Digital Lottery & Rush Tickets Now Available

STARRING
AARON TVEIT as Freddie Trumper
LEA MICHELE as Florence Vassy
NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER as Anatoly Sergievsky

WITH
HANNAH CRUZ as Svetlana
BRADLEY DEAN as Molokov
SEAN ALLAN KRILL as Walter
AND
BRYCE PINKHAM as The Arbiter

Exclusive Capital One and Mastercard Pre-Sale Begins Today at 11:00AM ET
Public On-Sale Begins Friday, October 17 at 11:00AM ET

Officially Opens Sunday, November 16, 2025
At Broadway’s Imperial Theatre

NEW YORK— Producers Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners Productions are thrilled to announce that the first-ever Broadway revival of CHESS will extend performances through Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). The show is now in previews.

Capital One and Mastercard®, the official credit card and payment partners of CHESS, are offering cardholders exclusive pre-sale access, 48 hours before the general public. Beginning today, October 15 at 11AM ET, eligible cardholders can secure tickets by clicking HERE and using the code CHESSCAP. Tickets for the new block of tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 17 at 11AM ET.

The production also announces $49 digital lottery and in-person rush policies, subject to availability.

Entries for the CHESS digital lottery start at 12:00AM at rush.telecharge.com, 1 day before the performance, and end the same day at 3:00PM. Winners are drawn at 10:00AM and 3:00PM. Winners may buy up to 2 tickets at $49 each.

A limited number of in-person CHESS rush tickets will be available at 10:00AM the day of the performance (and 12:00PM on Sundays) at the Imperial Theatre. There is a limit of two tickets per person and tickets are $49 each.

Tickets for CHESS are available via Telecharge by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting https://chessbroadway.com/and at the Imperial Theatre box office.

CHESS officially opens Sunday, November 16, 2025 at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street).

Starring Tony Award winner Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge), Emmy Award nominee Lea Michele (Funny Girl) and Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd), CHESS also features Hannah Cruz (Suffs), Tony Award nominee Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Bradley Dean (The Phantom of the Opera), Tony Award nominee Sean Allan Krill (Jagged Little Pill) and an ensemble that includes Kyla Bartholomeusz (Hamilton), Daniel Beeman (Once Upon a Mattress), Shavey Brown (Sunset Blvd), Emma Degerstedt (Broadway Debut), Casey Garvin (Smash), Adam Halpin (Glory Days), Sarah Michele Lindsey (Once Upon a Mattress), Michael Milkanin (Shucked), Aleksandr Ivan Pevec (Something Rotten!), Aliah James (Gypsy), Sydney Jones (Sunset Blvd.), Sean MacLaughlin (Lestat), Sarah Meahl (Death Becomes Her), Ramone Nelson (MJ), Fredric Rodriguez Odgaard (Moulin Rouge), Michael Olaribigbe (Once Upon a Mattress), Katerina Papacostas (Tootsie), Samantha Pollino (The Great Gatsby), Regine Sophia (Broadway Debut) and Katie Webber (Smash).

Featuring a new book by Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (“Dopesick”), with music and lyrics by Emmy and Tony Award nominees ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner Tim Rice (Evita), based on an idea by Tim Rice, this new production will be directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) and choreographed by Drama Desk Award nominee Lorin Latarro (Waitress) with original orchestrations by Anders Eljas, orchestrations by Anders Eljas and Brian Usifer (Swept Away) and music supervision by Brian Usifer.

CHESS will feature scenic design by Tony Award winner David Rockwell (She Loves Me), costume design by Tom Broecker (Call Me Izzy), lighting design by four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), sound design by John Shivers (Kinky Boots) and video design by Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini (Hell’s Kitchen). Johanna McKeon (Funny Girl) will serve as Associate Director and Travis Waldschmidt (Hello, Dolly!) will serve as Associate Choreographer. Casting is by Jim Carnahan C.S.A. and Jason Thinger C.S.A. Hair, Wig and Makeup Design are by Luc Verschueren for Campbell Young Associates.

CHESS is produced by Tom Hulce, Robert Ahrens and The Shubert Organization along with Creative Partners Productions. CHESS is presented by arrangement with Three Knights, the Shubert Organization and Robert Fox Ltd.

CHESS is a seductive showdown of love, loyalty, and power on a global stage. As two of the greatest chess players in the world compete for something beyond victory, the woman between them is caught in a high-stakes battle of desire and devotion.

For more information visit www.ChessBroadway.com.
Follow CHESS at @chessbway on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok.

The post ‘Chess’ in previews; digital lottery & rush tix available appeared first on StageZine.

‘TAMMY FAYE’: Katie Brayben & Christian Borle as Jim & Tammy Bakker. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

TAMMY FAYE
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Jake Shears
Book by James Graham
Directed by Rupert Goold
Through December 8, 2024
Palace Theatre
160 West 47^th St.
https://tammyfayebway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Tammy Faye has opened on Broadway after an Olivier Award-winning run at the Almeida Theatre in London. The Brits love any show that pokes fun at American excess, but their “Yanks are so bloody foolish” sensibilities do not always translate well when productions cross the pond. Case in point: Remember the 2010 play Enron? Based on the Enron scandal, the show (also directed by Rupert Goold) was a sensation in London but totally flopped in New York. It was slammed by critics here, snubbed by the Tony Awards and closed after a month. Alas, Tammy Faye has suffered a similar fate because the show is closing early on December 8, 2024, after opening on November 14.

