Review of Opening Night (2017) by Jess L — 30 Oct 2018

Full disclosure, I grew up in the golden age of boybands, worshipping at the altar of *NSYNC, with JC Chasez, with his sultry smooth sounds and cheekbones, lips and jawline, my true idol. So, yes, I was super excited that finally, the world would bear witness to the triple threat that is JC Chasez. I also grew up loving musicals, any heartbreak I endured in my late teen years would be lulled by my singing "On My Own" from Les Mis to myself... so really, it would be pretty hard for me, a musical theatre loving fan girl to not love this movie. And guess what, I loved this movie.

It was an extremely entertaining ride, and when I think of injustice in the world, I think about how they made Pitch Perfect 3 times when you get the ultimate sing/dance off between Broadway veterans Taye Diggs and Lesli Margherita in this movie. That mash up of I Know What Boys Like/The Bad Touch, was a gift I never knew I wanted.

But okay, the story itself, it's opening night, JC Chasez plays an inflated, narcissistic version of himself, a has-been second banana with everything to prove, headlining a terrible musical about One Hit Wonders. Topher, after a fall from Grace, (ha ha?), is the surly stage manager who lost his nerve, and girl, after a bad opening night of his own. It's a movie that comments about how stupid musicals are, while it bursts into song. And what can go wrong on openinging night when you have a colourful cast of charicatures. Yes.