Jagged Little Pill - Reviews

[RippedMan]

Honestly I see basically everything in NYC and I've never felt the need to leave a show in the middle. I just didn't want to be in theater anymore. Throwing all these hot-button-issues at us and mixed with the terrible sliding set and constant "urban dancing" (even though we're in suburban CT), I just felt so deflated and such a WTF moment. I needed to leave. I did stay because I love Stanley and she's phenomenal in the show, but this show is simply not good. I will say the music shines and the songs didn't feel super shoe-horned in, it felt organic, so I guess that's a win? But I just hate seeing such a liberal show for a bunch of liberals. It feels preachy. 

[A Director]

The book for this show was written with a checklist!

 

[magictodo123]

I saw the show on Friday and while “You Oughtta Know” was incredible, that’s not the number that has stuck with me since. I can’t stop thinking about “Forgiven”. So incredibly under appreciated and I think Elizabeth Stanley was amazing!

[A Canadian in NYC]

I saw it on Saturday night. About 30 minutes in I thought it was great. Edgy dancing and strong cast. It had a “DEH” vibe to it. But then it started to feel like an onslaught of one social issue to another and just became too much for me. I wish the book had just stuck to one or two issues - that would have been enough.
I LOVED Elizabeth Stanley as well. She made the show for me personally and Uninvited will stick with me for a very long time.

[Auggie27]

The song that stuck with me, and I return to on Spotify, is "Smiling." Anyone else? Haunting melody.

[SouthernCakes]

I wouldn’t call gesturing every word as “edgy dancing”

[troynow]

I can not agree with you more!
When i saw the show opening night, had I not been in the middle of the row I would have walked out.
Adding this show to the 4th show in my
theatre going life, to have left in the middle.

Every single social,racial issue you can think of tosses in just for impact. In fact I was sitting through the show thinking well, certainly the critics are going to kill this show.

Actually I kept this though until the last seven minutes of the show with the rape protest rally. All the picket signs with messages of:” Don’t rape”, “it can happen to men”, “black women lives matter”, and “believe us” right then and there I said to myself, there is NO critic in the world going to touch this musical in a negative way, as it would signal that they do not support: women, opioid addicted, lesbians, adoptive children, black girls, or rape victims.

Simply put Jagged Little Pill, is taking up a broadway house with a show that never should have been given the green light.

[Bill Snibson]

Oooof! Saw this tonight and it pains me to say it but I hated it. I went in so excited since this original album was a big part of my 20’s. I thought it was a mess. To me it felt like a college grad student thesis project throwing every current hot button issue into the mix. As an audience, we have no time to connect to anyone and/or care and sadly the score becomes a collection of choral angst. I blame Diane Paulus and Diablo Cody. The script is sophomoric and the direction/design is lost. Lack of automation at ART I will allow but for a bdwy ticket price??? I don’t want see 20 actors creeping onto stage to swipe furniture and why does the “orchestra” slide in and out intermittently throughout the show...obnoxiously, I might add...we get it...it’s rock music...but does every musician need to be jamming out while a character is having a moment downstage. This show is too woke for its own good, just look at the playbill and see that they decided to have every actor list their identifying pronouns...ugh...who cares? I just wanna see what other shows I might have seen you in.

[SouthernCakes]

I agree with you so hard!!! People are paying upwards of $100 why are the actors moving the set?! It’s 2019. Give me something infesting. Awful

[JBC3]

I wouldn't be surprised to see adding pronouns to bios becoming pretty commonplace over time. I speak at conferences and increasingly presenters have it in their bios and participants have it on their name badges.

[mailhandler777]

Bill Snibson said: "This show is too woke for its own good, just look at the playbill and see that they decided to have every actor list their identifying pronouns...ugh...who cares? I just wanna see what other shows I might have seen you in. "

They care because 2 people in the show are non binary. One of them is trans*. Both use they as do 2 others in the cast.  