Perplexing book

Anyone unfamiliar with Tammy might want to watch the 2021 film The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain won an Oscar for portraying the troubled televangelist) to learn more about her backstory. Or, better yet, look up her many videos on YouTube from her “PTL Club” TV shows back in the 1980s. Why? Although this musical—with music by Elton John and lyrics by Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters—has some fun moments, James Graham’s book is often confusing. As a result, the show might be perplexing for anyone who was too young to remember the Jim and Tammy era.

The story includes a scene showing Tammy interviewing an AIDS patient, Steve Pieters (Charl Brown) on PTL and urging Christians to love AIDS patients and gay men in particular. This was shocking indeed in the 1980s, a time when many Christian fundamentalists claimed AIDS was “God’s wrath” on gays and other outcasts. However, there was much more to the woman than her support for people with AIDS.

The glory days of Jim & Tammy

I have fond memories of watching Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker on “The PTL Club” back in the ’80s when I was in high school. I’d watch “The PTL [Praise the Lord] Club” on TV with my big brother and laugh hysterically at Jim and Tammy Faye because they were both so hokey and unintentionally funny. Tammy Faye, with her outrageous clothes, surreal clown-like makeup, squeaky voice and an ability to cry on cue, was especially amusing.

Fast forward to 1987. The Bakkers became a media sensation when allegations of fraud, an extramarital affair between Jim Bakker and church secretary Jessica Hahn (Alana Pollard) covered up by “hush money” became tabloid fodder. In addition, reports alleged that donations were spent on the Bakkers’ lavish lifestyle (such as an air-conditioned dog house for their pet pooch) and other outrageous unethical wrongdoings. As a result, this caused the PTL empire to collapse. The Reverend Jerry Falwell (Michael Cerveris) offered to “temporarily” take control of PTL and then, surprise, turned on Jim and Tammy.

For anyone who knows the whole Jim and Tammy saga well, Tammy Faye just doesn’t feel genuine. Why? The story of PTL was always convoluted, with so many characters, and truly explaining their rise and fall cannot be done via musical theater.

Katie Brayben & Christian Boyle

Some cast members do their best to bring the scandalous Bakkers to life. The gifted Katie Brayben plays Tammy  with a lot of heart and soul, and exudes all the charm of the real-life woman she portrays. Ms. Brayben has an amazing voice, far better than Tammy herself did. Christian Borle is equally powerful as Jim, the lovable milquetoast. Together, Jim and Tammy Bakker were unlike any of the televangelists of the era because they promoted love instead of fear. “God loves you; He really does!” was their famous catchphrase, and this feel-good sentimentality made PTL viewers reach deep into their pockets. Yes, the Bakkers were delightful to watch, but they were still charlatans.

The story opens with Tammy at a doctor’s office, learning that she has colon cancer. Tammy Faye makes tasteless jokes about why she chose a gay doctor (Max Gordon Moore), and this sets the questionable tone for the entire show. James Graham’s scattershot book walks a fine line between camp and drama but somehow fails at both. For anyone who knows the whole Jim and Tammy Faye saga well, Tammy Faye lacks authenticity. This musical does not portray her accurately or do her justice, and that is a shame because it was created by some of the entertainment world’s biggest stars.

Too tasteful?

Part of the problem is the way Tammy Faye is presented. She was bigger than life and famous for multiple coats of heavy makeup and spider-like false eyelashes. However, in Tammy Faye her face is too tastefully made up. She was almost a cartoon character but, in this musical, she has had a “make down.” Not to be petty, but she never wore wigs as bad as the ones in this show. She had much better “bad taste” than what is portrayed here. Tammy Faye died in 2007 and was a lovable eccentric, but here, her character as written by James Graham, comes across as sanitized and dull.

Shallow score

Elton John and Jake Shears are both masters of pop music from different generations, but it is perplexing why they chose to make a musical about Tammy. Songs like “He’s Inside Me” (yes, there’s actually a bad double entendre in that title) and “If You Came to See Me Cry” say nothing about the late woman or offer any insight we didn’t already know, and they really do not propel the story forward.

Evangelical Christians probably just want to forget about Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. The gay male Tammy Faye fans who actually remember her have moved on to other divas. Those were Tammy’s two fan bases, so who does that leave now?

Michael Cerveris does a good job playing the villain Jerry Falwell, and Mark Evans is quite effective portraying everyone from Billy Graham to Hustler publisher Larry Flynt. However, all the great acting onstage is sabotaged by the flimsy book and Rupert Goold’s shoddy direction.

A ‘hot mess’

Yes, Tammy was hilarious and a “hot mess,” and her story is indeed tragic, but there is nothing Shakespearean or operatic about her life. Still, for all the Tammy fans out there who loved her larger-than-life persona, her tarantula-like eyelashes and goofy spirit—heaven knows that she deserved a better musical tribute than this.

Published November 20, 2024
Reviewed at press performance on November 17, 2024

‘TAMMY FAYE’: Katie Brayben & Christian Borle. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TAMMY FAYE’: Katie Brayben. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TAMMY FAYE’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TAMMY FAYE’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘TAMMY FAYE’: Michael Cerveris & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

The post ‘Tammy Faye’ musical fails to do her justice appeared first on StageZine.

