Jagged Little Pill (NYC)

See it if You want to see a powerful, energetic, imaginative interpretation of our super charged social climate with kick ass dance moves that rock!

Don't see it if You’re a misogynist...supported Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court or the Orange Turd in the White House. You need to but you’ll hate it.

Also I LOVED THIS SHOW! It was so in your face and unapologetic about what it had to say and what it had to say was so perfectly crystal clear and without a doubt THE TRUTH.... Read more Read less

See it if If you like a story set to music . Really great singing in this show. If you like alainis Morsettes music.

Don't see it if If you do not like Morsettes music which can be an acquired taste. Some deep topics in the story line.

See it if Salad of current issues tossed into a dysfunctional family drama. Loved the music. Powerful songs & performances amplified the intensity.

Don't see it if “Too many” issues (#metoo, gender, opiods, etc). Melodramatic & preachy. Characters defined by their issues.

Also The music swept me away. I wasn’t familiar with the album, and enjoyed the high-octane presentation. The story did some backflips to set up the songs.... Read more Read less

See it if you would like a musical with great choreography and important messages wonderfully presented to people of all ages by a talented cast.

Don't see it if you want a musical where you hum every song and everything is always happy. Here you are faced with current concerns and their difficulties

See it if you're interested in new on stage technology, dark themed musicals, acrobatic dance or the music of Alanis Morissette.

Don't see it if you're hopping for light entertainment not rape, drug abuse & racism. Its difficult to hear lyrics accompanied by overproduced orchestration

See it if you want to see 2 fine performances by Stanley & Patten. Also, this is one of the best juke box musicals as there is a cohesive book.

Don't see it if you do not like the music of Morissette. Also, if don't like musicals that are "downers". Many serious themes are explored in this show.

See it if you liked Next to Normal, Dear Evan.This isn't quite as good,but it's one of those rare musicals that has an important point to make.

Don't see it if you are looking for The Producers.I didn't know any of her music, & I was very pleasantly surprised at how good the show is.It is a gem.

See it if you love Morissettes music, great "jukebox" musical choice ,relevant on multiple levels, contemporary themes. The plot is successful

Don't see it if gay, drug, sexual issue related shows upset or offend you.

See it if you want a high energy jukebox musical that deals with many, many social problems* with great music & some very powerful songs

Don't see it if you would be annoyed by an overly energetic repetitive choreography; want to hear all the lyrics (over amplification), seeing twirling**

Also *opioid addiction, rape culture, gender issues, sexual issues, racism, the pressures on youth, parenting, teenage angst - most addressed well in the 2.5 hours (including intermission)
**swing sets, pews (yes), couches etc. makes you dizzy. Too much. I get that the choreography needs to express the teenage angst but sometimes it gets in the way of the emotional performances.
Act 2 far far better. Lauren Patten got another (well deserved) standing ovation for "You Oughta Know"... Read more Read less

See it if a fan of Alanis Morissette’s music, like or unbothered by “jukebox musicals,” or a fan of one of the actors (who are doing their darnedest).

Don't see it if you can forgive some clichéd tropes, imperfect characters, uneven singing, and some songs that feel uncomfortably shoe-horned into moments.

Also In Jagged Little Pill, angsty 1990s sounds prove timelessly riveting. Alanis Morissette’s music is the soundtrack of a suburban-Connecticut family. But it’s dark, disturbing, serious stuff. Drugs, addiction, homosexuality/bisexuality, underage drinking, teen sex, rape, racism, adoption, pornography, betrayal, and protests draw JLP into political territory. It also lifts the façade of “perfection”: an Ivy League degree can’t prepare someone to act morally. A father who provides handsomely for his family can become scorned. A black child adopted into a white family and made to feel like she belongs may want her differences seen. And a “wonder woman” wife and mother may have a dark secret pain driving her to addiction. Surrounding this core family are a handful of sub-figures who test, expand, and engage meaningfully in their world. It is Tony-worthy Lauren Patten as “Jo” who is most stunning. “You Oughta Know” is made for her as much as for Morissette; a shame Jo doesn’t have more to do.... Read more Read less

See it if You oughta know that it unironically squeezes a lot of current social issues with touching renditions of Alanis songs.

Don't see it if Current issues (opioid epidemic, rape/culture, #MeToo, Like culture, checking White privilege, etc.) are too depressing / feels too packed.

Also Diversity: main characters are all White except for the adopted Black daughter. The ensemble has 1 Asian man, Black, and "alternative" looking folks (piercings, buzzed hair, grunge outfits). Deals with female sexual assault and males' role in it.
Ticket from rush for $40. Seat center of front row.... Read more Read less

See it if very today issues, well written (this should win best book of a musical), well staged and performed. for adults and serious theater goers.

Don't see it if want light fluff and flash. you may know some of the songs but they are well treated. not a typical jukebox musical

See it if you are a fan of Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name. The story crafted using these songs is pure genius.

Don't see it if you don't who Alanis Morissette is and are not a fan of musicals. This show is NOT for you, but U are missing out on something special!!!!!

