‘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.

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‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Christian Borle & J. Harrison Ghee. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

SOME LIKE IT HOT
Book by Matthew Lopez & Amber Ruffin
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by March Shaiman & Scott Wittman
Directed & choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
Shubert Theatre
 225 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), https://somelikeithotmusical.com/

By David NouNou

If you want to thoroughly enjoy and be entertained by Some Like It Hot, the new musical, you have to completely divest yourself of any attachment or sentimental feelings you have for the classic 1959 Billy Wilder movie of the same name. Although Sugar, Joe/Josephine, and Jerry/Daphne still exist, do not expect to see imitations or impersonations of Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.

The creators kept the framework and the names of the three lead characters as well as the title of the movie, for brand recognition, but wisely decided to take them on a different journey. Joe (Christian Borle) and Jerry (J. Harrison Ghee) still witness a gangland killing and are chased by the mob. In order to protect their identity, they disguise themselves in drag as Josephine and Daphne and join an all-female band, Sweet Sue (NaTasha Yvette Williams) and her Society Syncopators, and meet female singer Sugar Kane (Adrianna Hicks). No longer is the train taking the female band to Florida for their engagement and the possibility of meeting rich eligible gentlemen. The ladies are now headed to San Diego and Hollywood stardom.

The setup for the scenes is completely different. No longer is it a run from Chicago to Miami, but the trip is cross-country, with lots of stops along the way. Each stop presents a different problem for the boys running from the mob; their destination is San Diego and ultimately Mexico and freedom. Once in San Diego, freedom comes at a price. Along the way, Joe, now Josephine, has fallen for Sugar, and Daphne has captured the heart of Osgood Fielding III (Kevin Del Aguila). Complications arise even further once affairs of the heart fall into place.

Although the book lacks fresh material and jokes, and the score is unmemorable, the freshest and most memorable aspect of the show is J. Harrison Ghee as Jerry/Daphne. As portrayed in the movie by Jack Lemmon, and one of my favorite movie characters of all time, I never thought I could ever get Jack Lemmon out of my mind. Mr. Ghee has taken this role and redefined it as his own. He is handsome as Jerry, heartbreaking as the emerging Daphne, and breathtaking as the gorgeous triumphant Daphne.

Two-time Tony Award winner for Peter and the Starcatcher and Something Rotten, Christian Borle is a Broadway veteran and has livened up many a Broadway show. However, his Joe/Josephine lacks charm and charisma and falls short in the shadow of Mr. Ghee. Once he dons his wig as Josephine, he looks like the spitting image of veteran Broadway character actress Jackie Hoffman. What more can I say?

Adrianna Hicks, who was splendid as Catherine of Aragon in last year’s Six, has a tremendous voice—she is a crowd-pleaser on her solo numbers “At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee” and “Ride Out the Storm”—but her Sugar lacks vulnerability, thus making her one note with no dimension.

However, one should not focus too much on the show’s minor flaws. Amidst all the mayhem taking place on stage, director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw has worked his magic again, as he did for Aladdin, Book of Mormon, and Mean Girls, and sorts everything out replete with a Keystone Kops finale. He has turned Some Like It Hot into a sizzling, grand old-style Broadway extravaganza.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 14, 2022
Reviewed at December 13, 2022  press performance.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Adrianna Hicks. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Adrianna Hicks & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: NaTasha Yvette Williams & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’: Kevin Del Aguila & cast. Photo: Marc J. Franklin.

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‘CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’: (left to right) John Rubinstein, Ben Crawford, Emma Pfaeffle, Jake Ryan Flynn, Christian Borle, Trista Dollison, Alan H. Green, Jackie Hoffman & Michael Wartella. Photo: Joan Marcus

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl
Book by David Greig
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Choreography by Joshua Bergasse
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
205 W. 46th Street
(877-250-2929), www.charlieonbroadway.com

By Scott Harrah

It’s ironic that a musical best known for the song “Pure Imagination” has been re-conceived for Broadway with so little of it. Director Jack O’Brien, book writer David Greig and composers Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman have turned what was a flawed but colorful musical in London into a bittersweet curiosity on Broadway. The overall product will likely thrill many, but is mostly cotton candy without the substance or edgy humor of the book and original film on which it is based.

Anyone who saw the 2013 London musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory knows the show’s shortcomings could have been easily “tweaked” for American audiences. There have been four major incarnations of Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, a whimsical moral fable, from the delightful cult classic 1971 film adaptation with Gene Wilder to the digitally infused, Tim Burton 2005 remake with Johnny Depp, a West End musical adaptation and now this retooled and revamped reboot for Broadway. This “doctored” musical-comedy interpretation of Charlie is the weakest by far of all the adaptations. It lacks the charm of the 1971 movie, and also the sophisticated touches of the West End show.

Of course, there are spectacular production numbers that depict, with high-tech wizardry and Scott Wittman and Mark Shaiman’s effusive songbook, the classic tale of a group of children touring Willy Wonka’s magical chocolate factory.