[YvanEhtNioj]

Not for nothing but I work at a company where everyone has their pronouns in their email signature. This is also pretty common nowadays

[BJR]

Also, worth noting bios are submitted by actors and their management. So, if the company is adding them, then it's the company who is adding them.

[Miles2Go2]

Pried myself outta my bed at my hotel this morning (after seeing Madonna again last night in Philly) so I could make it down to the executive lounge before they quit serving free breakfast. Three female friends (maybe in their 40’s? I suck at guessing ages) were sitting at the opposite end of the large table I was sitting at when JLP cast began performing on Good Morning America on television in the lounge. It definitely captured their attention. It was interesting to hear their thoughts. They’d rather hear Alanis sing the songs. They weren’t sure if the show was based on Alanis’s life story. By end of performance, they didn’t seem to sold on seeing it. Also, one of the three was full of misinformation. She said Alanis has a new album out and is touring to support it (She doesn’t have a new album out until 2020 and the new tour is dedicated to JLP) She also suggested they take a girls trip to NYC to see Pretty Woman. I was tempted to jump in with additional/correcting information, but I figured they didn’t need me to mansplain and interrupt their camaraderie plus I’m tired af and just didn’t have the energy.

It occurred to me just now that the three most commercially successful jukebox musicals (by my estimate and memory) have been Jersey Boys, Beautiful and Ain’t Too Proud. All of these are based on music by acts (at least in their original lineups) that really don’t tour that much or at all anymore. If Tina! joins their ranks, that will be true of it as well. Of course, all of those are bio-musicals while this is not. Should be interesting to see how JLP does.

[perfectliar]

Miles2Go2 said: "Pried myself outta my bed at my hotel this morning (after seeing Madonna again last night in Philly) so I could make it down to the executive lounge before they quit serving free breakfast. Three female friends (maybe in their 40’s? I suck at guessing ages) were sitting at the opposite end of the large table I was sitting at when JLP cast began performing on Good Morning America on television in the lounge. It definitely captured their attention. It was interesting to hear their thoughts. They’d rather hear Alanis sing the songs. They weren’t sure if the show was based on Alanis’s life story. By end of performance, they didn’t seem to sold on seeing it. Also, one of the three was full of misinformation. She said Alanis has a new album out and is touring to support it (She doesn’t have a new album out until 2020 and the new tour is dedicated to JLP) She also suggested they take a girls trip to NYC to see Pretty Woman. I was tempted to jump in with additional/correcting information, but I figured they didn’t need me to mansplain and interrupt their camaraderie plus I’m tired af and just didn’t have the energy.."

I was at the Madonna show in Philly last night too!

And just so I'm not totally off-topic, I saw JLP on Tuesday night and loved it. So did everyone around me. Y'all love to complain about nothing (THIS SHOW SUCKS BECAUSE THEY HAVE PRONOUNS IN THEIR BIOS ARGH!), and no, it's not "too woke" or "too full of hot-button issues" for a younger audience, which is mostly what surrounded me on Tuesday. This is all stuff young people are talking and thinking about and living every day, and it's refreshing to see it given space on stage.

[Miles2Go2]

perfectliar said: "Miles2Go2 said: "I was at the Madonna show in Philly last night too!”

Not to get off-topic for too long, but it was great. 4th (and probably last) time seeing this tour (twice at BAM at Tuesday and last night in Philly).  Flying home. Made friends with fans who are going to see most/all of the Miami, London, Paris, Lisbon dates. Flying home now. Waiting for final flight to board. Not gonna lie. I know I got lots to be grateful for, but pretty sad my time with this tour is likely over.  

[OneNJen]

I saw yesterday's matinee. I didn't hate it.  I thought Elizabeth Stanley and Lauren Patten were both phenomenal, although you oughta know seems to come out of nowhere and you don't expect that from her. 

I thought the lighting was really bothersome.  I had to look away when the strobe lights and the yellow lights were used because it really hurt my eyes.  

At least with DEH there was a catharsis and a message.  What's the message here?   Having lost a friend to a drug overdose this year, the whole thing hit too close to home.

