Pressure
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5 Stars
Broadway and television artiste Daxton Bloomquist certainly brought down the house at his New York City premiere of Pressure, a one-man musical written by Bloomquist with direction by Andrew Chappelle of Broadway’s Hamilton, as well as additional composition by New York musicians Joe Hebel and Connor Crowley.
Performed at Manhattan’s iconic Theatre Row on 42nd St, Bloomquist stole our hearts with his gorgeous, emotive vocals; immersive, dazzling storytelling; and thrillingly provocative physicality and expression. The show follows Bloomquist’s personal journey through a medical fiasco that left him questioning everything, including who he was and how he fit into the arts industry, and even his own authenticity as an artist and human being. Deliciously humorous and wonderfully heartfelt, this show reached out and lusciously embraced me with its brilliance, both musically and effusively!
I wanted to take a moment to highlight Bloomquist’s incredible ability to inhabit colorful characters and at the blink of an eye on top of such a theatrical feat. His acting choices were direct, specific, and sensible, which made his performances of each character both captivating and ebullient.
Coming from a musical theatre background myself, I love being able to examine productions like this through both a critical and empathetic lens, offering not only an involved concord of critique, but also an effervescent energy for the performer to engage their passion as it evolves on stage. That energy was certainly present but also and more importantly well received by Bloomquist as the entirety of the audience was completely wrapped up in his amorous presence. Only the most dedicated of performers can muster such a pristine involvement and that is to be applauded of Bloomquist’s ardent theatrical ability.
Lastly, I wanted to pleasantly make note of the cleverness of the show’s lighting designed by theatre veteran Abi Farnsworth. The lighting coupled with stage direction of movement and spatial utility was so well put together, seamlessly highlighting character transitions, emotional catharsis moments, positive and negative internal monologues of Bloomquist’s character and audience immersion cues.
Pressure is a keen example of what happens when creatives such as Daxton Bloomquist and his team work together in harmony, creating this fantastic production. It is full of whim and vigor, yet also tenderized with softness and humanity, bringing together all elements that make musical theatre lovable.
Pressure
Starring: Daxton Bloomquist
Performed on: November 10, 2026
October 19 - November 22, 2026
Reviewer: Grayson Sebert
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