Emo the Musical

This play is kind of like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for goths. Oh, wait a second. Don't call them goths — call them emo kids, as in "emotional." They do wear black, put on eyeliner, and feel perpetually misunderstood, but these kids don't listen to the Cure (like I did back in my angst-ridden, drama club days). Emo kids now like bands such as My Chemical Romance and Bright Eyes — and they favor black, thick-framed glasses. This is the new generation of misunderstood, vampire-lovin' youth, and now they have a musical to call their own. This fun but trite production celebrates all things emo, but mainly pokes fun at the lifestyle ("We didn't choose to be emo. We were born emo. It's just like homosexuality!"). The plot is paper-thin — there's a mopey poetry slam, an intolerant jock, and a socially impossible romance between a cheerleader and an emo boy. Oh, and then there's an asteroid. Playwright Joey Price doesn't appear worried about story. He and his company Beards, Beards, Beards are focused on attracting a young, fresh audience to theater and having a little fun; he succeeds on both points.