Encore! - Season 1

A well-made, clever show that becomes more about how we change (and how much we don't) as we go from high school to adulthood.

Chances are that if you're in the Encore! target audience, you won't be disappointed regardless. You might be jealous that you're not on the show, but you won't be disappointed.

Were it not for the evidence of a shared history on display, the adults playing kids in Annie may as well be strangers, and that lets some of the air out of Encore's intriguing setup.

The moments of emotional depth and humanity are rare - though sometimes quite touching - and the moments of cringing and overproduction are plentiful.

I am quite in love with the Kristen Bell-produced "Encore!," a machine for dredging up deep feelings, in which the cast of a high school musical reunites after many years to stage it again.

It's a sweet idea in theory, until it's actually happening, and then it just seems creepy.

Encore! is guilty of orbiting the cliches of theater as an accepting "family," and that as painful as high school is, it all gets better eventually. But it also subverts its own messaging.

All in all, Encore! is a bumpy production that doesn't feel quite ready for the public, yet has undeniable charms.

Despite the shortcomings of Encore's format, it's clear that each performer is having a blast reconnecting with their past, and it's fun to get a peek into the personalities and interpersonal dynamics that motivate these former co-stars.

Sweet nostalgia on warm, lovable musical reality show.

Stream it if you're a big musical theater geek or did drama in high school or college.

Ultimately, the problem with Encore! is one of time and the limitations of a one-hour show happening upon more real-life drama than was expected. The series needed to have spent more time with the classmates to better address their shared histories.