Simply Unreal

What a crazy show! I just got back from the Season Preview Party at Balagan Theatre, and boy am I speechless. The amount of talent in that room was simply unreal, and the dream experience of every theatre-goer. I mean, Alice Ripley and Jerick Hoffer (aka Jinkx Monsoon) on the same stage at the same time?! Unreal.

The house was packed tonight, explaining the endless line that curved around the side of the theatre. It was my first time watching a performance at The Moore, and it was definitely a great show to see for the first time there. The show started with a bang and a song from the upbeat Jerry Springer: The Opera, with the ensemble on stage. The rest of the night featured songs from the upcoming season and many different solo performances by fabulous singers including but not limited to Justin Huertas, Heath Saunders, Kristen DeLohr Helland, Ryan McCabe, Louis Hobson, Keaton Whittaker, and of course, our stars, Jerick Hoffer/Jinkx Monsoon and Alice Ripley. I was definitely looking forward to their performances since I checked Facebook and discovered this amazing concert. My hopes were definitely satisfied. Jinkx Monsoon sang an amazing rendition of I Will Survive (one of my favorites!), an interpretation that only she would be able to execute. Later, she came back to sing The Orgin of Love from Hedwig and The Angry Inch, amazing the audience with her charm. During Alice Ripley's performance, I particularly enjoyed her singing I Miss The Mountains, from the show Next To Normal that she starred in on Broadway, with her amazing, raw, distinct, unique voice that I can spot anywhere. It felt like a dream being able to listen to her sing live, and it's way better than listening to the Next To Normal original Broadway cast recording on shuffle.

The musicians in the concert were great, as were the tech people. I am so impressed and proud of how much talent our city holds! The show definitely made my night, and I look forward to coming to more Season Preview Parties in the future.

You can check out Balagan Theatre's full season lineup, which kicks of September 6th with a little-known musical called Les Miserables at balagantheatre.org