Transparent

A lot of song and dance, some of which is drenched in self-absorbed sap and some of which is wildly and satisfyingly jubilant, with thoughtful and often clever music written by Soloway’s composer sister, Faith Soloway. ... The show struggles to find a way to meaningfully wrap up the Pfefferman siblings’ stories, whether sung or spoken, but the actors put considerable effort into bringing “Musicale Finale” to its fullest vision.

[Transparent] finishes not with a whimper but a choreographed musical number titled “Joyocaust.” It’s the climax of a movie-length “Musicale Finale” that works its way through various stages of OK-ness to crescendo with something so enthusiastically, earnestly nuts it achieves a kind of transcendence.

Transparent has always been about surviving cataclysms and leaning into change. “Musicale Finale” makes a bighearted attempt along those lines, if not an entirely successful one. Songs written by Soloway’s sister Faith pleasantly sing-rather-than-show a series of final transformations for the characters. The lyrics get so hyperbolic as to seem trolling, but there’s just not much drama. Fine actors who once expressed complex emotions in charmingly messy cross talk now spend too much time shouting out slogans as if they were Elsa of Arendelle. The ideas powering the show remain interesting, though.

It’s all over the map narratively and tonally, and fans of characters like Sarah or Josh or Shea will feel frustrated with how little they get to do in the allotted time. But what would a farewell to Transparent be if it wasn’t equal parts clever and exasperating, delightful and baffling? ... It’s a valiant, well-meaning effort.