Rise is a show that is begging the audience to like it and, admittedly, it’s hard not to give in at times. Its ensemble of young actors is incredibly impressive, and it explores the way that we use music to express and process our most complex emotions in a unique way. It also focuses on Spring Awakening, the brilliant musical from Duncan Sheik that blends alt-rock music with a thought-provoking coming of age story. But this is a tonally uneven series, poorly-paced pilot, meaning this series needs to do a little growing before it hits any high notes.
Partially inspired by the true story of the famed theater programming at Harry S. Truman High School in Pennsylvania, Rise focuses on a fictional drama department at a small-town high school that is looking to do something more radical with their high school musical.
English teacher Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother fame) wants to stage a production of Spring Awakening, a controversial musical that’s a far cry from the more family-friendly fare the teens have typically put on. But he has a point: the themes of Spring Awakening are highly relevant and relatable to the actors that will be performing them, and performing in the musical could help them work out their teen angst and grow in a healthy way.
While Lou is battling with school boards, and trying to win over his co-director (the always wonderful Rosie Perez), the students are also dealing with their own problems, each of which draw them closer to the musical. Lillette (Auli’i Cravalho of Moana) sees the musical as a way to escape from a dreary home life and, possibly, her small town. Simon (Ted Sutherland) comes from a conservative Christian family, but finds himself compelled to play the role of gay student, Hänschen. And trans student Michael (played by nonbinary actor Ellie Desautels) finds a supportive community in Lou and the rest of the ensemble.
Many of these subplots are genuinely compelling, and acted with such earnestness that the cheesy moments are easier to ignore. Some, however, leave a bit to be desired. The worst of the bunch focuses on football star Robbie (Damon J. Gillespie), who wins the lead role in the musical, creating an immediate riff between the football team and drama club. The “athlete who wants to sing” stereotype is overdone and, frankly, uninteresting. That’s not a dig to Gillespie, who brings charisma to the part and has a nice singing voice. But this is a subplot that, simply, doesn’t have to be here.
It also feels ironic that, in a show about how teenagers process their angst, the adults are the only who constantly drag the show down. Lou is an unbearable character whose entire motivation feels unrealistic, thus making any scene where he earnestly champions for his students or the musical he loves so much ring false. Radnor tries his hardest, but he’s simply given a character that’s too hard to make tolerable.
One scene, in which his character raps along to Hamilton, is cringe inducing. Another, in which he argues with the football coach about Robbie’s involvement in the play, makes his character seem self-righteous, even as the audience is implored to agree with him. The show should switch the focus to the teens, who are given far more compelling, sympathetic characters to explore.
Speaking of which: these teens know how to act and sing. In fact, every time the drama shifted exclusively to the students, the pilot became far more interesting. Granted, these subplots aren’t necessarily breaking new ground; we’ve seen angst-ridden teens with bad home lives before. But the actors make the characters work, thus turning the pilot into a persuasive argument about tuning in to the season. The best of the bunch, at least in the pilot, is Sutherland, who layers his character’s complicated emotions so brilliantly as he becomes more and more comfortable with playing a gay character on stage, despite what his religious parents might think.
Furthermore, in a brief scene that shows him practicing his duet, we see hints of the confusion and curiosity about his sexual orientation that will no doubt be explored over the next few weeks. But there’s no shortage of talent on display in this young ensemble, and it seems like most of these actors will have a chance in the spotlight this season. And, at the very least, they make for a genuinely terrific musical ensemble: their interpretations of Spring Awakening’s soundtrack are stunning.
Rise will, no doubt, draw comparison to Glee, though the correlation seems simplistic. This is a grittier series, and one that takes a more melancholy approach to the subject matter – for better or worse. But, if it has anything in common with Glee, it’s this: the viewers are here for the teenagers. We want to see them try and accomplish their dreams. So, cut the excess fat about teachers, and lose the subplots we’ve seen a thousand times before. There’s a lot of great material to work with here: let’s hope the creators make a good show out of it.
Overall rating: 5 out of 10.
