Does this post go in this topic? I mean, it is something I'm listening to, so I guess it works? Whatever - not like there's a musical topic anyway (I'd be like the only one posting there anyway...).
I mean, you guys know I love musical theatre. It's like the one thing my wife bugs me the most about. Why watch football, a bunch of dirty men running around in mud, when I could watch a bunch of men dress up as women in an attempt to sabotage the French?
So, I got to see a really neat show called Heathers: The Musical not that long ago based on a movie of the same name (Heathers). The movie starred Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and that girl from Charmed I can never remember the name of. It was a real black comedy teen movie meant as satire that is actually pretty solid even watching it today. It focuses on teen suicide, homophobia, and other fun topics that would get it blacklisted as a high school production (where it probably would be best performed anyway)...which is kind of funny, as it was a high school that put on the show I saw and, other than censoring some profanity (basically, the words "fuck" and "shit"), it was mostly complete as a show. That theatre director has some serious balls, and the cast did it really, really well. Seriously, how the hell they were able to do it in this day and age after all these shootings...pretty impressive. The musical pulls a lot from the movie - it follows generally the same structure, plot sequence, etc., with some minor changes to characters and events which are for the better. Notably, nearly every character is significantly more likable and sympathetic in the musical than the movie, even the ones that try to rape and murder everyone. It helps they get a bit more depth to their backstories in the musical, and songs to help flesh them out a bit more.
So...yeah, how about a review? I guess the most important part should come first - the music review, which seems appropriate for this forum thread. One interesting thing is that the premiere soundtrack (which I'll link below) doesn't include several songs. This is actually completely fine - most of the songs are reprises of another song that generally includes the same characters and the same motif. The non-reprisal songs include a pep rally cheer and a dream sequence. They're also really short, even the non-reprisal songs, and outside of the reprisal of "Blue", I don't even miss them in the soundtrack. With that said, on to the songs!
*****OBVIOUS SPOILERS, IF YOU CARE*****
Beautiful (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAmmc7VFiZY)"I'd like to kidnap a Heather and photograph her naked in an abandoned warehouse and leave her tied up for the rats"
This is the opening number of the show, and it does an excellent job as such. This is actually the first thing the musical does different than the movie, and probably the most important. In the movie, Veronica is a member of the popular crowd, and wants out, but there's not really any background to it, no explanation how she got there, how she doesn't fit in there, etc. Here, the reason Veronica got involved with them is defined - she's able to forge a hall pass to get them out of detention, and she asks to be associated with them so that people don't make fun of her anymore. It's really helpful to establish this early, and it makes a huge difference in Veronica's character compared to the movie. As an intro song, it's a good establishing song, putting the majority of the characters into focus that need to be put into focus. It introduces Veronica (the main character), Martha (her best friend), Ram and Kurt (two dumb jocks who harass everyone), Miss Fleming (the school guidance counselor), and the Heathers (Heather Chandler, the "mythic bitch" leader of the group; Heather McNamara, the head cheerleader; and Heather Duke, with "no discernible personality, but implants"), covering nearly the entire main cast. The song itself is repeated in pieces throughout the show, which is great - "beautiful" as a word has a lot of import in the show itself, and hearing it repeated hearkens back to the intro song, even as the show gets darker, which really adds to its impact. Really solid opening song. Don't know if it's the best opening song to a musical, but it's solidly up there (I should probably make that list someday...).
Candy Store (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQOoTX1Nxx8)"SHUT UP HEATHER!"
This song kicks in a few weeks into Veronica's integration into the Heathers, where she's forced into forging a letter to Martha from Ram, whom Martha has had a crush on since Kindergarten. Veronica refuses, but then the Heathers (primarily Heather Chandler) jump into this song, to goad her into doing it or lose her social life and any popularity she has. It's a damn catchy song. It's basically peer pressure and temptation in song form. So damn catchy. Seriously, it doesn't leave your head. Incidentally, this is one of the songs with a reprise in the show later on. It's like a 30 second reprise, that just repeats the "it's my candy store, it's my candy" several times. The reprise...feels completely unnecessary (it's sung after Veronica's parents meet the Heathers and disapprove of them...so doesn't really advance the story much with the music at all), although IT'S SO DAMN CATCHY I don't mind it terribly. Seriously, the song's catchy and perfectly exemplifies the bitchiness and sheer power the Heathers have. Again, a fun song.
