“Operation Mincemeat.” You may see this title and naturally be appalled. However, this show won the Olivier Award for Best Musical in London, one of the most prestigious theater awards you can get. Now, the musical has made it to Broadway in New York City. So what makes this musical so amazing? Although the name makes it seem disturbing, “Operation Mincemeat” was a real operation carried out in World War II, allowing the English and their allies to prevent the Germans from winning World War II. The musical was created to educate viewers on the historical impact of this operation in a fun and entertaining way.
The operation was a plan to fool the German army into leaving Sicily, a key region that would put Germany in a much worse position should it fall out of their hands. To execute the plan, the English tricked the German army into believing that the English were invading Sardinia in Greece so that they would leave and follow them there instead. This plan was not easily carried out, however. Throughout the musical, we see the difficulties and stress that the workers endured over the course of the planning process, as well as how life was at the time of World War II in London.
The actors truly made the show as incredible as it was. Only five actors ran the entire show, three of whom also co-produced the show. One of the actors also won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor, which made sense through the originality and creativity he exhibited as a character throughout the musical.
There were only five actors, but there were more than five characters, which proved the flexibility and fluidity of the actors. Over half of the actors played characters of different genders, with a huge jump and change in personality. Not only did they have to change significantly in personality, but often, they also had to do so right on stage. I am not sure how they changed the entire idea of who they are—their voice, outfits, and poise—so well, right in front of the viewers’ eyes, yet so successfully encapsulating the differing personalities, alternating instantaneously.
Another impressive feat that the actors accomplished was that they also had to move the set according to the scenes. It was so interesting to move from scene to scene that it was so clear the different scenes we were in, all due to the changes the actors were simply making.
The music throughout the show was creative and phenomenal. I still can hear the songs in my head as I go through my day. It was extremely memorable and recognizable. The show did a great job of creating music that the audience would love.
The show, like all others, did have its weaknesses, however. Since the musical was originally from London and the actors were all English, it was at times difficult to understand what was being said. Their accents made it difficult to comprehend many different songs, especially because some of the songs were extremely fast-paced. It took a lot of focus to follow what they were saying. From the shows that I have seen, this show likely has the highest quantity of extremely fast-paced songs. That made it hard.
Another issue with the show was that the history, although extremely important, had less to do with the United States than it was important to London. The musical truly reminded me of the show “Hamilton,” which became famous worldwide but mostly in America due to its heightened significance. This has to be taken into account when it comes to Broadway showings. It makes complete sense that it would make huge progress and fame in the United Kingdom, but I would not be too shocked if it did not last here for the long run.
However, the musical as a whole was incredible, especially due to the talent and true dedication of the actors. The show is also still in the works, as this was just a preview and the cast is still actually making edits to the show, which makes it even more interesting to see it while it is in the process of being perfected. I would highly recommend others to watch the show if they get the chance, especially since it looks like it will only be on Broadway until the summer.
