Student Blog: Yeah, But Not Right Now by A.J. Holmes

This past Friday, I saw AJ Holmes' solo show Yeah, But Not Right Now, running through October 16th at the Soho Playhouse. This was the first piece of theatre I've seen since returning to New York for school, and it made for a delightful evening.

AJ Holmes is probably best known for his contributions to Starkid Productions, having written music for shows like A Very Potter Musical and Twisted. He has also been heavily involved in multiple productions of The Book of Mormon, a factor which comes into play multiple times throughout the show.

Yeah, But Not Right Now is a deeply personal exploration of Holmes' childhood and past relationships. It was also a meditation on the nature of performance in daily life. How much are we using our talents to find fulfillment in our day-to-day life? As an artist, this through line was particularly impactful to me. Holmes' stories are linked together by musical comedy songs, which allow for a showcase of Holmes' unique writing style. His comedic lyrics are complemented by his complex and gorgeous melodies.

Since this is a musical one man show, it was incredibly easy to draw comparisons between Yeah, But Not Right Now, and Bo Burnham's Inside. In fact, several of these comparisons were drawn by Holmes' himself while onstage. During a mock vocal warm-up, he broke out the tongue twister "bargain bin Bo Burnham", which I thought was hysterical. It's wonderful to see more musical one-person shows, especially in the wake of Inside's popularity. I'm hopeful that this marks a renaissance of pieces done in this style.

For the particular show I saw, Holmes was joined by fellow Starkid member Britney Colemen. Coleman performed a small set to open up the evening, and was joined by Holmes to perform "A Thousand and One Nights" from Twisted. As a long time Starkid fan, this was an absolute treat. It brought a tear to my eye to hear this song sung live.

Yeah, But Not Right Now runs through October 16th at the Soho Playhouse. You can purchase tickets here.