Don’t Be a Loser! Check out “Be More Chill” at Lakewood’s Strand Theater This Weekend!
By Spotlight Central. Photos by Love Imagery
Theater lovers from around the world are traveling to Lakewood, NJ, this weekend for Exit 82 Theatre Company’s production of Be More Chill at The Strand Theater!
Be More Chill is a contemporary stage musical based on a novel by Ned Vizzini featuring music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz. Originally produced by Red Bank, NJ’s Two River Theater Company, following the release of the production’s original cast recording, the show developed a fan base which spread like wildfire across the globe.
As Exit 82 Theatre Company executive producer Keely Davenport explains, “Be More Chill was a pre-teen/teen novel that was a New York Times best-seller. After Two River Theater Company’s original cast recording became available on Spotify and iTunes, a world-wide fan based developed and — thanks to social media — it flourished.”
“Thousands of people follow the show on Instagram,” adds Davenport. “Fans really identify with the characters and they even enjoy dressing up as them — as a result, at our production at The Strand Theater in Lakewood, at each performance, we expect audience members to come in costume.”
When Exit 82 recently live-streamed a Be More Chill chat event on Instagram, hundreds of people from all over the world participated. And, notes Davenport, “People are coming to the show here in Lakewood from places including Brazil, Canada, and the UK, in addition to 37 states in the US!”
“We’ve been getting emails every day asking what our characters are wearing so audience members can dress like them. And, this week, we even had our first piece of fan mail delivered to The Strand from a young person in Ohio — she just wanted to wish everyone good luck and, because she’s unable to attend a performance, she asked for a signed Playbill for her collection.”
Reveals Davenport, “The response to this show has been incredible,” concluding, “The energy in the room is going to be amazing — the whole theater will be buzzing!”
Be More Chill’s musical director, Chris Sabol — a high school choir director who makes his Exit 82 music directing debut with this show — adds, “This music resonates so well with high school students. It operates like a sci-fi or horror movie, but there’s a live seven-piece band with synthesizers, electric guitar, bass, and more — all underscoring the scenes.”
Sabol, who reveals he wanted to work on this show after being introduced to Be More Chill from several of his own students and listening to the cast album states, “This show is funny — and a little scary! It has great special effects, staging, lights, and sound — not to mention a positive strong message.”
And just what message does Be More Chill impart to its audiences?
Exclaims Sabol, “Embrace who you are!”
Be More Chill opens with the audience meeting Jeremy Heere (Matt Dalton), a self-described New Jersey high school “loser.”
At school, it’s a challenge for Jeremy to make it through the day as he tries to avoid both bullies and the school’s most popular kids.
However, Jeremy does have a best friend, Michael (Ryan Everett Wood), who is always looking out for him.
In fact, it is Michael who convinces Jeremy to sign up for the school play — a zombie version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream — so he can be closer to the girl of his dreams, Christine (Elizabeth Ritacco).
Jeremy signs up for the play, but at rehearsal, finds he lacks the confidence to talk to Christine.
Following play practice, the school bully, Rich (Jason Arellano) reveals the secret of his own popularity — a Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor, or Squip — a tiny ingestible supercomputer that lives in his brain and tells him how to be cool.
For the right price, he says Jeremy can have one, too.
Later, Jeremy and Michael debate the veracity of Rich’s story as they get set to play video games.
After some thought, Jeremy purchases a Squip in the backroom of a Menlo Park Mall Payless shoe store.
Jeremy swallows the Squip with Mountain Dew, which activates it, and the Squip (Sal Pavia) appears in his mind to instruct him on how to interact with his peers. The Squip informs Jeremy that he has to follow all of the Squip’s commands in order to become popular.
The next day in school, Jeremy’s social status has already improved as he’s being pursued by popular girls Chloe (Lisa Adams) and Brooke (Katie Claire McGrath).
The Squip tells Jeremy that in order to woo Christine, he has to upgrade his popularity by dating Brooke and ignoring his best friend, Michael. Jeremy agrees to take the upgrade.
A few weeks later, the cool kids are at the biggest bash of the season — Jake’s Halloween costume party, where Brooke appears as a cute puppy.
When Chloe tries to seduce Jeremy, the two are caught in the act by Brooke and Chloe’s ex-boyfriend, Jake.
Jeremy hides in a bathroom where he finds Michael, who has discovered some disturbing information about Squips. Convinced he’s jealous, Jeremy rejects Michael’s warning and brands him a loser.
Alone in the bathroom, Michael bemoans the loss of his best friend.
Meanwhile, Jeremy finds Christine at the party.
The next day, school gossip Jenna Rolan (Emily Neilsen) and her friends spread the news that, at the end of the party, Rich set a fire that burned down Jake’s house.
Suspicious, Jeremy confronts his Squip, who assures him that Rich’s behavior wasn’t due to Rich’s Squip but, rather, in spite of it.
He convinces Jeremy that all of Jeremy’s peers would be happier if they each had Squips of their own.
But what happens next?
Do the Squips take over the school?
Do Michael and Jeremy ever become best friends again?
Does Jeremy get his dream girl, Christine?
For the answers to these questions — and more — you’ve got to see Be More Chill!
Exclaims Matt Dalton, who plays Be More Chill’s lead character, Jeremy, “It’s a great show — there’s rock, sound effects, and sci-fi — and the music just draws you in!”
Dalton, who played the role of George Bailey in Exit 82’s recent production of It’s a Wonderful Life, says he enjoys performing in Be More Chill, revealing, “It’s incredible to be in this Exit 82 show. Everyone is so supportive — it’s truly a joy to work with all of them.”
To potential audience members of Exit 82’s production of Be More Chill, advises Dalton, “If you want to see a show that speaks to the weird, the socially awkward, and just about anyone else in high school, come see Be More Chill!”
Exit 82 Theatre Company’s production of Be More Chill at The Strand Theater in Lakewood, NJ has shows on Saturday, November 11th at 2pm and 8pm, and on Sunday, November 12th at 2pm. Following Sunday’s matinee, The Strand will present an exclusive “Talk Back” session with the Exit 82 team, in addition to members from the show’s original Two River Theater Company cast including George Salazar, Katie Ladner, Katlyn Carlson, Lauren Marcus, and composer/lyricist, Joe Iconis. Tickets for all of these events are available from www.exit82theatre.com.
