ranked and reviewed – Adventures in Polishland

The 76th Tony Awards went forward live on June 11, 2023, thanks to a compromise made with the Writers Guild of America as their strike continues. I was very intrigued to see how the show would do without any sort of script. Plus, I love watching The Tonys to see performances from currently running musicals, as they help me (and many others!) decide whether or not to pay the big bucks for tickets. This year, I was quite surprised with how the performances ended up changing my mind on some of the Broadway musicals. I thought it would be fun to share my ranking of the performances with you, and let you know whether or not I would buy a ticket for each show based on the Tony Awards performance alone.

For this post, I’ve decided to only include performances from currently running Broadway shows, as I’m focusing mainly on whether or not the performance inspired me to purchase a ticket. Of course, all of the performers are extremely talented, and this post is all in good fun. I am basing my thoughts fully on my own likes and dislikes when it comes to musical theatre, and I’ll share more about that as we go along.

10. & Juliet

I’ve been on the fence about seeing & Juliet for a while now. This jukebox musical is a retelling of Romeo & Juliet, and features pop hits from the 1990s and 2000s. Although I enjoy the songs included, the storyline isn’t that intriguing to me. That being said, I’ve heard a lot of good things about this show recently, and was leaning towards seeing it the next time I’m in New York. Unfortunately, the Tonys performance nearly solidified that the show isn’t for me. The vocals sounded really off, and the orchestration of Katy Perry’s Roar was oddly timed. The choreography was also quite basic and repetitive. It felt very campy, but not in a good way. Based on the Tony Awards performance, I would not see & Juliet.

9. Kimberly Akimbo

Next up is Kimberly Akimbo, which won the Tony for Best Musical! Despite its success at the awards, I’m just not drawn to the storyline. The cast performed the song Anagram, which I think was the right choice. It not only introduces the plot of the musical, but explains its name as well. The song was very well performed, and if I were to describe it in one word, it would be “cute.” That being said, the performance did not have that “wow” factor that would make me run to the box office. This seems like a good musical for those who typically enjoy plays.

8. New York New York

Another show I’ve been on the fence about is New York New York. I loved the dancing in this performance, as it gives that old school Broadway feel. However, I wasn’t sure what was going on with Colton Ryan’s accent, which felt very forced and unnatural. Similarly, the show’s concept feels derivative of other Broadway classics that have come before it. I’ve already seen and loved On the Town twice, so what does New York New York offer that’s new? The Tony Awards performance left me unsure.

7. The Neil Diamond Musical A Beautiful Noise

I’ve already posted a full review of A Beautiful Noise on the blog, which I recently saw and enjoyed. The cast performed Neil Diamond’s hit Sweet Caroline at The Tonys, and it was a fun moment. I especially liked how the ensemble was dancing in the aisles and interacting with the audience. I’m definitely a bit biased because I love Will Swenson, but this performance did make me think I could become a repeat attender at this show. Would I pay full price for a ticket? No, but I’d certainly enter the lottery on a regular basis if I lived in the city.

6. Camelot

Camelot is a show that I feel like is flying under the radar this season. I don’t see many people talking about it online, so I didn’t know what to expect. The Tonys performance actually surprised me in a good way! I liked the costumes, and thought the songs were quite catchy. I was most impressed with Jordan Donica’s performance, though. He sounded absolutely incredible, and his voice alone makes me want to see the show! The performance did make me wish that we had a Broadway show for Galavant… maybe one day that will happen!

5. Parade

I tend to go for upbeat and sparkly Broadway shows, so Parade wasn’t on the top of my list for my last NYC trip since it tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was wrongfully accused of a serious crime. That being said, I was blown away by Ben Platt and Michaela Diamond’s performance. They sounded beautiful, and I felt a bit disappointed knowing I’d probably lost my chance to see Parade with them in it since the show is slated to close on August 6th.

4. Some Like It Hot

Moreover, Some Like It Hot is one of those musicals that I just know I would enjoy! It has amazing dancing (including tap!), beautiful costumes, and a cast full of stars. J. Harison Ghee especially owns the stage, and I would love to see them perform live! The cast performed the title number for The Tonys, and it definitely made me excited to see what else the show has in store for audiences.