Fight for Me(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmHPhhJWNKI) "But with this kid...DAMN!"
One of the things I like about the show is that it pulls the standard teen comedy/drama tropes you'd be expecting, all to set up a payoff later on for dealing with something so cliche. This song is sung almost immediately after Candy Store, where a new student at the school, James Dean (J.D.) sees Veronica forging the letter for Martha and chastizes her for abandoning her best friend. Then Kurt and Ram come in and try to beat up the new kid, only to get their assess kicked by him (in the movie, he pulls a gun and fires at them). This song is sung by Veronica during/after the fight, as she's enthralled by him. The song itself...is fine. It's really a set piece that starts building on the teen movie cliche of the main character falling in love with the new person at school. Not a song I mind, but it's not terribly catchy or anything other than a set-piece. Lyrics are ok, musical composition is decent. Again, not bad, but by its nature, it's a very cliche and simple song that exists because it has to.
Freeze Your Brain (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAOxJv96VE8)"Happiness comes when everything numbs"
Oooooohhhhh. Okay, now I love this song. This is sung by J.D. at a 7-Eleven (this occurs 2 scenes after the previous song, after the Candy Store reprise mentioned earlier), and completely puts J.D.'s philosophy about life and how he deals with trouble front and centre. Again, a great difference between the musical and the movie is that this adds a ton of character background to J.D. that wasn't present in the movie. It's kind of sad if you start looking into the lyrics and think about what he's saying. He misses his mother, hates his father, hates moving all the time, and wants to forget how much he hates his life in general. And slurpees make everything better.
Ok, that last line makes a little more sense in context. A short song, but the background it provides for J.D. is great, and really establishes his character. Again, this is what helps make J.D. not a completely misanthropic psychopath in the musical, which is how he kind of comes off as in the movie. A great character-defining song.
Big Fun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q1p89oUQUM)"Let's rub each other's backs while watching porn on Cinemax"
There is a LOT going on in this song. In summary, it's a homecoming party held by Ram and Kurt as their fathers leave town on a fishing trip. The start of this scene before the song starts adds a bit more background to Ram and Kurt - before their fathers leave, they treat their sons like their sons treat the kids at school, which gives a little more insight into their characters that was hinted at but not made obvious in the movie. I like Ram and Kurt - they're stupid, but so, so lovable, and have one of the best songs in the whole damn show together later. During the party, Veronica gets really, really drunk. She's able to prevent Ram from sexually harassing Heather Duke (implied rape, although that comes more from the movie than the musical), and prevents the Heathers from making fun of Martha (who arrives at the party eager to meet Ram, because of the forged letter from earlier) by dressing a pig up to look like her. The latter really pisses off Heather Chandler, who threatens to ruin Veronica's life. Veronica then proceeds to vomit on Heather's shoes, which doesn't help matters. I hate summarizing this song more than commenting on it, but there is a lot going on here...and unfortunately, it's not something I really get into. Again, like Fight for Me, it's a really a transition piece to move things forward. It's a very focal transition piece, but not something I really get hyped to listen to. It's just a bunch of stuff happening, but I don't really get into it. By itself, it's not got a lot going for it. Again, it's a transition piece, so that's to be expected. However, what comes after this...
Dead Girl Walking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EyDyxGZn_Y)"I'm hot and pissed and on the pill"
I love this song, and I especially love its darker reprise later on in the show (spoilers!). Initially when I was thinking of this song's transition from the previous scene (it takes place immediately after the last scene), I really was having trouble putting together why Veronica would go this far...
...right, should explain what the song is. Veronica bangs J.D.
Ok, now, where was I? Right! I wasn't sure how Veronica made the jump from "lose social status" to "sex myself up since that's all I have left". Thinking about it more, though...well, the simple answer was that she was drunk. I think being drunk combined with a "well, I've lost my social status, so having sex with this guy no one else likes can't make it worse" mentality makes this work. I still think there's a little bit of a stretch to get to this scene, but...it works. Seriously, being drunk can make you do crazy shit. Bloody students/patients...
And I love this scene. Veronica decides to have her way with J.D. (a little bit of lust from earlier combined with alcohol helps), and it's played very risque. I think that's actually standard for how this show is done, but when I saw it, they really...experimented. Multiple assumed sex positions, more moaning...and it looked like it was bordering on real. I mean...I was wondering if it was at one point (+1 point to the acting stat for those 2 studnets). What I really love the most in this song is how it pulls the "Beautiful" leitmotif into the song. It's a really nice, soft addition to an otherwise hard (lol) song. Also, I still laugh every time I hear J.D. ask how Veronica found his address.
