Growing up, my siblings and I were obsessed with Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. We read the books and watched the movies an unhealthy amount. I think I have the entire script of all three original movies memorized, and I quote them daily. So when I found out that The Rose was putting on a production of a Diary of a Wimpy Kid Musical, I was ecstatic. Of course, I immediately bought tickets. When the date came around, I went with my family to finally see the show.
While walking into the audience, I was surprised by the crowd. For some reason, I was expecting to see more high schoolers, since that age group grew up with the books. However, young children and their parents filled the seats around me. They all seemed very confused as to what Diary of a Wimpy Kid was, and I was shocked. However, it made me happy that they were about to be introduced to the characters.
After about fifteen minutes, the curtains rose. An illustrated and cartoonish set of a school illuminated. It looked almost exactly like the books. A diversely aged cast sprang out and started the musical with a fun dance. However, some actors looked a little bit out of place, and some choreography was sloppy. Their singing was pretty good, but again, some seemed lost.
The show continued and the audience was engaged for the most part. Some kids couldn’t help but to talk to their parents and siblings. It made it a little bit hard to focus.
I was shocked by the accuracy and amount of details from the books that they were able to fit into the two and a half hour show. It made it super enjoyable for a fan like me.
Jack Reilly, who played Greg Heffley, did an amazing job. He had some powerful vocals especially for his age. His acting brought the character and entire musical to life. With many solo numbers and few breaks throughout the show, he was outstanding.
In the final thirty or so minutes of the show, it felt pretty dragged on. I feel like there were a few spots where wrapping up the show would have made more sense. When their final number ended, the audience roared with applause, and the cast bowed. The kids around me seemed super excited and entertained.
The Rose put on a great performance of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I loved how fun and family friendly it was, and how many references were thrown in. However, some choreography and singing seemed a little bit sloppy, and the show felt dragged on and long. I would give this production a 6/10.
