An original musical, The Mad Ones is oddly titled. There is a song with that name but that does not really capture what this show is attempting to do. Sam (Krystina Alabado) is a senior in high school. A smart girl with a best friend (Emma Hunton, excellent) who is a little wilder then she. Think Bonnie Raitt in high school – a rock ‘n roller who is ultimately a sweetheart. Her mother (Leah Hocking) is a practical, yet wisecracking statistician who has Ivy League dreams for her daughter. The boyfriend (Jay Armstrong Johnson, perfect) is your simple, average, lovable guy who lives above his parent’s garage and will join the father’s tire business after graduation.
This four character piece is firmly rooted in teenage angst. A major trauma occurs early on and is the catalyst for what follows. All of the standard bases are covered: sex, college, driving tests, freedom to choose one’s future and tacos. The result is a well-intended story that gets trapped in its repetitiveness. Perhaps there are too few people which inhabit their world. More likely, the central character is a bit too bland with three outstanding performers circling her and stealing the songs and scenes.
The music was enjoyable and it was a treat to hear a small off-Broadway orchestra extensively playing a harp. The lyrics, on the other hand, were fairly generic. This musical is a small and intimate tale which too frequently relies on big belting vocals from its talented cast. Two outstanding songs in the show, “Freedom” and “Run Away With Me” are largely sung by Sam’s best friend and the boyfriend. Leah Hocking gets the best song in the show, “Miles to Go,” a feminist anthem about women and progress. The song should be recorded given the current news cycle. Women do still have “miles to go.” It’s the peak moment in The Mad Ones. As our lead character anguishes over which road to take in life, the other characters prove the more interesting parts of the journey.