Also I was skeptical about having one of my favorite albums of all times into a musical by using the songs to tell a completely different story, but the finish product is a wonderful surprise that you could have never see coming. The second act musical number You Oughta Know is a real show stopper. The price to this experience is totally worth the cost of the ride. Go see it now!... Read more Read less

See it if A powerful musical dealing with prominent societal issues using the songs of Morissette as the score.The cast astounds, especially L.Patten

Don't see it if The book, dealing with drug addiction, dysfunctional family, race and adoption, gender identity, and sexual assault, plays like a soap opera

See it if you like your musicals to have a clear and modern point of view; you're a fan of Alanis; you like musicals about familial disintegration

Don't see it if you're fundamentally opposed to new shows built on existing music; you don't want to see sexual violence on stage; you don't like Alanis

Also I went in to this show with really high expectations. I'm exactly their target audience. I'm a big old theatre junkie who was in high school when Jagged Little Pill came out. It was the soundtrack of many of my teen angstiest moments. So by the end of the first act, I was a little disappointed. Everything felt a bit by the book. Nothing was bad...just...all very expected. But then in Act Two, when everything unraveled, the show was sublime. You Oughta Know was breathtaking. MJ's breakdown and recovery were phenomenal.

Several of the side characters remain underdeveloped, and the plot is unnecessarily complex. But the second act more than makes all of the weaker elements of act one.... Read more Read less

See it if You love alanis morissette music and coming of age musical

Don't see it if you want to see a traditional show

See it if You like musicals. The musical numbers aren't copies of the trackseveryone knows, making it more exciting at the expense of fan service.

Don't see it if You don't like shows throwing social issues at the plot wall like spaghetti to see what sticks. There's a LOT going on, but mostly works.

Also The orchestrations are interesting, inventive, and largely successful. Still, I feel that so much of the power and visceral effect of the 1995 album lies in its bared emotional pain and inimitable specificity. This very specificity combines with universal themes to make the album an intimate friend of anyone who's ever gone through a breakup.

The 2020 musical seems to present almost the inverse: it zooms out from the personal-specific of the songerwriter's life to tell a story about many different people. The cost is to dilute the love, and pain, and rage, and from this altitude the "universal themes" read as tropes (the adopted child, the oxy addict, the workaholic, the partier, the social activist, et al.)

The real surprise of this show is that it works as well as it does.... Read more Read less

See it if Fine-tuned musical that deals with tough subjects, but does not pander. Alanis’s heart, soul and brain lives in this musical.

Don't see it if This is not a rock concert, nor should it be. Put your expectations, and see JLP with an open mind and heart.

See it if you like the music or you want to see a musical that is completely relevant to our times.

Don't see it if you don't like musicals. I can't think of another reason not to see it.

See it if You are a fan of the source material. You like the idea of Next To Normal meets Alanis Morissette.

Don't see it if You dislike jukebox musicals. Even though it's not Mama Mia, it's still a jukebox musical.

Also "I like to think I might act again at some point, but it's definitely not a priority for me." -Alanis Morissette.

I really hope that Alanis might consider stepping into the role of Mary Jane during this run a lá Sara Bareilles and Waitress. I'm not usually a fan of stunt casting, but man would that be cool.

Jagged Little Pill is, as far as jukebox musicals go, very well crafted. And not in the sense that each song has been painstakingly song-spotted to make sure they make sense in context. But in the sense that the tone has been carefully crafted, and the music respected.

Unfortunately, because the music was originally written for one voice, while the characters are all unique when speaking, they all seem homogenous when singing.

The band and sound design are fantastic. When it needs to, this show has no problem turning the dial all the way up to eleven, to great effect.

Lauren Patten brings the house all the way to the ground. That alone is worth the cost of admission.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to experience perfection on broadway

Don't see it if absolutely no reason not to see it - this is a MUST SEE!!!!

See it if a talented cast performing Morisette music with great choreography is enough to satisfy you in an overdone, stereotype heavy show

Don't see it if over amplification that makes it impossible to discern important lyrics drives you nuts; or if multiple, confused story lines is too much

See it if fans of Alanis and/or Jagged will not be disappointed; deft integration of lyrics to storyline; fierce cast matches music & direction

Don't see it if plot can feel relentlessly dark so non-Alanis/Jagged fans or those looking for throwback happy musicals should consider carefully

See it if Alanis Morissette's music is the reason for the show's existence and Elizabeth Stanley and Lauren Patten do it justice.

Don't see it if The rawness and authenticity of the music is at odds with the banality of the over-stuffed and unnuanced libretto.

Also In the second act Lauren Patten literally stopped the show singing "You Oughta Know". People got up and cheered. I am sure some of that enthusiasm was relief that finally even though it was near the end of the show the potential of "Jagged Little Pill" was realized, if only for a moment. Then the production settled back into business at usual.
Jagged Little Pill doesn't have the advantage of being the first Dysfunctional Family Musical like "Next to Norma". Or of having a terrible sympathetic hero like "Dear Evan Hansen", or a single issue to deal with like the delightful "Fun Home".
So they decided to cover every hot topic issue under the sun and set it to music, or shoe horn the music into the issue. And not very subtly.
I felt a real disconnect between the sincerity of the music and the artificiality of the plot.... Read more Read less

See it if You like Alanis Morisette's music, family stories about the "new" family, where parents are not necessarily mom and dad and the children may

Don't see it if be biologically related. Don't see it if you don't want to see any of the above.

Also I was not very familiar with Alanis Morisette's music. I did like how a family is a family and you take care of family.... Read more Read less