REVIEW: CrazySexyCool (Arena Stage)

A good jukebox (bio-)musical should introduce the subject to a potential newcomer with their preeminence in-tact. It should accomplish three specific Things: one, introduce the subject artists as rich, complex, and relatable characters; two, fold in their discography with natural story-based context that feels narratively fulfilling; and three, create a staged world that captures their existence as artists with respect to the craft.

CrazySexyCool: The TLC Musical at Arena Stage, which opened Friday and runs through August 9th, accomplishes about 1.5 of these things. 50% isn’t bad, I guess — but for a production with such open Broadway aspirations, it indicates a massive need for structural upgrades. The real-life story of the band is one of legend: trials and tribulations at the turn of the millennium, overcoming the default handicap of Black womanhood in America while also dealing with a surprising number of personal congenitalities. There’ve been enough documentaries and books that prove their staying power in the annals of pop music history, especially regarding the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes (the “L” in the band name). I’m too young to have grown up in the peak fever of TLC in the 90’s, and I wouldn’t call myself a particularly knowledgeable fan even enjoying a number of their hit songs. But what I was aware of walking into CrazySexyCool was their impact on fashion, free expression, and feminism that lasts to this day, and was very curious how Arena’s season-closing production would capture it.

Book/Music

TLC’s music stands on its own just fine. “No Scrubs” alone could easily be considered one of the best pop songs ever written; “Hanging out the passenger side of your best friend’s ride, tryin’ to holler at me” might be one of the best pop lyrics ever written, full stop. The hard part is, as always, putting that to page. T-Boz, Chili, and Left Eye probably weren’t writing these bangers with the idea that they one day would have to connect as part of a coherent story. That responsibility lies with director Kwame Kwei-Armah. Unfortunately, it goes about as swimmingly as most do, which is to say: poorly. But, I don’t entirely blame Kwei-Armah for it: these women have endured so much, that it’s a challenge itself to even begin to cover it all appropriately. Sacrifices needed to be made, and that sacrifice here is resolution. The fatal flaw is ultimately the lack of any proper introduction, which sets it up for failure. The opening scene is an abrupt semi-foreshadow, and immediately motions into the “TL” of “TLC”. This is where that first Thing of the aforementioned three goes missing: T-Boz and Left Eye exist as a duo already the minute the next scene opens, eliminating several layers of their histories from before the group. They’re already a not-insignificant local Atlanta act. CrazySexyCool tries desperately to not be The Left Eye Musical as her real-life story is the most dramatic, and it attempts to side-step this by opening with the recruitment of Chili. Yet, T-Boz and Left Eye did have a prior relationship, one that gets strained over the course of the show as Chili becomes a prominent member. Without that baseline, their textual interplay can feel frayed, leading to the musical existing as a series of TLC-themed vignettes. Act II is where most of the heavy-hitting happens, both musically and narratively. The songs are more familiar, and the characters are much more fleshed out. It starts to show signs of a conflict arc, though doesn’t follow through; yet, the dynamic of the three is much more consistent here and makes for stellar dramatic moments that validate the show’s very existence. In fact, the more Act II went on, the more I realized that CrazySexyCool could actually thrive as a play-with-music, focusing more on the group’s strory with far fewer songs. Think the drama of Stereophonic, but not in the same fly-on-the-wall style. TLC have a hugely cinematic aura in their legacy, and by trying to stuff it all in a traditional musical format, thy cup runneth very much over. 1/10

Acting

Of the three Things, characterization is where CrazySexyCool succeeds the most. The members of TLC are riveting characters, and the performances are superb in bringing that to fruition on stage. Even when the cheap script undersells them, the core trio are so good that it distracts you from it. Holli’ Gabrielle Conway’s T-Boz portrays intelligent leadership, which struggles to maintain itself as her body fails her. Similarly, the progression of Stoney B. Woods’ Chili from outcast to the voice behind some of their biggest hits is outstanding. Jade Milan’s Left Eye is the sensational glue between the group, and her playfully sour charisma creates an illuminating performance that brings justice to the rapper’s legacy. Their chemistry is simply on fire, the musical the closest to coherence when the three are up there doing their thing. 9/10

Production

It seems the budget was dumped entirely onto the bodies of the cast. Dede Ayite’s costumes are blisteringly creative and range between loud 90’s throwbacks to replicas of some of the group’s most iconic fits, such as their use of condoms as accessories or their Afro-Futurist chrome from the “No Scrubs” video. Then they move well, too, because you couldn’t do a TLC musical without absolutely incredible dancing; Chloe O. Davis assuredly delivers, with snappy, electric moves that dazzle on the small Kreeger stage. But this means there’s not much left for a set, which is merely a revolve and a big LED screen. The screen which, doesn’t exactly immerse the viewer further into the show. The designs therein are basic, if not confusing, only showing its use well in the latter half of Act II. 6/10

Viz

The show tells you what it is. The big screen when you walk in tells you what it is. The program tells you what it is. The main logo is a sparkly chrome box with the title in it. Honest? Sure. Exciting? Not particularly. But there’s not much else one could do to improve it given the lack of an initial staging device in the plot itself. Nothing tells me what I might experience beyond something that could be better than a TLC cover concert. 1/10

Verdict

CrazySexyCool constantly struggles to effectively tell the overwhelming story of TLC, but it survives on the back of its galvanizing central trio and slew of hits. 17/40