This scene wasn't in the movie - Veronica and J.D. have sex after Veronica is ejected from the party, but J.D. comes over to her house afterwards, and they play strip croquet (...wha?). So...yeah, for all that the mental transition of this scene is a little hard (lol) for me, I like this scene a lot. It's passionate and powerful, which is how it should be. It's a fun song that I know the actors had a ton of fun with.
Right after this song is one of the songs that's not on the soundtrack ("Very"). It's the dream sequence mentioned earlier, where Heather Chandler taunts Veronica that she's a slut now. It's short, and I imagine it more as guilt on Veronica's part than anything else. So...no real comments on that.
The Me Inside of Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esJKM00L9Ss)"I am more than just a source of handjobs"
So right after the dream sequence, Veronica and J.D. go to Heather Chandler's house with intent to apologize for the party from earlier. Heather tells Veronica to make her a hangover cure. As they're making it, J.D. jokingly puts drain cleaner into a drink and suggests that they give that to Heather. Veronica is aghast, but accidentally grabs the drink with the drain cleaner in it. J.D. notices, but says nothing. Heather promptly dies
. Appalled and desperate, Veronica forges a suicide note to make it look like Heather killed herself. This song is the suicide note, as well as the reaction of the school to Heather's note, which is written with far more depth than anyone expected of her.
This is where the story turns away from the cliche. The reaction of the teachers and adults in general is pretty hilarious, thinking that this is great that now everyone is opening up with their feelings and discussing suicide prevention campaigns at the school. It's a hilarious reaction, and ghost Heather Chandler LOVES it. Speaking of that last point, a big difference from the movie that helps the musical a lot is that, while Heather Chandler still dies like 30 minutes into the story, she returns as a ghost/voice inside Veronica's head for the rest of the show. It's not...clear which it's supposed to be, and frankly, I like that it's open up to interpretation. In the movie, she had one short scene later on in a dream sequence, and then was completely gone. Keeping her in the show was a great idea as it adds additional humor to the production.
Blue (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzqUTJ7U3xs)"Ew. You've got a left hand, use it""
Oh god this song. I mean...the topic of this song is attempted date rape. Ram and Kurt are so drunk that they're inappropriately touching the remaining Heathers. The Heathers lock themselves in a car and call Veronica over to give them "release". Veronica says it best: "So...you avoided date rape...by volunteering me...for date rape". This song...is Ram and Kurt's serenade to her. It's hilarious. Veronica gets them even more drunk so they pass out, and thus everyone avoids date rape. It's so hilarious. It also is an important plot song that moves the rest of the act along! I love this song - it's just so ridiculous. I don't have much to add here - it's mostly there for comedy, but the event actually comes up later when...
...not too long after the song is over, its reprise plays (along with a reprise of "Beautiful" that the "Blue" reprise flows into very smoothly). This is the one missing song I'd love to have on the soundtrack, as it's a decent length and an expansion on the previous song. It's...not necessary for the show, but it is just hilarious. Ram and Kurt spread a rumor that Veronica did have sex with them last night ("There was a big swordfight in her mouth"). The school brands her a slut, J.D. tries to defend her but gets beat up instead. Which leads us into the final song/scene of the first act...
Our Love is God (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3dGcN_mJ50)"We're what killed the dinosaurs, we're the asteroid that's overdue"
Oh this song. This show is heavy mood whiplash, which I like. This song is probably the best example of that whiplash, going from sweet and kind to hate-filled and harsh. The music itself changes with the song, so that the lyrics "Our love is god" spoken at the end sound completely different from the beginning. The starts out so sweet, with J.D. comforting Veronica, and the two of them confessing their love to each other. "Our Love is God", like beautiful, is a musical motif that resounds throughout the remainder of the show, both sweetly and not-so-sweetly. As the sweet part builds up, J.D. tells Veronica that he'll get them back by tranquilizing them and planting a suicide note declaring their gay love for each other, to make them suffer embarassment like they did to Veronica. Unfortunately...those weren't tranquilizers, but real bullets, and J.D. kills both Ram and Kurt. Then the darker reprise of the song's intro begins, with some changed lyrics ("They died because God said they must" becomes "they'll die because we say they must") that really accentuate the seriousness of the situation, and how the cliche has changed drastically. Veronica is terribly shaken by this...and the act closes.
