Disagree, Mr. Brantley. As a 42-year-old one-time high school student with my own child now approaching 12, I find this show to be entirely relatable and brilliant. Check your whistle.
2
I have the rare quality of having seen two different productions of “Be More Chill.” After finally getting my chance to see this one, my reaction is...meh. It really felt like it was targeted squarely at an audience who has only ever streamed the soundtrack and who is not familiar with good theatre. It did its job well in that regard, because the audience was hooting at the expected places in a “that is what I thought it would look like on stage” kind of way. But in most ways this was a huge step down from the production I saw at Penn State 2 years ago. The leads here are getting old enough to feel miscast (I am against ageism in casting, but there comes a point where you just can’t play a high schooler credibly — even if you originated the part). There were several changes in dialog that were steps backward from the original in that they then required hamhanded exposition added at other points. The sound design was awful, with some voices over-amplified to a painful level and others losing important lines. And there was too much Park and Bark staging, particularly in the mediocre new song that now ends the first act. To steal from the show, C-c-c-come on, you can do better than this. I know, because I have seen it.
All in all, the target audience would likely be better off enjoying the soundtrack and going to see a truly fun and more original musical like Head Over Heels instead.
I read the article “Review: A High School Meltdown Heats Up ‘Be More Chill’” it was a Review on the musical ‘Be More Chill’ this article was interesting because the musical was mostly for teens. The play had connections to other plays like Mean Girls. The play is about an outsider in high school who’s mom walked out on him and his dad and he is just trying to get through school without being noticed. Then to become cool he receives a small pill that teaches him all the right moves. This would be a good musical for everyone to see because not everyone knows how it feels to be cool enough or not good enough. I thought this was interested because it might be something I would like to see.
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"Review: A High School Meltdown Heats Up 'Be More Chill'"
I have yet to see, "Be More Chill" but it seems to portray that high school could be both fun and miserable at times which could not be more true. Many of the topics addressed in the musical seem relatable. For instance, I too was bullied, had numerous meltdowns, and felt stressed on a daily basis. Just the thought of going back to school my senior year, worries me, but for different reasons. I hope, "Be More Chill" addresses practical issues like the strive for high test grades, along with the troubles of sleep deprivation, the overwhelming transition from high school to college, and the alarming realization that we're growing up and need to figure out what we wish to do in life if we haven't decided yet.
If the difficulties in high school are going to be portrayed, popularity should not be the only thing addressed. It's a common misconception. I believe popularity is not one of the most important things in high school; I could care less what people think about me, but others do. Therefore, I believe there should be multiple reasons for meltdowns that countless people with all sorts of personalities can connect with.
It should also be equally shown that high school is a great time with unforgettable events like pep rallies and prom too since high school is not only filled with meltdowns, but with memories that last us a life time!