Jagged Little Pill - SMITHTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | 3.21.26

Michael Krulder, Jess Ader-Ferretti, James O’Connor, Rebecca Martowski.

Photo Credit: Jackie St. Louis @jaxxsb

Smithtown Performing Arts Center is currently producing “Jagged Little Pill” from March 21st to April 19th. Based on the music of Alanis Morissette - primarily her 1995 album of the same name - this is not your ordinary jukebox musical. Not in any sense of the phrase! Most jukebox musicals follow a similar format; they take songs by a particular artist that they want to include in the musical and then create a story around it, usually loosely connected and pure fluff. Now don’t get me wrong...some of my *favorite* musicals follow this formula and I thoroughly enjoy the cheesy-ness of it. However, I am equally pleased to say that “Jagged Little Pill” is the direct opposite. This show deals with a multitude of traumatic issues including sexual assault and drug addiction. Issues that ABBA could never tackle.

I know - “Mamma Mia” is over here catching strays.

The way this show is put together is incredible. Every song has meaning and the story around it is powerful - and the production brings the same energy. The show opens with us meeting the Healy family as their matriarch Mary “MJ” Jane (played by Jess Ader-Ferretti) writes her annual Christmas letter updating friends and family on the goings-on with the Healys. Everyone looks so happy! We meet MJ’s husband Steve (played by James O’Connor), their son Nick (Michael Krulder), and their adopted daughter Frankie (Rebecca Martowski). 

Okay - I want to do the best I can to write this without spoilers…aside from what most people would already know about the show. So if it feels like I’m being vague at times - I am, with intention.

We learn through the Christmas letter that MJ was in a car crash this past year, but is on the mend thanks to some natural medication and we see that Frankie’s relationship with her best friend is, well…complicated. MJ’s overbearing nature is seen during “All I Really Want” where she pressures Frankie and Nick to always be ‘perfect’ to keep up the family image. It is that pressure that eventually serves to break down the family, one by one. 

Let me tell you all something – this production is on another level. The casting is absolutely spot on and the direction is top notch; this is by far the best production I have seen at Smithtown Performing Arts Center and easily among the best on Long Island. I can definitively say that this is Ader-Ferretti’s best performance to date. While I haven’t seen every *single* thing she has done, I have seen quite a bit over the years and cannot imagine anything better than this. MJ is full of so many different emotions from joy to depression that includes drug abuse and she masterfully moves through each.

Not really a spoiler. What did you think was meant when they said jagged little pill? Come on.

Vocally, she knocked it out of the park. I always like to mention one song where I feel people stand out…but that’s impossible with her. Every song was a standout – as it was with the rest of the cast as well – but I was especially pleased with Ader-Ferretti on Act 1’s “Forgiven” and Act 2’s “Uninvited”. “Forgiven” was so stunning that the audience didn’t know how to react at the end. The tension from the raw emotion of the song was palpable and while we wanted to clap, it almost didn’t feel appropriate based on the circumstances of her character. Her chemistry with her on-stage husband O’Connor adds quite a bit as well. Act 1’s “So Unsexy” was a great showcase of what O’Connor is capable of vocally and their voices together was amazing. He acted this part beautifully as well, wonderfully showcasing his discontent in the marriage and deep concern when things later take a devastating turn.

Michael Krulder, Jess Ader-Ferretti.

Photo Credit: Jackie St. Louis @jaxxsb

The Healy’s oldest child is Nick, who struggles to maintain the perfect image his mother has created for him. Krulder was an excellent choice for this character, delivering powerful vocals in “Perfect” where that struggle is on full display. There are so many dynamics to the relationship between MJ and Nick; between those high expectations that she has to the love that they share. There’s a moment that sticks out to me in Act 1 where Nick is looking to go to a party and MJ is trying to convince him that partying isn’t who he is and that he should stay home for the night. while he is initially irritated, he takes a beat and sees his mother for who she is in that moment - a woman who doesn’t want to be alone for the night. To be able to depict such a specific moment and for me to be able to pick that out really demonstrates the talent that Krulder and Ader-Ferretti bring to this show.

Another example of perfect casting is Rebecca Martowski who plays the younger, adopted daughter Frankie. There’s a *lot* going on with this character! Frankie is dealing with a number of issues including the exploration of her sexual orientation, feelings of not fitting in with her family, and navigating through some heavy drama in Act 2.

This is some of the bit that I don’t want to get into.

Rebecca Martowski and Company.

Photo Credit: Jackie St. Louis @jaxxsb

But Martowski was *made* for this role. I have never, ever heard her sing like this! Her confidence was off the charts and rightfully so - she owned every single moment and her stage presence sweeps every scene. I was super impressed with “Hand in My Pocket” that she sings with Lisa Naso, who plays Frankie’s best friend Jo. I’ve been a fan of Naso since seeing them in Smithtown’s production of “Fun Home” years ago so it was exciting to see them perform again - and what a treat this was! Jo is having a moment in this show as well, struggling with understanding their gender expression and sharing the challenges they face with their parents. Naso depicted this quite nicely. Vocally, they are so much more than I remembered! They were the lucky person who got to sing one of the most recognizable Alanis Morissette songs “You Oughta Know” and shut.it.down. Simply amazing.