‘SUFFS’: Jenn Colella & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

SUFFS
Book, music & lyrics by Shaina Taub
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Choreography by Mayte Natalio
Music Box Theatre
239 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.suffsmusical.com

By David NouNou

Suffs by Shaina Taub is one of this season’s more ambitious musicals, if for no other reason the subject matter it tackles.

Starting out in 1913, the women’s movement for the right to vote in America is being spearheaded by the suffragists or “suffs,” as they call themselves. Headed by Alice Paul (Shaina Taub) and joined by activist Lucy Burns (Ally Bonino), lawyer and peace activist Inez Milholland (Hannah Cruz), Polish-American factory inspector Ruza Wenclawska (Kim Blanck) and women’s rights activist Doris Stevens (Nadia Dandashi), they are the new generation that is pushing to get enough states to pass the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. On the more temperate and established side, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is headed by Carrie Chapman Catt (Jenn Colella).  Ms. Chapman Catt and NAWSA  want to help pass the 19^th Amendment, but believe women must persuade men in softer, less aggressive ways, such as saying “allow Mother to vote.”

Alice Paul has more radical ideas about getting the 19^th Amendment passed, and she soon breaks away from NAWSA and creates the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, later known as the National Woman’s Party in 1916. Alice Paul’s group uses more aggressive types of civil disobedience to encourage President Woodrow Wilson (Grace McLean) to support women’s right to vote.

As with any movement, it is ongoing, with endless problems. The women mentioned earlier are fighting for the white women’s right to vote. Matters are further complicated when the Black women, headed by Ida B. Wells (Nikki M. James), want women of color to be able to vote as well, and how well that would work down South. Also, where in the parades will they be placed? This is all under the term of President Woodrow Wilson. President Wilson wanted the whole movement to go away by throwing the marchers or agitators into prison and torturing them.

The subject matter is heady and historical, but not always satisfying. Instead of a flowing narrative, it seems more like episodic scenes attached one after another to make a complete musical. The book is repetitious at times. However, the score by Ms. Taub is remarkable. The score propels the story forward more clearly than the convoluted book and is very enjoyable.

Being a large ensemble but headed by Ms. Taub as Alice Paul, there are some exceptional performances, including Kim Blanck, Ally Bonino, Jenn Colella, Hannah Cruz, Nadia Dandashi, and Nikki M. James. Most have beautiful singing voices and wonderful stage presences.

Director Leigh Silverman certainly had her hands full with such serious subject matter and an extraordinarily large cast, and she often makes it work, but some of the less necessary scenes could have been trimmed.

There is a wonderful touch at the end when the new generation steps in and starts to take over while Alice Paul watches. It is awe-inspiring seeing what those women achieved, but one can’t help but watch in horror thinking how Roe vs. Wade has been overturned or considering what recently happened in Arizona with the strictest abortion bans, with a law from the 1800s now being enforced after a controversial ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court. What would the women in Suffs have thought and done today? Suffs shows that, no matter how far women have come, there is still a long way to go for women’s equality in modern-day America.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 22, 2024
Reviewed at April 21, 2024 press performance

‘SUFFS’: Hannah Cruz (center, on horse) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Nikki M. James (center) & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Anastacia McCleskey, Laila Erica Drew & Nikki M. James. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Shaina Taub. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Tsilala Brock & Grace McLean. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Hannah Cruz. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘SUFFS’: Emily Skinner. Photo: Joan Marcus.

The post ‘Suffs’: The women’s right-to-vote musical appeared first on StageZine.

‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!’: Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!
Book, music & lyrics by Scott Brown & Anthony King
Directed by Alex Timbers
Through January 28, 2024
James Earl Jones Theatre
138 West 48th Street
(212) 239-6200, www.gutenbergbway.com

By David NouNou

Absurdity at its best.

The movies gave us the mismatched pairings of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, the theatre gave us Lane and Broderick, and now the musical theatre has blessed us with Gad and Rannells. The mismatched pair of the 2011 heavenly musical The Book of Mormon have joined forces again to give us Gutenberg! The Musical! The title and the concept screams absurdity.

Bud Davenport (Josh Gad) and Doug Simon (Andrew Rannells) from Nutley, New Jersey have seen one too many Broadway musicals. They are now on a mission to write their own musical. They did a quick Google search on Johannes Gutenberg and couldn’t find much on him, so they decided to take an “historical fiction” approach. This means making things up to construct a musical. The setting is the medieval town of Schlimmer, Germany. Gutenberg had a wine press, which he converted to a printing press, so the masses could be educated. The possibilities for this new musical are endless. After all, isn’t this how musical comedy works?

Bud and Doug both sold all the possessions they owned to rent out a theatre to audition the musical they wrote for backers. This would enable backers to see the show and give them a contract to put this musical on Broadway. Bud wrote the music, Doug wrote the book, and they both wrote the lyrics. In addition, they are also going to play all the parts. Their idea of saving costs for this audition is to wear different hats that has the name of each character they are portraying.

The merriment is in their excitement of telling us, the “potential backers,” how they constructed their musical and how we should envision it. Schlimer is a rat-infested town which sounds absolutely abysmal, hence the set being sparse. The two play a multitude of characters which is customary for a musical to have a huge cast. It is the breakdown of the scenes and the “theatrical jargon” they use makes it all absolutely priceless.

