Michael Quintos

What is most remarkable about this latest iteration is its refreshed visuals, a dazzling combination of animated projections and massive set pieces reimagined by scenic designer Paul Tate DePoo III (who recently designed the sets for La Mirada's incredible revival of SWEENEY TODD) that, when paired with Cory Pattak's lighting and Jen Caprio's fun costume designs make the show all feel, well… wickedly royal.

I cannot stress enough how impressive this show is music-wise. The remarkable vocal work of this ensemble cast is just uniformly, jaw-droppingly outstanding, and by the time we get hit with Jade's showstopping "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News," you feel like you definitely got your money's worth. And, of course, Webber's wholesome finalé of "Home" is so beautifully done that it feels like a warm, comforting hug after a conveyor belt of non-stop sass.

SHUCKED had me laughing heartily at all of its strange shenanigans and down-home humor, that the experience feels like watching a Kristen Wiig sketch on SNL (think Doonese with the weird baby arms) that's so endearingly eccentric and quirky that it's almost (almost) a work of genius.

To this end, I can appreciate book writers López and Ruffin in their mission to update SOME LIKE IT HOT's narrative to emphasize inclusivity and gender identity, most notably in how Jerry/Daphne's journey is portrayed not simply as a comic disguise but as an authentic exploration of self—a source of genuine elation and joy with the discovery of truth.

Bursting with buoyant energy, witty humor, and lots of cleverly-used pop anthems to reframe a familiar story, & JULIET is a funny, entertaining, revisionist good time. While jukebox musicals tend to lean heavily on songs as the superficial anchor for a show, here the format is elevated to support a fairly 'new' story, so the music used ends up being a bonus perk, if you will, for an engaging set of situations and characters that are entertaining in their own right. But when the nostalgic songs do arrive in their given placement, they are all carefully curated and re-contextualized, offering ironic, sometimes poignant, or even empowering counterpoints to the characters' individual journeys.

Overall, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE—after the lights have dimmed and the last bits of confetti have fallen—comes off as guaranteed musical candy for Neil Diamond devotees—especially in its current form as a polished, tidy, nostalgia-baiting jukebox musical loaded with familiar hits, sprinkles of sparkle, and enough vocal authenticity to make fans of his music swoon. The impressive performances—from the lead vocals to the "Beautiful Noise" ensemble's hypnotic, lyrical dance moves—bring a measurable level of enjoyment. But as a deep-dive drama? It's, well… just fine—and Diamond fans will surely enjoy it as is.

And in the end, this laudable stage adaptation of LIFE OF PI is deserving of praise both as a visually-stunning theatrical experience and as a deeply philosophical meditation on truth, belief, and endurance. Using the unique parameters, limitations, and possibilities of live theater to heighten its emotional and symbolic power, the play offers a spectacular bridge between Martel's original novel and the CGI-enhanced film adaptation that this stage show admirably—and, I believe, successfully—tries to mimic.

And buoyed by an incredibly likable ensemble cast led by three-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello in the title role and adorable newcomer Miguel Gil as the nerdy boy-next-door, the musical's smile-inducing national tour production continues performances at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through February 2, 2025.

McCrimmon is indeed a great-enough reason to come see this newly revised show, and judging from her rapturous reception during the show's OC opening night, her casting was an important "get" for a musical that hinges on its central character to be compelling and intriguing enough to carry much of the load of this star-driven show. Her presence here gives everything (and everyone) a purpose to be in her character's orbit, and that's a lot to place on one actor's make-or-break performance.

Some of it—particularly its use of clever pop culture references, pun-heavy toilet jokes, wow-inducing visual theatrics, and mostly funny meta-humor—do work, while the rest of it feels a bit like a purposely-overwhelming use of sensory overload to keep attention-deficient audiences entertained.

The stage musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2021, shrewdly executes this bit of focal redirection by providing its audience with a non-stop barrage of dazzling, breathlessly-performed musical numbers, while also hinting that the show's seemingly odd titular figure—via a broadly evasive but still serviceable book by Lynn Nottage—is, at his true core, just a smart, endearingly awkward, and unfairly misunderstood music genius, whose eccentric quirks, bashful demeanor, and peculiar proclivities are simply a direct result of having a traumatic childhood that he is refusing to talk about with an inquisitive journalist.