Skylight Music Theatre presents: SUPERYOU

By Mary Boyle

The theatre world was probably one of the hardest-hit during the pandemic: theaters closed and shows closed with them; some of those theaters never reopened, and some of those shows never made it back. There was one show, however, that was a bit of an anomaly.  SuperYou, a small show that never got to open as it was scheduled to in May of 2020, made its way instead to playing concerts on pick-up trucks during the pandemic, garnering over 22 million views on TikTok, then on  to selling out concerts at Carnegie Hall, to being the only new musical featured on the mainstage at the inaugural 2022 MusicalCon in London. With a devoted fan base, SuperYou music has been sung and shared by thousands of fans around the world who have been featured weekly for the last 2 1/2 years on SuperYou’s Fan Cover Fridays.  With a planned opening in the West End in 2024, this little musical may be the most popular show that has yet to be seen on Broadway.  Amazingly, you can see its World Premiere right here in Milwaukee, thanks to  Skylight Music Theatre.

Written and composed by visionary Filipino-American rock artist Lourds Lane, SuperYou is the story of a young girl named Katie (Serena Parrish) who can't seem to fit in.  Frequently bullied at school and seemingly ignored by her mother (Melissa Anderson), who struggles with alcoholism, Katie's best friend is her older brother, Matty (Chris Oram), who encourages Katie to turn her struggles into creativity, as he does with his comic book characters.  Katie names her nightmare/nemesis Mi Roar (Blake Zelesnikar) and creates her superhero self, "Lightning Girl," as well as a character for other "misfits" in her school who are struggling: Ash/Blast (Jenna Rubaii), Samantha/Seven (B. Noel Thomas), Jo Jo/Rise (Wren Rivera), and Missy/Ima-Mazing (Shelby Griswold).

As a young adult, Katie (Kennedy Caughell) and her brother are still creating their characters, but caring for their mother has clipped both of their wings and they've struggled to fly.  When Katie meets Jay (Justin Mattthew Sargent) in the coffee shop she's working in, things seem to be looking up for her, at last, until tragedy strikes.  While Katie struggles to find her way forward, she realizes the superheroes she created as a child are still able to help her, and others.

The grassroots success of SuperYou has given Lane a platform for more outreach with her educational arts and music-based 501c3 SuperYou FUNdation, where Lane teaches global youth and adults to connect to their most empowered superhero selves. The musical also brought together a creative team of talented women with a wealth of Broadway credits among them, including Joann M. Hunter, Director and Choreographer, who has 21 Broadway shows to her credit; Wendy Bobbitt Cavett, Music Supervisor; Anna Lousizos, Scenic Designer, who is a three-time Tony award nominee for In the Heights, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and High Fidelity; and, Cynthia Nordstrom, whose designs have been seen on Broadway and the Marvel Universe, among other places.

SuperYou replaces Skylight Music Theatre’s previously announced world premiere of The Song of Bernadette and is Skylight’s entry into World Premiere Wisconsin, a first-of-its-kind festival celebrating nearly 50 new and diverse works on stages throughout the state of Wisconsin, many of which have taken place in Milwaukee.  The festival runs through the end of June.

There is no denying that immense talent surrounds this production, both at the production level and within the cast.  Kennedy Caughell, who plays older Katie and is no stranger to Broadway, has an amazing voice that is well suited to the vocal challenges of the songs, which veer from genre to genre, and she is surrounded by other national vocal talent, such as Oram, Griswold, Rubali, Sargent, and Rivera.  They are joined by local artists, Gabriel Manuel Burdette, as well as King Hang, Sarah Zapiain, and Alexis Cimoch, who are all Early Career Professionals and were recently seen in Evita with Skylight.  The characters of Katie's mother and Mi Roar are both dancers. Milwaukee native Melissa Anderson, who has worked with both the Milwaukee Ballet and Danceworks and who teaches at UWM and around the Milwaukee area, is a fantastic addition, while Blake Zelesnikar as Mi Roar, who has been in multiple national tours, makes his Skylight debut.

Despite all of the undeniable talent, both local and nationally, and the draw of a World Premiere that has an almost cult-like following, I had a difficult time getting into this show, though I wholeheartedly support the message of it.  To me, it felt too "feel good;" I found it predictable and lacking in depth, and it bothered me a bit that Katie, a young white girl, is the savior of the misfits, including the black trans character, Samantha/Seven (though I have no doubt that the song "The Truth is Coming for You" will be the new trans anthem). Finding your superhero inside yourself is certainly an excellent message, but the way this message is presented feels firmly rooted in a youth theatre production, not for the Broadway stage.  SuperYou wants to be the new Fun Home, but it is missing the truth and heart that makes Fun Home work.

However, if you are a person who likes to be on top of trends, this is your show because, despite how I felt about it, I suspect this one will make its way to the Tony Awards in the future, once it takes the West End by storm.  Milwaukee truly has an incredible live theatre scene, and the fact that this production is making its World Premiere here is evidence of that.   Don't wait until it comes back to town as a very expensive ticket - be among the first to see a Broadway production in the making.

SUPERYOU runs through June 18th in the beautiful Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, located at 158 N. Broadway in the Historic Third Ward of Milwaukee.  Tickets are available to purchase at the Broadway Theatre Center Box Office in person or  by calling (414) 291-7800, emailing tickets@skylightmusictheatre.org, or online at https://www.skylightmusictheatre.org/upcoming-shows-events/superyou/​.

SPECIAL EVENTS 
Skylight Insights. In-depth discussions with directors and special guests take place one hour before Wednesday and Sunday performances.
ASL (American Sign Language) Performance. SuperYou will be interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 7:30 PM. To purchase tickets for this performance, email tickets@skylightmusictheatre.org or call Skylight Music Theatre's Box Office at (414) 291-7800. Mention ASL performance for seating in the appropriate section. Support for ASL performance provided by UPAF (United Performing Arts Fund).



ABOUT SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Founded in 1959, Skylight is Milwaukee’s professional Equity music theatre company and the largest employer of Wisconsin actors in the State. Skylight produces the full range of music theatre ranging from blockbuster Broadway musicals to reimagined operas, and from exciting world premieres to contemporary off-Broadway hits. Skylight’s mainstage home is the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, which was built by Skylight in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward in 1992. Considered to be one of Milwaukee’s most beautiful theatres, the Cabot Theatre is based on the design of an 18thcentury French opera house. With just 350 seats it offers audiences great views of the action onstage. Skylight Music Theatre marks its 63rd season in 2022-2023.