Paul is just an ordinary man who doesn't want anything. He definitely isn't singing any "I want" songs: not just because he doesn't want anything, but because he doesn't like musicals. Unfortunately for him, a meteor crash turns the entire world into a musical. Last night, I saw *The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: Reprised* in L.A., and here is my mini-review.
A note to those reading over federation: I am going to hide spoilers with Misskey Markdown, but if you're on Mastodon, that might not work, so beware of spoilers! Also, if you haven't already watched the original, you can watch it on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrxKX44qBJ0&t
The first thing that jumped out at me about this revival was the choreography. The opening song pulls us into the world more than I felt with the original. In many songs Tolbert's revised choreography emphasizes the terror the characters feel. Notably, during "Not Your Seed," the way Alice dances around Bill helps us get what Bill is feeling, as does the ensemble surrounding Emma during "Inevitable." During "You Tied Up My Heart," two members of the ensemble, invisible to Charlotte, lift Sam's chair into the air as part of the dance.
Only one part of the choreography remains unchanged from the original: the excerpt of Workin' Boys.
The choreography is aided by the set. The streets of Hatchetfield, Hidgens' bunker, and Hatchetfield High all feel a lot more immersive than they did in the original. The backgrounds all posess windows which the actors can speak or sing through. Admittedly, I can't say how much of the improved immersion was due to the set being different and how much was due to seeing this one live, since I only saw the original recorded.
Cast-wise, Will Branner's Hidgens was in every way an improvement over Robert Manion's, with Branner bringing new energy to the character. Branner's prescense also allowed for Max to appear in the ensemble alongside Ruth during "La Dee Dah Dah Day"
Corey Dorris was supposed to return as Bill, but the night I saw it, Dorris was absent, and James Tolbert was his understudy. Tolbert did not disappoint, making his character recognizably Bill while still distinct from Dorris.
Six of the original actors did return, and they did a better job than they did seven years ago, aided by Lauren Lopez's direction and everyone knowing more about their characters due to the sequels. Emma and Alice felt more expressive than they did in the original. Ted and Charlotte felt more three-dimensional, as did Pete (now played by Joey Richter). Jeff Blim has gotten more practice as a singing narrator after doing Cinderella's Castle. Jon Mattison was open about working on improving his singing after the original production, and it paid off during "Let it Out" and "Inevitable."
The plot remains identical to the original, but there are small changes to the dialogue. Paul and Emma's lines as they flee from Beanies are completely rewritten, and there is an introduction in which Dan and Donna implore the audience not to sing along even if we know the songs.
All in all, I am very glad I got to see this production.
#TGWDLM #TeamStarkid 
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