Review: Tagged and It's Complicated

PROFILING THE ART OF TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY LOVE 
joel fishbane

Dating in the 21rst century has spawned a whole sub-genre of musicals, from I Love You Because… to A Craigslist Cantata, each of which comment on how the new generation deals with the impact of technology on love. To quote Jonathan Larson’s Rent, it’s all about “connection in an isolating age”. Into this mix comes Tagged & It’s Complicated, a new musical that chronicles the efforts of two social misfits, Tim (Matty Burns) and Katherine (Ruth Goodwin) to find true love via the Molten Lava Dating Company.

Almost entirely sung, Tagged… is set entirely in Tim and Katherine’s bedrooms; the two are on stage the entire time but never interact (at least not in reality). Katharine’s a workaholic while Tim’s unemployed and living with his parents. Unfortunately, not much more can be said about the characters. They reveal little about themselves during the show’s one hour time span, which right now is about thirty minutes longer then the current plot needs.

The Story: First-Person - Matty Burns on Tagged and It's Complicated

From Napkins to Opening
The jagged journey of Tagged and It's Complicated 
by Matty Burns

Only a few years ago, I thought I had it all. I was living the dream, enjoying my final year at Queen’s University and had everything I could possibly want. I had spent four years not letting school get in the way of my education! I learned a lot about myself, made the best friends I could ask for and secured a spot in the the theatre and campus community that fit me just fine. I was home. Everything was looking up Milhouse! Then over night the curtain opened and reality sunk in. It was time for the bubble to burst. I knew it was coming. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I could possibly hold onto this dream life for a little longer. But I wasn’t the only one leaving. Things were about to change and fast. I didn’t even go to my graduation ceremony because I was so upset about having to move on. But I had to grow up... again....this was the next step.