Tucker Everlasting

 

Introduction:

    Hello everyone! Right before we have TWO shows in one week (with some great extra content), here is my review of Toms River High School South's musical, Tuck Everlasting! However, I acknowledge that this review is coming EXTREMELY late (like a week late) from when I watched the show, so my memory is slightly unreliable. However, I did take notes while watching the show, so my review will be based on those. Without further ado, let's talk about Tuck Everlasting!

Synopsis:

   Based on an American children's novel of the same name, Tuck Everlasting details the life of eleven-year-old Winnie Foster. Winnie yearns for a life of adventure beyond her house with her mother and nana. She then meets the Tuck Family, and her life is full of new experiences. However, once she learns of the Tuck's secret, she has to protect them from those who would do anything to obtain their eternal youth. As her involvement with the Tuck Family continues, Winnie eventually has to choose between returning to her life or living with the Tucks for eternity.

Review:

         I have a confession to make. After the dumpster fire that was Radium Girls (it was not that bad, I like to exaggerate), I was not expecting Tuck Everlasting to impress me. I would be supportive since I love musicals, but would I have loved it? I did not think so. Throughout that whole night, though, I remember being on an emotional rollercoaster in a good way.

    Let us start with the positives, shall we? If there is one MAJOR improvement from Radium Girls, it is the acting. God, it was fantastic. You know the acting is good if the actors and actresses get you to sympathize with them, cry because of them, and laugh at them all within one show. Does the plot have something to do with that? Why yes, but the execution makes the writing work, and the Toms River South Theatre Guild members did a fantastic job on the stage conveying their characters. You would have never thought these were the same actors and actresses performing Radium Girls back in November. They were less stiff, their energy was infectious, and overall, there was a better dynamic between the cast on stage. Overall, my favorite characters acting-wise were Winnie Foster, Angus Tuck, and Man in the Yellow Suit. These three especially stuck out with their impeccable line delivery and facial expressions. The Man in the Yellow Suit especially had me bending over in laughter whenever he came on stage, which was the whole point of his character.

    Another thing these kids killed was the set design. Tarzan had an impressive set design, the best of the three public Toms River High Schools. Radium Girls... there was not much to do, but it is no surprise that the sets here were stellar once again. My favorite set was the Tuck family's house. It looked like a home with all the furniture and decorations on the set, giving the place a homey feel. The tree branches, which looked painted, looked incredible. My only gripe is that there were these hanging curtains, and I am unsure if they were supposed to be the trees' leaves or clouds. But either way, they were honestly ugly. On the topic of set design, let's also discuss props since they are related. The props were fun, especially the boat with wheels and the frog. They were so committed to the frog someone made croaking sounds for it. Now that is commitment and hilarious. It was also extremely funny seeing a boat move across the stage because it had wheels, reminding me of Spongebob's boatmobile. And since I am discussing crew stuff here, I might as well bring up the lights. Lighting was alright, nothing too special. The purple lighting gave the show an air of mystery and calmness but did not stand out. Regardless, all of the crew stuff was good.

    And, can I say the songs in this musical were terrific? Because they were. And the actors and actresses had the voices to execute them properly. I have no clue why, but these songs were incredible. I had fun listening to all of them; there was never a dull moment. The choreography of the songs was also outstanding. I had a fun time watching them dance on stage, and the dance at the end showing what happened to Winney as she grew up was beautiful. A+ songs and choreography, for sure. 

    The plot of the musical itself was incredibly engaging. To people's surprise, I had never read Tuck Everlasting, so I entered this show blindly. This show made me want to read the book. The only weird thing I thought about the show was how they were forcing this romantic relationship between Winnie Foster, an 11-year-old girl, and Jesse Tuck, a 102-year-old stuck who looks like a 16-year-old boy. Either way, it was weird,  and I did NOT appreciate it. Maybe I misinterpreted it, but Jesse asking Winnie to "wait until she is 16" to drink the water of eternity so she could be with him and get married was offputting. Just have the two be best friends, and that is it. Regardless of that, I found the themes explored in this musical to be incredibly intriguing. No one wants to die, yet what would happen if we could live forever? That is what the plot addresses and shows the audience that living forever is not what it is all cracked up to be. It was a chilling but much-needed message, as people fear death and want to escape it when they should live life to the fullest since the next day is not always guaranteed.

    I have a lot to say about this show's positives. However, we must move on to the negatives too. But first, here is a list of my favorite quotes throughout the show:

• "You're an evil banana."
• "You TRICKED me! We CLIMBED a tree!"
• "I've got me the best man on the case, ME!"
• "YAHOO!"

    This show did not have as many funny moments as The Lightning Thief, sadly.

    But now, onto the negatives. While mic issues are typical, they still happened frequently enough that I remembered them during the show I went to. The actors and actresses of the main cast were incredible, but the ensemble felt lackluster. This especially showed in the choreography, as some were often off-timing. I was also confused with the spirits. This is likely because I did not read the show, but why were some ensemble members' roles "spirit"? That is what I want to know. Other than those questions and minor complaints, Tuck Everlasting was excellent.