Another change from the movie, as Veronica actually shot Ram in the movie. She also seems less shaken up by it in the movie vs. the musical. As for my thoughts on this song? It's a damn good jarring song upon which to end the act. It definitely completely changes the dynamic of the show, and I love the echoing of the lyrics "our love is God" throughout. Don't know if it's my favourite act closer, but it's solid, and really does get the job done.
Also, now Kurt and Ram join Heather as ghosts/hallucinations in Veronica's mind. Also a great choice on the show's part, both from the depiction of mental anguish in Veronica's mind as well as from a comedic standpoint.
My Dead Gay Son (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k8DwNoAYQY)"They're up there disco dancing to the thump of angel wings"
So...act 2 opens up with a short song from Veronica ("Prom or Hell"), lamenting that maybe Kurt and Ram would have gotten better, but they never got the chance. It's really short, but speaks to Veronica's torment at the whole situation.
The main part of act 2 begins with Kurt and Ram's funeral. We met their fathers earlier, and had this been the movie, we'd hear a short speech here and be done. But Ram's father surprisingly completely accepts his son's homosexuality and pushes for homosexual tolerance among everyone. Again, more depth for 2 really one-off characters in the original movie. The song is a lot of fun - it's sung in a church, so the background sounds very gospel-ey - hell, it's played exactly like the general perception of a revival church's choir, and that just adds to the fun. The only comment I have otherwise are the lyrics - looking at them initially, they felt kind of...cliched, as in "this is what gay people do", but thinking about it more, it makes perfect sense. No one in this town knows about homosexual culture, so they don't have anything to go off.
This scene is where J.D. comes to the conclusion that the killing is actually beneficial, and that further cleansing is needed and helpful. Now he wants to kill Heather Duke, but Veronica threatens to break up with him if he does. This leads to the revelation about J.D.'s mother - she couldn't deal with the abuse from his father, and walked into a building about to be demolished, IN FRONT OF HER SON, WAVING TO HIM FROM INSIDE AS IT BLEW UP.
Jesus Christ...no wonder this kid is fucked up and hates his father.
Seventeen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h80Sr15n4M)"I could be good with you"
So, after that revelation, this song begins. It's Veronica's attempts to get J.D. to stop the killing and be a normal 17-year old. This song, along with "Beautiful" and "Our Love is God" is another song that echoes throughout the show, which again, works very well. Unlike "Fight for Me", which I feel was a necessary set-piece, I like this song as a "love" song. It feels genuine on both sides, and I think J.D. does take it to heart - his feelings for Veronica are real, as are hers for him. Not much more to say - straightforward, overall good song.
I love how Heather Chandler, Kurt, and Ram taunt Veronica after this song. "Well fuck me gently with a chainsaw!" indeed. Incidentally, the scene that follows involves Veronica telling Martha (hey, haven't mentioned her in a while) the truth about Ram's note, which completely devastates her. More on that later...
Shine a Light (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIGvxf0IEXs)"Every day's a battlefield when pride's on the line"
The intro to this song is honestly hilarious in a black comedy way. "Whether to kill yourself or not is one of the most important decisions a teenager can make". Miss Fleming involves the audience in this scene, and kudos to the one I saw who really rolled with the oddball comments of the audience when she asked them questions ("What's your greatest fear?" "Erectile dysfunction" "Come see me after the show and we'll work on that together"). I don't know if the comments were staged or not, but I don't think they were (since she didn't point to someone, just asked the audience as a whole). Her character got a huge upgrade from the movie, where she appeared like 3 times and barely said anything. Here, she is the main adult character with her own song. It's a bit of a self-absorbed song too - she brings along TV cameras and a newscrew for this song, which is staged as a student assembly about opening up about feelings and creating a positive environment at the school to prevent more suicides.
As to the song itself...eh. On paper it's a decent song, but I don't have a strong opinion on it. I wish the part where Miss Fleming shares some of her issues was expanded with more unnamed students sharing some of their issues. I...guess that means the song works? It's a bit of a publicity stunt, so the fact it's so focused on her works, but...eh. Not bad, just I don't feel strongly about it. Decent composition, good vocals, works well for the show, but not one I can say I love a lot.
