Label•less, the Off-Broadway musical by Drew Lachey (of 98 Degrees) and his wife Lea, is currently running at The Duke theater in NYC. The show has no particular storyline, and operates more like a showcase of monologues, dancing and singing by an ensemble cast. One by one, each cast member takes the stage and delivers a speech about how the labels of society impact them, followed by a song and dance number representing their emotions.
The young cast was full of enthusiasm, and brought high energy for the entire 100 minutes of the performance. The show is presented without an intermission, and while in general I enjoy that format, much past 75 minutes is too long for no intermission. It begs for interruption as people inevitably shuffle in and out for the restroom. I managed to make it without leaving the theater, but just barely.
The show mentioned racism, homophobia, eating disorders, disability, sexism and more – there were 26 separate numbers in the show. Each explained, “I’m different, but I’m a human just like you.” Hardly a groundbreaking revelation in 2026, and each song and dance that followed continued in the same dilettantish fashion. That said, the performers all had a shockingly strong vocal ability for such an inexperienced cast.
This show doesn’t ask much of its audience in terms of artistic consideration, but it delivers handily on the energy. The dedication of the performers carried the show throughout its duration, a necessary lift. While the themes of the show are deeply important topics to consider as society evolves, this show just touched on the tip of what could be explored. However, the infectiousness of the performers was inspirational to watch.
By Emily Sarkissian of Dance Informa.
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