Courtney O'Shea, TJ LaClair.

Photo Credit: Jackie St. Louis @jaxxsb

It was also a pleasure to see Courtney O’Shea on stage again, this time in the role of Bella Fox. Bella is another student at the school who is the victim of a rather tragic incident - one I will not spoil - but O’Shea handled this incredibly. The emotion coming off her brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion but that voice. *That f*cking voice.* My goodness gracious, I can’t even take it. I’ve always enjoyed hearing her sing but during Act 2’s “Predator” my heart nearly stopped. O’Shea oh-so-perfectly blended heavy emotion with some of the most crisp and powerful vocals I’ve ever heard, and it was perfect. The other element that made “Predator” so incredible was featured dancer Kayla Murray. Wow. I finally understood what Director Patrick Campbell meant when he said that some of the ensemble dancers double as avatars and show specific characters' emotion through dance. It all quickly made perfect sense.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I encourage you to check out my conversation on The Kyle Petty Show with Patrick! Give this baby a click.

Kayla Murray, Jess Ader-Ferretti.

Photo Credit: Jackie St. Louis @jaxxsb

Murray danced this spectacularly. I don’t know any other way to put it. My eyes were darting all over the stage - I wanted to see what O’Shea was doing so I’m looking over here and then you see Murray throwing herself all over the stage so you’ve got to look over there - it was marvelous to watch. The way Murray was able to make us feel something through movement is not an easy feat, but she made it look effortless. She continued this trend during Ader-Ferretti’s “Uninvited” and honestly, I feel like I missed some of it through my tears. I can’t wait to go back to see this again so I can be sure I didn’t miss anything. Kudos to Choreographer Vincent Donnadio for choreographing pieces so stunning for Murray and the ensemble as a whole. You’ll find yourself looking all around the stage the entire show because there’s just so much to look at. I remember Donnadio from years ago as well and I am so happy to see how his talent has progressed. Huge shout out to Music Director Samantha Free as well, whose reputation precedes her. Everything she touches turns to gold and this production was no exception. Every lead understood the assignment and executed, and the rest of the company held harmonies excellently while dancing Donnadio’s challenging moves.

I have to say - the biggest compliments go to Director Patrick Campbell. He has said that some of the more emotional stories are what speak to him and interest him most and I can see why. He just has a knack for it. I cannot imagine anyone else on Long Island who could have made this show what it is, from casting to execution. Every moment that the cast shines, so does he. I’ve spoken before about the noticeable, high level of intention he takes when directing and this was even more so. “Jagged Little Pill” is so heavy with emotion that it would be easy to only focus on that - making the moments that should sting, sting. But that wasn’t all we got. There are moments where the characters felt hopeful, and you felt it. There are moments through their challenges that they feel a glimmer of something positive, and you believed their joy. That is just as much a credit to Campbell as it is to the cast because they were not treated as throw away moments. They all come together to make each character feel real and relatable.

Ugh, I just can’t say enough good things about this show and the direction. Congratulations to everyone involved! You should feel amazing about the show you’ve created and it is clear how much heart everyone has put into it. For the theatergoers out there - if you are looking for a heart wrenching (and eventually heart warming) story that is leaps and bounds different from anything else you’ve seen before - “Jagged Little Pill” at Smithtown Performing Arts Center is the show to see. The show will be running until April 19th and tickets can most easily be purchased via their website at smithtownpac.org.

Courtney O'Shea, Michael Krulder, Rebecca Martowski, Jess Ader-Ferretti, James O'Connor, Lisa Naso, Julian Schenker, Kayla Murray, TJ LaClair.

Photo Credit: Jackie St. Louis @jaxxsb

Cast:

MAry Jane Healy - Jess Ader-Ferretti

Frankie Healy - Rebecca Martowski

Steve Healy - James O’Connor

Nick Healy - Michael Krulder

Jo - Lisa Naso

Bella - Courtney O’Shea

Phoenix - Julian Schenker

Andrew - TJ LaClair

Ensemble - Bret Aurecchio, Bradley Berdecia, Shiloh Bowen, Emilia Guzzetta, Crystal Ishmael, Mia Lange, Zoe Mancuso, Edwin Marcia, Kayla Murray+, Samantha Rubin, Evan Torres

+Dance Captain

Creative Team:

Director - Patrick Campbell

Choreographer/Lighting Designer - Vincent Donnadio

Music Director - Samantha Free

Production Stage Manager - Dorothy Haszinger

Stage Manager - Abigail Jackowski

Assistant Stage Manager - Kyle Westgate-Addessi