Swipe Right's 2 Become 1: A solid mixtape

2 Become 1 @ The Gilded Balloon

Swipe Right theatre’s 2 Become 1 is a musical about a heartbroken girl Jess (Natasha Granger) who gets talked into going speed dating with her three friends to rip the single band-aid in the best way possible, meeting tons of weird guys at ten minutes a pop.

As a teen in the 90’s, I most definitely sang into my hairbrush rocking out to the many songs represented in 2 Become 1. This jukebox musical is filled with 90’s classics from The Spice Girls, Britney, Shaniah Twain, among others. The arrangements and smash-ups of 90’s pop royalty were particularly strong aspects of the show. The expert weaving in and out of different artists and genres were expertly curated. I wished that they had mixed the sound a bit better to highlight the girls’ voices, perhaps raising the key would have helped. Many of the songs were very low in their ranges and made it hard to hear them. But, when in harmony, they really excelled.

The theme and story of 2 Become 1 were a bit contradictory. 2 Become 1 celebrates girl power and the need to love yourself without a man, and that you can always rely on your friends. But the way the girls were portrayed was in opposition to this. The scene changes provided audio of men describing their perfect women which successfully draws attention to the double standards women are subjected to when it comes to appearance, sex, and relationships. However, the caricatures of women in this show perpetuate the false perceptions men have of women. That we are obsessed with marriage, dumb, unhinged, manic, or are into only talking about ourselves. In addition to this, the cast gave a much bigger performance than the small room needed. Over exaggerated gestures, facial expressions, and vocal quality of a cheerleading squad on speed gave the performance a pantomime feel, with the exception of Eliza Hewitt-Jones who played Charlie, the sex kitten.

The room at the Gilded Balloon seated a little over 100 people; a much more nuanced performance was needed. The script was witty enough to stand on its own; it didn't need the used car salesman spin. The bathroom scene and when we meet Mandy’s (Jess Brady), tube ride lover were fun; loved the Rose and Jack scene. I also enjoyed the commentary reflecting on how we have progressed and regressed as a society since the 90’s, such as our obsession with Cosmo quizzes and the ridiculousness of Apps like Tinder where you judge people solely based on their looks and manufactured online persona.

Overall 2 Become 1 is a fun show and the music, if you were a pop kid of the 90’s, will like totally hit you in the feels and reminds you of how much easier life was before the internet and smartphones complicated everything.