Inspired by the rich musical style of the Appalachian mountains, Los Angeles Theatre Initiative presents Missed Connections, a newly written musical by Rachel Arianna and Eric Powers of Northwestern University. Missed Connections opens in 1997 on the last night at the Southside Bar after its owner Maggie (Camryn Helgeland) receives a notice of foreclosure. With one night left to celebrate and nothing left to lose, we see the townsfolk come together with old loves, first dates, family and friends to lay everything out on the table. With cast members on stage playing guitar and bass, there is a real folk feel to the musical reminiscent of the likes of Hadestown – Eric Powers’ composition is lilting and bright – I need a cast recording!
The brunt of the story spotlights three pairs’ love stories, each just as endearing as the other. Friends Fiona (Lucy Winzenreid) and Audrey (Sarah Ousterhout) are about to go separate ways as they move for college, but before they go, Fiona admits she is in love with Audrey. Being the pastor’s daughter, Audrey initially reacts poorly, leading Fiona to run away. Missed Connections isn’t afraid to leave unresolved storylines, with the outcome of the fleeting connections made in the bar being left unknown – we are led to a major thematic point of the show; no one knows what the future holds.
The cast of Northwestern University students execute the show with delight – clearly passionate about the material – it was lovely to see the cast really have fun performing. The young cast’s greatest strength is their acting, creating humorous and endearing characters. Ousterhout and Winzenreid are a lovely pair – we really root for Fiona as she sings of her love for Audrey. Both actors have very sweet voices that their solo songs pair well with. Max Outcalt and Seth Black-Diamond were a bundle of energy, providing a lot of the laughs with a sort of black cat and golden retriever energy as a duo. The entire cast did themselves proud, especially when playing instruments, which is not easy to do well, especially without a conductor or monitor to keep on track.
Missed Connections is a very sweet piece of student theatre with a lot of potential to grow. The material is strong and with some development and a touch more conviction and polish this show could be a real crowd pleaser – seriously I need the songs on streaming platforms.
Missed Connections runs until the 23rd of August at theSpace @ Niddry St, with tickets available at https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2025/
Reviewer: Jessie Martin
Reviewed: 20th August 2025
North West End UK Rating: