Yes, we went to see 50 Shades! The Musical. Yes, neither of us have read the books. Even Patty, who read all of the Twilight books in a misguided attempt to understand a pop cultural phenomena. All this being said, we still really enjoyed 50 Shades. While some things may have been funnier had we read the books, the jokes about how poorly written they are will be funny to everyone.

The success of the show has everything to do with the fantastic cast and creative team (a bunch of awesome people from Second City and Baby Wants Candy). With our (now distant) improv backgrounds, it was interesting to understand the mechanics of how the show came together. Both of our audiences (we had to see it on separate days) were full of women chomping at the bit to see hunky Christian Grey. Let’s just say there was a definite play on expectations, and it was extremely fulfilling. When Emily saw the show, the rowdy women got a little more personal, with one chiming in a reflective moment and the fantastic Amber Petty (Anastasia Steele) sassing her back to Jersey (probably).

Over all, if you want a fun, fast-paced night with some great belting, lots of (different kinds of) BODY, and laughs, go see 50 Shades! The Musical. Bonus points for the use of a mid-title exclamation point and handcuffs in place of the E. We also happen to have a discount code for you here. The best part is that you don’t have to read the books.

Website: www.50shadesthemusical.com
Twitter: @Musical50Shades