‘DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES’: Brian D’Arcy James & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Joan Marcus

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

 

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES
Book by Craig Lucas
Music & lyrics by Adam Guettel
Directed by Michael Greif
Through March 31, 2024
Studio 54
254 West 54th Street
(212-719-1300), https://daysofwineandrosesbroadway.com/

 


By David NouNou

Having seen newcomers Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James perform together in 2002 in the musical adaptation of Sweet Smell of Success, it is hard to imagine that was 22 years ago, and they are now Broadway veterans. Between the two of them they have performed in such shows as Hamilton, The King and I, Into the Woods, and The Pajama Game, just to name a few. After all these years and all the shows they’ve been in, they are now at the top of their game in this musical adaptation of Days of Wine and Roses.

If one is familiar with the 1962 movie of the same name with Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, now it is set as a musical. The setting is still New York City in the 1960s, Kirsten Arnesen (Kelli O’Hara) and Joe Clay (Brian D’Arcy James) are an ideal couple: they are young, beautiful, career-oriented, and in love. They get married and have a daughter. Seemingly they are the perfect couple. However, their idyllic world is shattered by an addiction called alcoholism. Starting out as social drinkers, they quickly descend into their hellish lives with Joe losing his job, and they both turn to Kristen’s father, Arnesen (Byron Jennings) for financial assistance, only to get themselves in another destructive bender that does irretrievable damage.

Joe tries multiple times to get himself help and climb out of his hell, if for no other reason but to be there for their daughter but Kristen refuses to let go of her demons. It’s a formidable tale of addiction at its most gripping.

Did the show need to be musicalized? Probably not. The book by Craig Lucas is flawless in following the original script of the movie and could have stood by itself. The score by Adam Guettel is so listless and forgettable that the show could have done without this banal score. However, if one wouldn’t have had the score, one would miss the glorious operatic voice of Kelli O’Hara.

Days of Wine and Roses, The Musical survives due to the magnificent performances of its two leads. Kelli O’Hara has never shown such a range of character, emotion and vulnerability in her performances as she is demonstrating here. The term incandescent is so appropriate and her vocalizing is glorious.

Brian D’Arcy James has given numerous wonderful performances. He is a quintessential musical leading man and here, as Ms. O’Hara hits all the emotional notes,  is also demonstrating his vulnerability.

Michael Greif, director of such hits as Dear Evan Hansen, Rent and Next to Normal has hit another high point in his career by extracting and pacing his two leads and having them give the performances of their careers.

Coming out you will miss the beautiful melodic and haunting 1962 Oscar winning song “The Days of Wine and Roses” by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, but you will also come out remembering the performances of Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James.

 

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published February 21, 2024
Reviewed at February 20, 2024 performance.

 

‘DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES’: Brian D’Arcy James & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Joan Marcus.

 

‘DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES’: Brian D’Arcy James & Kelli O’Hara. Photo: Joan Marcus.

 

‘DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES’: Kelli O’Hara & Brian D’Arcy James. Photo: Joan Marcus.