‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’: Colton Ryan & Anna Uzele. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Music & lyrics by John Kander & Fred Ebb
Additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Written by David Thompson
Co-written by Sharon Washington
Based on the MGM picture New York, New York
Direction & choreography by Susan Stroman
St. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), NewYorkNewYorkBroadway.com/

By David NouNou

Beowulf Borritt should win the Tony Award for Best Set Design in a Musical as well as Ken Billington for his lighting design. That’s the best I can say for the new musical New York, New York. If it wasn’t for their sets and lighting, the show wouldn’t have even merited one star.

It truly boggles the mind and is also very sad to see how the creators and songsmiths of Hamilton and Chicago could have concocted such a boring and needless musical for this or any other season as New York, New York. It’s a sad ending for the legendary Broadway duo of John Kander and Fred Ebb. You really don’t know whom to blame for the dreary, sappy and cliché-ridden book written by both David Thompson and Sharon Washington. It’s monumentally bad, very loosely based on the 1977 movie of the same name starring Robert DeNiro and Liza Minnelli. What they attempted to do was to combine the epic grandeur of the musical Ragtime with the pizzazz of On the Town, and they failed miserably in both cases. The characters of Ragtime were heroic people and the pizzazz of On the Town was genuine.

In a musical, the songs and the choreography have to be organic, they have to be fluid and come naturally, and no one would know that better than director/choreographer Susan Stroman. After all, Ms. Stroman was the force behind the legendary musicals The Producers and Crazy for You, both for which she won Tonys. Here the songs are squeezed in by force and the dancers come out from anywhere, at any time for no apparent reason other than the fact that this is a musical. It’s a sad, sad day when one has to write that Susan Stroman, a leading Broadway director/choreographer, has run out of original ideas.

As I stated earlier, it is loosely based on the movie, it is summer of 1946 in New York City, the troops are back and among them is Jimmy Doyle (Colton Ryan), a hot-tempered Irish singer and musician. Also coming to the city from Pennsylvania is singer, Francine Evans (Anna Uzele). The story centers around the ups and downs of their relationship and marriage which is fraught with problems because Francine in this version is African American, and they both know the problems that will ensue. There is a myriad of supporting players that comprise different ethnic backgrounds: Black, Cuban, Irish, Italian, Polish, etc. They are all here because America is the land of opportunity and they are all waiting for their big break. All of this isn’t germane to the plot, other than filler and to say the cast is culturally diverse.

Another problem that arises is the lack of chemistry between the two leads, especially from Colton Ryan. Instead of being a charismatic but flawed and broken anti-hero who has to mend himself, Mr. Ryan is a stereotype of the blustering, whiny, ambling aimlessly tortured soul with the emotions that run from A to B and contorting his face to express emotions. (Didn’t any of the creators or Ms. Stroman watch his performance?) Ms. Uzele fares slightly better because she gets to belt out “Let’s Hear It for Me” from Barbra Streisand’s 1975 movie Funny Lady, also by Kander and Ebb, and you’ll ask yourself why is it in this musical? She also gets a crack at Liza Minnelli’s “But the World Goes ‘Round.” I must admit both songs are legendary, thanks in part to their original singers. However, Ms. Uzele tries valiantly.

By the way, let me caution you that you will hear the first five notes of the song “New York, New York” endlessly as a teaser throughout the entire show. You will ultimately hear the entire song. That is saved for the rousing finale sung in a Big Band-era style that has the audience at its feet, forgetting the previous dismal two hours and 45 minutes. Also be prepared that every time NYC is mentioned in a flattering way, the audience cheers on cue.

Finally, I have to send my sincere apologies to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his musical Bad Cinderella for calling it “the worst musical of the year.”

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 29, 2023
Reviewed at April 28, 2023 press performance.

‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’: Jim Borstelmann. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’: The cast. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’: The cast. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’: Colton Ryan & Anna Uzele. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘NEW YORK, NEW YORK’: The cast. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

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‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: (Left to right) Tony Yazbeck, Harry Hadden-Paton & Carmen Cusack. Photo: Joan Marcus.

FLYING OVER SUNSET
Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Michael Korie
Book & direction by James Lapine
Through February 6, 2022
Vivian Beaumont Theater
150 West 65th Street
(212-239-6200), www.FlyingOverSunset.com

By David NouNou

Flying Over Sunset is a musical that is both intriguing and manipulating. It is intriguing due to the subject matter, the use of LSD, and it is manipulating because of the subjects who are using LSD. Had it been you, me, and a random third person, there would be no intrigue, plot or point. However, Cary Grant (Tony Yazbeck), a movie star from 1932 to 1966; Clare Boothe Luce (Carmen Cusack), a playwright who wrote The Women, a Republican Congresswoman from Connecticut, and a U.S. Ambassador to Italy; and Aldous Huxley (Harry Hadden-Paton), author of the 1932 dystopian classic novel Brave New World—all using LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)— manipulates us to care about who and what is going on.

All three used LSD at low points of their lives. Cary Grant was trying to connect his movie-star persona to his childhood poverty-stricken self, Archie Leech; Clare Boothe Luce, after the death of her daughter, Ann, in a car accident; Aldous Huxley wanted to experiment and get in touch with his inner self, and after the death of his wife, Maria. They all needed to come to their point of self-realization. Their mentor who helped them through their journeys was Gerald Heard (Robert Sella), the grandfather of the “new age.”

The book by James Lapine is provocative in a manipulating way. Although the three subjects never had a collective session, it is interesting how Mr. Lapine wove together these three brilliant lives into a cohesive narrative.

As a musical, Flying Over Sunset at best is a very iffy proposition. As a drama, it would have been superior with all the insights thrown into these characters. The characters are compelling and do hold our interest. As a musical, the songs and the musical numbers tend to interrupt the proceedings. That being said, the music by Tom Kitt is beautiful and haunting, while the lyrics by Michael Korie are often pedestrian and forgettable.

Never having known Cary Grant, Clare Boothe Luce, or Aldous Huxley personally, of the three, most of us are familiar with the movies of Cary Grant. Thankfully, Mr. Yazbeck doesn’t impersonate Mr. Grant; he gives us the flavor of the self-doubting, dashing leading man, Ms. Cusack imbues a lot of tragedy to her Ms. Boothe Luce, and Mr. Hadden-Patton delves into Mr. Huxley’s persona with passion. They all have their moments to shine, but Ms. Cusack stands out for the beauty of her voice, and her vocals are gorgeously melodic, particularly when singing the show’s title song “Flying Over Sunset” in act one.

The major drawback to all the proceedings is the cavernous Vivian Beaumont Theater; not even Mr. Lapine’s expert direction and the great assistance of Beowulf Boritt’s beautiful and often hallucinogenic scenery can overcome this drawback. What will keep you in your seats and help you overcome this hollowness are the gifts of Carmen Cusack, Harry Hadden-Paton and Tony Yazbeck.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 20, 2021
Reviewed at December 19, 2021 press performance.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: (Left to right) Michele Ragusa, Carmen Cusack & Kanisha Marie Feliciano. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: (Left to right) Michele Ragusa, Harry Hadden-Paton, & Kanisha Marie Feliciano. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET”: Carmen Cusack (center) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: Robert Sella & Carmen Cusack. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘FLYING OVER SUNSET’: Tony Yazbeck. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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