On The Town

To start this off, I have to remind everyone that this show already held a special place in my heart. I was a house management intern at Barrington Stage Company last summer (2013), and I've watched John Rando's production of On The Town come together from its early stages on BSC's mainstage. I watched tech of this production, I watched final dress rehearsal, I was there on opening night of its regional premiere.

I don't like old musicals. I don't particularly like fluffy musicals. I can appreciate what old musicals have done for the musical theater world, and how we got to where we are today because of them. But if I have a choice of seeing Guys and Dolls or American Idiot, 99% of the time I'll choose American Idiot.

If this production of On The Town has taught me one thing, it's that old musicals can be amazing with the right group of people involved.

The changes made since BSC are plentiful, but simple from an audience member's perspective. Everything is bigger and brighter. There are more set pieces and the projections were added. The concept of the scene changes are the same, but the execution is Broadway versus regional theater. Needless to say, it was very exciting to see how far the show has come.

If Tony, Jay, Clyde, Alysha (I've been a huge fan of Alysha's since seeing American Idiot multiple times back in 2010/2011 and she just continues to blow me away every time I see this show), Elizabeth, Michael, and Allison had not stayed with the production, it would've been a tragedy. This cast of all-stars is what makes this production so great. And Megan Fairchild was the perfect addition to the group.

These guys are the ultimate triple threats. This show goes a long way to proving musical theater is a sport. You could be sitting in the last row of the balcony and still notice every nuance of Tony's musculature as he dances shirtless.

I'm a total sucker for dancing, and this production does not disappoint. The dances are bigger and better than ever, and everything just flows beautifully -- especially the costumes. 

I'll be the first to admit that the script isn't brilliant, and sometimes I find myself utterly puzzled at the lyrics to songs. But you'll get so swept up in the beauty and overall magic of seeing classic musical theater at its best, that the shortcomings of the show don't matter.

I don't throw around the word "perfect" very often, but I think I can safely say (in my opinion, of course) that this revival of On The Town is as perfect as this show can be.

Tony Award for Best Revival? Hell yes.