As a millennial, Alanis Morissette’s third album Jagged Little Pill is one that transports you to a certain place and time that no longer exists—the ’90s of moody rockers who did crazy things like be completely naked through an entire music video (remember “Thank U”?)
Then came the musical in 2018, bringing Morissette’s blockbuster album of bangers to the stage (and based on the book by Diablo Cody), bringing new meaning to these nearly 30-year-old songs.
In case you missed it, the singer-songwriter does not shy away from controversy, tough topics, and coarse language, so I was interested to see how this would play out in a world where musical theatre often steps into the realm of cheesy.
Jagged Little Pill, performed by Slow Burn Theatre Co., opens with the cheery Healy family sitting on their living room couch during the holiday season, mom Mary Jane gleefully typing away about each of her family members’ accomplishments. Her husband Steve has made partner at the firm, their son Nick was accepted to Harvard University, and their adopted Black daughter Frankie is a budding poet.
Except things aren’t perfect. This is a musical based on a Morissette album, after all.
Mary Jane (Kimberly Doreen Burns) is addicted to opioids after a car accident, Steve (Ben Sandomir) watches way too much porn since they haven’t had sex in a year, Nick (Isaac Kueber) is one fake smile away from combusting, and Frankie (Lauren Chanel) is in a relationship with a girl and struggles to fit in in their white Connecticut town.
The musical moves through school, Starbucks, a Soul Cycle class, Steve’s office and the Healy home with ease, with every song melting seamlessly into the storyline. Little details are pulled from the lyrics, including Frankie’s classmates pointing out to her that her poem is actually not ironic, just crap circumstances. It’s in her English class that she meets Phoenix (Manny Tijerina), who she agrees to go to a party with. Her brother Nick is there too, and the musical takes an even darker turn when their classmate, Bella, (Emily Van Vliet Perea) is raped.
Nick sees it happen but does nothing. Frankie is horrified that Bella doesn’t want to report the crime. Mary Jane tries to get everyone to move on, lest Harvard finds out about this stain on their family. Steve is desperate to save his marriage, but he doesn’t know why his wife is so distant.
Some of the most powerful scenes star Burns. When she runs out of refills at the pharmacy, she finds a dealer to get her the good stuff, and in a high she sings “Smiling” (from Morissette’s newer Such Pretty Forks in the Road) as she experiences her day in reverse, a dancer serving as the ghost of addiction guiding her through the monotony of running errands. “I barely remember who I failed / I was just trying to keep it together.”
This “ghost” returns throughout the musical, performed masterfully by Madeline Dunn, a member of the ensemble as well as a choreographer for the show. Her rhythmic dance does battle with a high Mary Jane during the haunting “Uninvited,” as well as Bella recounting the night of her rape in “Predator” and “No,” the latter written for the stage.
Both are difficult to watch; yes, there are a lot of trigger warnings in this show.
Jagged Little Pill swells with Frankie leading the charge to stand up for Bella, Nick deciding to come forward with what he’s seen, and Steve discovering Mary Jane on the floor, having overdosed on pills laced with fentanyl.
Without giving everything away, the show ends with Mary Jane back on the couch, surrounded by her family once again for the following year’s Christmas card. It’s a much more honest account of how everyone is doing. Steve reminds her she’s not at rock bottom anymore; more like middle bottom.
I think many of us can relate to that.
Jagged Little Pill is playing now through June 28 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. For details, visit browardcenter.org.
