What I liked
One thing is certain: Chris Valenti knows how to write catchy-ass songs! By the time the audience I was part of left the theater, we were all singing about trending, jpegs with inspirational quotes, and arrogant hermaphrodites (I promise this makes sense if you see it). The two main characters are very likeable and the two largest female roles were played by actresses who had strong singing voices. The choreography was simple but executed well, which is exactly what you want when you have a short rehearsal time and a cast of actors, some of whom have limited dance experience. The plot is well thought out and 100% relatable and plausible in this tech driven society, where random YouTube channels can turn anyone into a celebrity, at least for a hot minute.
What I didn't like
I had a hard time with the two best friends of the leads, especially the femenist character. I get the point that the shpw is trying to make: some people jump to conclusions and care less about facts than feelings and take everything to an extreme point of view. However, I would have liked to see her character change in some way, maybe start as a more sympathetic character and then change once she gets a taste of fame, or have her start as the arrogant, combative character and then realize she took it too far and redeem herself. As is, through most of the show, it almost feels like femenists as a group amtd femenism itself are being attacked and discredited until the very end when the lead clarifies the moral. I also would have liked the main female lead to have had more of an arc, given that she starts all the controversy in the first place.
My overall impression
The show has a really valid and thought provoking message about the use and abuse of social media. And it delivers that message with a LOT of humor, which is so crucial! The songs are all really catchy and most of them serve the show really well. The leads are well developed and likeable and the actors playing them were very cute together. The choreography was super effective and done really well, and the entire show was incredibly polished. I highly suggest Narsociety!