All this might and should sound absurd to you, but in the hands of this dynamic duo, Gad and Rannells, you are with them every step of this ridiculous journey. Thanks in large part to Scott Brown and Anthony King who wrote the book, music, and lyrics to Gutenberg! The Musical! which seems like a page out of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, in this case taking a horrible idea for a musical and turning it into a gold mine. They are brilliant in showcasing how, in many cases, musicals can go so horribly wrong and still end up on Broadway.

Back to Gad and Rannells—what a terrific duo.  Years of working together on The Book of Mormon has given them expert timing in clowning and finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences. Their energy is boundless and their timing is better than that of a Rolex watch.

Director Alex Timbers has once again shown what a genius he is. From complex musicals like Moulin Rouge and Beetlejuice to comedian Alex Edelman’s one-man show Just for Us earlier this year or David Byrne’s American Utopia, Mr. Timbers keeps a watchful eye on everything. From sets and costumes, to dialogue, to score, to editing the material, which most directors nowadays forget to do, he is a perfectionist. He has tapped into Gad’s and Rannells’ chemistry, which shoots off fireworks.

For these troubled times, Gutenberg! The Musical! is the perfect antidote, to forget the world outside, and be happy in the world of musical absurdity.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 18, 2023
Reviewed at October 17, 2023 press performance.

‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!’: Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!’: Andrews Rannells & Josh Gad. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!’: Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!’ Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!’: Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells. Photo: Joan Marcus.

The post ‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’ a musical comedy gem appeared first on StageZine.

‘THE PROM’: The cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

THE PROM
Book by Bob Martin & Chad Beguelin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.theprommusical.com

By David NouNou

To say that The Prom is the best musical of the season may not sound like much of a compliment, considering some of the dreck that has opened since June. However, this musical would stand tall in any season with stiffer competition.

This is the perfect antidote for these harsh times we live in. A musical that is joyous for the holidays and delirious for the winter doldrums ahead. A musical with a heart, a message that is not preachy, a hysterical book, a memorable score, direction and choreography that are expertly paced and placed and the expertise of three of the best Grade A hams on Broadway: Brooks Ashmanskas, Beth Leavel and Christopher Sieber make this the perfect gift for Christmas, Valentine’s day and every holiday thereafter.

Four Broadway veteran narcissists (is that really possible?); two of whom who have just closed on opening night in the musical Eleanor, a romp with Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt replete with hip-hop. They closed due to a drubbing they received from the New York Times (as if that is possible)? That was possible in the 1950s and 1960s but unfortunately not today.

Dee Dee Allen who portrays Eleanor (Beth Leavel) and Barry Glickman playing Franklin (Brooks Ashmanskas) are devastated by the reviews they received and are commiserated by their good friend Angie (Angie Schworer), a woman who has been in the chorus of Chicago for the last 20 years. They meet up that night with a fellow thespian that is a Julliard graduate but now works for cater waiter, and once was a TV star in the 1990s in a show called “Talk to the Hand.”

All four are in desperate need for image rehabilitation, so what do they do? They go on Twitter to look up worthy charitable causes to improve their public image. Along with their PR man, Sheldon Saperstein (Josh Lamon), they find their worthy cause. She happens to be a teenage lesbian, Emma (Caitlin Kinnunen) who can’t take a date to her high school prom due to the bigotry and homophobia of the town and its proclaimed leader of morality, Mrs. Greene (Courtenay Collins). Thus the prom is being cancelled.

So what do these Broadway angels of mercy decide to do? They go on a bus touring company of Godspell, thus bringing religion and pizzazz to the Midwestern town of Edgewater, Indiana in defense of uplifting their image and a town in desperate need of a makeover.

The plot may seem familiar but it does have some twists and the approach is different and refreshing. The book by Mr. Martin and Mr. Beguelin is grounded and hysterical. They bring the right amount of message, frivolity and a grand time. The score is relatable and Casey Nicholaw has done the same brilliant job he always does with his direction and choreography. As in Something Rotten, he has touched on his Broadway roots and no one does it better than him.

As for Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, Christopher Sieber and Angie Schworer, they are at the top of their game. They all have show-stopping numbers, which are another dividend and a source of delight for the audience. You just can’t help but root for these lovable self-promoters (in this case they are the good people) and have these angels earn their wings.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 12, 2018
Reviewed at December 11, 2018 performance.

‘THE PROM’: (left to right) Josh Lamon, Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas & Angie Schworer. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Isabelle McCalla & Caitlin Kinnunen. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Christopher Sieber & cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Beth Leavel & Michael Potts. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Angie Schworer & Caitlin Kinnunen. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: Isabelle McCalle & Courtenay Collins. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: The cast. Photo: Deen van Meer

‘THE PROM’: (left to right) Christopher Sieber, Angie Schworer, Beth Leavel & Brooks Ashmanskas. Photo: Deen van Meer

The post ‘The Prom’ is best musical of season appeared first on StageZine.

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL’: Andy Karl & Samantha Barks. Photo: Matthew Murphy

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
Book by Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton
Music & lyrics by Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance
Directed & choreographed by Jerry Mitchell
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
(877) 250-2929
www.PrettyWomanTheMusical.com

By Scott Harrah

The musical stage adaptations of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman were both directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Kinky Boots was originally a British indie movie turned into a spectacular Tony Award-winning musical, thanks mostly to Cyndi Lauper’s delightful score. Pretty Woman was a mega-hit Hollywood movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and has now been turned into a colorful, entertaining but otherwise middling rom-com musical that will thrill fans of the film.

