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Mariya Reviews Good Vibrations

Good Vibrations is a very light hearted, fun musical. It doesn't require a lot of thinking. There are no deep characters or complex plot twists. The musical was written to simply utilize as many of the Beach Boys songs as possible. It can't be compared to the classics such as Phantom of the Opera, but it still defies expectations.

The cast is extremely talented. It's very hard to sound like the Beach Boys, and they pull it off very well. In addition, the dancing in the show is spectacular and the choreography is very well done. The dancing flows very smoothly with the music and creates the overall glittery, rambunctious feeling that is to be expected from a Broadway musical. Although Act I is too jam-packed with songs -- to the point where the cast is actually singing every five seconds and you may begin to think that it's not humanely possible to sing that much -- it's worth attending the show just for Act II.

David Larsen and Kate Reinders perform beautiful solos in Act II: "Caroline, No" and "Your Imagination," respectively. Their singing is flawless and it's just a pleasure to listen to such a well-known song performed so perfectly. In addition, Jesse Nager and the Surfer Guys do a superb job of singing "Friends" that will bring tears to any high school senior's eyes.

The set is also extremely well done. It's amazing how quickly they manage to switch sets and fit so much detail on such a small stage. In Act I, they manage to fit a cast of around twenty people, background decorations and the orchestra. In Act II, however, if you wonder where the orchestra has gone, they're actually beneath the stage. Because space is so limited, this production had the ingenious idea of lowering the orchestra on a small elevator beneath the stage, and the musicians are actually conducted through a video camera. Good Vibrations manages to pull off a musical of spectacular size.

Overall, this show is definitely worth watching. The Beach Boys songs fit very well into the overall story, and although it can be extremely cliche, it makes the viewer forget that it's winter. The show transports the audience to California and the mix of jokes, sentimental themes, and the extremely talented cast makes it very enjoyable to watch.