Conclusion:

     Tuck Everlasting was worth the money. For just $5, I watched a charming show that pleasantly surprised me about the Toms River High School South Theatre Guild. Quite the steal if you ask me. I laughed, almost cried, and smiled from seeing Winnie Foster develop from this meek 11-year-old wishing for adventure to an old lady living life to the fullest. The musical was filled with talent, and I am ecstatic to see where they go next.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

 

Introduction:

    Hello everyone! I am officially back with ANOTHER show review. That's right, ladies and gents; it is officially theatre season ONCE AGAIN. First up is the show The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical from Toms River High School North's Nautical Stars Theater Company! We are in for quite an interesting review. This musical is based on Rick Riordan's first book in the Percy Jackson series, The Lightning Thief. Before this review continues any further, I have a confession: Growing up, I attempted to read the Percy Jackson series, and it never worked out, so I never really liked the books. Gasp, I know I, know, I sinned for not loving this beloved book series. So, I have to give a warning; going into this show, I was already biased against it due to my feelings toward its source material. But, I am going to be objective for this review.

Synopsis:

           Percy Jackson thought he was an average kid. Turns out he is not, as he is the half-blood son of a Greek god. As a result, this causes Percy to have newly-discovered powers he can't control, a destiny he never wanted, and mythological monsters trying to capture him. Things get even worse for him when Zeus's master lightning bolt is stolen, and Percy is now the crime's prime suspect. Now, he has to find and return the bolt to prove he is innocent and prevent a war from breaking between the gods. To do this, he has to not only catch the thief but also travel to the underworld and back, solve the riddle of the Oracle, and come to terms with his absent father. Not to mention, a close friend allegedly betrays him in the process.

Review:

  To be honest, I thought this was going to be another Tarzan. I was, however, pleasantly wrong. Even though the source material is subjectively bad, I had a fun time watching this show. It was an extremely entertaining show to watch. Not to mention, incredibly well put together. 

    Let's first touch on the positives. After all, we love keeping things light and upbeat. The lighting? INCREDIBLE. It was so fun with all the blinking lights representing lightning striking. The lighting crew also emphasized the main characters at the correct times. The blue light was also used to convey the feel of the ocean, which was honestly great thinking. Overall, 10/10 lighting. The props were also fun! I still remember one of the swords used for a fight scene being a lightsaber, and that is honestly iconic. Not to mention, the Taco Bell bell went off as the elevator ding in one of the scenes, and it was so funny I started cracking up. You can tell the kids were having fun on stage based on the props and effects they had. Also, a smokescreen was used, adding an air of mystery that was very much needed. The acting was also spot-on. Now to be fair, I sat in the back as an usher, so I could not see the facial expressions too well. But, based on the emotions the actors conveyed through their voices, it was breathtaking how well everyone embodied their characters. I thought Percy, Hades, Grover, Annabeth, and Mr. D. all especially played their roles well. And do not even get me started on the SINGING. The singing was beautiful, oh my god, especially Percy's voice, and honestly, it made the songs 10x better.

    Speaking of the songs, they were BANGER after BANGER after BANGER. Who knew rock songs would fit so well for this show; I certainly did not. But then again, Percy is a moody, angsty teenager, so in a way, it honestly fits. My favorite song was "Another Terrible Day," where Mr. D (D for Dionysus) goes on and on about how terrible being a camp counselor at Camp Half-Blood is. The actor portraying him did a fantastic job embodying how tired he was. Now that I think about it, there were not many songs in this musical, at least compared to Tuck Everlasting. (That's a spoiler for another review!)

    One last thing to note was the themes explored in this show because, wow, I was not expecting it. Then again, that is because I did not know ANYTHING about what happened in the books due to my poor impression of it. The representation in this show is crazy, maybe not in terms of racial diversity, but in terms of showing what it is like living with non-communicable diseases like ADHD and dyslexia. That is right, folks; there is a character with ADHD and dyslexia in the story. Can you take a wild guess on who it is? If you said Percy, you are correct! It is refreshing to know that a main character is challenged with those kinds of conditions since there are many main characters who end up being a Mary Sue. In addition, the show already has a theme of parental neglect in the performance, which is honestly crazy but incredible that it was being developed so early on. 

    Before I discuss the negatives, I would like to quote some of my favorite quotes from the show:

• "The gods are real... like the Greek gods"
• "Daddy doesn't love me and mommy is a god"
• "The only thing I seem destined for is detention"
• "Wait, did you just say half-blood, half-god?" "Yes and I half care"
• "Turns out he's not just a deadbeat, he's a deadbeat GOD"
• "I met the guy once and once was enough"

     As you can tell, I had a fun time watching this show. The jokes were funny, what can I say?

