NEXT THING YOU KNOW at Cap 21

Last night I went down to the Cap 21 Theatre to see Lauren Molina is the new musical NEXT THING YOU KNOW.  

Next Thing You Know is a new musical by Joshua Salzman (music) and Ryan Cunningham (book and lyrics).    It's about four twenty-somethings caught in a time of life when they are frightened to move on and actually realize their dreams as they are not quite ready to become grown ups.   It's a little about love and little about dreams and choices.   The tunes are interesting melodies and the lyrics hiliarious.  Some of the lyrics are The band comprised of a piano, stand up bass, guitar, violin and cello lead by Kurt Crowley on music direction was terrific.     

I was really taken with the songs, particularly the opening number "Little Bar on Sullivan Street," "Don't Say Another Word," and especially "Hungover."      I could actually hear "Don't Say Another Word" being recorded by a pop diva for radio play - it's that kind of catchy song.    "Hungover" is just plain funny, especially as executed by this cast - Lauren Molina, Lauren Blackman, Heath Calvert and Adam Kantor.   After a night out, they sing this song while attempting to figure out where they are and even get dressed.  It was very funny.    I could see this song performed in the future by random people at gala concerts - it would totally bring down the house.

Next Thing You Know is another in the vein of those other long running show about twenty-somethings trying to figure out life.   It's sweet and clever and at one hour thirty, light evening entertainment.  I haven't traditionally enjoyed themes like these, but since I've been working at my current day job, I'm heading a team of twenty-somethings who are going through exactly these things.  I enjoyed seeing this perspective and maybe it made me laugh just a little more since I had something to relate it to.   

As for Lauren Molina, she's wonderful and I'm convinced that she can do anything.  In April, she won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance of "Cunegonde" in Mary Zimmerman's production of Candide at the Shakespeare Theatre Company of Washington, DC.  She will be reprising the role in September at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston.  I saw this performance in Washington and it was like drinking champagne.   She has released a couple of really great albums of songs that she wrote herself, and on which she plays ukelele and guitar.   She's also a part of the Beatles Complete on Ukelele Project, which is free via iTunes - she plays cello, drum and ukulele and sings all of the vocals on "She Loves You."