Yesterday was a magical day at the Golden Theater.
Gerianne Pérez debuted Jean Leslie and others to become the 6th actor ever to complete all three female tracks! I was present for both shows! Here’s an attempt at thoughts, both on Gerianne specifically and the cast overall.
Truly the most wonderful energy from both cast and audience at the matinee. While still being respectful, there were so many little extra cheers here and there for Gerianne.
Gerianne’s Jean is so cutie patootie. It is her first day at work and she is so so excited to be there. She idolizes every person working at MI5. She smiles so cutely every time she gets any sort of praise.
It was wonderful getting to hear Gerianne sing in the higher end of her range. She really sounded so comfortable up there at the matinee, and was even more settled in the evening.
At the same time I’ve only ever seen her Monty so I’m so used to her more masculine energy, her Jean is so much softer while also being feisty and well-rounded.
Gerianne was basically perfect line-wise across both shows. There was maybe one tiny oopsie in each show but they were minor and things I noticed bc I’ve seen the show before.
Shoutout to the fly/other bug that got stuck in the theater and swooped between Gerianne and Julia at one point during the Bevan rap.
It was at the little Reggie/Monty eye contact moment then that I should have known this was gonna be a wild show.
Julia and Gerianne have INSANE chemistry together. Like, so freaking ridiculously great.
Gerianne was having so much fun as Tar in the scene preceding God That’s Brilliant.
Julia!Monty audibly went “yes!” after Tar’s “god, that’s brilliant” interjection, before “but listen to this!”
Gerianne’s Reggie Tar has a taste for drama. He pulled that pen out with quite a flourish.
GTB weave: 1.5, Gerianne: 0.5. Brandon had to hug her and move her at the matinee and it was hilarious. In the evening the physical weave went better but Gerianne went for the Monty line instead of the Tar line on the weave and I giggled a little.
Brandon’s DITW from the matinee is my favorite performance of that song from them.
Gerianne’s Jean fully was like… fisting the air??? on the snakes and ladders “putting your tail… in a… position…” line. It was beautiful.
For those who know how squeaky Gerianne’s Monty is, her Jean is also very squeaky. My favorite of these was her squealing after the “FOR THE SAKE OF OUR NATION, MA’AM. 🫡”
The Julia/Brandon/Gerianne combo made for a very dance-y The Pitch and I was living for it.
I am reasonably sure Julia said the “it’s rife” out loud even though it’s been cut since like previews.
Also, there were a few moments here and there where Gerianne definitely hadn’t seen how Julia did certain bits and it was precious watching her react while in character.
At one point during The Pitch, Gerianne’s Jean and Brandon’s Charlie exchanged really nervous smiles.
Julia’s Monty and Gerianne’s Jean were flirting. Objectively. This is the most bisexual Julia’s Monty has ever been.
Case in point: after “you’re a good girl, Jean!”, Gerianne turned around and smiled at Julia’s Monty as she exited.
I continue to be astounded by Julia’s physicality as Monty. I tried to count how many times a leg went higher than her head and stopped at 5. Also the back bends and kicks and jumps and low squats.
Gerianne’s Spilsbury Assistant is a DIVA. And maybe a bit horny.
After 1st Spilsbury, Brandon’s Charlie was like folded over and Julia’s Monty was squatted down gathering himself. Jeff’s Spilsbury got astoundingly close to kissing Brandon’s Charlie.
For those who love a tie moment, at least at the evening show, Julia fiddle with Charlie’s tie (I think this was after second spilsbury) and otherwise got a bit physical with him a few times throughout.
Gerianne’s Jean has not been wooed. She doesn’t actually know what wooing is.
Love is a Bird with Brandon and Gerianne? Chef’s kiss.
The two of them look like scolded schoolchildren after Jeff’s Hester went “BILL HAS TWO ‘L’s”
Specifically shoutout to Jeff, who garnered extended applause at both shows after Dear Bill.
I realized this the night before but bc Gerianne has only done Monty and Bevan, she has never sat through Dear Bill on stage. Dear Bill was magical as per usual, but I was staring at Jean and Charlie the whole song. She sat upright at the “to tell you the truth Tom”and also was crying and wiped away tears at both shows.
Julia’s little blow a kiss and skedaddle move at the end of the Ahoy There Laddies scene was as magnificently chaotic as always.
As it turns out, sitting in a side front orchestra seat is fabulous for being able to see a tiny bit into the wings. At the evening show I caught a few tiny tidbits of the Jean track JFT quick changes and they’re crazy fast.
Her Hel is also a diva. Fully shimmied at Brandon’s Charlie with a kissy face and chased him across the stage.
There was some sort of issue with cues before Bevan’s Update that led to Amanda just making an extended silly face at us and then us laughing hard.
Julia does a thing in Willie Watkins when Monty goes from sitting to standing where she plants her feet , arches into a backbend, and then unravels herself into a standing position. It was wild.
Gerianne’s Jean very clearly enjoyed getting to smack Julia Monty’s legs off the desk at the end of Willie Watkins.
Steve… ah Steve. I love any Steve physicality. Gerianne’s Steve waddle was almost… coming mostly from the hips and not the knees? He’s such an odd man and I love him.
Back to where I was sitting for the evening, I had the joy of seeing Gerianne’s Steve winding himself up for his entrances.
During the moment Steve holds both phones during the briefcase ballet, Gerianne’s Steve made the two phones kiss like he was roleplaying with dolls.
Apparently Gerianne did not know that Julia’s Juan is in tears post-cake incident. At the matinee, her raw reaction was to ask Julia what was wrong, kiss her finger and booped Julia on the nose.
Can confirm, Julia’s Monty is still horny for Bevan. Complete with dramatic gesturing and posing on “ah Johnny”.
Julia and Gerianne together in Bloody Tea was brutal. I really wanted to fight Julia’s Monty on Gerianne Jean’s behalf.
Julia said openly at the stage door that she could be meaner to Lexi and Gerianne’s Jeans than Jessi’s.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, JULIA?? BOTH LEXI AND GERIANNE ARE IN TEARS POST BLOODY TEA???
Something about the Gerianne/Brandon Jean/Charlie dynamic during the confrontation was really lovely. Haven’t figured out exactly what.
Both audiences cheered for the fighting fascism line!
Gerianne’s Steve tie didn’t make it on for Glitzy during the matinee and barely made it on for the evening.
Her cockney’s “oi!” was so squeaky lol
When Gerianne pulled down her Jean portrait for the first time, all the mince fans LOST it. It got a little more cheer than usual at the evening show too.
Gerianne’s Deborah is so pouty when she comes out to bring Julia’s Monty his hat.
I got chills at the final Glyndwr Michael/Sail on Boys reprise part.
At the matinee, just after the cast cut off the final note, but before the lights went to blackout, Gerianne burst into this huge smile. She must have been so relieved to get through that first show.
It was an incredible performance and a significant moment in such a wonderful show.
If I remember anything else I’ll add on… but for now… sleep.
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