    And before I officially move on, we have to talk about fashion for a second. Like the Bratz dolls, I, too, have a "passion for fashion." To keep things short and sweet, they were amazing and fit the early 2010s vibes The Lightning Thief encapsulates.

    Now onto the negatives. I am going to be honest; there is not much to say. The dancing was unsynchronized at certain times, nothing too bothersome. However, what was highly annoying was the constant mic issues occurring throughout the show. The mic kept cutting in and out throughout most of the show. While mic issues are usual, they should not happen frequently or noticeably. Other than that, though, the show was fantastic.

Conclusion:

    The Lightning Thief was a fantastic show. Because I hated (and still hate) the source material, it was a miracle I loved the musical. This was an AMAZING start to the 2023 spring edition of Toms River Theatre Extravaganza. Before I end this, shout out to the concession stand workers; they were terrific and had better service than the people at Donovan. 

2022 Music Highlights

    Hello everyone! 2022 has been hectic-even musically. So, it will be fun to reflect on all my favorite releases! Spotify playlist to the complete list will be linked down, as I will name my top 10. But first, let me define what a good song is, in my opinion. 

    Good vs. Bad Songs:

    A good song engages my attention. Something interesting musically is whether it be because of unique beats, sounds, or the performance/singing itself. It would also have to sound cohesive. If it does not, it sounds good for some reason then (an example is Aespa's discography). I also connect with the lyrics frequently, so some songs may be ranked higher because I relate to them more. Lyricism will count as well.

   A bad song is a snooze fest. Or it could be so bad it is actually good. Either way,  these songs are just not good. They either have bad lyrics, beats, or no sense of originality. Or if it is original, then they messed up somewhere somehow.

***NOTE: Before reading the top 10 list, I apologize for suddenly abandoning this blog. This was supposed to come out a lot earlier, but it clearly did not. Life got busy at the start of 2023, so I did not keep up with updating this blog. I am making my return, so be on the lookout! But, for the more in-depth articles I intend to write, they will take a little longer. 

10. Fallen - Peach Luffe

    The first time I listened to this, I thought I was in heaven. It sounds so divine, but like a sad kind since the lyrics detail the narrator questioning if they have moved on from someone completely. The vocal delivery is also quite haunting, as Luffe expresses confusing feelings about a past love. Just as haunting is the instrumental, its melancholic sound perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet feelings surrounding a past love. Overall, it is a hidden gem about the conflicting feelings one may feel about ex-lovers and moving on.

9. After LIKE - IVE

    This is honestly IVE's best release yet. The nostalgia is strong with this one as it samples from I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor. It's a great party song and brings up my mood when I'm tired. The loud and energetic instrumental is not overbearing but has the right mix of fun and chaos. Overall, A+ effort from IVE as they get us to want to dance in front of fireworks to replicate the iconic firework scene in the music video.

8. RUN2U - STAYC

    STAYC, I would gladly RUN2U with this title track. The bombastic air horns, in the beginning, grab the attention of anyone, whether that be good or bad. Either way, this song is attention-getting with its catchy lyrical hooks and cool-sounding instrumental. STAYC fully uniquely utilizes the bass while singing about how they want to run to the person on their mind. Thank you for making a relatable and fun song.

7. The Answer - Daybreak, LUCY

   Now, THIS is a hidden gem. From the beginning, the instrumental captivated me as the two groups began to sing about loving someone. It's an innocent, cute-sounding love song that I adore because of how sweet it sounds. The violin in the background also adds a unique spin. The lyrics are also adorable. Overall, it is a laid-back cute love song that I am happy LUCY released alongside Daybreak.

6. Wishful Thinking - Grentperez

     I am a sucker for cute love songs, so it is no surprise that this Grentperez song made it into my top 10. The lyrics perfectly portray what it's like to dream of a future with a significant other. I like how laid-back the song is. It sounds comfy and soothing, two things that any significant other should make someone feel. This song now has me wishing for a future with my nonexistent person.

5. Minor Feelings - Rina Sawayama

    Talk about a song that anyone can relate to! This song is based on the book Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong, a Korean-American poet. While the book is about the marginalization of the Asian-American experience and Sawayama plays into those themes heavily, the song itself could be interpreted as a message about people bottling up their feelings because they feel it is unimportant to reveal them. The instrumental is simple but haunting and connects well with the lyrics with how empty it feels. My favorite part of the song is the chorus. Although the lyrics here are simple (and there are uses of imagery throughout the song's lyrics), they can resonate with anyone listening to them, regardless of if they are Asian or not. That within itself is powerful. All in all, even though it's a simple 2-minute track (approximately), the lyrics make up for it and may make you shed a couple of tears. 

4. Love Countdown - Nayeon

    Two words describe this song: absolute banger. A banger is an energetic song that is excellent, and miss Nayeon did just that. With the sweet-sounding lyrics to the electrifying instrumental, this song was perfect for the summer. The vocal delivery for this song was also spot on; it was the ideal amount of light and fun with a hint of sultry. This song made me bop like no other during the summer.