3. Funny Girl

I’ll be the first to admit that I had no desire to see Funny Girl because I’m not a Lea Michele fan. However, her Tonys performance changed my mind! Her voice sounds incredible, and I now understand why so many are flocking to NYC to see her perform. Her rendition of Don’t Rain on my Parade was so powerful that it made me want to buy a ticket to the show. Although, I think I’m out of luck because the show closes on September 3rd.

2. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I did just see Sweeney Todd, and I posted a full review on the blog. Nonetheless, the Tony Awards performance made me want to buy another ticket immediately! Everything about The Ballad of Sweeney Todd is carefully crafted, from the lighting, choreography, and staging. Don’t even get me started on how chilling and powerful the vocals are! While it’s a shame Annaleigh Ashford did not get to show off her talents as Mrs. Lovett, this performance left the audience wanting more for sure.

1. Shucked

Last but not least is the biggest surprise of the night for me, Shucked! I honestly didn’t think this show was for me at all. I don’t like country music, and I’ve heard the show is non-stop dad jokes. Yet this performance was so much fun! I actually really liked the medley they performed, and the corn dancing (if that’s what you call it) was so well done. Shucked went from a probable “no” to an “I need to see that.” Major props to the entire company for changing my mind with one TV spot!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I really enjoyed watching the Tony Awards this year. I actually liked the unscripted version of the show, as it cut down on awkward teleprompter reading and things got to the point quickly. I’m excited to plan another trip to New York City and add some of these shows to my list of things to see!

Share your favorite Tonys performance with me in the comments!

During the pandemic, my reading took a huge nosedive. After struggling to get into a new reading routine, I decided to reread a favorite book of mine, Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson. I enjoyed my reread so much that I decided to continue with Matson’s books, and I ended up reading her entire bibliography back to back. This blog post will share mini reviews of all of Morgan Matson’s current books, as well as rank them from my least favorite to favorite. I’ll first begin with quick, non-spoiler summaries of each book, and then I’ll jump into the ranking!

All of Morgan Matson's Books Ranked & Reviewed

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Morgan Matson is a young adult, contemporary fiction author. She presently has six novels, with a seventh middle grade book slated for Spring of 2022. What’s unique about Maton’s books is that they are all connected to the fictional town of Stanwich, Connecticut. This allows Matson to drop Easter Eggs into her books, and update readers on characters from past books. Thus, while each of these novels is a stand alone, I highly recommend reading them in publication order.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

First up is Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, released in 2010. After Amy’s father dies in a car accident, Amy’s mother decides the family will move from California to Connecticut. In order to get her mom’s car across the country, family friend Roger is enlisted to drive Amy and the vehicle to the East Coast. While Amy and Roger are supposed to stick to her mom’s strict itinerary, the duo decides to take matters into their own hands. As the title suggests, they go on an epic detour across the United States. The book follows their adventures, and actually maps out a real-life road trip that Matson went on herself!

Next up is Second Chance Summer, released in 2012. This book follows Taylor and her family as they spend a summer at their lake house after her dad receives a devastating cancer diagnosis. Taylor hasn’t been to the lake in five years, and the last time she was there things ended badly with both her ex-boyfriend and ex-best-friend. This story is about Taylor mending broken fences, all while trying to make the most of her limited time with her father.

The Matson book that started it all for me is Since You’ve Been Gone, released in 2014. At the start of the summer, Emily goes looking for her best friend Sloane, only to find that Sloane has seemingly vanished. Emily soon gets a To Do list from Sloane in the mail, prompting Emily to spend her summer checking off tasks such as Dance Until Dawn, Kiss a Stranger, and even Steal Something. Emily hopes that by completing this checklist, she will find her way back to Sloane. The book chronicles Emily’s adventures throughout the summer as she makes new friends and steps outside of her comfort zone.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything, released in 2016, is the last of Matson’s summer novels. Andie has plans to attend a summer internship, but when her Congressman father has a scandal in his office, her acceptance is revoked. Andie has to find a last-minute summer job, and the only thing available is a dog walker position. This book follows Andie’s summer with her group of friends, and the cute guy Clark she meets while walking his dog Bertie.

