In 1995, singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette released one of the all-time great albums in “Jagged Little Pill.”
In 2019, it inspired a Tony Award-winning Broadway production, the national tour of which rocks National Theatre in D.C. from March 14 to March 26.
“The show is not about Alanis Morissette; it takes the songs from the album and tells the story of this family,” D.C.-native and actor Daniel Thimm told WTOP. “It’s not like ‘Jersey Boys,’ it’s not like ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,’ it’s more like ‘Mamma Mia!’ It takes her music and uses her music as a tool to tell a new story and to create new characters.”
Written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody (“Juno”), the story follows Mary Jane, a modern housewife struggling with addiction while trying to raise her daughter and her son.
“The story follows a modern American family and we watch them go through a journey that addresses topics that millions of people are dealing with today like mental health, addiction, identity,” Thimm said. “It’s a wonderful story that deals with pain, healing, empowerment. … It’s high energy, it’s funny, it’s emotional — there’s something for everybody to connect to.”
The songbook features numerous hits from the album, including “All I Really Want,” which Thimm calls “my favorite number in the show. It’s the first moment that we see this family in crisis. It centers around M.J. and her daughter Frankie (and) it’s really showing how they’re butting heads and how their relationship is off balance. … It’s really confrontational but in a fun way.”
Act 1 also includes the hit song “Hand in My Pocket,” which Thimm said is “obviously one of her most iconic songs.” In this story, it’s used to introduce a relationship between Frankie and Jo.
“It’s a wonderful number. This number is really uplifting. It’s about acceptance, it celebrates the song, but it’s just a really joyful number that celebrates love,” Thim said.
Of course, you’ll also hear the iconic pop hit “Ironic,” which pokes fun at itself.
“It’s super silly,” Thimm said. “Frankie is presenting her poetry in class, presenting this idea of what is and what isn’t ironic. … It’s the first time we break the fourth wall with the audience because (there have) been arguments about whether or not what Alanis is saying is ironic.”
Act 2 features “Head Over Feet,” which Thimm calls “a wonderful, romantic moment between Frankie and the love interest Phoenix. It’s a moment when they are just celebrating their new love, being young and having that new, wonderful feeling. They’re on a swing set that’s spinning round and round. It’s absolutely beautiful. … It’s an amazing pop-rock song.”
The most badass feminist anthem is “You Oughta Know.” “It’s the number of the show,” Thimm said. “I think it steals the show. When I saw the show on Broadway, that’s the number where people are standing up and you’re just brought to this moment of extreme power and catharsis. It’s absolutely amazing. How do you live up to that song? It’s so powerful!”
Fittingly, the show closes with “You Learn,” which Thimm calls, “Such a perfect ending. It ties together everything you’ve just experienced. It’s a way for the performers and the audience to just connect like we’ve both been on this journey together, we’ve gotten to this final place, let’s sing this song that most of you know. …We’ve got to this point. We can breathe now.”
Find more ticket information here.
Listen to our full conversation here.