3. Touch - Keshi

    Something about this song is so special. Whether it was the low-beat drops or the forbidden love conveyed in the lyrics, I am head over heels for this song. Keshi's releases never disappoint me.

2. Marriage Material - Melina KB

    Melina KB has been the SOLE reason I have fallen in love with theatrical pop hits, with this song heavily fuelling my addiction. The High School Musical's reference ("A 'T' for 'Troy' around my neck") and the elements from a well-known wedding song make this a hidden gem. The chorus is engaging, with the vibes making it perfect when someone is in the mood to do so. For any of the girls meeting their match a little too soon, this is the perfect song for you.

1. Hypeboy - NewJeans

    "Hypeboy" is an ADDICTING song. It is so fun and pleasant to listen to but also chill simultaneously. NewJeans is taking the K-pop scene by storm, and I could not be happier. No amount of words can describe how good this song is for pop girls, so make sure to check it out!

Throwback! My experience doing Madagascar!

    Hey everyone! Since I briefly mentioned that I used to do theater, let's reflect on my middle school theater experience with the one show I was a part of, which was MADAGASCAR. While I make critiques of high school shows now, my experience from doing MADAGASCAR taught me a lot about theater and what it is about, so much so that some of it helped me understand high school productions and how they work. (I am well aware high school productions are more intense than middle school productions.) With all that said, let's jump right into it!

    I worked as a part of the crew (the stage and craft crew) for this show, and wow, was it quite the experience. I definitely had fun being a part of it, but it was also stressful. There was a learning curve in knowing where to place the set pieces and the cues, but I still enjoyed learning. Making the art decorations for the show was fun since I learned more about crafting things and show design. I even had a couple friends doing theater with me, so I got to make some memories with them. But, sadly, the fun parts of the theater were not what I remember as much.

    My experience with MADAGASCAR taught me that while I did learn about new things through the crew work, doing theater was something I may never particularly enjoy. When I think of my time during MADAGASCAR, I mostly think about the horrible things that went on, at least in my eyes.

    For one thing, I learned how big favoritism was in theater. A lot of the students picked for the lead roles could not sing at all, and this especially showed during the rehearsals. Luckily they got their acts together just in time for opening night, but it was almost insufferable being backstage because of the terrible singing I would have to hear. But these students got their lead roles in the first place because they were close to the director or knew someone close to the director. Now, this may have been just one director. But, the favoritism was so bad she even chose people to be in the tech crew and curtain closers based on who she liked and not on merit or interest. So even though there may be directors who are more impartial than this one, I now associate theater with an environment that only rewards those who are the "favorites."

    Another thing was the fact that theater was very cliquey. Again, this may have just been the people who were also in my middle school theater, but it felt like everyone stuck with their own friend groups throughout the show. When I first joined, I thought theater was supposed to be one big happy family—or least friendly enough to where no one would feel excluded. But, all of the stage crew kids were left out of events. Even the cast was pretty divided at times. There was a distinct difference between the "popular kids" in the cast and everyone else. It was honestly quite strange. A tradition was not even done, where everyone in the theater company would go out and eat at a restaurant once the show was over. The fact that that was not done as a whole theater company but as individual friend groups going out after the show is honestly kind of mind-boggling. So adding more fuel to the fire of my poor experience, the cliquey feeling I was getting with theater did not necessarily sit well with me.

    My memory from doing this show is foggy, even though I could talk about it for hours. I did this show in the 8th grade to give theater a try. Maybe that is why things feel a little hazy now. I did decide to give theater a shot in high school to give it a fair chance and hopefully re-do my theater experience from the 8th grade since I think the director and the environment she helped create rubbed me the wrong way. But with the COVID-19 pandemic and the realization that I would not thrive in theater, I stopped after my freshman year. Even though there were more negatives with doing this show than positives, doing MADAGASCAR has helped me gain a newfound appreciation for theater and those that do it. It is an environment I could never fully enjoy, so I respect those that do it. I have also seen the hard work put into setting up production and being a part of the crew. So while MADAGASCAR helped me realize I could never be a kid in theater, I thank myself for doing it. It has helped me be aware that I would rather be an audience member, although I now love and appreciate the behind-the-scenes process.

THROWBACK 2021-2022 Toms River Theatre Extravaganza Rankings

Introduction: 

    Hello everyone! Since there is a gap for when I will watch plays and musicals again as fall productions are over, I thought I would write about the shows I saw LAST YEAR and rank them to have them all in one area! The shows that I watched include from the following schools:

Toms River High School North: Matilda (Musical)
Toms River High School South: Tarzan (Musical), The Outsiders (Spring Play)
Toms River High School East: Legally Blonde (Musical)
Donovan Catholic High School: Oklahoma! (Musical)

    Overall, there were some stellar performances and some not-so-stellar performances. Either way, watching them was interesting because I used to do theater myself. (A fun fact about me, to be honest.) Now, let's get into my rankings!


