After almost a year of waiting, the day finally came! I got to go see American Girl Live! Here’s my review and explanation of the show! Warning, there will be spoilers (which I’ll mark the point where the spoilers begin and end).
This was the setlist:
ACT ONE
Home Away From Home
Be True To You
I’ve Heard
Blast Off
Time Passes
Do What You Love
Sound Of A Girl
Boogie Oogie
I’ve Heard (Reprise)
ACT TWO
-Be Brave
-Dance With Me
-Rainy Day Hula
-North Woods
-Follow The Path
-Think!
-Be Brave (Reprise)
-We Are The Heroes
-Home Away From Home (Reprise)
Before I explain the show, I’ll introduce you to the six main characters:
Alyssa is the camp counselor at Camp American Girl, who owns Rebecca. She’s always dreamed of being a camp counselor and it’s her first year doing it. She is energetic and always tends to look at the bright side of things.
Tori is an artsy girl who is shy since it’s her first time at camp. She owns Maryellen.
Rosie is a smart girl who wants to be the first woman on Mars. She builds her own robots for fun and knows a lot of space facts. She owns Luciana.
Bella is an outdoorsy girl who isn’t afraid of anything- except thunder. She loves telling ghost stories. She owns Nanea.
Nia (pronounced Nyah) is a girl who loves performing and singing. She owns Melody.
Leah is a sporty girl who can play anything. She tends to get overcompetitive sometimes, though. She owns Julie.
Here’s the summary of the show! (*Spoilers begin here*)
Act 1 was mostly about the five campers earning the Girl Power Prizes. These prizes are awarded for outstanding actions at camp, and if they all earn them, they’ll get to go to the Starry Night Campsite. The dolls come to life to aid the girls in earning them. First, Maryellen comes to life to encourage Tori to remember to be herself, even though she’s new to camp. Then, Luciana appears when Rosie struggles to get her robot to work and teaches her about teamwork. Later, Nanea appears to remind Bella to refrain from telling her fellow campers scary ghost stories. Then, Nia transforms into Melody to remind herself to speak up when she’s too late to sign up for the talent show. Finally, Julie reminds Leah to never give up when she feels like a failure since she hasn’t earned her Girl Power Prize. They all earn their prizes, and celebrate the fact that they made it to the Starry Night Campout. Act 2 was mostly about the hike the campers took and the challenges they faced there. First, the campers got lost, and Alyssa was stressed, but Rebecca came to life to help her with finding where they were. Then, a thunderstorm came and Bella got scared, but Nanea came back and helped her cope with the same skills she used during air raid drills. After that, the girls decided to wait out the storm by playing with their dolls. Then, Alyssa broke her leg and Tori lost her Maryellen doll, but the campers found a way to both help Alyssa and find Maryellen. After an eventful day, they finally make it to the Starry Night Campsite, and the show ends with Nia’s talent show performance and a reprise of the first song.
*Spoilers end here!*
I also got a VIP experience where I got to take photos and meet three cast members- they vary based on show, but today’s were Nanea, Melody and Luciana. Here’s a picture of me with them!
My review: It. Was. AMAZING! All the scenes were so well written yet understandable for the target audience, and the songs were catchy and featured diverse genres of music. (Soundtrack, please AG! PLEASE!) But this show wouldn’t work out if it wasn’t for the cast and crew’s talent! The cast did a terrific job with their energy and singing skills- and it showed they actually cared about the production, unlike others who might brush it off as a “kids musical”. It also showed the talent of the crew as they changed sets quickly, pulled off the quick changes of the cast members going from camper to doll and everything in between. I loved the entire thing and I hope to see it again soon! 100/10! If you haven’t seen it yet, go see it before the tour ends in May!
*I also took a piece of confetti from the end... and the cast waved and said hi to me! And I didn’t get free tickets or anything, this is just my 100% opinion!*
Shoutouts to: my Dad who took me here, Muriel for being awesome (I’m so glad we finally met!) and the entire cast and crew of American Girl Live! You guys rocked! GO CAMP AMERICAN GIRL!