That number is in Act One, and I thought it worked surprisingly well - and the audience certainly agreed. The movement really helped sell it, and Josie Walker is just so damn compelling and emotionally available. But it's also a song with honesty, and I think that carries it past its limitations..
I'd say that's true of the larger show, which is a beautiful mess - it has some incredible musical numbers and actually made me cry at one point, but the book is also a bit of a shambles, the set should have been re-thought, and it lacks a finale. Still, with the right script doctor and a better showperson at the helm, I could see it being a hit in the States. It has the right hear and energy, and what's good about it is really good.
I'm glad that I followed the impulse to fill up my last night in London with a show I hadn't heard much about except that some people really liked it. "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" feels alive and immediately relevant in a way that was incredibly satisfying. |
