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.