Broadway musicals leveraging the popularity of hit tunes have often relied on biographical depictions of the artists as the narrative vehicle (think Jersey Boys from 2005 or The Cher Show, which debuted in late 2018). But a recent entry in the jukebox musical phenomenon, Jagged Little Pill, utilizes the approach of 2018’s Go-Go’s musical, Head Over Heels. Rather than being used to tell an artist biography, the massive popular Alanis Morissette album from 1995, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becomes the template for a story written by Diablo Cody that includes the album’s hits co-written with producer Glen Ballard, other tracks from the singer/songwriter’s catalog, plus two new songs. The show focuses on a middle-aged mother coping with an opioid addiction and a high school student who has been sexually assaulted. It’s heavy stuff, and the score and performances have connected with many fans.
—Bryan Reesman, from “Inside Theater,” PLSN, Jan. 2020, page 24
