This is
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mini side-musical, a nifty little one-act written for This American Life. It stars Anthony Ramos (John Laurens in Hamilton) and features one terrific song
in “What the Heck I Gotta Do”, along with a few other pretty decent
numbers. While it’s definitely my least
favorite of Miranda’s musicals, it’s still awfully good when you consider it
was likely banged out during his free time while writing Hamilton (spoilers.)
“What the Heck I Gotta Do” – What a fun, affable
song introducing us to Justin and his massive crush on Naomi (who, unbeknownst
to him, isn’t a new student but an undercover narcotics officer.) Justin’s puppyish enthusiasm for everything
Naomi is infectious, and the simple but catchy melody complements that
perfectly.
Best
lyric: “She was a light-skinneded Puerto
Rican-Dominican - / Long hair, mature in the body like whoa!”
“One School” – Here, we meet the real “Naomi,” musing on the difficulties
and overall head trip of her job. I like
the care taken here. She believes in
what she’s doing and the importance of making kids safer through enforcing drug
laws, but she also can’t just skim the surface of it, avoiding getting pulled
into the teenage drama and caring about some of the students she may end up
putting away.
Best
lyric: “What’s the hardest part?” –
“Pssh – the cafeteria. / Imagine hundreds of teenagers yelling / And running
full speed. / And the lack of deodorant. / Let’s just say / I would drink at
the end of the day.”
“Cousin” – Quick little ditty as Justin tries to figure
out how to get some weed for Naomi, not being the type of guy to do that sort
of thing. Not much to write home about
here – the hook is amusing, and I like the image of a massive network of
cousins who know guys who know guys.
Best
lyric: “Everybody’s got a cousin who can
hook them up with something.”
“The Money” – The climax of this very short show,
as Justin gives Naomi the weed he thinks she wants, sealing his fate. I like the way the emotions build, and the
vocal layering is great; the snatch of “What the Heck I Gotta Do” woven in there
is good, too.
Best
lyric: “I don’t want your money. / I got
this just for you. / Keep your money. / There’s nothing I won’t do for you. /
I’ll come through for you / Every time - / Just in time.”
“Epilogue” – Less song, more plot, as we wrap up
the story and look at some of the challenging questions it raises. Even in a quick little show like this,
Miranda brings back lines/melodies from earlier songs in different contexts,
bringing it home nicely.
Best
lyric: “Seriously, these kids need to
learn / There are consequences in life. / I am doing my job. / I am doing it
right. / I am making life safer / One school at a time.”
No comments:
Post a Comment