By Alana Brooks.
The John W. Engeman Theater kicked off another great season with a new show that has only been in existence since 2021—Mystic Pizza! This jukebox musical, full of witty main characters, an ensemble with an incredible energy, and lots of pizza pies, opened September 15 and runs through October 30.
Mystic Pizza the musical was adapted from the classic coming-of-age film starring Julia Roberts. It takes place in Mystic Connecticut, a once sleepy fishing town, in the 1980s. Mystic Pizza opens with the cast singing along to John Mellencamp’s song “Small Town”, setting the
scene with fishermen, shop owners, and rowdy teenagers going about their lives in Mystic. Once the scene is set, the musical follows the lives and loves of three waitresses working at Mystic Pizza. Sisters Daisy Arujo (Emily Rose Lyons) and Kat Arujo (Brooke Sterling), a pair like oil and water, and Jojo Barboza (Michelle Beth Herman), who, in the first scene faints at the altar and is unable to wed her devoted fiance Bill (Stephen Cerf). All three girls take orders, deliver pizzas, and discuss life under the watchful eye of Leona (Katheryn Markey), the shop’s owner and the keeper of the secret pizza sauce recipe.
Throughout the show, each girl tries to find her own way—confident Daisy wants to marry a rich preppy and get out of her small town; bright young Kat is headed to Yale in the fall and is scraping pennies together for tuition; and Jojo is trying to figure out why she isn’t ready to marry Bill, the man she loves but isn’t ready to settle down for.
Daisy seemingly gets her wish when she meets Charles Gordon Windsor (Jake Bentley Young) at a local haunt; but she soon finds out he is just as desperate to get out of his lot in life as Daisy is of hers. Kat, who works multiple jobs and moonlights as a rental property manager, runs into the handsome tenant, Tim Travers (Corbin Payne) for the first time. Kat falls for him quickly and the tension is palpable as they share glances and stare at the stars—but things soon come crumbling down for the both of them.
Jojo goes through a push and pull dance with her fiance Bill, who desperately wants to marry her. One of the funniest moments of the show had Jojo and Bill in an intimate embrace with a large glowing statue of Jesus watching them until Bill gets the creeps. However, after all the laughs, when Jojo realizes she could lose him forever, she closes her eyes and leaps. Figuratively, of course.
Hits from the 80’s are interwoven through and ties the whole show together. When Kat meets Tim for the first time, she intermittently belts Debbie Gibson’s “Lost in Your Eyes” as she fumbles through conversation, endearing her to the audience immediately. Other notable songs and numbers included “Power of Love”, “I Think We’re Alone Now”, “All I Need is a Miracle” and the wonderful finale, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”.
Each cast member shone in their roles and drew the audience into the story. The ensemble had an amazing energy and added so much to the production as well.
Overall, the show was a blast and boasts talented actors, tons of rockin’songs from the 80’s, and a
rom-com-like storyline. The Engeman Theater served up yet another delicious show—so go get yourself a slice of Mystic Pizza!
The show runs approximately two hours with a 15 minute intermission.
Photo Credit: The John W Engeman Theater. Left to right: Emily Rose Lyons (Daisy), Michelle Beth Herman (JoJo), Brooke Sterling (Kat), Coleman Cummings (Ensemble), Andryi Nahimiak (Ensemble), Stephen Cerf (Bill)