My overall impression
This was a spellbinding and masterfully executed performance — a delightful surprise because I have been almost universally disappointed by one-person shows, and have little patience for listening to drug stories. But the brutal vulnerability of the storyteller saved this show from the usual barrage of untethered narcissism and cringe-worthy oversharing that plague many others in its genre. (And it wasn’t a drug story.)
Instead, the show encourages the watcher’s own healthy narcissism, as Michael invites us to participate in his emotional journey, and we confront our own lives, fears, hopes, and failures, and the moments that have defined us either in grief or joy. Ending on an honest note of “this is where I am, who I am,” with a touch of humor and a stroke of bittersweet, Michael expresses gratitude and acceptance, neither glorifying himself nor asking us to believe in miracles.
A lovely hour and a peaceful heart are the rewards for attendance.
