Review by anonymous
June 19, 2023 certified reviewerWhat I liked
Omari Miller and Veronica Carey Matthews carried this show on their backs. The kid was super cute. I thought the costumes were fun as well as the props and overall design. The few moments where ensemble singing happened gave us some tight harmonies.
What I didn't like
This is the second musical I’ve seen in studio/stage where the sound is abysmal. It was doing the actors and the audience no favors as the levels were all over the place. This space needs mics. I also can’t believe I saw a Jem and the Holograms musical that featured more songs by the supporting male characters than songs by the Holograms. I kept waiting for the show to approach 80’s camp, but it never quite got there. More songs from the title character of the piece would be nice. More parody songs OF Jem and the Holograms tunes would have helped a lot. 20 minutes could easily be shaved off.
My overall impression
An earnest adaptation that never quite approaches the campiness the promotion promises. I felt very bad for the actors who could barely be heard or had to push their vocals to make it happen. For a show that’s touted as a Jem musical, Jem does surprisingly little singing.
