As everyone knows, musicals are the mainstays of Broadway and four big ones opened over the last two weeks. But I’ve been so busy running out to see them—and seeing other shows too (if you have a moment, please click here to listen to an interview I did with playwright Jessica Goldberg about her play Babe, which just opened as part of the New Group's 30th anniversary season)—that I haven’t really had time to do full reviews of those new musicals. But people have been expressing such definite opinions about them that I wanted to have my say too. So I’m plagiarizing the approach I use for the mini reviews I post on my Broadway & Me Quickies site (click here to check it out) so that I can share some brief thoughts on each of those four new shows:
Death Becomes Her @ the Lunt-Fontanne
The Show: An unabashedly campy and deliciously funny version of the 1992 Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn movie about two frenemies so worried about growing older that they take a mysterious potion that gives them a whole bunch of new problems
Music and Lyrics by: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey Book by: Marco Pennette Directed by: Christopher Gattelli
One good thing: Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard are hilarious as the frenemies but when everything clicks in a show it’s usually because of the director and so I’m giving biggest props to Gattelli who hasn’t shied away from going big in every way, including the outrageous costumes, recreating the movie’s memorable special effects that are how-did-they-do-that harder to pull off onstage and hiring such a great-looking and well-toned ensemble that the production budget must have a separate line for gym memberships
One not-so-great thing: The score isn’t particularly memorable but it doesn’t get in the way of the fun
Maybe Happy Ending @ the Belasco
The Show: A surprisingly sweet and moving tale about two helper robots who fall in love
Music, Lyrics and Book by: Will Aronson and Hue Park Directed by: Michael Arden
One good thing: There’s so much good stuff about this one that I can't actually pick one thing so instead I’m going to pack in as much as I can about what makes it so special—first off, it’s a refreshingly original idea that isn’t based on a movie or built around familiar pop songs; its set makes smart use of the trendy technology of cameras and screens but does it without sacrificing the storytelling; its score is a lovely and unexpected mix of cool-jazz era tunes and swoony romantic ballads; and its performances by newcomer Helen J Shen and especially by Darren Criss are witty and totally winning
One not-so-great thing: Sorry, but it’s all great
Swept Away @ the Longacre
The Show: Four shipwrecked seamen are faced with a terrible choice about how to save themselves in this dark and sober musical about sacrifice and redemption
Music and Lyrics by: The Avett Brothers Book by: John Logan Directed by: Michael Mayer
One good thing: John Gallagher Jr. as a gruff veteran mate and Stark Sands as an unwilling but sensitive recruit are both fine but the show’s real star is Rachel Hauck’s set, which beautifully creates a 19th century whaling ship during the first half of this 90-minute show and then, assisted by Kevin Adams’ muscular lighting and John Shivers’ visceral soundscape, transforms during the shipwreck into a lifeboat stuck in purgatory
One not-so-great thing: The Avett Brothers’ folk rock songs, taken from one of their earlier albums about a similar real-life shipwreck, are pretty and fit the story but they sound so much the same that the score became a sonic blur for me
Tammy Faye @ the Palace
The Show: This baffling bio-musical about the rise and fall of the eccentric televangelist Tammy Faye Baker doesn't seem to know what it wants to say about her life
Music by: Elton John Lyrics by: Jake Shears Book by: James Graham Directed by: Rupert Goold
One good thing: In addition to the all-star creative team there’s a lot of talent onstage too, including Katie Brayben who won an Olivier for singing her ass off as Tammy Faye in the London production; Christian Borle who stars as her morally-flawed husband Jim; and Michael Cerveris who plays their nemesis, the holier-than-thou evangelical and conservative activist Jerry Falwell
One not-so-great thing: It’s a shame that a show so confused about what it wants to be was chosen to be the first major production at the refurbished Palace Theatre so it's not really a surprise that the notice that the show will close on Dec. 8 was posted just five days after it opened
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