Jagged Little Pill Musical mini-review
Posted by
Diva (aka Diva)
Jul 20 '18, 08:42
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I've been meaning to write this for days. Today works well as it's Mamma Mia 2 and Musicals Day here on ST.
Overall Grade B+
There's so much to like, ponder and discuss about this show. So very much that it is literally what is great about the production and what detracts from it at the same time. It is about so many, almost all the things.
Diablo Cody has done a quite competent job creating a narrative around the music from the seminal album by Alanis Morrissette. The music lends itself easily to theatricality and some of the songs are mini-operas unto themselves. Tunes are pulled from 'Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie' and 'Under Rug Swept'. There are also a couple of new tunes written expressly for the show. Cody weaves her book through these songs in a much better fashion than the 'book' that was created for "American Idiot: The Musical". But in the end it may just be too much and the show could possibly use a 15 minute trim.
JLP:TM chronicles the very real drama of a modern, upscale interracial American family dealing with numerous issues. This family is simultaneously dealing with race relations, opiate and porn addiction, marital strain, rape survival and culture, gender fluidity, Keeping up with the Joneses and the perils of high school and peer pressure.
The direction by Diane Paulus is focused on bringing out the best in her cast. Elizabeth Stanley as the mother Mary Jane Healy is incredible. My favorite moments of hers include strong renderings of 'Forgiven' and 'Uninvited'. The ensemble is full of triple threat actor singer dancers and they are amazing. The choreography is a bright mix of well-executed contemporary dance and hip-hop. The moment where 'You Oughta Know' is performed has become a bit of a water-cooler moment here in town. That number got a standing ovation in the middle of the show every night. It really is wonderful. The soloist, ensemble, the on and offstage band, the sound and lighting - all in that moment combine to create a moment that stands out and hopefully will be seen by future audiences. I'm positive the originators want to take this production to New York. It's no coincidence Steven Spielberg was there the day we went and plenty of other show biz luminaries have attended throughout the run.
It's not all perfect, the 2 actors playing Mary Jane's kids are only so-so imo and I'd like to see better actor-singers do the parts. The show is too long and by the middle of Act II the audience feels bludgeoned by the subject matter and the sheer number of songs being performed. But these are not insurmountable fixes. I hope they continue to work on this piece and it lives a longer life past the A.R.T. in Cambridge, MA.
Now taking questions. :)
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