What happens when the Grim Reaper’s daughter discovers she might actually like the living? That’s the delightful premise behind GRIM, La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical, which takes audiences on a colorful, energetic, heartfelt journey between life, death, and everything in between. With catchy pop-Broadway music, larger-than-life characters, creative staging, and plenty of humor, GRIM is an entertaining new musical with plenty of potential. Like any world premiere, it's still finding its footing, but it's easy to see a life after La Jolla for this production.
The show opens by welcoming audiences into Limbo, where newly departed souls must turn in their lease on life before passing through the appropriate door to the afterlife. Norman the Doorman (Jeremy Davis) oversees each door, making sure everyone ends up where they're supposed to. And there's quite a bit of traffic. Limbo is populated by an entire collection of reapers, each responsible for life's little lessons and inevitable endings: the Death of Innocence (Santa is who?!), the Death of Knowledge (Did you actually read an article, or was it a 30-second TikTok video?), the Death of Patience (Just DRIVE already!), and even the Death of Tradition (who killed off print journalism - boo!). Think Greek mythology, but instead of gods overseeing human behavior, you've got reapers responsible for every way life can take a turn. It's a clever concept, introduced through an energetic opening number that does a great job of establishing the rules of this wonderfully weird world.
At the center of it all is Grim (Paolo Montalban), the main reaper of life itself, who runs this family business with his wife, the Death of Love (Jennifer Fouché), and their two children. Mort (Julio Rey) is the son and heir apparent, and Diana (Akshara Gunda) is determined to prove she's just as capable of taking over the family business.
Julio Rey as “Mort” and Akshara Gunda as “Diana” with cast members in
La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical GRIM; photo by Rich Soublet II.
Diana, however, has a problem. She has a sensitive soul. During her reaper training, she couldn't even bring herself to kill a flower. Instead, she named it and let it live. Not exactly employee-of-the-month material in the family business of Death.
When an unexpected turn of events sends Diana into the real world to collect a soul, she meets Josh (Mateo Lizcano), a teenager with a terminal illness and a list of things he wants to experience before his time runs out. As their friendship develops, Diana begins discovering that life might be considerably more complicated, and wonderful, than she ever imagined. Meanwhile, back in Limbo, a soul named Tammy (Dana Costello) is waiting to cross over. Unfortunately, Tammy isn't particularly interested in following instructions or taking no for an answer. In other words, she'll need to speak to the manager. And Limbo is about to find out just how much trouble one particularly determined customer can cause.
Gunda brings a bright, lively energy to Diana, balancing the character's sensitivity with an increasingly adventurous spirit. Her connection with her brother Mort is particularly sweet. Rey stands out, bringing charisma and strong vocals to the role as Mort's ambitions take him in increasingly dramatic directions; Rey makes the most of every opportunity. As Josh, Lizcano is immediately likable, bringing a quirky, endearing teenage quality that helps ground the show's fantastical premise in recognizable human experiences.
Mateo Lizcano as “Josh” in La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical GRIM; photo by Rich Soublet II.
Costello brings exactly the comedic sharpness the production needs as Tammy, the wonderfully exasperating Karen of Limbo. Her unexpected connection with Norman the Doorman is especially charming. Montalban brings considerable presence to Death himself, but the role could use more of his talents. Fouché as the Mom and Death of Love is a formidable matriarch, but her love for her family is still alive and well. More time establishing the family dynamic before Diana's departure would also give the relationships and subsequent conflicts greater emotional weight.
The ensemble is constantly in motion, navigating rapid scene changes, dance sequences, and costume transformations as the action moves between Limbo and the living world. The company includes Aaron J. Albano, Valentine d’Arabian, Alex Gibson, Kendyl Ito, Patricia Jewel, Sean Harrison Jones, Zachary Daniel Jones, Samantha Littleford, Jaygee Macapugay, Fredric Rodriguez Odgaard, Jonathan Sangster, Bella Serrano, and Jazz Washington, with swings Travante S. Baker, Lili Froehlich, Austyn Myers, and Nio Russell.
Directed by Sammi Cannold, GRIM has a lot of energy and a sweetness that keeps it light. Joey Orton and Brad Silnutzer's book is playful and clearly delights in puns and double entendres.
Musically, with music and lyrics by Petro AP, Scott Hoying, Joey Orton, and Brad Silnutzer, GRIM delivers 22 songs across two acts, with a sound that leans heavily into energetic pop and a cappella influences. Given Hoying's background with Pentatonix and Petro AP's pop credentials, that's hardly surprising. The opening number is particularly effective, introducing the world and its complicated death-related organizational chart. The songs are catchy, the harmonies are tight, and the vocals soar. Standout numbers include the opener “The Beginning of the End,” “Shot Glass List” with Josh and Diana, Rey’s second-act “Morti-More,” and the company in “30,000 Days.” Several numbers will stick with audiences as they walk out of the theatre, and the live orchestra, led by music director Ted Arthur, gives the score plenty of energy.
That said, the music could use a little more variety. The millennial pop and boy-band sound is fun, but after a while, some of the numbers begin to blend together. A few contrasting styles, perhaps even something a little darker or spookier, would give the score more dimension. After all, this is a show about Death. A little more musical menace couldn't hurt.
Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler brings impressive precision and personality to the movement. His choreography uses intricate formations and individualized movement to create visual storytelling that complements and enhances the action. There is wonderful attention to detail in the way the ensemble moves, and the choreography adds another layer of personality to an already imaginative production.
Akshara Gunda as “Diana” in La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical GRIM; photo by Rich Soublet II.
The visual world is equally entertaining. Paloma Young's costumes are a particular delight. Dramatic villains and swirling capes are always a winning combination, so the reapers' ensembles make quite an impression. The skeletal detailing on Mother Death is another standout. The contrasting looks of the colorful living world and Limbo's darker, more magical palette help distinguish the two environments. Jason Sherwood's scenic design is creative and playful (though you may think of “Monsters Inc.” with all of the doors) with quick transitions that keep the action moving. Amanda Zieve's lighting and Connor Wang's sound design bring the worlds together beautifully, while wig, hair, and makeup designers Krystal Balleza and Will Vicari create some striking character-specific looks.
A few areas could benefit from some editing. The first act could be shorter, with several songs trimmed without sacrificing their impact. Tammy's song "Manager" would benefit from appearing earlier in the first act, breaking up some of the exposition and the sweetness of Diana and Josh's storyline while giving Tammy more time to wreak havoc back in Limbo. The show also occasionally seems a little unsure of its intended audience. The premise and colorful characters suggest family-friendly, but some of the strong language and adult humor suggest otherwise. It doesn't necessarily have to choose one audience, but a clearer sense of who it's playing to would help.
Still, these are the growing pains of a world premiere, and GRIM is funny, imaginative, visually engaging, and surprisingly heartfelt. Its premise offers plenty of opportunities for humor and emotional depth, and the creative team has built a world audiences will enjoy visiting.
Most importantly, this musical about death leaves audiences thinking about life. The songs are catchy, the visuals are memorable, and there are moments that would translate beautifully into the kind of social media clips that get people talking about a show. This reaper family has life, and it will be exciting to see where they go next.
How To Get Tickets
GRIM at La Jolla Playhouse has been extended through December 13th, but tickets are going fast. For ticket and show times, please go to www.lajollaplayhouse.org