The book by the late Garry Marshall and original screenwriter J.F. Lawton is really the old Cinderella story with a twist; this time it’s the prostitute that meets the millionaire. The musical isn’t advanced any further by Bryan Adams’ pleasant yet forgettable power-pop score, so it is difficult for Mr. Mitchell to infuse any real imagination and 21st century sensibility into the narrative when the book is still stuck in 1990 (the year the film was originally released).

What does work here is the delightful Samantha Barks as Vivian Ward, the pretty woman and Andy Karl as millionaire Edward Lewis. Ms. Barks makes an impressive Broadway debut with her spunky charm and a beautiful, soaring singing voice. Mr. Karl is superb as usual in an undemanding role. They have chemistry and they elevate the material to a reasonably enjoyable evening.

You probably already know the story: Hooker with a heart of gold Vivian (Ms. Barks) meets up with rich businessman Edward (Mr. Karl) on the street, he takes her to the posh Beverly Wilshire Hotel and she stays for much longer than just an hour or night. He falls for her and much of what’s in the movie is depicted here, such as the iconic scene in which she goes shopping on Rodeo Drive and snooty salesladies refuse to wait on her.

The songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, such as the opener “Welcome to Hollywood” and Vivian’s “Anywhere but Here,” are certainly ebullient, and Ms. Barks stops the show in Act II’s “I Can’t Go Back.” Mr. Mitchell’s trademark bouncy choreography is high-spirited in all the right places. However, as much fun as the show is, it’s also derivative at times. Case in point: The opening number of Act II “Welcome to Our World (More Champagne)” seems lifted straight out of the famous My Fair Lady number “The Ascot Gavotte,” but instead of dukes, earls and peers at the posh English horse race, we have catty Hollywood wives, society matrons and corporate tycoons all dolled up in Gregg Barnes’ lavish costumes, ready for a charity polo match in the California sun.

Pretty Woman mostly delivers the glamorous goods as a musical stage adaptation, with David Rockwell’s eye-catching sets. In addition to Ms. Barks and Mr. Karl, there are some fine performances from the cast, particularly Tony nominee Orfeh (for Legally Blonde) as Vivian’s animated, quick-witted friend Kit De Luca. Audiences will have a good time here in comparison to some of the lackluster musicals that opened this summer, but the most glaring flaw of Pretty Woman: The Musical is how anachronistic it is in the “#MeToo” era, when women and gender politics have changed American culture so much, and a fairy tale about a streetwalker meeting her prince just seems out of place in 2018.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 24, 2018
Reviewed at August 23, 2018 press performance.

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL’: Andy Karl & Samantha Barks. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN’: (left to right) Andy Karl, Ezra Knight, Samantha Barks & Robby Crater. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL’: Eric Anderson, Samantha Barks, Andy Karl, Anna Eilinsfeld & company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICIAL”: Orfeh & company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN; THE MUSICAL’: (left to right) Ellyn Marie Marsh, Eric Anderson, Orfeh & Renee Martino. Photo: Matthew Murphy

The post ‘Pretty Woman:’ Musical adaptation of rom-com appeared first on StageZine.

‘PARAMOUR’: (left to right) Andrew & Kevin Atherton. © Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Photo: Joan Marcus

PARAMOUR
Composers Bob & Bill, Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard
Lyrics and Co-composer Andreas Carlsson
Creative Guide & Creative Director Jean-Francois Bouchard
Associate Creative Director, Scene Director & Story by West Hyler
Directed & conceived by Philippe Decoufle
Associate Creative Director, Acrobatic Designer & Choreographer Shana Carroll
Choreography by Daphne Mauger
Lyric Theatre
213 West 42nd Street
(877-250-2929), ParamourBroadway.com

By David NouNou

There are two ways of viewing Paramour: as a musical or a Cirque du Soleil presentation, a New Yorker or a tourist, a really bad musical or an eye-popping family treat. In order to fully appreciate this mash-up musical, you have to choose which category you want to fall into. There is no right or wrong answer and there is absolutely no shame in choosing either category.

It was about half an hour into the show when I decided to give up making any sense of the plot of Paramour and just go with the flow that I was at Cirque du Soleil and appreciate the camp with the spectacle. For where else would you get (pay attention here, it gets complicated) the leading lady of Paramour Ruby Lewis, playing the leading lady Indigo, filming a scene portraying Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra with the astounding aerialists (Andrew and Kevin Atherton) flying above her, replete with the entire cast dressed as Romans as she enters Rome and then the scene morphs into another classic as Indigo, and the entire cast rearranging their costumes and resume filming the barn-raising number from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers? You can’t make this stuff up; you have to see it to believe it, and you thought you were getting a thrill seeing Hamilton.

Cirque du Soleil is a unique experience into itself. To box it into a musical format is foolish, for the show to be truly engaging has to soar and be free of any restrictions. It is supposedly set in the golden age of Hollywood; to me that meant the 1930s. Here it is the ’30s, the ’40s, and the ’50s all in one jumble. AJ, the Hollywood director (Jeremy Kushnier), needs a new singing leading lady. He finds her late one night in an L.A. bar. She is Indigo (Ruby Lewis), who has a pianist and song collaborator, Joey (Ryan Vona). You guessed, it a love triangle develops. AJ wants to make a film that immortalizes Indigo; let’s see if I get them all right. She has to be Greta Garbo in Mata Hari, Fay Wray in King Kong, Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, Eva Marie Saint in North By Northwest, Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot and Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. Tall order indeed. Throughout this ridiculous plot, we have to be thankful for the Cirque du Soleil Company; along with the Atherton Twins, there is a specialty dance in Act II called “Love Triangle.” Three dancers (Martin Charrat, Myriam Deraiche and Samuel William Charlton) do a trapeze ballet that is absolutely mesmerizing and breathtaking; poetry in motion.

