MickeyJoTheatre Podcast: "Huzzah! (Old Globe, San Diego) – REVIEW"

Host: Mickey Jo
Date: October 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, theatre critic and YouTuber Mickey Jo reviews the world premiere of Huzzah!, a new musical by Nell Benjamin and Larry O’Keefe, staged at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Drawing from his first-ever visit to California and armed with a deep love for all things theatrical, Mickey Jo explores the show's ambitions, successes, and struggles, offering a candid critique for listeners considering the future of this Renaissance Faire-set musical.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Impressions & Excitement

• Huzzah! is created by the acclaimed husband-and-wife team Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls) and Larry O’Keefe (Heather’s, Legally Blonde), known for youthful, energetic musicals.
• The show’s premise—set in an American Renaissance Fair—intrigued Mickey Jo, especially given their novelty to UK audiences.

  “The vibes of the thing, at least the way that it’s portrayed in Huzzah, feels a little bit like Disneyland if everyone is having at least three more drinks.” (03:52)

2. Describing the Setting & World of the Play

• Renaissance Fairs are explained as a uniquely American tradition—a fusion of theme parks and historical reenactments.
• The musical tries to capitalize on this distinctive, colorful environment, complete with pirates, Shakespearean theatrics, and rowdy fairgoers.

3. Plot Structure & Thematic Concerns

• The central plot follows two sisters, Gwen and Kate, daughters of the fair’s proprietor, as they navigate family rifts and the arrival of a new, disruptive reenactor, Sir Roland.

• The father’s instability and the financial crisis spark tensions—leading to the hiring of Sir Roland, a zealot with no bank account but ample “renaissance authenticity.”

• The story quickly escalates from light comedy to a convoluted, tense allegory, echoing themes of despotic leadership and political division.

  “My thesis basically is that you could just take a normal day at the Renaissance Fair and create songs around that. And that is a good enough musical.” (07:55)

  “Not unlike the Addams Family before it, I feel as though we take what would be a really easy, fun musical comedy concept and we make it needlessly frustrating and needlessly convoluted.” (08:43)

• As the plot develops, the fair divides into rival factions led by the sisters—a plot device Mickey Jo likens to “Lord of the Flies, but with turkey legs.” (13:53)

• By Act II, the musical shades into political allegory, reflecting on contemporary issues of division and authoritarianism.

  "It starts to feel a lot like a political allegory that speaks to how a society can become divided under the reign of an egotistic, egotistical dictator..." (14:37)

4. Critique of the Show’s Tone and Structure

• Mickey Jo expresses disappointment that the show is less fun and whimsical than its premise promises.

• The attempt to weave depth and dysfunction into the narrative results in tonal confusion; instead of joy or insight, the musical lands in an awkward middle.

  "It tries to do something that is funny, that is silly, but references all of that political drama… It just isn’t fun enough or joyous enough, or enough of a distraction from the world being on fire." (28:45)

• Plot inconsistencies, such as the characters seemingly living at the fair with no outside world, undermine the narrative’s credibility.

  "...this plot… does not allow for the possibility of an outside world...This could only really work at a Renaissance Fair, which nobody ever leaves." (16:54)

5. Musical Score and Standout Songs

• While a few songs (like “The Song of Kate”) shine, the overall score leans more serious and self-indulgent than expected for Benjamin and O’Keefe’s typically “frothy” output.

• The musical flavor remains too tied to faux-Elizabethan pastiche, never bursting into the “bangers” the creative team are capable of.

  “I want this to be bright, poppy, frothy Renaissance Fair songs. And I wonder if it’s brought down a little bit too much… by an attempt to make everything sound of the era and of this Renaissance Elizabethan style.” (18:25) “It sounds very much like the first few moments of Something Rotten before Something Rotten bursts out of that introduction...That’s the energy I wanted from this show, and I feel like we almost never really got there.” (19:00)

6. Character Arcs and Performances

• Gwen (Lisi Lafontaine): The “practical” elder sister who begrudgingly reconnects with her Renaissance Fair roots, though her motivations are sometimes confused.

• Kate (Kalyn Fu): The enthusiastic, loyal younger sister, and the emotional heart of the story’s familial strand.

• Sir Roland (Leo Roberts): A charming manipulator whose true, dictatorial nature emerges as events spiral.

• Mickey Jo praises not just the three leads, but the rich, distinct supporting cast, highlighting Kate Shindle, Josh Breckenridge, Peyton Crimm, Alison Gwynne, and Kevin Pariseau.

  “I enjoyed both of their performances tremendously. I bought them as sisters. They had this very Anna-Elsa-from-Frozen quality...” (23:19) “Our antagonist… Sir Roland Proud, played by Leo Roberts. I spent much of the first act thinking, wow, he can do a really great British accent. And then I realized…he is, in fact, British, which explains it.” (23:44)

7. Production & Design Praise

• The design team is “fabulous across the board”:
  • Todd Rosenthal (scenic design),
  • Hades Eladott (costumes),
  • Jeff Kreuter (lighting),
  • Conor Wang (sound),
  • Erin Chunili (wigs).
• Special affection for the costumes: “Probably my favorite things on stage…so hypersaturated and colorful. I thought they were really great.” (21:02)
• Direction by Annie Tipp and choreography by Katie Spellman infused the show with energy, even as the book struggled.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the setting:

  "The vibes of the thing… feels a little bit like Disneyland if everyone is having at least three more drinks." (03:52)

• On the script’s missteps:

  "It’s a tricorn hat on a tricorn hat." (10:22)

• On the musical irony:

  "If you can’t get laid at the Renaissance Fair, you cannot get laid." (05:03)

• On the show’s muddled identity:

  "It tries to do something that is funny, that is silly, but references all of that political drama… if it was landing a little bit more, if it was evoking these guffaws of laughter, which it wasn’t really." (28:45)

• On audience experience:

  "I just didn’t think that we were all having a good enough time at the Renaissance Fair musical." (29:23)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:49 | Show introduction and context on Renaissance Fairs | | 04:30 | Show’s premise and unique setting | | 06:40 | Concerns about over-complicating the basic premise | | 10:22 | “Tricorn hat on a tricorn hat”—on needlessly complex story | | 13:50 | Plot summary: rivalry, division, and the rise of Sir Roland | | 14:37 | Shift into political allegory; US political climate parallels| | 16:54 | Plot holes: characters inexplicably never leave the fair | | 18:25 | Score assessment; lack of expected musical energy | | 21:02 | Praise for staging, costumes, and design elements | | 23:19 | Acting highlights: sisters’ dynamic, ensemble | | 28:45 | Final thoughts: identity crisis and lack of pure fun |

Final Thoughts

• Potential for the Future:
  Mickey Jo sees the show's core setting, cast, and design as highly marketable, envisioning immersive experiences with costumed audiences and Renaissance-themed theater concessions. But as it stands, Huzzah! is caught between being a silly, joyful romp and earnest, weighty allegory—leaving neither aspect fully satisfying.

• Summary Judgment:

  “It wasn’t hard to watch, it wasn’t dissatisfying, it wasn’t boring, it was just a little less fun, a little less whimsical, a little less joyous than I was desperately hoping it would be.” (27:21)

Listener Call to Action

Mickey Jo encourages listeners who saw Huzzah! to share their own perspectives and ideas for improvement, showing his openness to broader conversation around the work’s development and future.

For more theatre reviews, subscribe to MickeyJoTheatre on YouTube, podcast platforms, or follow on social media.