Things I Know Now begins with a flashback to Nikki MacCallum's Bat Mitzvah, which she compares to a full-scale Broadway production. Apparently, MacCallum has always been an entertainer – and a very funny one at that. Things I Know Now is a musical comedy presented by a woman with a piano – and bongo drums – which is worrying at first, but MacCallum's humor and beautiful voice make the show very enjoyable.
In a series of original songs, MacCallum addresses what a pain in the ass it is to be a fully functional, financially stable, city-dwelling adult. From communal laundry and bedbug woes to hellish airplane rides and mortgage rates, the numbers cover a range of musical styles and are full of rhyming, puns and perfect comic timing. MacCallum is clearly an experienced comic. She knows when to repeat something ad nauseum until it's so ridiculous it's funny again – and when to stop mid-sentence and leave a song unfinished, the last suggestive line hanging in the air.
Although most of the Things I Know Now are #firstworldproblems, MacCallum's self-deprecating pluck makes them charming. Unflappable in her delivery, McCallum plunges into embarrassing stories with a smile and the audience can't help but root for her.
"Things I Know Now"
Written and performed by Nikki MacCallum
Directed by Kevin Moon Loh
March 11, 2023
The Spring 2023 United Solo Festival
March 7th - March 26th, 2023
Theatre Row
410 West 42nd (btw 9th and 10th Avenue)
STEPHANIE EAGAN is a professional writer based in NJ. A fan of every type of live performance imaginable, from taiko drumming to political performance art, she travels the tri-state area and beyond in search of music, art, theater, and excellent coffee.