In addition to all the Cirque spectacles on stage, there are myriads of projections that are even more distracting than the story; and a finale that is right out of “Batman,” the 1960s TV series with Adam West, where people are just bouncing off rooftops in zoot suits.

My advice to you if you decide to go to Paramour and want to enjoy it to its fullest is this: Don’t go as a New Yorker; pretend you’re a tourist who happened to be at Duffy Square and just got your tickets. Enjoy the lights and noise of Times Square, marvel at the magnificence of the Lyric Theatre, go to your seat, (and this is very important) don’t take it seriously, don’t try to make sense of the show; you’ll just give yourself a headache. Just relax, go with the flow, and enjoy the madcap, zany camp spectacle known as Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 3, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on June 2, 2016

‘PARAMOUR’: The cast. Photo: Richard Termine

‘PARAMOUR’: (left to right) Martin Charrat, Myriam Deraiche & Samuel William Charlton. © Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘PARAMOUR’: (left to right) Fletcher Blair Sanchez (background, in yellow jacket) & Joe McAdam. © Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘PARAMOUR’: (left to right) Reed Kelly & Sarah Meahi. © Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Photo: Richard Termine

‘PARAMOUR’: (left to right) Martin Charrat, Myriam Deraiche, Samuel William Charlton. Photo: © Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘ALLEGIANCE’: George Takei & Lea Salonga. Photo: Matthew Murphy

ALLEGIANCE
Book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo & Lorenzo Thione
Music & lyrics by Jay Kuo
Directed by Stafford Arima
Choreographed by Andrew Palermo
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.AllegianceMusical.com

By Scott Harrah

There are so many powerful, interesting, dynamic, heroic tales in Allegiance that it is a shame the musical score bogs them all down. The theatrical axiom states that a musical score should propel the story forward. Sadly, in the case of Allegiance, it brings it to a halt. That’s a shame because otherwise, this is truly an epic drama about a World War II aspect we rarely hear about: The cruel treatment of an estimated 120,000 Japanese Americans in “internment” camps, and Japanese-American soldiers, unsung heroes who proved their loyalty to the stars and stripes by joining the fight against the enemy.

The story is so intense that one is genuinely invested in these characters and their plight and outcome. The uninteresting and banal score could have many songs trimmed and instead used the words as dialogue. The authors should have kept six or seven essential songs and eliminated the rest, because they start sounding the same after awhile and none rises to the occasion of the dialogue. The show, based on real-life events, is so epic that it would make either a fine film or stage drama. Was Allegiance done as a musical to give it more commercial appeal? Perhaps, but by doing so, the creators squandered an opportunity to create a straightforward historical saga about a chapter of American history and World War II that needs to be told. There is enough somber, fascinating substance here to make the material stand on its own, so why all the songs? Other than the moving anthem “Gaman” (meaning “patience” in Japanese), most of the musical numbers just seem distracting. In addition, Andrew Palermo’s choreography is downright pedestrian at times, adding zero to songs that already go nowhere.

Inspired by the true experiences of the show’s star George Takei (Sulu of “Star Trek” fame), the story spans 60 years of the Kimura family, starting out in San Francisco in 2001 and then Salinas, California in 1941 to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming during World War II, with scenes in Italy and France and stops in Washington, DC before and after the war. In 2001, Sam Kimura (Mr. Takei) is an elderly man and is visited by a woman bringing a mysterious envelope from his sister Kei (Tony Award winner Lea Salonga), whom he hasn’t seen in decades. Allegiance is ambitious indeed in its sheer scale and timeline. We see the rural farm areas of California in which Japanese Americans thrived, but had their homes sold for next to nothing and their livelihoods and possessions taken from them as they were placed in internment camps. Japanese Americans were held as prisoners by the U.S. military, with their freedom taken away, not given proper medical care, and forced to claim loyalty to the U.S. on questionnaires.

In the camp, young Sam Kimura (played by Telly Leung) wants to prove his family’s loyalty to the USA by joining the war. Sam befriends and falls in love with nurse Hannah Campbell (Katie Rose Clarke). Hannah understands the unjust ways the military treats the Japanese Americans in the camp, such as denying them badly needed medication, but there is little she can do.

Sam’s loyalty, however, isn’t shared by everyone in the camp. Sister Kei supports and loves Frankie Suzuki (Michael K. Lee), a man who is against Japanese Americans being drafted and is vociferous about the way the U.S. military treats his people. Kei also worries about their ailing grandfather Ojii-chan (played by Mr. Takei in a dual role), a man that loves working in his garden.

However, most of the performances are top notch. One has to marvel at 78-year-old George Takei. Here, he is at his best playing Ojii-chan, a charming old man who brings badly needed levity to the folks in the internment camp. It is his final scene as Sam the war hero—a man who earned a purple heart but lost nearly everything important in his life—that really shows us what a consummate actor Mr. Takei truly is as he breaks down emotionally in the most heartbreaking moment of Allegiance.

