THE HANGOVER REPORT – The new musical MISS YOU LIKE HELL is earnest and topical, but not yet fully-formed

Gizel Jimenez and Daphne Rubin-Vega in "Miss You Like Hell" at The Public Theater.

Gizel Jimenez and Daphne Rubin-Vega in “Miss You Like Hell” at The Public Theater.

I recently had a chance to catch Quiara Alegría Hudes and Erin McKeown’s earnest new musical Miss You Like Hell at the Public Theater. The musical tells the story of a fraught mother-daughter relationship. They embark on a week-long road trip to patch up their relationship, only to encounter a series of setbacks (no spoilers here).  Despite the piece’s good intentions – the musical is topical on various fronts (e.g., immigration, cultural identity) – the musical failed to grab my emotions in the way some of the best examples of the form are apt to do. Ms. Hudes (Water by the Spoonful, In the Heights), a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, has written a book that invites emotional engagement before its earned. Indeed, at the moment, Miss You Like Hell registers more like an outline than a fully-formed musical. Singer/songwrighter Ms. McKeown, however, has provided a very attractive, if somewhat generic, score.

Lear deBessonet employs a stripped-down, ensemble-driven approach to the musical. Despite the smallish cast, there’s a palpable sense of goodwill and community onstage (many of the actors play numerous roles) – reminiscent of the current Broadway hit Come from Away. However, unlike that show, Ms. deBessonet’s staging seems mis-matched to the material. Miss You Like Hell could use more specificity and less of an upbeat tone to encourage some of its darker shades come forward. Luckily, the production at the Public is led by two fabulous actresses – the feisty firecracker Daphne Rubin-Vega (of Rent fame) as the mother and clarion-voiced Gizel Jimenez as the daughter. Individually, they’re such intense, instinctive performers. Together, they make for a truly dynamic mother-daughter duo.

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MISS YOU LIKE HELL
Off-Broadway, Musical
The Public Theater
1 hour, 45 minutes (with no intermission)
Through May 13

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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