CULTURE GECKO
Make Me A Match Review
By Ezekiel McAdams
Aug 26 2019
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Standouts are Danny's rant to Lexi and Lexi's solo number. Mathias brings a smug, greasy quality to the character of Danny Sharp, while Jordan Brown shines as the begrudged employee. Brown is great at playing a layered performance, hiding under the guise of apathy before breaking the hard exterior to get more involved.
Sanders plays the vapid Instagram Millennial, with ease and precision, while Josh Brown is hilarious as the confused school teacher, Brad, who is just adorkably charming and steals almost every line. Shorter is great as the door knob tycoon but doesn't get a lot to do, while Powell's presence is brief, he's perfect as another vapid, spray tanned, Millennial.
Make Me A Match is pure unadulterated fun, with wonderful lyrics and a strong ensemble A wonderful hodgepodge of heart, humor and song.
Make Me A Match is a new musical that debuted at the 2019 Indianapolis Fringe (Indy Fringe). Written and directed by Matt Day (Paper Swords) with the book written by husband and wife team, Jordan and Josh Brown.
The musical focuses on a fictional dating show in LA, with smug and arrogant host, Danny Sharp (Ethan Mathias) belittling new unpaid intern, Meredith (Riley Iaria) who seeks support and guidance from begrudged makeup artist, Lexi (Jordan Brown)
The story centres around the behind the scenes antics intermixing with the "live" dating questions as well as the interpersonal relationships. The ensemble cast includes bachelorette, Beth (Emily Sanders) and bachelors, Steve (Kerrington Shorter), Todd (Ryan Powell) and Brad (Josh Brown).
The musical is irreverently fun and charming, moving along effortlessly in just under an hour runtime. The lyrics are catchy while also maintaining a self aware, meta quality that's unwavering in its punch. An underlying theme is self worth and female power which could come across as forced but never does due to the strong lyrics of Day, Brown and Brown.