Lifeboat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO_bnOUmX6s)"Everyone's pushing, everyone's fighting"
This song kicks in just about right after the last song, and...oh wow, a Heather McNamara song? So...Miss Fleming states that students can share their concerns, and the only one who does is Heather McNamara. Heather McNamara has been like the least involved Heather in the show so far. After Heather Chandler died, Heather Duke took up her reigns as leader, and Heather fell further into the background. So I like that Heather McNamara gets to actually get involved with the show. The intro is pretty funny, but like a lot of the humor in this show, there's more depth than just straight comedy, "I've thought about killing myself. The last guy I slept with killed himself because he was gay for his linebacker. Then my best friend seemed to have it all together, but now she's gone too. And now my stomach hurts worse and worse and every morning on the bus I feel my heart beating louder and faster. And I'm like - Jesus, I'm on the freaking bus again because all my rides to school are dead." Both funny and sad at the same time.
The song is short, but it is powerful. She expresses how desperate she feels every day, that she's where she is only because she feels like she has to be, and any one wrong move could drown her. One of the stronger songs in this show - I think it really gets the point across of how close Heather McNamara is to crashing.
So, of course, Heather Duke is a bitch and turns the school against her after she shares everything. Veronica defends her, and calls Miss Fleming out for this publicity stunt and the harm it has caused to Heather McNamara. Miss Fleming misses the point ("I don't patronize bunny rabbits!"), and in her rage, Veronica admits to the murders in front of everyone.
And of course, no one believes her. Everyone laughs it off as an attempt to be popular. Even Miss Fleming laughs. Veronica then immediately runs off to...
Shine a Light Reprise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_Zi4F1I8I)"Stupid child-proof caps!"
The naming of this song...makes sense as it is an outgrowth of "Shine a Light" - while the original song was supposed to be positive, the reprise is dark and twisted, as all the original song did was push Heather McNamara to suicide. It must be reiterated again that Heather Duke is a complete bitch - she leads the chorus that keeps pushing Heather McNamara to kill herself. This references "Candy Store" with the lyrics, and in a dark way. It's short, and really only makes sense in context, but it works well for what it is. Not much to say really.
During the scene that follows, the "Seventeen" motif plays, and Heather McNamara becomes friends with Veronica after she saves her life (and being the only person who cared). It's really touching. And funny. "If everyone you knew jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?" "Mmm hmm".
After that, J.D. chastises Veronica for letting Heather Duke live after what she did to Heather McNamara. They argue, and Veronica breaks up with J.D. There's another song here, "Westerburg Cheer", which is an announcement of a pep rally later tonight. It's...a cheer. Moving on...J.D. blackmails Heather Duke into getting students to sign a petition for him, and we move on to the next song...
(Seriously, that's actually a lot that happens within the last 3 songs...)
Kindergarten Boyfriend (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9MwGckEZd4)"Certain girls are meant to be alone"
Man. Poor Martha. Martha in the show is a composite of two characters from the movie, Martha and Betty. She is the only unambiguously good person in the show, and every scene that she's in she gets beaten down in some way.
So...is it bad to say I don't like this song much?
It does what it needs to and establishes that Martha's holding on to something from ages ago (Ram kissed her in kindergarten, and she still has a crush on him) and can't let go. Indeed, the last 2 verses are really dark, and build up to her attempting suicide nicely ("So I'll build a dream that I can live in, and this time I'm never waking up"). I just...the song states that she's a smart person, but some of the stuff she does is rather creep - she kept a scab he pulled off and made a locket out of it? It's satirical and ironic, yes, but every time I hear the song it's...yes, I know she's breaking down with Veronica having betrayed her now, but I just don't get into the song at all.
Yo Girl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOsWPIqL22s)"Now you're truly a Heather"
Heather Duke starts off by revealing to Veronica and Heather McNamara that Martha just attempted suicide. She lives, but the whole school thinks it was a popularity stunt.
Again, black comedy.
Hey, dead people sing! Heather Chandler, Kurt, and Ram do all the singing in this song. The song is a build up to Veronica's realization that everything is falling apart, that she has caused all this trauma for everyone. The music builds up in intensity until J.D. breaks into her room, which leads directly into the next song...
Meant to Be Yours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD7x_7tUFNI)"Tonight our school is Vietnam"
Awwwww shit. I love this song. It is psychotic at its finest. J.D. sings about what's going down tonight - that petition was a suicide note, he's going to blow up the school, and he wants Veronica to come make s'mores in the fiery rubble with him. This song is back and forth angry, forgiving, hate-filled, and sincere.
