There’s an initial vibe to the Circus Bar on this chilly Wellington night that can only be described as pink af. Between Peter Liley’s ‘I am Kenough’ hoodie, Bethany Miller’s stylish ascot scarf and Megan Connolly’ hip beret, Goody Goody Glam Pop nails the tone of a bubblegum nation while delivering a wholesome satire on parasocial relationships.

The framing device used here is that of a modern day YouTube channel where our host, Lisa Speculates (Connolly) endows the giddy crowd with assumed fandom of the squeaky-clean pop sensation, Brooklyn Brooklyn (Miller). The show progresses through the usual trappings of a YouTube interview, down to a Q&A with the live audience that turns the show on its head. Each of these segments is punctuated by seat-bopping, chart-topping singles (composed by Logan Hunt) that are as hilarious as they are catchy.

The first song in play is a Disney Channel-esque banger called ‘Back to Back’ which perfectly encapsulates the harmless, goody two shoes vibe that can be packaged and re-sold ad nauseum to screaming fans. It’s incredible how quickly Miller is able to get the audience calling out lyrics to a song they’ve never heard before. She is a consistently strong vocalist, as anyone who’s ever seen her perform will attest to.

The next song, ‘Breathless’ is a biting commentary on young stars’ vulnerable stars when they’ve barely just made it to teenagehood. Our hero innocently describes a crush they had on a teacher which elicits a discomforting and sinister undertone below the cheerful and oblivious Brooklyn’s pop-happy melodies. It’s a reminder that young pop stars need to be protected, not lambasted for their youth.

The third song, ‘No FOMO’ is my favourite and pulls into focus the troubles and temptations that teens face in their formative years. Brooklyn consistently refuses to take part in any vice that could be construed as damaging to her flawless image and it’s here where we start to realise that, uh, Brooklyn’s got problems. She’s being held to an impossible standard, unable to break from it. Miller makes incredible use of the venue, sliding off the stage into the crowd, only to be whisked back, limited by the reach of her wired microphone. It’s phenomenal stagecraft that disguises subtlety with excess.

At this point in the musical, we finally get the turn. Brooklyn is bombarded with criticism from online haters via Lisa, who then embodies the viscous, rabid anti-fans that plague our current music industry. This is Connolly’s moment to shine. The sharpness by which they switch is cutting, daring and typical of the animalistic commenter that harass Taylor Swift over her private jet usage. It’s jarring and scary and it devolves into a full-on shouting match in the middle of the fourth song. The two level accusations at each other, the most venomous and mutual being that they are leeches on each other’s success. Brooklyn is nothing without her fans, and Lisa is nothing without their obsession.

The thing is, you can’t deny the truth in that.

Nor can they. Amidst a storm of escalating “hmphs” (including some great comedic timing from Liley on the guitar), we are treated to one of the few moments of pure silence. With just their eyes, the two come to a mutual understanding and respect of their opposite’s craft. It’s a beautiful moment, one that could never be replicated in the real world. Such a reconciliation between a grounded pop star and a lapsed fan would be close to impossible, and even then, haters would say it’s fake. But if it ever did, I like to think that this is what it would look like. Two humans. Looking at each other, and themselves, for what they are. The close out the show with their final song, ‘So Sufficient’, an ode to self-acceptance and Connolly evens joins in the vocals. It’s the perfect way to end the show.

What Goody Goody Glam Pop has done here is heartwarming, wholesome and features a wickedly talented cast showcasing the best of their abilities. There is drama when needed, there is levity to cut it, and there is so much pop goodness, the kind you’ll never get sick of.

That Brooklyn Brooklyn’s gonna go far (she’s a star).

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I am quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show.
Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.