What I liked
Great songs & dances, the choreography was on point.
The villains – the lecherous studio leader & the C-suite executives – are very well-constructed and realized. Their voices and choreography are strong.
Several strong jokes, especially the one about CBT.
Generally authentic representation of the animation world.
What I didn't like
Plot: This play can’t seem to decide who its main character is. Despite operating under the assumption that a brother-sister Lead Animator / Executive are it’s main characters, all the most interesting conflicts are given to the Liz character, which are then never engaged with or resolved.
Similarly, the Executive character has too few interesting conflicts for how much stage time is given to her. Would prefer if her brother were instead an ex-husband, to give their relationship some conflict to play off. Currently the story does not substantively engage with the theme of nepotism.
Brother character, though performed strongly, did not have a strong throughline or purpose.
Too little dialogue, too many songs (which are also too long.)
The lecherous studio leader has the most defined voice, would prefer him as a recurring villain throughout rather than a bumper at the beginning and end.
Brother/Sister relationship falls flat, while Brother/Liz relationship has one beat of conflict, which is immediately forgotten as they begin a love story which blossoms far too early.
Would prefer a version that centers Liz and her experience more centrally. This script ironically pulls focus away from the character that it says is a victim of misogyny as soon as the man who steals her job enters the story.
My overall impression
An upbeat show that struggles to know what it’s about.
