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Why do we love real couples on stage? | Thoughts on audience reactions to genuine theatre romance
Mickey-Jo has been thinking recently about why it is that theatre audiences seem to be enamoured with the notion of seeing a real life couple performing together onstage, even though they're portraying characters other than themselves.
The answers may seem obvious, but there is some nuance to uncover here as we consider the various different ways in which a couple can perform together - as lovers, enemies, or even divorcees.
In the last few months, this has seemed to become more frequent, with Andrew Barth Feldman and Helen J Shen in Maybe Happy Ending, Carrie Hope Fletcher and Joel Montague in Elf, and Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney in Cabaret.
Check out some of the other examples and share your own thoughts about why this feels so appealing to audiences in the comments!
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00:00 | introduction
03:28 | falling in love
11:46 | enemies to lovers
18:29 | married / divorced
27:37 | non-romantic
35:35 | conclusion
About Mickey-Jo:
As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: MickeyJoTheatre is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 89,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre
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Merrily We Roll Along (2025 Broadway Revival Proshot) - REVIEW
33:58|The Tony Award winning Broadway revival of the Musical Merrily we Roll Along has now been released in cinemas as a film, ahead of an upcoming feature film adaptation of the originally short-lived show written by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth.This production, which played a limited run at the Hudson Theatre in New York, starred Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe alongside a stellar supporting cast, and now puts the audience closer than ever before to its emotional story, told in reverse!Check out this review of the filmed version to find out where Mickey-Jo thought it succeeded and struggled on screen in comparison with his experience of seeing the production on stage last year...•00:00 | introduction04:29 | synopsis / overview12:07 | what is the film like?22:15 | stage comparison28:43 | final thoughts...All the changes in WICKED: For Good | The differences between the stage musical and film adaptation
46:54|Last month, WICKED: FOR GOOD, the second part of the film adaptation of the global musical phenomenon Wicked, finally arrived in cinemas.The film, directed by Jon M Chu, stars Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) as Elphaba, Ariana Grande (13 the Musical) as Glinda, and Jonathan Bailey (Company) as Fiyero. The supporting cast also includes Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum.In the second of a new series called WICKED WEEKENDS, to take place over the next few weekends, Mickey-Jo is talking through as many of the changes made to the musical's 2nd act and the ensuing differences between the stage production and the film adaptation that he was able to notice over the course of his two viewings of Wicked: For Good. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE for more Wicked content coming on Weekends until the end of the month and share your thoughts about the film in the comments!•00:00 | introduction02:34 | storytelling changes12:41 | more narrative changes21:47 | music changes37:22 | character changes45:27 | final thoughtsLiberation (James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway) - ★★★★★ REVIEW
33:31|One of the best pieces of theatre Mickey-Jo saw during his most recent trip to New York was LIBERATION, an extraordinary new play from playwright Bess Wohl, directed by Whitney White.The play, which sees a version of the playwright trying to reconcile a younger, empowered version of her late mother with the woman she knew, examines a consciousness raising group for women's liberation in 1970s Ohio and features a scene in which the entire female company sit onstage while nude.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of this play, currently playing at the James Earl Jones theatre on Broadway, and share your own reactions to it below... •00:00 | introduction02:37 | the framing device09:36 | the characters17:15 | writing / creative choices23:46 | the performances30:39 | conclusionThe witches of flops? | Why Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth can't succeed on Broadway post WICKED
35:31|Something Mickey-Jo has been wondering about for a while is why two of Broadway's biggest stars, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, have struggled to find a hit star vehicle on stage since their star-making turns in Wicked.The actresses, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, and who have gone on to become household names with considerable success on screen, both returned to Broadway this year in Redwood and The Queen of Versailles respectively, both of which closed prematurely.Here are Mickey-Jo's thoughts on whether there is any kind of a trend here, why this might be, and what the two stage stars could do to find Broadway success once more.•00:00 | introduction02:28 | Idina Menzel16:08 | Kristin Chenoweth24:35 | the answer?Chess (Imperial Theatre, Broadway) - ★★ REVIEW
34:07|One of this season's most anticipated shows has recently opened at the Imperial Theatre, the first ever Broadway revival of CHESS.The musical, first seen on stage in the 1980s, depicts a chess-centred love triangle in the midst of cold war tensions, written by Benny Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Sir Tim Rice.This new production, with a rewritten book by Danny Strong, stars Lea Michele (Funny Girl), Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd), and Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge! the Musical) as well as Bryce Pinkham and Hannah Cruz.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the new version as a longtime fan of the show...•00:00 | introduction02:08 | history / plot06:09 | the new material15:10 | Lea Michele19:29 | the rest of the cast25:42 | creative choices 31:37 | conclusionWhy Drag Queens are Theatre's new stars | From RuPaul's Drag Race to Broadway and West End stages
38:26|With drag performers including Jinkx Monsoon and La Voix having recently been announced for major stage projects in 2026, Mickey-Jo is wondering whether there's been a trend in how many drag queens (and specifically alumni of RuPaul's Drag Race) have taken to the stage in the last few years.Shows on either side of the Atlantic, including Chicago, Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, Everybody's Talking about Jamie, Spongebob Squarepants, Little Shop of Horrors, Oscar at the Crown, and Oh, Mary! have all begun to include these talented tv stars among their casts.So what exactly is the reason for this, and what can we expect from the future of drag stars on stage?•00:00 | introduction02:51 | history of drag on stage11:32 | performances in drag20:13 | performances out of drag25:47 | performances beyond drag36:01 | conclusionOff-Broadway Play Review Roundup (Prince F*ggot, Initiative, This World of Tomorrow, Caroline)
43:40|During Mickey-Jo's most recent trip to New York City he saw five off-Broadway plays, which were:• This World of Tomorrow at the Shed• Gruesome Playground Injuries at the Lucille Lortel Theatre• Prince F*ggot at Studio Seaview• Caroline at MCC Theatre• Initiative at the Public TheatreCheck out that Mickey-Jo thought of each of these shows, share your own thoughts and recommend more off-Broadway theatre in the comments!•00:00 | introduction00:50 | This World of Tomorrow ★★★11:23 | Gruesome Playground Injuries14:08 | Prince F*ggot ★★★★23:01 | Caroline ★★★★★31:35 | Initiative ★★★★42:19 | conclusionPaddington the Musical (Savoy Theatre, West End) - ★★★★★ REVIEW
48:42|After enormous anticipation that has only built during the show's preview period, Paddington the Musical has officially opened at the Savoy Theatre in London.The brand new stage adaptation of the Michael Bond story and the STUDIOCANAL films is directed by Luke Sheppard (The Little Big Things, Starlight Express) with Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale having written the score and book respectively.Arti Shah and James Hameed jointly perform the role of Paddington Bear, with a supporting cast including Adrian Der Gregorian, Amy Ellen Richardson, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Bonnie Langford, Tom Edden, Brenda Edwards, Amy Booth-Steel, Teddy Kempner, and more.Check out Mickey-Jo's full review of the brand new musical, with thoughts on Paddington's true values, onstage depiction and new musical theatre material...•00:00 | introduction02:47 | overview08:34 | portrayal of Paddington18:18 | the material29:38 | the performances40:50 | creative choices