Review: JAGGED LITTLE PILL electrifies at James M. Nedlerlander Theatre

Running through April 23 at the Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph), JAGGED LITTLE PILL, the jukebox musical based on the seminal, quasi-confessional works of Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette might be a bitter pill to swallow for some.

And there is really no way of discussing this without issuing a "spoiler alert." So, be warned before reading on.

Of the many plot threads contained in Diablo Cody's Tony-award winning script (and there are many; this jukebox musical doesn't just delver into the extensive musical catalog of Morissette, but it also features a jukebox selection of current societal issues), the second act of the musical is brutally honest in the handling of a sexual assault and its aftermath. Friends and family who know of a survivor of sexual assault are likely to be reduced to tears. For those audience members who are survivors (one out of every six women and one out of every 33 men according to U.S. statistics), the scene built around the song "No" might trigger a stronger reaction.

That isn't to say the subject matter has no place on stage (much less in a touring musical production). The scene is so well done, audience members should probably have advance knowledge of it so they may adequately prepare themselves.

After all, there is clearly an audience for a jukebox musical based on Morisette's work. The 1995 album that lends its title to the musical was a massive hit with 33 million copies sold globally. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who came into adulthood in the 1990s who isn't at least familiar with the songs on it if they don't actually own a well-worn out copy of the CD.

The album seemed to break the limiting mold that so many female pop stars were forced into at the time; it's witty, intelligent lyrics offer up equal amounts of anger, disappointment and disdain. Morissette paved the way for female artists to not only produce meaningful songs that actually say something, but for those artists to find commercial success in doing so. Pink, Lady Gaga and others are certainly in debt to Morissette for the doors she opened with her music and the success it rightfully achieved.

Given that many of the songs are of an autobiographical nature, shoehorning them into a jukebox musical was a challenge. And despite playwright Cody's award-winning script, one still cannot escape the sense that the entire musical has been reverse-engineered to fit the narrative of many of the songs. Is that enough for fans to keep "both hands in their pockets" and not by a ticket? Not when this show is clearly what fans "really want."

The show is bookended between two Christmas holidays as the Healy family prepares to send out their annual Christmas letter. Like most families, the annual letter embellishes achievements and glosses over or outright ignores any challenges faced by the family over the past year.

And there are a lot of things that matriarch Mary Jane Healy (the superb Heidi Blickenstaff) is glossing over. She is recovering from a car accident and is addicted to opioids. Husband Steve (a sympathetic Chris Hoch) is a workaholic with an internet porn addiction. Favorite son Nick (Dillon Klena) has fulfilled his mom's wishes and gotten into Harvard, giving MJ bragging rights despite the fact that he is unsure if this is something he really wants for himself. Adopted African-American daughter Frankie (a fierce and fiery performance by Lauren Chanel) can never seem to live up to her adopted mom's expectations and -with her parents' desire to tip toe around the race issue-she has lost her sense of self and realizes at the start of the show that an adopted black girl is probably never going to exactly fit into the white, suburban Connecticut city the Healy's call home.

Frankie too has been keeping secrets (or perhaps her parents have just intentionally been ignoring the obvious): she is sexually fluid and has a relationship with her non-binary friend Jo (Jade McLeod). Frankie also carries on with a teenage boy named Phoenix (Rishi Giolani) after the teen shows support for her poetry and rises to her defense in a creative writing class.

In a cast of standouts McLeod will be the one performance everyone will be talking about; no doubt due in part to her character being given one of Morrisette's most iconic songs ("You Oughta Know") and McLeod's performance of it manages to best even Morrisette's own rendition in this Morrisette fan's opinion.

The amazing movement and choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is also worth mentioning as well as Jena VanElslander's performance as Mary Jane's id. VanElslander flexes, contorts and twists her body at various points in the show that gives one a window into Mary Jane's mental health as she descends toward the rock bottom of her addiction.

Featuring orchestrations and arrangements by Tom Kitt (Tony wins for best orchestrations and best original score for NEXT TO NORMAL), the musical at times feels like a derivative of other Broadway works.

Suburban housewife with mental health issues is, after all, central to Kitt's own work in NEXT TO NORMAL). A bisexual teen raging against the suburban machine takes a page from AMERICAN IDIOT which Kitt also arranged on Broadway. And the perfect son challenged with maintaining the status quo at the cost of his morals immediately reminds one of the plot of DEAR EVAN HANSON.

Unfortunately, with so many issues packed into the script, outside of the sexual assault, many of the issues raised are never dealt with in a meaningful or satisfactory way.

Still, there is McLeod's explosive performance that really ignites. It is probably more than enough reason to fill your prescription for this JAGGED LITTLE PILL.

For more information and tickets, visit www.broadwayinchicago.com.

All photos by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade courtesy of the touring production.

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