I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical is the musical for those in tune with pop culture, packed with meme-ified references galore.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial captured the hearts and minds of the internet in 2023, but I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical brings it all rushing back this summer.
All the performances are equal parts convincing and witty, but Tori Allen-Martin, who plays lawyer Kristin Fangirling, is a true delight to watch. Even when the spotlight is on others, she embodies the star-struck lawyer, taking moments to stroke Gwyny P’s hair when no one is looking. She is where the audience can perhaps see themselves, or at the very least poke fun at our own tendencies to shower adoration on celebrities.
The character of Kristin embodies the play: not taking itself too seriously and knowing when to balance powerful emotional performances with comedic beats. While the overarching thread of female friendship adds some heart to the play, it’s really not that serious – and that makes it all the more fun to watch a judge do the splits, Gwyneth Paltrow shamelessly plug candles, a lawyer gyrate through a song about courtroom fashion, and a plaintiff shoot himself in the foot over and over again.
There were some technical letdowns, with the sound mixing meaning you couldn’t hear some of the lyrics over the live band – a real shame considering every other line is a laugh-out-loud funny quip. The musical pulls on pop culture references from the trial and beyond, making it a bingo card for people plugged into the celebrity zeitgeist.
I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical is just pure fun from start to finish. Each character is a flawed caricature of a real person, allowing you to have an hour of escapism in the weird and wonderful world of Gwyny P.
