There is a certain thrill in watching someone who taught you come to the stage and pull back layers that you never expected to see. I, proudly, was taught by Michelle and to see her all these years later onstage and paired with her daughter that I just met was especially exciting. 

Treading The Boards is a memory show where Michelle plays someone preparing for a show and is gifted their journal from when they were younger. Through the pages, she recounts her experiences as her daughter, Emma, plays her younger self going through the experiences. 

First off, no one can ask for a better team than a mother/daughter combination. Their chemistry is so easy and natural that you can tell that these two are family. Both are talented and effortless, especially in terms of their movement. The ways they interact in the show is a true delight and their movements mirror each other extremely well. 

The show itself features a series of vignettes of musical theatre songs, each building on the other to tell the complete story. There are some amazing deep cuts from the catalogue that are pulled here, and all of them work wonders. Particular highlights include "A Way Back To Then" from [Title of Show] and "Climbing Uphill" from The Last Five Years. Both are very talented performers and truly shine when they are paired up. 

One of my only critiques of this show would be the Alanis segment. For those who know the story, you can piece together what the song is about, but I still wish there had been a vocal component to tie everything together. The dancing and staging are well done, but a bit obscure, and since the rest of the piece is told through song and word, I wish that was a part of this piece as well. I can understand why this was done this way to allow a contrast, but adding that extra element would have helped to tie it all together a bit more cohesively. Also from that point, the time jumps radically into the future and I wish that there may have been a bit more of a transition there, or more information about what happened in the in-between. 

If my greatest criticism is that I want more, I'd say that's a pretty good sign. Definitely a standout piece at the On The Edge Fringe. 

PROS: 

• Mother/Daughter chemistry can't be denied
• Great choice of songs 
• Sweet and comfortable story that feels like a hug to the soul 

CONS: 

• Dance number could use a bit more guidance to prevent audience confusion
• Could be interesting if Emma never left the stage once she emerges
• Could use an extra date or song in-between the time jump (Maybe something from Waitress?)