At least five people walked out during intermission, three directly in front of me, and then two people directly in front of them.  I don't think I've ever seen that, ever.

[Bettyboy72]

I watched the GMA performance this morning. I found it to be one of the oddest, most uneven things I’ve ever seen. “You Learn” closes the show, correct? What I saw closed the show? Yikes. It was like an Old Navy ad had a baby with Glee. None of it made sense. I don’t have high hopes it will sell any tickets. It didn’t make me any more interested in seeing it.

[perfectliar]

Bettyboy72 said: "I watched the GMA performance this morning. I found it to be one of the oddest, most uneven things I’ve ever seen. “You Learn” closes the show, correct? What I saw closed the show? Yikes. It was like an Old Navy ad had a baby with Glee. None of it made sense. I don’t have high hopes it will sell any tickets. It didn’t make me any more interested in seeing it. "

What's confusing and doesn't make sense? As you said, it's the closing number, so it's a bunch of characters who went through hell for the last 2.5 hours of the show singing about how life sucks but you grow from it.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

I won the lottery yesterday and got an orchestra seat. You can check out my review here if you're so inclined

[Bettyboy72]

perfectliar said: "Bettyboy72 said: "I watched the GMA performance this morning. I found it to be one of the oddest, most uneven things I’ve ever seen. “You Learn” closes the show, correct? What I saw closed the show? Yikes. It was like an Old Navy ad had a baby with Glee. None of it made sense. I don’t have high hopes it will sell any tickets. It didn’t make me any more interested in seeing it. "

What's confusing and doesn't make sense? As you said, it's the closing number, so it's a bunch of characters who went through hell for the last 2.5 hours of the show singing about how life sucks but you grow from it."

The tone was confusing as hell. This isn’t how I expect people who have “survived hell” to act. So perky I guess. They reminded me of the Stepford people in pharmaceutical ads-smiling, carrying on, dressed like Gap models. I sensed no gravity. I think of Light at the end of N2N.  Wounded people singing with gravity, grounding and conviction.  Unanswered questions but hope.  The tone of this was odd and confusing to me. Nothing against the incredible talent. They are incandescent.   I just didn’t connect to it  

 

[ctorres23]

perfectliar said: "What's confusing and doesn't make sense?"

It's very straightforward. First, they were the perfect loving family, so adoring. But they're grappling with some gray and rainy weather, and they're living on a latte and a prayer. But the mom will keep the plates all spinning, with a smile so white & winning all the way.

Her son gets into Harvard, and her daughter feels unseen. Basically he's Superboy and she's the invisible girl. She throws herself head-first into extracurriculars, hoping everything else goes away. 

The mom struggles with her relationship with her husband. She's distant and unsteady - it's like living on a cliff-side, not knowing when you'll dive. Does she know, does she know, what it's like to die alive?

Her husband wonders if it's his fault. They've been fine for so long now - how can something go wrong that he can't see?

It turns out that due to pain from a previous car accident, the mom is addicted to opioids, but her psychopharmacologist won't give her a refill. The mom pleads, but the pharmacist doesn't budge. She and her psychophxrmicoloist - it's like an odd romance; intense and very intimate, they do their dance.

After a brief attempt at sobriety, the mother relapses. Catch her, she's falling. Please hear her calling. Catch her before it's too late.

She survives. It brings their family back together. They find the will to find their way, knowing that the darkest skies will someday see the sun. When their long night is gone, there will be light.

There will be... liiiiiiiight.

 

[mailhandler777]

Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "I won the lottery yesterday and got an orchestra seat. You can check out my review here if you're so inclined"

Nice review. You can add Gen X and Y in there too. 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Thank you so much, mailhandler! I notice my posts get a good amount of hits when I share them on these boards. Feel free to subscribe to the blog if you like my content.

[gibsons2]

Can anyone advise for/against the $59 partial view seats, please? How bad is the obstruction? I was thinking of D14 seat on the right side.