We saw a Broadway musical recently and were blown away.
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Blown - come from away, if you want to sneak a reference to this new musical into the mix.
Next Gen can be hard to pick.
It's based on events after September 11, 2001, illustrating how an act of international terrorism can provide a classic backdrop for an uplifting night of song and dance.
But that's musicals for you - always launching from unlikely platforms - brothels, orphanages, fleeing the nazis etc.
We were blown away not just by the artistry, talent, skill and entertainment on display - but also the fact that we were blown away.
Heading into the show there was a slight question mark about whether these new musicals are as good as the old ones.
You know, your certifiable bangers like Chicago, West Side Story, Sound of Music etc.
Full disclosure here, I have loved musicals ever since my primary school production of Oliver which earned rave reviews - mainly from my parents.
But would this newbie stack up?
It was suggested the old bangers earn the rank of 'classic' and 'timeless' simply because we remember the songs.
Which isn't to suggest we love them because our parents loved them but rather because they made us watch them so often.
Maybe we love them for the same universal reasons our parents loved them.
Hammy narratives interspersed with ear-worm show tunes to which we know some of the words, and given half a chance we might even belt out a poor version of under the shower, which is probably the best place, given our general singing abilities.
Maybe we just love a night out watching genuine triple-threats wail in that time-honoured cheese-grating musical theatre style.
Hard to know.
But surely these new musicals with their unlikely subjects - rent, historic US politicians, Aussie leg spinners, planes landing in New Foundland - have to prove themselves on other levels too?
There is no magic formula but traditional KPIs for a good musical would have to include performers breaking into song nearly every second sentence while stringing along corny plot between and during possibly pedestrian dance sequences.
Happy, sad, mad and scary moments spaced evenly throughout, trowelled on with equal dollops of searing humanity.
And disbelief willingly suspended through numerous theatrical devices and audible eye rolling moments of ballet acting, ideally climaxing with a show-stopping resolution at the end.
And the resolution can't be a show-stopper simply because it ends the show.
It's gotta bring the house down.
I think these are some of the measures of a good musical. Old or new.
And if it delivers, you hoop, holler and possibly shed a tear at the end, like we did the other night.
And then tell anyone who'll listen - yep, it's a banger.
Based on a true story and all.
All classics were a newbie once. and if you watch this newbie enough times, maybe one day you'll remember some of the tunes too.