*** DISCLAIMER: These rankings will not be as comprehensive as the ones I will write as these shows happened in the previous school year, and I frankly do not remember the minute details, just my feelings about the shows.

Rankings:

4/5: Tarzan (Toms River High School South) and Oklahoma! (Donovan Catholic High School)

    These two shows' ranks are interchangeable for me because they, quite frankly, were doomed even before I watched them. I was never a fan of Disney's Tarzan, and I already knew I would never grow to like Oklahoma! because I was not into the plot. As a result, I was not a big fan of both schools doing these shows because I knew I would never like the story they were performing. And to be honest, objectively speaking, my disdain for both of them is pretty equal, which is another reason they have interchangeable rankings. Onto some more specifics for each school:

Tarzan:

    I remember the set design being great. It felt like I was in the jungle, and that is precisely where Tarzan is set. However, the costumes themselves were tacky, especially for the gorillas. But hey, I would rather have wonky costumes for the gorillas than potential cultural insensitivity (ahem, black face), so snaps for that. Nothing stood out in terms of acting, and I remember not liking most of the songs. I could never get fully invested, probably because I never particularly enjoyed watching Tarzan. If I am being honest, what salvaged my night was the company I was with when I went to see this show. Overall, pretty much not my favorite show.

Oklahoma!:

    Oklahoma! is an interesting case because this was the only production where I watched a live stream of the show. This proved to be a mistake. I could never get invested, not only because I did not like the plot but because I was watching it through a screen. I was also distracted by what was happening inside my home, so it is almost unfair to include this show. However, I remember enough to know I did NOT love watching the show. From the acting I did witness, it was alright. The singing by some characters, though, was downright atrocious. I do not recall who it was, but I remember his voice not fitting the songs. There were parts where I did laugh, more a chuckle, but most of the time, I was like this emoji: 🧍‍♀️. The set design was definitely something, though, from what I remember. Then again, this is not surprising given that Oklahoma! was performed by a private catholic high school. This show would have probably ranked higher than Tarzan had I watched it in person. But I did not, so here we are.

3: Matilda (Toms River High School North)

    The first show I watched in the 2021-2022 school year, and it honestly set the bar. The acting was stellar. There was never a moment where I was not laughing due to how the lines were delivered. The songs were pretty hit or miss, but they were usually hits. I also adored Matilda as a kid, which is probably why I was able to be more invested in the show. One thing that was definitely weak was the set design. There was not much, so it was disappointing. Costumes, though, were fun and very camp. This show was a solid production, and I was pleased to watch it.

2: The Outsiders (Toms River High School South)

    Even though Tarzan was disappointing, The Outsiders was NOT. Wow, this show was so fun to watch. Maybe it was because I had a new appreciation for the story after re-reading it. Or it was because of the execution of the show. To be honest, it was probably a mix of both. The acting was compelling, and the special effects were incredible. I still remember the scene where Dally kills himself. It was a blackout of two shadows on the projector screen, one a police officer and the other presumably Dally. A shadow stands there as the other shadow pulls the trigger, effectively killing himself. Watching that was incredibly haunting but so well done. It was a well-thought-out show, and the costumes were great for the setting. I absolutely adored this show and hope the South thespians put on a performance like this again.

1: Legally Blonde (Toms River High School East)

    This show was a stunner. The costumes were so fun and fit the early 2000s aesthetic of Legally Blonde. I also already loved the Legally Blonde movie, so I was going to have a fun time watching the production. The set design was great too. Tarzan and Oklahoma! had better sets, but the set design here was still great. The music was fun, and the acting was on par. I specifically remember the actress who played Elle Woods and the actor who played Emmett Richmond having great chemistry with each other. Similar to Matilda, the line delivery in this show was fantastic. I found myself laughing when Elle's friends were on stage and feeling sympathetic as Elle adjusted to being at Harvard. East's execution of the musical did the movie justice. It was a 10/10 show, and I wish I could go back and see this show once more because I absolutely loved watching it.

Conclusion:

    The shows I watched from the 2021-2022 school year were great overall. There were a couple downers, but the good shows more than made up for their downfalls. I also learned that I should never attempt to watch a theater production through a live stream again because I would not enjoy watching a show. The 2022-2023 shows are already showing much promise, so I cannot wait to see the rest of the shows.

Oliver

Introduction:

    Hello everyone! Once again, I am back with ANOTHER review to add to the Toms River Theater Extravaganza segment. I promise I will get to my other ones soon! This time it is the musical Oliver!, done by the Donovan Catholic High School theater family. Before diving right into my review of Oliver! I want to share my experience with everything that happened before the show because it was interesting.

