Pain, Laughter, Hope, and Jazz Hands
by D. C. on 4/26/22Cadillac Palace - ChicagoThis musical was fun in the banter, deep in the themes, and, as you would expect, splashed with flamboyance! Self absorbed stage actors, desperate for attention, find a cause in the backwards world of Indiana high school politics. When they pressure the local authorities to host a prom that was cancelled due to the possibility of a lesbian couple attending, they are exposed for their ulterior motive. The refreshing parts of this story are that as campy as the jokes are, they originate at the nerve of society's current LGBTQ+ negative fixation. The characters seem authentic, both as shallow divas, and as courageous allies for the lovely (and powerfully voiced) engénue. And the happy ending where they suggest true change is happening because our youth have the capacity to open their minds to people who are different, delivers with style. And jazz hands. Loved it!!!