off as too big. I can't imagine another actor giving a more impressive performance this season, and I would love to see him win a Tony for it.
It does seem like the play is struggling a little with ticket sales, but I can't recommend this one enough. It's such a sweet and sad play, and Gideon Glick's performance is worth every penny. Go.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