    The initial reception was quite cold, especially on a chilly November night. From what I saw, many people were forced to wait in the freezing cold and could not get into the lobby until around 6:40 (at the earliest 6:35). As a result of not letting people into the show early, it became overcrowded quick. To make matters worse, many of the audience members who came early were elderly people. So not only did the school make people come in late, but they also made the ELDERLY wait in the freezing cold because they were not letting ANYONE in that door. I think the school should have allowed people to come to the performance area starting at 6:45 if they had bought tickets beforehand to let them get settled, especially the elderly, so they did not have to freeze in the November cold. It also would have helped the lobby be less crowded, considering it is small. Or, if the cast and crew needed all the time up until 6:50-ish, at least let the elderly into the lobby early; so they did not have to suffer in the cold.

    Not only that but there was one faculty member who was not quite understanding of my situation. I showed up extremely early to get this review out and surprise a friend so that I would not inconvenience my mother and so I could pick up my ticket. I was even told I could pick up my ticket after school by the person I corresponded with through email. I also brought things to do to not be a distraction for the staff, actors, and crew members preparing for the show. I genuinely did not want to cause issues. Once a faculty member realized I was a regular audience member, she started screaming at me. It even seemed like she was close to threatening to kick me out, even after I explained my predicament. The situation happened because a friend of mine (she found out about the surprise) wanted to take me backstage, and the faculty member got mad. Now she had every right to be angry about that, I will not lie. I get it. But to get mad at me for even being inside the school to wait to WATCH the show extremely early and get my ticket was unnecessary. I calmly addressed the fact that I understood I was not allowed backstage and even explained to her that although I was an ordinary audience member looking to get my ticket and wait inside because it was cold and for my mother to go to work, I had brought things to do to not be a distraction. I did my best to de-escalate the situation. However, she was shouting and screaming because of my very presence, which frightened me. She even refused to let anyone get me something to write with since I forgot to bring a pencil so I could jot down notes during the musical. Because I felt very threatened, I started bursting into tears. To put it into perspective, I sobbed at this school, where I was technically a GUEST, more than I have ever cried because of AP Chemistry, one of the more difficult AP courses. Not only that, but this event made me sob more than La La Land, and I sobbed my heart out because of that movie. So, it was not a great start to my experience with Oliver.

     Apologies if that was long, but the reception for this play had to be mentioned. Those in line around me felt that getting into the show could have been better and less stressful, so I wanted to shed light on it. I also wanted to bring up my experience so that people do not try to go there incredibly early, or they will get yelled at sadly (no matter the circumstances). Even with this rough start, I did not let this affect my opinion of Oliver. With all that stated, let me give you a little summary of the musical!

Synopsis:

    Oliver!, based on Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, follows a young boy named Oliver Twist, an orphan in a workhouse who becomes an apprentice of an undertaker due to being "troublesome" in the orphanage. But due to being neglected, Oliver makes a grand escape to London in search of a home, a family, and for love. This search, however, leads Oliver to meet Artful Dodger, a boy around his age who picks him up and welcomes him into a gang of child pickpockets and thieves led by the conniving but charming Fagin. As a result of going on a stealing expedition with his fellow pickpockets, Oliver gets accused of a theft he did not commit. But, wealthy and kind Mr. Brownlow, the victim of said theft, takes Oliver in. Afraid of his hideout being found out, Fagin recruits menacing Bill Sikes, and warm-hearted but trapped under Sikes's control, Nancy to kidnap him back. Thus, Oliver's chances of finding a home, a family, and love are at risk.

Review:

    Wow. Before watching the show, I thought I would be writing about how much of a scam the $15 ticket price was for the performance the Donovan theater family would put on for Oliver. I mean, Donovan is not a specialized performing art school in the area (like GPAA) or a school with a specific program that focuses on the arts and theater (like the Art Academy, specifically the Theater strand, at Toms River High School North) to justify a ticket price like that. However, after watching the show, this private catholic high school in my area has honestly baffled me.

    As always, let me start off with the positives. The acting in the show was stellar. A lot of the actors and actresses had great facials throughout their performances. They were also able to effectively convey the emotions they were portraying. In particular, I thought that the actresses playing Widow Corey (a worker at the orphanage Oliver lived in and in a relationship with Mr. Bumble) and Nancy were fantastic throughout. The actress playing Nancy even got me to shed a couple tears during her solo "As Long as He Needs Me" due to how well she embodied the character and song. The singing in this production was also solid. Most people sounded great, so it was clear whoever cast the show knew which voices fit the role. A note I want to make about the casting is that Fagin is actually an elderly woman in this show! I thought it was cool to see this since Fagin is usually an elderly male. The actress who portrayed the character did an excellent job keeping true to Fagin's character but with a breath of originality. Overall, stellar performances by the cast in general.