It's like if Kefka got a song at the end of FF6 right before the final battle.
Anyway, yeah, one of my favorite songs here. It's a mix of emotions on both sides, and ends with Veronica hanging herself in her closet.
...wait, what?
The transition in the song from J.D. after seeing this is jarring - as insane as everything is, he actually does care about her. He loves her, as twisted as it may be. It is an excellent song, and really emphasizes the conflict of the show's climax coming up (so...uh...spoilers, she's not actually dead). J.D. vows to finish this in Veronica's memory.
In the movie...J.D. actually came in to Veronica's room with intent to kill her. J.D. in the movie comes off as a complete sociopath. Not that...he doesn't have issues in the musical, but there's a hell of a lot more sympathy for him here than in the movie.
Dead Girl Walking Reprise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIHPNqYiPSM)"It's one more dance and then farewell"
Kicking in right after the last song/scene (where it's revealed Veronica tied the noose in a way that didn't, you know, strangle her), this is the climax song. Veronica realizes the mistakes she's made, and heads to confront J.D. and save everyone, even if (and, perhaps, especially if) it means her own death. Over the background of this song is the pep rally cheer (led by Heather McNamara). Miss Fleming again misses the point ("Veronica! Jason Dean told us you'd just committed suicide!" "Yeah, well, he's wrong about a lot of things" "I threw together a lovely tribute, especially given the short notice..."), but points her in the right direction to stop J.D.
Veronica confronts J.D. in the school's boiler room. I love Veronica's appeal to J.D. ("I wish your mom had been a little stronger"..."I wish you'd come with me"), although he rejects it ("I wish I had more TNT"). Veronica and J.D. struggle, and it ends with J.D. getting shot ("Was it good for you? 'Cause it kind of sucked for me").
Now, my one complaint here is that I was expecting more of a reaction when J.D. sees Veronica alive. It...isn't much of anything, honestly. I would have expected them to talk a little bit more, maybe J.D. say something like, "You're alive, but next time maybe not...I have to do this", rather than being gung-ho about fighting her and POINTING A GUN TO HER HEAD BEFORE SHE DOES ANYTHING TO HIM. That's a little out of character to me here. Still, song is overall good. Which leads us into the final 2...
I Am Damaged (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlVxhg-HVCk)"Say hi to God"
Veronica tries to take the bomb out to the football field and detonate it, killing her but saving everyone else. But guess who still lives? Yep, J.D. follows her out, and has completely changed from the last scene.
See, this is the reason I had an issue with J.D.'s reaction to Veronica's survival in the last song/scene. This is how I would have expected him to react, with compassion, with "I'll trade my life for yours". Veronica's reaction is appropriate, once she realizes what J.D. is about to do ("Not this way!"). I guess you could argue he's a bit crazed in the last scene, but I don't completely buy that.
This song plays the motif from "Our Love is God" again, and it's a bit of a tearjerker. There's even a bit of "Seventeen" at the beginning, and that just adds to the emotion here. Even if you think J.D.'s crazy and dangerous (which...uh...he is), he cares about Veronica, just like he promised earlier in the show. Much better than in the movie, where he's really an unrepentant jackass. He takes the bomb from her to detonate on his own, saving Veronica as she can be the one to make the changes that are needed. And thus, he goes boom. Veronica enters the gym where the pep rally was taking place, and the finale begins...
Seventeen Reprise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAAXjHKXhNI)"We're all damaged, we're all frightened, we're all freaks but that's alright"
The show ends with a reprisal of "Seventeen" and "Beautiful". Veronica makes up with Martha and brings Heather McNamara into their friend circle, leaving Heather Duke alone.
Serves you right, you stupid bitch.
It's a good finale, ties up the show, ends on a happy-ish note. Calling back to the opening number of the show, that everything and everyone can become "Beautiful" was a great choice. It's a pleasant ending, and one that I was happy to see the show end on.
My top 3 song picks would be (in no particular order):
1) Dead Girl Walking
2) Beautiful
3) Meant to Be Yours
So, that's the music of the show! Additional character comments? Sure!
