Oh.
My.
God.
I mean...I don't even know where to begin. I really hate to be so mean to shows, especially original shows, but this is just a mess of a show from beginning to end.
The book could not be more cliched. And it's TOTALLY underdeveloped in every sense. The characters are one dimensional, the message is forced, the relationships are not fleshed out at ALL, and everything about the book feels totally unreal and ridiculous. The whole journey that Huey takes is just so stupid. At the top of the second act when he says he got his own TV show, I literally slumped into my seat and said "oh my god..." Just awful. Could the last fifteen minutes have been ANY MORE rushed and could the previous two hours and fifteen minutes been ANY MORE stretched out?!
The score is just as much of a mess. No memorable songs AT ALL, none of them feel truthfully natural to that era, and the lyrics are laugh-out-loud bad. It's just an all-around mess. Glover's got a great voice but how many times do I need to hear her belt to the rafters? And I mean do we really need a number with Huey's mom letting loose like a poor man's Mary Testa and "testifying" about how she is no longer a racist because she attended one session of mass at a baptist church? Give me a break. I just felt so patronized by the score and book, to be quite honest. It felt like an after-school special that was overblown into a Broadway musical but that ripped off everything from DREAMGIRLS to HAIRSPRAY. Just because you try to copy great musicals does NOT MEAN THE MUSICAL YOU'RE MAKING WILL BE GREAT. When are people going to learn that?
The best thing about this show is the cast, even though they've got major problems themselves. Ok, I won't spend too much time on Chad Kimball but he is giving a horrendous performance. Just...really bad. Montego Glover can't act but she sings well. I'll address other performances if I'm asked but basically everyone else was just good enough. The ensemble is good...even though the jumprope number was a mess because the girl kept tripping on the ropes. Also, EVERYONE in this cast needs work on their diction. I could barely understand anything they sang. Seriously.
But basically everything else was just...not very good at all. The sets made the huge stage look so cramped and crowded, the lighting was repetitive and unoriginal, the orchestra sounded good and the choreography was fine even if it was a HAIRSPRAY ripoff. The direction was really bad and just made the show drag even more.
I'm sorry if this comes off as harsh. I'm just trying to be honest...this show is a really trainwreck. The critics are going to have a field day.
I don't even know where to start with ideas on how to fix it. I'd be happy to answer any questions, as usual. Yankee, you had the right idea. The second act was about ten times worse than the first.
1/2 out of ****
PS: April, yes! I got my autographs AND a picture WITH Hugh! Everything happens for a reason, I guess! 
Updated On: 9/27/09 at 12:05 AM
