Review: JOHN & JEN at Berkshire Theatre Group
A Musical That Explores Familial Relations That Feel Quite Familiar.
Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) and Artistic Director, CEO Kate Maguire are pleased to kick-off their season with the current production of JOHN & JEN, an intimate and moving musical with music by Andrew Lippa, lyrics by Tom Greenwald, and a book by Lippa and Greenwald. It is a two-person show about the relationships, first between a brother and sister, John and Jen, and then, after John is killed, between Jen and her son, also named John.
Photo: Caelan Carlough
The musical opened at The Goodspeed Opera House in 1995. It was revived Off-Broadway in 2015. JOHN & JEN traces evolving bonds across three decades. Told through a contemporary score that blends pop, folk and musical theatre influences, the story follows Jen as she reflects on her childhood with her younger brother John. Their connection, shaped by youthful rebellion, family expectations and unspoken love, is marked by small but powerful touchstones—including a well-worn baseball glove that becomes a quiet symbol of memory, loss and enduring devotion. As Jen grows into adulthood and raises her own son, the echoes of her past shape her hopes, fears and fierce love as a parent.
Photo: Caelan Carlough
The production features Samantha Gershman as Jen and Jake Bentley Young as John, both of whom display admirable vocal skill in delivering Lippa's score. Like much of Lippa's work, we are presented with complex multilayered individuals driven as much by angst and challenges, as by serendipitous joy and pleasantries, the stuff of more traditionally based musical theatre offerings. The musical selections do a great job of detailing the realities of those raised in single parent households so prevalent during the latter half of the twentieth century. Few and far between are the up-tempo numbers or those you'll find yourself humming on the way home.
Photo: Caelan Carlough
As BTG's Artistic Director, CEO Kate Maguire stated: "Through moments of joy, heartbreak, humor and healing, JOHN & JEN explores the enduring connections between siblings, parents and children - the people who remain part of us across a lifetime. With Andrew Lippa's moving score and a story filled with tenderness and truth, this production invites us to reflect on the love we carry, the memories that define us and the resilience that helps us move forward. Those that experience JOHN & JEN on the Larry Vaber Stage at Berkshire Theatre Group's Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge where this production runs through June 7, will experience a well-crafted, well executed piece of contemporary musical theatre.
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