Lea Salonga brings multiple layers to the character of Kei and is consistently superb and in fine voice, so it is a pity she is given such mediocre material to sing.

Some of the best performances come from supporting cast members. As Hannah, the bighearted blonde nurse from Nebraska, Katie Rose Clarke is outstanding, giving a naturalistic portrayal of a woman who risks everything to stand up for what is right. Equally evocative is Michael K. Lee as Frankie Suzuki.

Director Stafford Arima gets effective performances from everyone else, but as a whole, he had a tall order indeed, overseeing a project with the best of intentions but, because it was made into a musical, was misguided from the get-go. The timing was more than right for Allegiance with all the current talk about immigration and what it means to be an American. Many stories about World War II and the plight of Japanese Americans remain untold. With some heavy script doctoring, Allegiance could have been a modern classic but as is, it is one big missed opportunity.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 15, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on November 14, 2015

‘ALLEGIANCE’: (left to right) Michael K. Lee, George Takei & Lea Salonga. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: Telly Leung & Katie Rose Clarke. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: Telly Leung (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘ALLEGIANCE’: Lea Salonga. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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BEST MUSICAL SINCE ‘BOOK OF MORMON’: Michael James Scott (center) & cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

SOMETHING ROTTEN!
Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell
Music & lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick
Direction & choreography by Casey Nicholaw
St. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.RottenBroadway.com

By David NouNou

As a critic, I have been waiting since March 30, 2011 to write the words “The best original new musical since The Book of Mormon.”

In the past 10 days, we have been bombarded by lugubrious, serious, dour, epically boring and not fun musicals that have left audiences begging for a riotous show that is funny, intelligent, clever, witty, splashy, and simply a joy to sit through, and this is what you will get with Something Rotten!. This is due to the hysterical book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and a sublimely hummable score by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick. From the opening song “Welcome to the Renaissance,” to the likes of “God, I Hate Shakespeare,” “A Musical”, “Will Power,” “Hard to Be the Bard,” to “To Thine Own Self,” the melodies are still ringing in my head. I will concede the book is not irreverent as The Book of Mormon, but then what is? However, it pokes clever jabs at Shakespeare, his works, and almost every milestone musical of the 20th Century.

The Bottom Brothers, Nick (Brian d’Arcy James) and Nigel (John Cariani), haven’t been able to write a hit because they have been in the shadow of the Bard, William Shakespeare (Christian Borle). Nick, in dire straits and as a last resort, goes to a soothsayer, Nostradamus (Brad Oscar), and begs him to foresee what the next big thing is to write about. Nostradamus looks into the future and advises him to write “A Musical”; that’s what people will want to see in the future. Needless to say, this number is a showstopper to end all showstoppers, magnificently done by Mr. Oscar and the ensemble, and every song after that is one showstopper after another. If excess is a sin, then no one can do it better than Casey Nicholaw, from his deft and dazzling direction to his astounding dance routines. He lavishes us with these joyous excesses.

The performances are superior in every way: Brian d’Arcy James, as the down-on-his-luck older brother Nick Bottom in search of a new idea for a play, is a robust leading man who has full command of the stage and does a razor-sharp routine in “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top” that brings the house down as well as the Act I curtain. John Cariani, as the younger brother Nigel, is the timid one with the brains that has to write the words for Nick’s plays and is in a less glorified role. Mr. Cariani acts and sings with solid conviction.

Now, to the show-stopping hams of the show: Christian Borle, as the preening and overly confident Shakespeare, gives another one of those Borlian scene-stealing, sinfully delicious performances as in the songs “Will Power,” a jazzed-up, hip, swinging rock star Will and his posse, and “Hard To Be the Bard” is full of double entendres. The trump card of the night is Brad Oscar’s performance as Nostradamus, the soothsayer. His predicting “A Musical” as the next big thing was a true crowd-pleaser. The rest of the comedic group were Brooks Ashmanskas, as a confused Puritan, with a lovely daughter Portia (Kate Reinders), the young lady who loves Nigel Bottom. There’s also Gerry Vichi, as Shylock the Jew, who wants to be a producer (and you know which Shakespeare play these two characters will end up in); Peter Bartlett as Lord Clapham who plays a benefactor of the arts; and Heidi Blickenstaff as Nick’s wife. All are giving wonderfully zany ensemble performances. The dancing ensemble are all first-rate, synchronized perfectionists.

The designers have outdone themselves—from the beautiful Elizabethan sets by Scott Pask, to the over-the-top costumes by Gregg Barnes and the mood-provoking lighting by Jeff Coitier—all set and anchor the scenes perfectly. You don’t have to be a Shakespearian pro to get all the goings on; you just have to be able to laugh at the misplaced famous Shakespearean quotes and recognize the brilliant placement of moments from iconic musicals to fully appreciate the magnificent job Casey Nicholaw has done. Forget about the doom and gloom of the pretentious musicals that have just opened. Instead, go to Something Rotten! and see “Something Wonderful.”

