Caught this last night. I had anticipated liking it, but I was really taken aback by how beautiful it was. Michael Arden is a visionary and surrounds himself with a design team that is willing to explode out of the box.
If for any reason you're on the fence about this, I'd hop off of it and buy tickets. It is really just a joyful love note to the art of theater. Creative, playful, clear and energetic. Loved it, loved it. I'm taking my drama club students in March and cannot wait to see their faces as they experience this show.
SPOILERS BELOW!
Ok, my immense love for the production team and performers aside, there are a few things about the plot that feel a little bit uncomfortable. This "girl's life is saved and her entire purpose of existence is to save the life of a boy." feels problematic and dated to me. Especially since she embraces it so fully herself. It becomes even more problematic when the story line is "'Peasant' girl's sole purpose of living is to save the life of upper-class boy." and even more so when the race components are woven in to it. I think there are nuances to this that take some of the edge off, but at the end of the day, the trajectory of Daniel and Ti Moune feels a bit uncomfortable without more reflection worked into the book. |
