Review: LIFE AFTER at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre is a Poignant and Powerful Exploration of Grief

LIFE AFTER opened to wet eyes and thunderous applause at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre on Tuesday night, making its grand return to Toronto after previous iterations debuted at Toronto Fringe and at the Musical Stage Company several years ago. Now taking up residence on its biggest stage yet, this breathtakingly beautiful original musical by Canadian Composer/Lyricist/Writer Britta Johnson, has the opportunity to reach an even broader audience.

Directed by Annie Tippe and starring a truly stellar cast, LIFE AFTER follows Alice (Isabella Esler) as she navigates the immediate aftermath of her semi-famous-self-help-guru father Frank’s (Jake Epstein) sudden death. Haunted by their regrettable final interaction and confused about puzzle pieces that just don’t quite fit, Alice is determined to learn more about the circumstances surrounding his death as she grapples with her new reality.

At its core, LIFE AFTER is a poignant and powerful exploration of grief - one of those rare experiences that is both universal and at the same time unique and deeply personal. Johnson, Tippe, and company manage to deftly capture both of those elements in this musical - bringing a sense of familiarity and authenticity without ever relying on tropes or shortcuts as they explore this complex theme. It's as if Johnson trusts her audience to feel and experience this piece, rather than simply watch it. Her book rewards them with many a warm, hearty laugh to accompany the tears. The humour in the show is such an authentic part of grief and, I suspect, is a huge reason why it works so well.

Though each character has their moments, the one getting the most laughs is certainly Julia Pulo’s Hannah, Alice’s quirky friend who may not always say the right thing at the right time, but who is a constant presence for her friend in a time of need. Pulo is charming and funny and is an instant audience darling.

Also adding some levity, is the trio of “Furies” who primarily operate as a chorus but also portray additional characters in the show. Portrayed by Kaylee Harwood, Arinea Hermans and Zöe O'Connor, the Furies offer the most effective use of a Greek Chorus in a modern musical that this reviewer has ever witnessed. In moments where Alice’s emotions are simply too complex and nuanced for the character to fully articulate or even understand, the intensity and specificity of the vocal harmonies from the Furies are a wonderful way to let the audience in on everything she is feeling all at once. It’s moments like this where it becomes incredibly evident that musical theatre has an ability to communicate a story to the audience in a visceral way that no other medium can achieve. The music in this show provides a language for grief that transcends spoken word. Music Director/Conductor Chris Kong and his seven-piece orchestra are the constantly beating pulse of this production – so much so, that it is jarring and effective when the music suddenly stops during a silent, poignant moment between Beth, Alice and Kate.

Just as the Furies are a conduit for Alice’s inner thoughts, needs, and fears, Isabella Esler’s portrayal of Alice provides a conduit of catharsis for the audience. We find ourselves feeling what Alice is feeling and needing the answers she needs – and what's most profound is that as this changes for her throughout the show, it changes for us as well. This link between Artist and audience is a testament to Esler’s vulnerable and grounded performance. She sings the score beautifully, and often through tears - which, on a technical level, I imagine cannot possibly be easy!

Esler has great chemistry with her stage family. As Alice’s sister, Kate, Valeria Ceballos brings raw emotion as a grieving daughter who struggles with the idea that she will never have the connection with her father that her sibling seemed to have.

Mariand Torres is heartbreaking as their mother Beth, as she tries to be brave for her daughters while navigating territory that is equally as unfamiliar to her. Torres doesn’t simply command the stage, it’s as if she stops time. As Beth grapples with her sense of identity with and without Frank during her number Wallpaper, the wall of emotion and sound she projects will physically push you back in your seat. This performance is quite frankly worth the ticket price alone.

Mariand Torres as Beth, Valeria Ceballos as Kate, Isabella Esler as Alice" height="533" src="https://cloudimages2.broadwayworld.com/upload13/2367684/Life%20After-0878.jpg?format=auto&width=1400" width="800" />

Jake Epstein has the unique job of portraying a character who, for the most part, we only ever see through the eyes of our protagonist. As Alice moves through her grief, her perception and memories of her father Frank, morph and change. Whether it is a subtle change in a line delivery or an extreme about-face leading to a big choreographed musical number, Epstein captures each different version of Frank well. He brings a humanity to a character who we as an audience never directly meet and makes it easy for us to care about this person - warts and all – event the parts we will never see.

Rounding out the cast is the always wonderful Chilina Kennedy as Alice’s favourite teacher Ms. Hopkins. A somewhat enigmatic character, Ms. Hopkins provides comfort and wisdom to Alice, while also possibly being part of the mystery Alice immerses herself in solving.

Without saying too much, something I enjoy about this piece is that a choice is made by Johnson to leave certain plot points somewhat ambiguous - leaving audience members to draw their own conclusions about certain things – or to choose not to. There is a lyric in this musical that has been playing in my head since I heard it: “Sometimes a mess is just a mess. Some get more and some get less.” This is such a simple, yet profound message. Things just happen, life isn’t fair, and we don’t always have to derive meaning from everything, but that doesn’t lessen the importance and complexity of how it makes us feel. Different characters reach some version of this conclusion at different times throughout the show, just as people come to that level of acceptance at different times throughout their own personal grief journies. It is beautiful and cathartic and relatable - three words I would also use to describe this show as a whole.

Something else that elevates this production is the creative and ambitious Set Design by Todd Rosenthal. The use of a spinning backdrop not only quickly sets the tone for the spaces certain scenes take place in, but it also works well as a metaphor of how someone’s world is spinning fast on minute, and stopping suddenly the next, as they are faced with the unthinkable.

After missing out on seeing this show the last time it was in Toronto, this reviewer has been anticipating its return for years. There has been a steadily growing buzz surrounding it and I finally got to see why. LIFE AFTER is a beautiful piece of theatre and I am excited to see the life it has after this successful Toronto run! (To quote Frank: “It’s a pun!”)

LIFE AFTER continues at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre until May 10th.