    Now with musical performances come songs, and the songs did indeed deliver. A lot of the music in Oliver! was entertaining. I laughed during a lot of them because, out of context, they were about the most random things ever. "Food, Glorious Food," especially, was a song that I thoroughly enjoyed but more so for what it meant out of context and not because of the performance put on by the cast. The song is the opening act for the entire musical and is about kids at the orphanage fantasizing about having good food when getting their gruel. Some of the lines sung include: 

    Food, glorious food!

    Hot sausage and mustard!
    While we're in the mood --
    Cold jelly and custard!
    Peas pudding and saveloys!
    What next is the question?

    Rich gentlemen have it, boys --
    In-di-gestion!


    Clearly out of context, these lyrics are just goofy to read and hear. So I had fun with some of the songs due to how comical the lyrics could get.

    With the acting and songs being fun, a topic to also address would be crew work. Such work includes how the costumes, lights, and set design were handled. If there is one word to describe the overall look of this production, it would be expensive. For costumes, they looked gorgeous. I do not have a background in Victorian fashion, so I do not know if the wardrobe was accurate to Victorian times. But I can say that they looked fantastic. Everyone in the cast looked great. I especially loved the dresses chosen for the actresses as they looked incredible.

    I also have to sing some praises to the lights. Whoever worked the lights deserves snaps and jazz hands because the lightwork was great. I loved how spotlights were used to center on the characters actually singing or on stage. As a result, the background faded, and I could stay focused on the actors or actresses the lights were centered on. The color switches were also a fun part of the show. Say something terrible was about to happen? Bam! All of a sudden, the lights were switched to red. It was a tiny detail that was great since it subtly helped with foreshadowing.

    What was also detailed was the set design. MONEY went into set design with just one glance at the stage. There were balconies. There were detailed rooms. There were even background drops and a HANDPAINTED background. If there was one thing that blew me away the most with Oliver!, it was the set design. The theater family at Donovan KNOWS how to make use of the gym they performed in, and perform they did because cast members were even walking down the aisles where audience members were sitting for some numbers. Overall, it was some of the best set design work I have seen in my area.

    However, I am also aware that Donovan has the funds to have an expensive set design since it is a private school. With this musical, I fully understood the differences in set designs a private school or at least a school primarily focused on the arts would have compared to a production done by public high schools. Private and specialized schools can have bigger productions since more funding can be given to the arts program. Public schools, even with a focused art program, do not have such a luxury due to a lack of funding. I go to a public school with a specific theater arts program students can apply and take, but due to a lack of funding public schools often receive, the program has been severely limited by what they can do for set design. Because of Oliver!, it was interesting to see how even school theater productions can really exacerbate the differences in increased budgeting could do and the inequalities between public and private schools due to public schools not often getting the funding they need from the government.

    Finally, with that tangent out of the way, let's focus on some of the messages portrayed in Oliver! Anyone could relate to Oliver's struggles of finding belonging and his wish for love, universal themes helping Oliver! be timeless. These struggles are further emphasized through how he is an orphan and has no money for most of the show. Abusive relationships were also explored, with the dynamic of Bill Sike and Nancy. Bill Sike is verbally abusive to Nancy and even threatens to hit her multiple times, doing so once. Meanwhile, Nancy is endlessly devoted to and in love with Bill but is torn on what to do because she does not want to kidnap Oliver. It was honestly heartbreaking seeing Nancy in this position since abusive relationships are very unhealthy. Nancy represents the millions of women today still stuck in abusive relationships out of "love," giving them representation in this show. Then there is also the distinct difference between the rich and poor, exemplifying the social structure in Victorian London. Oliver covers themes that are especially apparent today. I loved the theme revolving around Oliver and how that was portrayed since it was very fleshed out. But, the execution of the themes, which could have been with the writing, felt very one note. Throughout the show, I was confused about the show's goals. But, this also could have been due to my short attention span.

    Onto the negatives, and I promise this will be short. For a school that invests heavily in set design, I am shocked by how bad the mic system is. During the entire show, some mics were not working, even for the main characters. It was also noticeable as one mic issue got fixed midway through someone speaking. Now I am aware mic issues are normal, but for the amount of them that happened, I hope for some investing in something better. I do not recall Radium Girls having as many mic issues as here. I also thought the acting, although great, was overdone at times. Because of the overacting, sometimes Oliver! was cartoony, which was not the vibe the show was going for, I think. The lighting, although fantastic, confused me at some points. Specifically when there was this one green spotlight used. Now I got clarification on why it was done, but it still was out of place, considering the other spotlight was not green. If you are going to add some fun to the show, at least be cohesive and deliberate about it because I initially thought someone messed up on the job. Another gripe I have with the show is the ensemble. Now, they were not horrible. But it was certainly a mixed bag. Some could not sing, and others could not dance. It was quite the spectacle if someone was paying attention to the ensemble for some reason. I do not think the dancing is entirely on the ensemble, though. I thought the dancing throughout the show was horrendous if they were group dances. People were out of sync, like in "Food, Glorious Food, and "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two," but some choreographed moves also looked goofy. I should not have been laughing through some songs, but I could not help it because of the way some of the dance moves looked. Overall though, dancing was quite mediocre. There were some standout performances, but most of the time, the dancing, especially with the ensemble, was rough.

