The world premiere of the new musical Bhangin’ It has received mixed reviews from San Diego critics. The show, which won the 2019 Richard Rodgers Award, is set in the world of intercollegiate competitive bhangra. The creative team includes Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza (book), Sam Willmott (music, lyrics), Deep Singh (music, orchestrations, arrangements), Lisa Shriver (musical staging), Rujuta Vaidya (choreography), Stafford Arima (direction), Madeline Benson (music direction), Justin Goldner (orchestrations), Robert Brill (sets), Linda Cho (costumes), Jonathan Deans (sound), Amith Chandrashaker (lights), and projections (David Bengali). The production runs at La Jolla Playhouse through April 17.
The cast includes Ari Afsar (Mary), Aryaan Arora (Mohan), Bilaal Avaz (Amit), Jesse Bhamrah (Gobind),Brandon Contreras (Billy), Laura Dadap (Constance), Henry Walter Greenberg (Noah), Jason Heil (Wallace), Terrance Johnson (Jake), Jaya Joshi (Sunita), Madison McBride (Lily), Anu Mysore (Shetal), Amey Natu (Big Bob), Alka Nayyar (Rekha), Zain Patel (Varun), Devi Peot (New Mary), Vinithra Raj (Preeti), Ramita Ravi (Shilpa), and Nikki Mirza, Gerry Tonella, Levin Valayil (swings). Below is Ari Afsar singing “Erase You” from the show.
San Diego Story (Janice Steinberg): The story by Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza takes on important themes: Who has the right to represent a culture, and how pure does that representation have to be? There’s also the question of how we negotiate our multiple layers of identity. … The bones of Bhangin’ It seem strong. However, the storytelling … too often uses a broad brush. … Sam Wilmott did the original music and lyrics in collaboration with [Deep] Singh, who plays in the seven-person band. Their Indian-flavored numbers are joyous. … Willmot’s more standard musical-theater songs are a mixed bag. … Whatever problems Bhangin’ It may have in its debut run, though, they’re in part a sign of how big Lew’s and Mirza’s vision is. This is a show with a lot of heart, grappling with issues that matter.
San Diego Union-Tribune (Pam Kragen): There’s lots to love about Bhangin’ It. … The splashy, high-energy musical … is jubilant, funny, accessible and entertaining, with clever lyrics and a diverse score by Sam Willmott, as well as scene after scene of exuberant bhangra dancing. … Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza have filled the musical with diverse, well-crafted characters, quirky humor and touching moments. But their reliance on clichéd musical theater tropes make the story feel less unique than it could be. … Bhangin’ It touches on a few hot-button issues like ethnic purity and cultural appropriation, but they’re more sidelines to the musical’s central focus on friendship, belonging and fun. Bhangin’ It was built to be a feel-good musical and, fortunately for showgoers, it’s a very well-built machine.
Talkin’ Broadway (Bill Eadie): Despite campus relationships that would make Dobie Gillis look up to date, the music is lively, the production is colorful, and the dancing is first rate. The plot is a campus procedural. … The book by Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza impresses as more than a little derivative but improves as the show progresses. Sam Willmott’s music and lyrics, with additional music by Deep Singh, may be far more Broadway than Bollywood, but collectively the songs have a beat and you can dance to them. Director Stafford Arima can take credit for a lot of what’s right with the show, along with his production team. … In the end, though, it’s a world premiere and it needs more work, perhaps a lot more work. I hope the creative team does that work and Bhangin’ It doesn’t end with this production.