THE FUTURE IS ‘A MUSICAL’: Brad Oscar & Brian d’Arcy James in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

WILL POWER: Christian Borle as Shakespeare & the cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

SPOOFING THE BROADWAY MUSICAL: Brian d’Arcy James & Brad Oscar (center, left to right) & cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

ANOTHER SHOWSTOPPER: The cast of ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

THE BARD: Christian Borle in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

THE BOTTOM BROTHERS: John Cariani & Brian d’Arcy James in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

NICK BOTTOM & HIS TRUE LOVE, PORTIA: John Cariani & Kate Reinders in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

BROTHER JEREMIAH & PORTIA: Brooks Ashmankas & Kate Reinders in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

AT NICK & BEA’S HOUSE: (left to right) John Cariani, Brian d’Arcy James & Heidi Blickenstaff in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

BOTTOM’S ON TOP: Brian d’Arcy James in ‘Something Rotten!’ Photo: Joan Marcus

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 1, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 30, 2015

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CHITA RIVERA, GIVING ONE OF HER BEST PERFORMANCES EVER: (left to right) Tom Nelis, Chita Rivera, Chris Newcomer & Matthew Deming in ‘The Visit.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

THE VISIT
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Directed by John Doyle
Choreography by Graciela Daniele
Lyceum Theatre
149 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), www.thevisitmusical.com

By David NouNou

She enters from the rear of stage right in a beautiful white, fur clad-coat and cane in hand and the applause begins. She has a long, slow walk to center stage and halts and the ovation is genuine and rapturous and it doesn’t stop. Chita Rivera: Broadway legend and one of two remaining superstars who can command the stage and elicit an ovation upon an entrance. I promised myself that I wouldn’t start my review by gushing over her, but how can one not? After all, we have come to praise Chita. Her roles are indelible and immortal by now: Anita in West Side Story, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Anyanka in Bajour, Velma Kelly in Chicago. The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman earned her two Tony Awards, and she received Tony nominations in a recent revival of Nine and her one-woman show Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life; and she was in the 2012 revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She now adds to this roster Claire Zachanassian, which ranks among her greatest performances.

The play The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt is a compelling drama unto itself, and it is very difficult to musicalize. I know it is tempting for Kander and Ebb to reach for the dark subject matters in shows and try to make them more enthralling by adding a score; it certainly worked in Cabaret and Chicago, but there was also humor there that could be tapped into. However, in The Visit there is no room for musical numbers; they distract from the drama and weaken it. Sure, there are some melodies that are reminiscent of both musicals, but these don’t linger.

Set in the desolate and impoverished town of Bracken, somewhere in Europe after World War II, Claire returns to her hometown with her ominous black bags, and there are lots of them, and her valet and two eunuchs. Why is she back after many years of ostracism to this bleak, desolate wasteland? We learn that when she was young, she gave herself to Anton Schell (Roger Rees) who went on to marry Matilde Schell (Mary Beth Peil) because her father owned a store and he could better himself. In a mock trial, Claire was thrust out as a whore with a child. After leaving Bracken, Claire married many men who died on her and left her lots of money, making her the richest woman in the world.

She has not forgotten how badly she was treated by the citizens, but she is willing to strike a deal with them. She will pay 10 billion marks for the city to rebuild and each person in it gets an additional two million apiece for the life of Anton Schell. At first everyone is appalled by such an offer, but slowly greed and the taste of the finer things start creeping into the lives of Anton’s friends and even his family. One asks oneself how much is a person’s life actually worth when it comes to revenge and to what lengths would one go to get their pound of flesh?

Durrenmatt’s story is a gorgeous morality play. It’s a pity it hasn’t been revived since 1973. Terrence McNally has written a book that plays to Ms. Rivera’s strengths and the score tries to have a sentimental lilt about it. However, John Doyle’s gloomy direction sucks up everything. Even having young counterparts/shadows of the younger Claire and Anton (a device lifted from young counterparts in Follies) is not very original. John Riddle and Michelle Veintimilla are gorgeous together, and you can see the passion there, but they add very little to the story after a while. Roger Rees, as the older Anton, is a hollow shell of a man now and seems quite uncomfortable in his part and in his singing. One even wonders why Clare wastes all that money on him. Oh, venomous revenge is never sweet.

And so we are back to Chita Rivera. Her singing voice has gotten slower and raspier; she doesn’t do her immortal high kick steps anymore, but good God, can the woman act and still break our hearts. In truth, Ms. Rivera is now 82, and another magnificent role like Claire Zachanassian will be hard to come by. Any theatergoer who cherishes a great performance from a legend must go to the Lyceum Theatre and marvel at the beauty and craftsmanship of the diva La Rivera. In years to come, I know I will be thrilled to say that I was there to see her giving one of her finest performances ever.

VIEW OF ‘THE VISIT’: The superb Chita Rivera & the cast. Photo: Thom Kaine

DANCING WITH HERSELF: Chita Rivera dances with her younger self, Michelle Veintimilla, in ‘The Visit,.’ Photo: Thom Kaine

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY: Townspeople sing of their greed in ‘The Visit.’ Photo: Thom Kaine

TOWN WITHOUT PITY (left to right) Roger Rees, John Riddle, Michelle Veintimilla & Chita Rivera in ‘The Visit,’ about a woman seeking revenge on the man & town that ostracized her decades ago. Photo: Joan Marcus

KANDER & EBB’S LAST MUSICAL’: Michelle Veintimilla, Matthew Deming, Rogers Rees, Chita Rivera, Chris Newcomer & cast of ‘The Visit’. Photo: Thom Kaine

LA DIVA RIVERA &
‘THE EUNUCHS’: Chita Rivera & cast members in ‘The Visit.’ Photo: Thom Kaine

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 29, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 28, 2015

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