Video: The Teen Critics Have Their Minds Blown at EMERGENCE

Hi, I'm Leora, I'm 14 years old

Hi, I'm Charles, I'm 16 years old. Hi, my name is Justin Mincy, I'm 16 years old

and I got to see Emergence off Broadway. ♪��

Emergence goes through a series of concepts that allows the audience to think about things

in the normal life and a different point of view as they use the human brain

It's part rock concert, part physics lesson, and part memoir, as Patrick Olsen covers

his amazing discoveries about light, space, and time paired with rock songs that explain each of these concepts

Emergence is different from any other show or musical that I've seen

First off, because it really only features one person and this person asks and answers questions

and really interacts with the audience rather than putting on a performance

But also, unlike a lot of other shows that I've seen, this show really makes you think

about the deeper meaning in things. Nothing I've seen has blended different art forms

as seamlessly as Emergence or contained as many gasp-worthy moments of truth

It's also rare to see an off-Broadway show with such amazing levels of production values

and I hope that future productions will take an example from all three of these traits of Emergence

The music in Emergence stood out to me because of how it's very pop and rock

and also because I think the lyrics are really deep if you really pay attention to them

and how it leads into every concept and idea that was mentioned before

So it really builds on over time. It sounds like something you would hear from your favorite rock star

but also with some musical theater belting and riffing thrown in from the four fantastically talented backup singers

who back up Patrick Olsen. Not to mention the three great dancers

who make the singing that much more enjoyable and fun. I got to meet Patrick Olsen after the show

and talk with him briefly about things that I thought was interesting about the show

and things that I wonder about myself. And he was so sweet

He was one of the sweetest people I've ever met. I don't often get to talk to people after performances

especially not leading people or people who wrote the music themselves. And it was such an honor to meet him

I think teenagers will really enjoy Emergence because it expands beyond just a classroom

where we have these ideas of like science, for example. And it makes you want to think more

when you see it on stage because you have like, for example, music, something that you wouldn't get in a lecture

So when you have like the lecture mixed with like music and questions and this background

it makes you want to think more in a way that you might not be used to thinking

And that's what I really enjoyed about it. And I think other teenagers would also really enjoy

I think other teenagers will love Emergence just as much as I did

We're all at a time in our lives where we're starting to consider the meaning of life

as we think about our futures. And getting the answer to some of these metaphysical questions can be

while a bit unsettling, also great food for thought and a nice temporary distraction

from some of our daily worries. A big theme in the show is an intergenerational connection

between Patrick Olsen and a senior citizen. And I think the teenagers can be the perfect third party

to complete that loop and understand the complexities of life in their own ways

Emergence is running off-Broadway at Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theater at Pershing Square Signature Center

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