‘Jagged Little Pill’ (the Musical) @ Bass Performance Hall
Photos by Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman of MurphyMade
—Jan Farrington
You oughta know (to steal a phrase) that a musical based on the work of Alanis Morissette will be a barn burner—and Jagged Little Pill (presented by Performing Arts Fort Worth at Bass Performance Hall this weekend) lives up to the expectations. Behind me, people sang the lyrics of their favorite songs, roared with approval at protest signs lifted onstage—and laughed a lot: Morissette’s tunes are well-known, but book writer Diablo Cody (Juno, United States of Tara) got lots of laughs for her sharp, funny dialogue. She won the Tony for it, too.
Morissette, the Roaring Girl of the 1990s, hit Gen X-ers like a bolt from the blue with her ferocious rock anthems about relationships gone bad and young women done wrong (many co-written with songwriter/producer Glen Ballard). And on opening night at Bass, the audience responded with whole hearts—not just to the passion and intensity of the music, but to the struggles represented onstage, from the opioid crisis to rape culture, from gender equality to the global environment.
A blazing rock band directed by Matt Doebler plays from a high scaffolding onstage, and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui gives the large ensemble an athletic and complex dance language that sends the voltage high. Riccardo Hernandez’ scenic design, modern and fluid, keeps us alert and engaged; I particularly loved the linear light bars that rose, fell, and angled to represent a family home. Justin Townsend’s lighting designs have an wide-ranging sense of how to create atmosphere and focus. The whole is well directed by Diane Paulus, artistic head of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard.
The plot spins around one well-off but struggling American family—Mom, Dad, teen son and daughter. Recovering from a car crash, Mom MJ (Julie Rieber) has become addicted to pain pills, something at odds with her self-image of the perfect mother and wife. Dad Steve (Benjamin Eakeley) is a workaholic, possibly because MJ keeps him at a physical and emotional distance. High-achieving son Nick (Dillon Klena) got into Harvard, but feels overwhelmed by his Mom’s dreams for him. And adopted daughter Frankie (Teralin Jones) feels the family ignores her Black-ness and wouldn’t be open to hearing about her gender-fluid sexuality, eventually embodied by friends Jo (Jade McLeod) and Phoenix (Rishi Golani).
Can this family be saved? Morissette’s songs (plus others written for the musical by Michael Farrell and Guy Gigsworth) point to trouble ahead, but there’s light up there too. At least, we hope things will end up being better for this “perfectly imperfect” family and their friends. In the meantime, enjoy the classic songs: “Hand in My Pocket,” “Ironic,” “Head Over Feet,” “You Learn,” and of course “You Oughta Know”—given a ferocious, standing-O performance by McLeod as Jo.
A lot of strong women on this stage, as it should be.
WHEN: September 15-17, 2023
WHERE: Bass Performance Hall (Performing Arts Fort Worth)
WEB: basshall.com