Next up is Save the Date, released in 2018. Charlie is excited for her sister’s wedding, which will bring together all of her siblings for the last time in the family home before they move. While the wedding was carefully planned, things start going wrong when the Grant family finds out that the wedding planner was a scam artist. Charlie steps in to help save the wedding when one disaster after another attempts to destroy it.

Last but not least is Matson’s 2021 release, Take Me Home Tonight. This book follows best friends Kat and Stevie, who sneak off to New York City. While the purpose of the trip is supposed to be Stevie’s birthday dinner, Kat has ulterior motives. The duo have an argument in the subway station that leads to them getting separated, and everything that could possibly go wrong absolutely does. The book follows their misadventures in the city as they attempt to find their way home with no cell phones and little money.

Ranking and Mini Reviews

Now that I’ve shared a bit about each book, let’s jump into my thoughts. I will start with my least favorite, and end with my favorite.

6. Take Me Home Tonight | ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 | Matson’s newest release is, unfortunately, my least favorite of her books. Although it’s quite entertaining, it is also a bit too ridiculous for me. You really need to suspend disbelief when reading this book. Moreover, I find Kat and Stevie to be quite unlikeable characters. They are both self-centered and lie a lot, so it’s difficult to root for them. That being said, I like how the story wrapped up, and both characters were developed well despite the story taking place in a short timespan. [BUY]

5. Save the Date | ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 | Coming in fifth place is Save the Date. This book is just shy of a 4-star rating for me, mainly due to the bonus chapter at the end of the book that furthers negative vegan stereotypes. Otherwise, I really enjoy the large cast of characters in this story. It was really fun to read about a family with a lot of siblings. While this book is also a bit unrealistic for me, I like that Matson did something new with this book, and stepped outside her summer setting. [BUY]

4. The Unexpected Everything | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Next we have the books that all take place in the summer, and The Unexpected Everything is at the bottom of that bunch. This is the longest of Matson’s books at over 500 pages, and it does feel slightly too long. Similarly, the dialogue in this book is a bit uncomfortable. There are times where the conversations between characters will be broken up with paragraphs of text, and that can make the conversations difficult to follow and disjointed. Nonetheless, I loved following Andie’s friend group in this novel, and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with her dad grow. [BUY]

3. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 | You know a road trip book is good when you read it and immediately want to take the same road trip as the characters! I love the travel element of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, and it’s fun that there are some mixed media elements thrown in, such as photographs and receipts, that make the story feel more real. The only reason I don’t give this book a full 5-star rating is due to the lack of depth in the characters. For instance, we know Amy is dealing with the grief of her father’s death, but it’s difficult to feel that in the writing. However, this may simply be because it is Maton’s debut. [BUY]

2. Since You’ve Been Gone | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 | Coming in at my second favorite is Since You’ve Been Gone. Honestly, the only reason this isn’t a 5-star read is because the phrase “I let out a breath” is repeated endlessly throughout the book. Otherwise, I absolutely love this story. Not only is the concept of the list fun, but I love Emily’s new friend group, and absolutely adore Frank. This book is the epitome of a fun, summer read! [BUY]

1. Second Chance Summer | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Without further ado, my favorite Morgan Matson book is Second Chance Summer. While I expected this book to be sad, I did not plan to outright sob for the last 100 pages of the book like I did. This book deals with real issues, and while the story is absolutely heartbreaking, it’s also hopeful. I appreciated the careful balance Taylor must have with dealing with her own friendship issues, all while her dad is dealing with his illness. If you read just one book from Morgan Matson, I highly recommend Second Chance Summer. [BUY]

As you can see, Morgan Matson has become one of my favorite authors! Even my least favorite books from her are over a 3-star rating, and my critiques are typically nit-picky. I do hope that Matson will return to her summer settings soon, but I look forward to seeing what she releases next. I would also love to see Matson write more diversely, as the main characters in her current books are white, cishet young women who usually come from affluent families.

Adventures in Polishland

Vegan Lifestyle + Beauty Blog on a Budget

Tag: ranked and reviewed

Tony Awards 2023 | Ranking Each Broadway Performance by How Much it Influenced Me to Buy a Ticket