Conclusion:

    Back to the "million dollars" question I implicitly proposed earlier: Is the $15 ticket price for a private catholic high school theater production worth it? Now that is a question I do not have a direct answer to. Maybe we will get back to this question if I watch their spring production. Kidding, keep reading, and maybe you will find out. Oliver! was a great show overall. I was invested throughout, hoping Oliver would have a happy ending. I mostly loved most aspects of the show, like the acting, lights, and set design. But I also thought some things could have been improved, like the dancing and the mic system. To finally answer the "million dollars" question, I do not regret the $15 I spent on the show. I still think the ticket price was steep,  but it was a good show, so I will excuse it. I just hope the Donovan Catholic theater family can invest in a better mic system or at least work out the kinks with whatever they are using since it is a shame that the show quality was impacted by some tech issues. 

Radium Girls

Radium Girls Poster

Introduction:

    Welcome to the first-ever review of the Toms River Theater Extravaganza. This review is dedicated to the production done on Radium Girls, performed by the Toms River High School South Thespians! I watched this fall play on November 4th, which happened to be their last performance. Before I get into my thoughts, let me give you a quick synopsis of Radium Girls.

Synopsis:

    Being set in the early 20th century, with most of the story in the mid-1920s New Jersey, Radium Girls follows Grace Fryer, Kathryn Schaub, and Irene Rudolph, dial painters for the U.S. Radium Plant. These girls have been told to point their brushes by molding the bristles with their mouths while they paint. They were told to dip their brushes into radium, a substance thought to do wonders at the time. However, they soon begin to notice health issues, with one of their co-workers dying. With her death brushed aside and the plant, led by Arthur Roder,  trying to keep the girls quiet as they get sicker, the girls try to fight back amid pushed-back court dates and attempts to keep them away from the press. Grace, in particular, battles the U.S. Radium Corporation head-on but also wounds up fighting with her family and friends to seek justice for her fellow workers.

Review:

    This show was something, to be honest—in both good and bad ways. 

    Let's start off with the positives! There were some STANDOUT performances by the cast members. Those who played Kathrine Wiley and Berry specifically really stood out. The actresses who played Grace Fryer and Kathryn Schaub put up compelling performances too. The acting was stellar for a cast where half the members were making their debut through this play. I also loved the lighting. I thought it was done well, making me focus on the characters that needed to be focused on. The green light used throughout to transition between scenes was also cool. The themes explored in the show itself were riveting. From what I got from the show, I thought about the role females were told to have in society versus what they wanted, especially in that period, and how the media loves to capitalize on tragedies for their benefit. I also thought it was interesting how the production effectively humanized Arthur Roder. At first glance, the businessman seems like a greedy corporate head who could care less for the livelihood of his workers. However, by touching on why Roder had to try to preserve the plant's reputation and through the actor's performance as Roder, this production of Radium Girls did a great job reminding me that Arthur Roder is also human. My favorite part of the show was seeing the wheelchair as a prop. I get it. Radium Girls is set in the 1920s, so wheelchairs, as we know them today, did not exist. But I still got a great kick out of seeing a dining chair with bike wheels attached to the sides of the chair be a wheelchair since I thought it was incredibly creative.

    Now onto the negatives, which I promise, are not many. One thing I was not a fan of was the play structure. This may have just been the way the play was written. But I felt it was really rigid in that the scenes did not flow with one another. I guess it makes sense in some ways because the show spanned multiple years. Either way, it felt stifling while watching the show because the lights would go dark and to a green light as the crew moved set pieces to change scenes. The constant shift from a scene to a blackout made it less possible for me to immerse myself in the show. I get it, a fade to black is normal in theater. But by using the same music over and over, it made it harder to feel a progression of time throughout the show. Other than the fabulous wheelchair, I thought the set design was boring. Nothing stood out, with most of the props being chairs and rolling tables. It felt very one note, but this could have been due to how the play was written. While I did praise the acting, it is imperative to note that it was not great throughout. At times, the acting was quite spotty due to actors and actresses forgetting lines or having stiff performances. A lot of the mistakes could be chalked up to nerves or inexperience on stage, which makes sense as half of the cast were performing for the first time on stage. 

Conclusion:

    Overall, the production of Radium Girls gets 4/5 stars! Objectively, the thespians did a great job performing the show. The acting was good overall but can (and will) be improved with time. The lighting was cool and the themes explored were interesting. On the other hand, the set design was weak, and the lack of flow between scenes made it hard for me to immerse myself in the show. However, I think choosing Radium Girls as the show limited what the thespians could have done due to how it was written. Despite its weaknesses, it was still a great performance the thespians put up!