Review: Degrassi! The Musical
Given that everyone of a certain age has nostalgic reminiscences of the original Degrassi, this show was bound to be a huge hit right out of the blocks. From Start Wars to Cobra to Napoleon Dynamite, there is a long tradition of using pop culture as inspiration for a Fringe Show. I’m just waiting for Jem Rolls and the Holograms.
The show programme states “It’s an homage, people!” That’s exactly what this show was, no more, no less.
It consisted largely of name-dropping infamous name and events in Degrassi history, while making little attempt to tie everything together. Despite great costuming, some nice moments when Yick and Heather were introduced, and the hilarious portrayal of Wheels, the show, script and musical numbers didn’t aim as high as I would have liked. (Couldn’t the Zit Remedy have played their own instruments, for instance?)
Next year, I hope they re-assemble the cast and focus on telling one classic Degrassi story, not 3 seasons stuffed into 32 minutes.
This show gets a: What did you expect? It’s an homage, people!
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