Be More Chill
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Cititour.com Review
Yet another Broadway musical is sending audiences back to a place many would rather forget: high school. But Be More Chill took a most unusual route to Broadway. Adapted from a young adult novel by Ned Vizzini, the show had a regional theater production four years ago, then recorded a cast album that become a viral sensation with the under-18 set. That led to a sold-out Off Broadway production last year and, now, a trip to the Great White Way.
High-school-set musicals like Dear Evan Hansen and Mean Girls have stories that transcend the age of their protagonists. Be More Chill, however, is likely to get a cool reception from anyone past prom age. Joe Iconis’s score has a tuneful array of teen empowerment songs, but, despite a bizarre sci-fi twist, Joe Tracz’s book can’t consistently deliver a compelling story or characters. Spending two and a half hours with them feels at times like being stuck in detention.
Protagonist Jeremy (Will Roland) is so fed up with being an outcast in his New Jersey high school that he spends $400 for a "Squip" — a pill that implants a computer in his brain that tells him the right thing to say in every social situation. Jason Tam cooly embodies the cocky Squip, with whom Jeremy frequently converses as the teen attracts the attention of the popular but insecure Brooke (Lauren Marcus) and grows estranged from best friend and fellow nerd Michael (George Salazar).
But the Squip has sinister plans that threaten the well-being of the entire student body — and remind us of the importance of individuality vs. trying to be like everyone else. Unfortunately, Jeremy comes across as a run-of-the-mill social outcast rather than an engaging hero. Some of the shows best moments occur when he’s either not onstage or relegated to the sidelines: Salazar’s rousing song of rejection, “Michael in the Bathroom,” packs an emotional wallop, and there’s the delightfully quirky “I Love Play Rehearsal,” sung by Stephanie Hsu as the object of Jeremy’s desire, Christine, who also captures the joy of burgeoning attraction in “A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into.”
These moments are rare. Under Stephen Brackett’s direction, the tone lands somewhere in the lumpy middle of campy parody and heartfelt teen vehicle. Even with a gifted cast of 10, who boisterously jump between their characters and ensemble work, Be More Chill may have a hard time attracting enough theatergoers to keep it alive on Broadway.
By Diane Snyder
Visit the Site
https://bemorechillmusical.com
Cast
Will Roland, George Salazar, Stephanie Hsu, Gerard Canonico, Katlyn Carlson, Tiffany Mann, Lauren Marcus, Britton Smith, Jason SweetTooth Williams, Jason Tam
Open/Close Dates
Opening 3/10/2019
Closing 8/11/2019
Preview Open/ Preview Close Dates
Preview Opening 2/13/2019
Closing Open-ended
Box Office
212-239-6200
Theatre Info
Lyceum Theatre
149 West 45th Street
New York, NY 10036
Map
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