YOUNGSTOWN — Every local theater company has its hits and misses, but few have been more dependable than Millennial Theatre Company when it comes to delivering polished, entertaining musicals.
That success spans stage classics (“Sweeney Todd,” “Cabaret”) and lesser-known shows like “It Shoulda Been You,” which played like a monster hit in MTC’s hands.
But director Joe Asente and his talented regulars and newcomers aren’t miracle workers, and “Be More Chill” sure isn’t a stage classic.
The Joe Iconis-Joe Tracz musical definitely is a lesser entry in the teens-wannabe-popular-then-regret-the-choices-made-to-get-there genre. That well-traveled topic gets treated with all the depth of a Disney Channel sitcom.
In this variation, Jeremy (Tom Milllsap-Kijauskas) yearns for quirky theater-obsessed classmate Christine (Brianna Rae Quinn) and not to be bullied, so he ingests a SQUIP (Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor) to help him interact better with his classmates and become more popular. The SQUIP (Ryan Lamb) manifests into human form — specifically Keanu Reeves’ character in “The Matrix” — and only Jeremy can see him.
“Be More Chill” lasted five months on Broadway and picked up a lone Tony nomination for best score, which is mildly shocking because the songs are the show’s weakest link.
“Michael in the Bathroom” became a viral hit after the show’s debut a decade ago and is, by far, its best song. Finn O’Hara, playing the best friend Jeremy leaves behind in his quest for popularity, does a magnificent job with it.
He’s not alone. Once again Asente has assembled a talented cast, and they’re certainly worth seeing.
Milllsap-Kijauskas handles the vocal challenges of the role and keeps the audience rooting for Jeremy, even as some of the character’s choices get less defensible. His performance is all the more impressive after discovering he stepped in after the actor originally cast as Jeremy broke his leg. He has by far the biggest role and had about half as much rehearsal time to prepare for it.
The “Matrix” / Keanu Reeves element limits what the actor playing SQUIP can do with the role. Lamb’s impression of Reeves is fine and his body movements (and the costume by Ty Hanes) convincingly create a computer program that’s come to life.
Quinn is charming as Christine, handling her solos on “I Love Play Rehearsal” and “A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into” with ease and adding a comedic punch to some of her off-kilter behavior.
But there isn’t a weak link here, even in the smaller roles. Karina Moran wowed with a couple of short solos. Ryan Stewart was hilarious as a Hot Pocket-loving high school teacher directing a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that replaces the fairies with zombies. Andy Scott brings some depth to the role of Jeremy’s father, who is too devastated by the end of his marriage to be able to do much to help Jeremy with his troubles.
Asente’s set design — dominated by neon green arches and a screen with different backdrops projected upon it, works well in the performance space and allows for quick scene changes. The Hopewell Theatre stage doesn’t have much room for big dance numbers, but Danielle Mentzer’s choreography was executed skillfully by the performers.
All the elements were there opening night, except for a script that was worthy of the effort.
If you go …
WHAT: Millennial Theatre Company — “Be More Chill”
WHEN: 7:30 Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Hopewell Theatre, 702 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown
HOW MUCH: Tickets are $25 and are available at millennialtheatre.org.
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