Veronica - Compared to the movie, she's a lot more sympathetic. In the movie, there's a some argument to be made that she's more complacent with the killing, and her turning around at the end is still positive, but she doesn't seem as affected by everything. Her character arc in the musical is very well-done, with a ton of growth and development, moreso than was done in the movie. In regards to whether Heather Chandler, Ram, and Kurt are ghosts or hallucinations...I think it's open to interpretation, but I think they're hallucinations of a guilty conscience. After her faked suicide, when she resolves to stop J.D. even if it kills her, they never reappear. I think that's her coming to grips with what she's done and what she has to do. You can make the argument that she's responsible for all 3 deaths, and that it's ridiculously lucky she gets away with admitting to the murders with no consequences other than the mental scars. And...you're right. There's nothing I can say to counter that, but that feeling is much less pronounced here than in the movie, where she is directly responsible for Ram's death, and displays far less guilt for the deaths. She's way more stoic in the movie, and I think being more open in the musical still makes her way more sympathetic.
J.D. - Yeah...I do love J.D. He is such a better character in the musical - while we see interactions with his father in both media, and he has the same backstory about his mother, the additional insight into his thought process from "Freeze Your Brain" and the subtle changes (not pulling a gun on Ram and Kurt early on, not purposefully coming to kill Veronica in her room at the end) actually make him sympathetic. In the movie, he comes off as a cold sociopath with no real connection to Veronica other than a partner in crime. Not so much in the musical. Yeah, he did some terrible shit, but there's real emotion there and genuine love for Veronica that I feel redeems him, for all that he was "far too damaged".
Heather Chandler - So, one interesting thing that the movie did with her was show that she hates who she is and what she does. There's a scene where she's forced to perform fellatio, and afterwards spits at a mirror image of herself. There's clearly some measure of self-hate that isn't there in the musical. In the musical, she is herself, she's in control, and she is the alpha bitch. Even after death, she's the alpha bitch. Again, it's a great idea to keep her along for the rest of the show, rather than dropping her after 30 minutes. I found myself really liking how much of a bitch she was. Arguably less deep than the movie, but I think it worked out well.
Heather Duke - Hahahahaha. So, this is the only Heather than doesn't really get her own song (well, I guess the reprise of "Shine a Light" kind of counts...) or much of a personality except for taking Heather Chandler's place (and not being as awesome about it) after she dies. Literally, not until about the halfway mark does she pick up a personality. She's very unchanged from the movie. It's nice to see her become nothing at the end.
Heather McNamara - Awwwww...she's really a good person. She also didn't change much from the movie - her arc really is the same.
Kurt and Ram - Because they're the same character in 2 parts. They exemplify the idiot jock as a stereotype, but I just can't help but laugh whenever they come on to the stage. Even after they die, they're with Heather Chandler being idiots and it makes me laugh even during the somber scenes.
Martha - You know...she was randomly in scenes. I kind of wish she had a slightly larger role with more interactions, but as the social outcast, it worked. She's such a sweet person, and her taking Veronica back as a friend just shows how good she is. Weirdly...I think wonder how it would have been if she died from her suicide attempt. I wonder what the emotional impact would be if she was successful. Part of me actually thinks it might have been better (although severe injury works for what it needed to do). No issues really overall with her, just wish I liked her song better - so creepy.
Miss Fleming - She was nothing in the movie (literally, about 5 minutes on-screen time), but plays a larger role in the musical. The running thing with adults is that they're stupid, and Miss Fleming absolutely is terrible at her job as a guidance counselor. But she misses the point so hilariously badly that for the few scenes she's really involved in, she's enjoyable. Not a ton of depth, but no issues.
Kurt and Ram's Fathers - Two scenes, one good song. Not much else to say - their point is to show that things are starting to change, and it comes across well.
Veronica's Parents - Are there. Next.
J.D's Father (Big Bud Dean) - Oooookay. So....this guy is an asshole. He's a demolitions expert, which is where J.D. got the boms from. I didn't really talk about him, since he's only in like 2 scenes, but even Veronica says to her diary after she first meets him, "He's not coming to our wedding". He's clueless, abusive, an alcoholic, and all in all a terrible father, and he probably comes off a little better in the musical than the movie. Holy shit, this guy is awful. Surprised J.D. didn't kill him.
Anyway, that's the show! It's a solid black comedy and satire, and definitely ranks up there with my favorite musicals. Not sure where yet, but it's a solid show. Has some issues with progression of action, but that's partly a product of the time it was written for and partly due to the needs of the show. I think the characters are overall good and work well for what they need to do. Check it out if you get a chance.
