Oops!… We Did It Again! Melissa, Nancy, and I enjoyed our second season as season ticket holders at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in our beloved Saint Louis, Missouri. Thankfully, we renewed for the 2025-2026 season, so another slate of shows lies on our horizon. Collectively, we love live theater, but just like last season, not all shows were loved equally.
Like before, I’ve reviewed each of the eight shows in the order we viewed them, however, rather than ranking them against one another, I’ll be reviewing each with a ranking out of 10 with a 10/10 being a perfect score! Naturally, I have plenty to say, but one thing I’m not going to talk about – just like before – is the cast. Each set of thespians was absolutely outstanding in their own right, regardless of how we felt about the subject material. So while the actors may have all been top notch, not all the musicals they had to work with necessarily were…
Back to the Future: The Musical: N/A. Melissa and I missed the first show of the season because we were in California for our near and dear friend’s wedding. I’ll be honest, I don’t really care about this movie, it’s just whatever to me, so I wasn’t all that upset about missing the musical. Nancy and two other friends went to see it and all essentially enjoyed it.
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical: 9/10. Expectations FAR exceeded! Of course we all know, “Sweet Caroline,” but I didn’t realize just how many Neil Diamond songs I actually knew till we heard so many of them that evening! The story was compelling and followed along Diamond’s life as told by his multitude of hit songs. As a fan of jukebox musicals, this one certainly hit all the right marks. Definitely one that I would Highly Recommend and absolutely something I would go and see again! I even cried a little bit in it, something I definitely didn’t suspect I would going into it.
Peter Pan: 9/10. Absolutely loved it! Peter Pan has always been a favorite story of mine ever since I was a child obsessed with Disney’s animated adaptation of J. M. Barrie’s signature story. The songs were sometimes uneven, but in a harmless and enjoyable kind of way. That definitely didn’t distract from the enchanting story and whimsical way in which they were able to create a most magical series of moments throughout. I cried a handful of times, such as when Peter, Wendy, and the lot were flying through the air. The special effects were second to none and it served as the ultimate reminder why we love live theater as much as we do. I would go see this every single time it returned to town. Absolutely Recommend.
SIX: 10/10. This was the perfect musical and it managed to be bringing forth one of my favorite practices: less is more. There were ONLY six actors! No ensemble, no nothing! SIX. Actresses. That was it. This initially brought me some uncertainty as I had never seen a musical with so few bringing it to life, but those reservations were immediately put to rest as the story tore through the tales of the six wives of King Henry the VIII. Every single song was more phenomenal than the last! Really and truly, there was nothing to not love about this! I would absolutely go see this again and again! It could come to Saint Louis a hundred times and I’d be there for every single one of them! Couldn’t Recommend More! Also, somehow I guess I failed to take a picture of the PLAYBILL! Shame on me!
Shucked: 3/10. A 3 might be a bit generous honestly, but I loved the whimsicalness of the set designs and really felt bad for the cast because they were doing some serious lifting with some very unserious work. It followed the story of a woman who leaves her backwoods town to find herself a new man and she does so in Florida only to bring this swindler back to her hometown where “hilarity” ensues. It was just goofy. None of us found the humor in the nonsense and the songs were all forgettable or mid at best. It was this seasons’ Company, but thankfully, not nearly as hellish. Definitely one I hope to never see again.
Some Like It Hot: 9/10. I didn’t know what to expect from this one as it is a classic musical that’s stood the test of time. Well, they updated it for the modern era and while I don’t know how the original plays out, I loved how this one did. It finds two male musicians embroiled in some serious drama, so they dress in drag and join an all-female band. The two set across country with these talented ladies and discover themselves along the way. I thought it was rip-roaringly hilarious and loved the music. It maybe ran a little long for me in certain parts, but that’s the only critique I could offer, beyond that, it was perfect. I’d absolutely go see it again and Highly Recommend to all!
Kimberly Akimbo: 6/10. The first half of the first act was a MESS! I couldn’t believe what I was even watching! It had all the makings of Company until it finally found its rhythm and started heading in what eventually became a very enjoyable direction for me. It follows the story of a young girl with an aging disease who lives with a white trash family that neglects her constantly. She eventually meets and falls in love with an autistic boy who helps her see the value in herself while she helps those around her see the value of themselves. I really enjoyed the second act. There was a lot of heart in this story, but the first quarter or even third of the play was just an abomination. I was appalled at what was happening and Melissa wanted to leave at intermission, but I thankfully refused and am so glad I did because the second act was truly beautiful and more or less made up for all the irritation served to us in the first. Ultimately, I Would Recommend this one, but don’t worry about coming late, you’d almost be thankful you did.
& Juliet: 8/10. I thought I’d like this a lot more than I did, but the storytelling was a little hokey and cheesy for me and I don’t much enjoy goofy humor. It basically picks up right where Romeo and Juliet left off, but changes a few things, like the two of them dying. The story is told through the music of Writer, Producer, and basically, God, Max Martin. He helmed many of Britney Spears biggest hits, so naturally, I knew this was going to be amazing. The bickering between Shakespeare and his wife though was netter funny for us nor witty and clever. It really bogged things down in a lot of ways. Nonetheless, hearing the cast performs the hits of Britney, Katy Perry, the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, P!nk, and so many others was a true highlight. My ultimate wish for this one though was that there was a sing-a-long night! I would’ve been jamming so hard had there of been. Would Recommend.
Those eight wrap up all the shows in our 2024-2025 season, but we were blessed to be able to see two additional shows that swung into town for a handful of nights…
Means Girls: 10/10. LOVED IT! I’ve always been a fan of the Lindsay Lohan starring film from 2004 and even loved the 2024 musical film adaptation, so I was most excited to see this one and let me tell you what, it didn’t disappoint! It follows a young girl as she enters high school after having been homeschooled in Africa. As she enters high school she realizes that predators and prey aren’t just regulated to the animal kingdom. Every song is a jam and the stage effects were simple, yet superb. It was full of laughs and had me wishing it was in town longer so we could see another showing! Strongly Recommend and would one hundred percent see again!
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations: 10/10. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to love this one as I LOVE Motown and definitely The Temptations! Well, this certainly exceeded expectations in every which way it could have. The songs were all on full display as they tore through the story of Motown’s best selling act. It featured a variety of other Motown songs by other artists I love like Jimmy Ruffin and The Supremes, which made me especially happy. I had tears in my eyes a handful of times and was just in awe to learn all that I did about the many ups and downs of each of the members – of which there were apparently twenty-seven of! They only focused on the original five and a couple beyond that, but wow, what a compelling story and one that I would absolutely go see time and time again. Absolutely Recommend.
Well, there you have it, all nine shows we saw this season. I love being a Fabulous Fox Theater season ticket holder and cannot even wait to see all that awaits us in the next season, which may very well be our best yet! My all-time favorite musical, The Phantom of the Opera, is part of this next season and you already know I’ll be in my element for that one!
As always, THANK YOU for viewing! Please feel free to leave a comment below as I LOVE reading and responding to them! I’ll return soon with another all-new post, so until then, I wish you all, all the best!
Read the reviews from our previous season:
