[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of The Colony Theatre’s world premiere of Millennials Are Killing Musicals, with book, music and lyrics by Nico Juber, running April 30 to May 17 before it heads to New York.
I love The Colony Theatre. They are always pushing the envelope and supporting emerging artists, with a distinctive penchant for new musicals. Millennials Are Killing Musicals is their latest production, and let me reassure you that by the first few minutes of this incredible show, it is resoundingly obvious that the absolute opposite is true.
Millennials Are Killing Musicals revolves around Brenda, a newly single mum of a six-year-old who is trying to get ahead in her HR job and is a social media outlier…she just isn’t interested. Unlike her Insta-famous sister, Katrina, who abruptly moves in with Brenda and announces she is expecting her first child, Karmic. The story world set, the music begins, and wow, are you in for a treat!
But this story has two faces. Brenda’s world and the electronic world of the algorithm and his three minions, the Filters – a geek’s Greek chorus. These hilarious and sometimes scary characters’ only purpose is to please the algorithm and manipulate every user into spending as much time online as possible. The anomalous Brenda becomes their new project, and once she is ‘encouraged’ to create an online dating profile, she is not just in their sights, she is in their clutches. Monetize, monetize, monetize!
Mixed into this really excellent story is a couple of romantic interests, and a school mum that both Brenda and Katrina are envious of for totally different reasons.
The Millennials Are Killing Musicals is absolutely phenomenal, one of the best musicals I have seen in a long, long time.
Brimming with hilarious references to our weird and wonderful cultural moment, it winds its way through the struggles of single motherhood, the utterly universal habit of picking the wrong man for the wrong reasons and always at the worst time, and multiple echos of low self esteem, ravaging self doubt and self sabotage. The superb songs, any one of which could be the show stopper, just keep on coming. I lost count, actually.
Every single person on stage was a scene-stealing genius, which is hard when everyone is everywhere all at once. The chorus of filters, the nasty Algo, the sister, the friend, the guy she should be dating and the guy she definitely should not, and the sister’s mother!! Wow, what an incredible performer!!!
I could go on and on, but to be perfectly honest, I just do not want to spoil this for you.
Suffice it to say, The Millennials Are Killing Musicals is a must, must, must-see musical. Funny, poignant, topical, but not just to be clever, but because everything in this show is so easy to relate to. Even the digitals!!
Go and see this show!!! I more than recommend it, I insist that you click the link below and buy your ticket now! This show is already en route to Broadway and will only be here for a few more weeks. You can say you saw it before it was impossible to get tickets for and impress all your Insta-friends!!!
Tickets:
https://www.colonytheatre.org/millennials-are-killing-musicals
Where:
The Colony Theatre
555 N 3rd St, Burbank
When:
May 2 – 17
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm
Sundays at 2pm and 7pm
The Millennials Are Killing Musicals Cast
The cast is led by Emma Hunton (Good Trouble, Spring Awakening) as Brenda, John Krause (Hadestown, Wicked) as Nate/Atlas, and Diana Huey (Disney’s The Little Mermaid) as Katrina. They are joined by Jennifer Leigh Warren (Little Shop of Horrors, Big River) as Nana Marie and Michael Thomas Grant (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Grey’s Anatomy) as Dylan/The Algo.
Additional cast members include Aynsley Bubbico as Jake’s Mom, Mitchell Gerrard Johnson as Pacifica, and Lana McKissack (Snake Oil, Dark/Web) as Luna. Principal standbys are Whitney Kathleen Vigil, Casey Anne Apregan, and Frankie Zabilka.
The Team
The production is directed by Tony Award-nominee Kristin Hanggi, best known for the Broadway and global smash hit Rock of Ages. Anthony Lucca (King of Pangea) serves as music director, arranger, and orchestrator. Choreography is by Michelle Elkin. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA, and Richie Ferris, CSA.
Additional members of the creative team include Stephen Gifford (scenic design), Gavan Wyrick (lighting design), Jessica Champagne-Hansen (costume design), Cricket S. Myers (sound design), John McElveney (properties design), Taylor Edelle Stuart (projection design), and Iliana Solorzano (production stage manager). Cheryl Daro is the associate director and Nathan Heldman is the associate music director.