Review Roundup: HUZZAH! at San Diego's Old Globe

What did the critics think of Huzzah!, the new musical by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, the Globe's Come Fall in Love–The DDLJ Musical) and Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde, Heathers the Musical, Bat Boy)? The musical is directed by Lortel Award winner Annie Tippe and stars Liisi LaFontaine, Kate Shindle, Anthony Chatmon II, Cailen Fu, and more! The production runs through October 19, 2025 at the Old Globe.

Two sisters, one a princess and one who works in insurance, must stop fighting to save their father's Renaissance Faire from financial ruin (and the occasional mead-based fire). When they gamble the payroll to hire the greatest swordsman on the whole Ren Faire circuit, will things go fair or foul at the Faire? Don thy doublet, cinch thy corset, and grab a turkey leg for a midsummer night's screamingly funny musical.

The principal cast for Huzzah! includes Josh Breckenridge as Inigo Johnson (The Old Globe's Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show. Broadway's Swept Away), Anthony Chatmon II as Gareth (Broadway's Hadestown, Be More Chill), Peyton Crim as Wayland Smith (New World Stage's The Play That Goes Wrong, Irish Rep's Finian's Rainbow), Matt DaSilva as Troubadour Tim (Northwest Theatre Workshop's Endlings, National Tour of Beauty and the Beast), Cailen Fu as Kate Mirandola (Broadway's Mean Girls, Theater Under the Stars' Frozen), Allison Guinn as Lady Eve (Broadway's Tammy Faye, On the Town), Liisi LaFontaine as Gwen Mirandola (West End's Moulin Rouge, Dreamgirls), Mike Millan as Juan Diego Santiago de Fuensalida (Broadway's Escape to Margaritaville, National Tour of Sister Act), Kevin Pariseau as Sir John Thomas Morningwood (Off Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors, National Tour of My Fair Lady), Leo Roberts as Sir Rowland Prowd (U.S. National Tour of Mrs. Doubtfire, U.K. and Ireland Tour of Shrek The Musical), Kate Shindle as Anne Bonny the Pirate Queen (The Old Globe's Himself and Nora, Broadway's Wonderland), and Lance Arthur Smith as Johnny Mirandola (The Old Globe's Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, October Sky).

The Huzzah! ensemble includes Michael Cusimano (The Old Globe's The Tale of Despereaux, Cygnet Theatre's Oklahoma!), Beth Stafford Laird (National Tour of Company, Anastasia), Michelle Lauto (Regional: Waitress, Spelling Bee), Tatiana Lofton (Broadway's Pirates! The Penzance Musical, A Beautiful Noise), and Aaron Michael Ray (National Tour of Come From Away, The Public Theater's The Low Road).

Swings for Huzzah! are Berto Fernández (The Old Globe's Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Signature Theatre's In the Heights), Max Antonio Gonzalez (New Victory's Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers), Sophia LaRosh (The Old Globe's Regency Girls, San Diego Musical Theatre's Legally Blonde), and Katheryne Penny (The Old Globe's Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Off Broadway's Forbidden Broadway).

In addition to Benjamin, O'Keefe, and Tippe, the creative team for the world premiere musical of Huzzah! includes choreography by Katie Spelman; orchestrations by Ben Green; music direction by Alejandro Senior; music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell; scenic design by Todd Rosenthal; costume design by Haydee Zelideth; lighting design by Jeff Croiter; sound design by Connor Wang; wig design by Earon Chew Nealy; fight direction by Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum; voice and dialect by Emmelyn Thayer; associate direction by Hayley Goldenberg; associate choreography by Kelsey Burns; associate music supervision by Elizabeth Doran; casting by The Telsey Office, Bethany Knox, CSA and Jimmy Larkin; and production stage management by Michael Passaro.

What did the critics have to say?

Pam Kragen, San Diego Tribune: The show’s book could still use some shaping. The first act is formulaic and its plot direction and obvious romantic couplings are forecast from the start. But the shorter and better second act throws in some clever and unexpected twists for a satisfying and crowd-pleasing finale. [...] “Huzzah” looks like a show that’s destined for Broadway, but its premiere at the Globe features a cast generously stocked with many San Diego-based actors and alums, including Josh Breckenridge, Michael Louis Cusimano, Berto Fernández and Lance Arthur Smith.

Sandi Masori, SD Jewish World: The entire cast is phenomenal.  Laird killed it as Gwen, and if there weren’t signs posted everywhere that she was the understudy, you never would have known.  Usually she plays Lady Alison the Healing Nun, so as understudy she had to fully learn two different parts. Huge kudos to her. Other standouts are Peyton Crim as Wayland Smith, the forger.  His deadpan delivery of some of the funniest lines in the show was just perfect.