What I liked
- the music was a strong binding element and perhaps the strongest aspect of the show overall. I feel like it was pretty evident that it was meant to be the “star” of the show, so to speak, acting as an emotional backdrop to Siders’ lyricism and heart-wrenching performance.
- very strong performances from a lot of the side characters, including the parents, who felt like true-to-life counterparts of real people, and who had great chemistry with Siders and each other. Their charisma and likability overall definitely created a stronger impact when Siders’ father passes, which I would highlight as one of the most emotionally resonant moments in the play. Also of particular praise would be the actor portraying Matt, who felt grounded, real, and a relatable voice of reason during the final act of the show. Without Matt, the show loses a certain sense of self-awareness and accountability, though I will say his role could’ve been heightened and reflected upon rather than utilized a fairly brief aside at the end (more on that later).
- the dancers added a lot of flair to some of the higher energy moments- though they tended to veer on the interpretative side (with less choreography than one might expect), I felt like it suited the nature of the show, as Siders seemed to lean on his stage presence and power as a performer to accelerate the show, scene to scene.
- I especially liked seeing some of the scenes transition into Siders’ rapping as a form of reacting or responding to certain situations, as that really helped color in some missing context I’ve had as a past viewer. I actually appreciated a handful of Siders’ pieces more after seeing the situations they were inspired from and I also felt like it gave him as a performer a whole new energy and inspiration to deliver the messages behind them.
What I didn't like
- yes, the tech was a bit messy, especially in the audio department. Honestly though, I feel like its unfair to harp on that- as a performer myself, I’ve experienced many instances of technical malfunctions or mic interference, despite my best efforts and preparation. What I will say though is that it did unfortunately affect some of the experience as an audience member, since there were various moments where Siders’ rapping or speaking in general was overshadowed by the music and it seemed like it created a few moments of awkward pauses / transitions, as I noticed the conductor looking over at Siders for certain cues to start and stop the orchestra, but seeming unsure. However, I commend Siders and the rest of his cast for pushing through the difficulties and not letting them get in the way of the performance.
- following up a bit on tech: I think Siders’ stylized form of rapping needs to be especially amplified at all times, as his cadence and verbosity as a rapper can make the individual lines he’s speaking difficult to make out. I would encourage him to use a show like this to reinterpret some of his performance and lean more on his acting rather than swagger to deliver, as it clearly shined during the vignettes.
- I was a little disappointed at the execution of the vignettes, especially during one of Siders’ final numbers, as he gleefully recounts his brief experiences with exes. I’m not sure if it was the screen material, lighting, positioning of the actors, or some combination of the three, but they were difficult to make out from the audience.
- I would’ve loved to see more scenes in general, since they were a big highlight for me and the cast was so talented and fun to watch on stage. I also felt a little disoriented and confused by the flash forward at the beginning, not only because I was missing context at the forefront of the show, but also because it isn’t really addressed until the actors return to that scene in particular. Speaking on that as a whole, I also felt like the transition between scenes was a little jarring- the show felt more like individual moments rather than a cohesive story.
- on characters: while I mentioned enjoying the addition of Matt in the plot of the show, I felt like he was brushed aside by Siders- almost brought up and dismissed just as quickly. I think he could’ve used a musical number or at least more weighted conversation between him and Siders, showing that Siders is actually taking Matt’s console into consideration. Siders puts so much showmanship into his number, “You Got Me Fucked Up,” but it comes off as sarcastic and egotistical when juxtaposed against Matt’s thoughtful advice.
Scarlet was perhaps the most painful character to see in the show, as a flat, loud, and seemingly unmotivated human prop for Siders to complain about and argue with. Not to dismiss Siders’ feelings and opinions (which come out strongly in his musical work), but if the show is going to be named after this person, she needs a lot more depth, subtlety, and humanity. The way she’s written makes her an uncomfortable parody of a villain and she’s never given a chance to speak on her own behalf. As an audience member, I was perplexed with some of her almost comical and/or hysterical delivery of dialogue and wasn’t sure if she was created that way intentionally or if that was a bit of overexaggeration on the part of the actor.
and while Siders’ Dad was easily a fan favorite, I felt like the show seemed to struggle between deciding who was more instrumental to the narrative. Up until the death scene, they felt on equal ground (which also didn’t make much sense to me as a viewer, since we don’t really see much of the positive aspects of Siders & Scarlet’s relationship compared to the level of kinship and comfortability he has with his dad).
My overall impression
Well, this was definitely an experience. From start to finish, I felt immersed in a roller coaster ride through Siders’ emotional psyche. The combination of music, sound, lighting design, Siders’ scenes and conversations with friends and family (or perhaps vignettes? apologies on my technical ignorance) all blended together to form a very evocative demonstration of heart, sorrow, and coping. I’m not the most experienced independent theatre patron, but I definitely haven’t seen many productions on this scale from Fringe, so hats off to everyone involved in making this collaboration possible.
Ultimately, while I commend the show’s singing, musicality, conducting, and overall production value, I have the faint suspicion that this show is/was still in the draft phase before its first official show on Fringe, evidenced by the 50+ minutes of additional stage time over the hour it is advertised as. To Siders and the team’s credit though, I hardly noticed, as I was still brought in and held tight by all of the impressive technical elements the show displayed.
I think that this show has all of the trappings of an independent success, (including some truly remarkable songs too, such as “Who Is Me” and “A Farewell To Beautiful”), but needs serious rewrites and character development to demonstrate authentic growth rather than stylized trauma.
