There are people everywhere.
Teenagers. Moms. Dads. Thirty-year-olds. Twenty-Somethings. Grandparents. Senior Citizens.
It’s 2 pm on a Wednesday afternoon, and The Lyceum Theatre is packed. The crowd waits with bated breath – it’s time for the newest musical in town, Be More Chill, to start.
The scrim flys out, the band dazzles, the audience drinks in the glow of the neon lights, and Jeremy (Will Roland) takes the stage.
The audience erupts with joy and applause.
The journey begins.
Be More Chill, (music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, book by Joe Tracz), is a musical based on the novel Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini. It is currently played on Broadway at The Lyceum Theatre, and let’s get this out of the way right now – you should go see it.
The story centers on Jeremy Heere (played by the phenomenal Will Roland), a bullied, anxious, horny, awkward teenager. He lives with his Dad, (Jason Sweetooth Williams), who is depressed to the point where he no longer feels the need to put pants on since his wife has left. Jeremy is hopelessly smitten with Christine Canigula (Stephanie Hsu) but does not have the guts, nor the ability, to have a coherent conversation with her. The only person he has to lean on, and talk to, and confide in is his best friend, Michael (George Salazar).
Everything changes when Jeremy encounters an opportunity to buy a “Squip” – a little pill that you drink with Mountain Dew, that, once taken, installs a tiny computer in your brain that will help you be more chill – say the chill things, do the chill things, and how to navigate the terrifying halls of high school with the self-assuredness that makes life easier.
When the bullying, and the loneliness, and the stress and struggle of high school becomes too much for Jeremy to handle – he uses his all of his bar mitzvah money to purchase a little pill. The pill manifests in the form of a human who resembles something like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix (Jason Tam), and a psychedelic blend of rock star greatness, friendship, and storytelling ensues.
The cast draws us into high school so seamlessly it’s as if we’re back on the bleachers with them. Or afterschool at play tryouts. Or in the food court of the mall. Or at a Halloween Party that everyone feels like they should be at, but nobody actually feels comfortable being there. (Remind me why there isn’t a Tony Award category for best ensemble again?)
Attention must be paid to the design of this show – the lighting (Tyler Micoleau), costumes (Bobby Frederick Tilley III), scenic (Beowulf Boritt), sound (Ryan Rumery), and projection design (Alex Basco Koch) is epic. There’s really no other word for it.
It’s been 24 hours and I’m still singing the music. And no, I wasn’t one of the people who streamed the music (200 million times) prior to the show. Yesterday was my first time hearing it and seeing it – and the music has already stuck. So bravo, Joe Iconis. Bravo!
There’s so much more to say about this story and this show – like how, at times, I felt as awkward as Jeremy during my high school years, or how, like Brooke (Lauren Marcus) – I didn’t feel seen either. Or how I wished I had the confidence of Christine (Stephanie Hsu) or the courage of Michael (George Salazar).
So much to say.
But I’ll leave you with this-this is a story that, if you think about it, we can all relate to. Everyone’s been to high school. Everyone’s has awkward moments of heartbreak, of not feeling seen or heard or loved. Everyone’s been faced with moments where they have the choice to stand up for what they know is right, or sit down and keep quiet.
There’s something special happening at The Lyceum Theatre. Groups of teenagers will see themselves on the stage – and adults will look back on their own high school years and thank God that they came out unscathed. Everyone will laugh – and the world could use more laughter.
I imagine that high schools students all over the country will be listening to “Michael in the Bathroom” when their hearts are hurting – and that it will be the voice of George Salazar that helps them guide their way back to the other side of that door. I imagine that play rehearsals will rejoice to their new anthem, “I Love Play Rehearsal.” I imagine that people all over will hear “The Pants Song”, and smile. And then they’ll put on their pants.
Tickets are available here.