Charlie closed in January at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and was a tourist staple. This reviewer saw Charlie in the United Kingdom two years ago and felt at the time that act one was too long for its own good, but the second act made up for it with songs and scenes depicting the dark, twisted fates of Augustus Gloop (F. Michael Haynie), Veruca Salt (Emma Pfaeffle), Mike Teavee (Michael Wartella) and Violet Beauregard (Trista Dollison).

The big change from London is the opening number, “The Candy Man” (the Leslie Bricusse-Anthony Newley song made famous by Sammy Davis, Jr.), which was in the 1971 film but not in the West End version at all. Instead of beginning at a dump, this Broadway edition opens in a candy store with Charlie (rotated by Jake Ryan Flynn, Ryan Foust and Ryan Sell in certain performances) and a surprisingly lackluster Christian Borle as Willy Wonka. He’s all ham and camp because he’s been given such flimsy material with which to work, and his portrayal of Willy suffers as a result.

Jackie Hoffman (fresh from her acclaimed role as Mamacita on “Feud”) is Mrs. Teavee, a pill-popping 1950s-style cartoonish mom, and she gets plenty of laughs. Ms. Hoffman is also less outrageous, in a good way, than she has been in some of her past Broadway work.

Grandpa Joe (John Rubinstein) is featured prominently here. There are the iconic kids who’ve won golden tickets, from spoiled rich brat Veruca Salt (here she’s a Russian girl) and her number “When Veruca Says” to gum-chewing Violet Beauregard’s “The Queen of Pop” (in this version she’s also an African American hip-hop girl, but the song “Double Bubble Duchess” was more fun in the London edition). TV-obsessed Mike Teavee sings “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” with his mother and the ensemble.

As with the films, the true excitement doesn’t really start until we visit the Chocolate Factory with Willy Wonka. The British stage version was darker, more literal and more technically vivid, but here things are more colorful and—dare I say it? —cheesier. Of course, there are also the winsomely disturbing Oompa-Loompas (represented by actors in special costumes, a clever touch by puppetry designer Basil Twist).

While the London show had marvelously futuristic sets for the Chocolate Factory scenes, the Broadway sets by video and production designer Jeff Sugg and lighting designer Japhy Weideman lack the “wow” factor of the West End production. The song “Vidiots,” featuring various TV sets, had the gleeful, streamlined futurism of a pop music video or live concert in London, but is not as impressive here.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn’t as cerebral as that other Roald Dahl musical adaptation, Matilda, but it is still fun, particularly seeing the warped ways that Augustus Gloop, Veruca, Violet and Mike face grisly retribution for being annoying, self-centered children. However, director Jack O’Brien and book writer still David Greig have not solved the main problem that plagued the West End version: The awkward first act. What’s shocking is that, with all the changes made, no one could think of a way to make Act One more enjoyable.

The story of Willy Wonka and Charlie is timeless, but this Charlie and the Chocolate Factory adaptation will be disappointing for fans of the film and the Roald Dahl book. It is truly a shame the people behind the show simply did not come up with fresh ideas to make this a more memorable musical.

Edited by David NouNou
Published April 26, 2017
Reviewed at press performance on April 25, 2017

‘CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’: (left to right) Kristy Cates, Madeline Doherty, Paul Slade Smith, Emily Padgett, John Rubinstein & Ryan Sell. Photo: Joan Marcus

“CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’: Ryan Foust. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’: Jake Ryan Flynn & Christian Borle. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’: Ryan Sell. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’: Christian Borle. Photo: Joan Marcus

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‘FALSETTOS’: Christian Borle & Andrew Rannells. Photo: Joan Marcus

FALSETTOS
Book by William Finn
Music & lyrics by William Finn & James Lapine
Directed by James Lapine
Through January 8, 2017
Walter Kerr Theatre
219 W. 48th Street
800-982-2787, www.lct.org

By Scott Harrah

The individual turmoil of characters, their neuroses and raw emotions, sung via melodic songs, are all at the heart of this superb revival of the William Finn-James Lapine musical. Falsettos remains a fresh, authentic slice of unconventional New York life, despite the fact that its characters lived decades ago. It originally appeared on Broadway in 1992 as a package of two earlier off-Broadway plays, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland. Although parts of this mostly sung-through musical depict the troubles of another era, this outstanding production never feels dated.

Part of the show’s timelessness must be attributed to the stellar performances by a cast of Broadway veterans, but Mr. Finn and Mr. Lapine’s story about Marvin (Christian Borle), a man who wants to have it all (a wife, a child, and a male lover), was truly ahead of its time, written long before marriage equality and tales of nontraditional families became commonplace

The show opens in 1979 with Marvin about to leave his wife Trina (Stephanie J. Block) for a man, Whizzer (Andrew Rannells). Marvin and Trina’s young son Jason (Anthony Rosenthal) is caught in the middle of the maelstrom.  Meanwhile, the family’s psychiatrist Mendel (Brandon Uranowitz) starts a romance with Trina. In addition to the obvious LGBT theme, Falsettos also relies heavily on celebrating the Jewish New Yorker sensibility, particularly in the opening number “Four Jews in a Room Bitching.”  In fact, one of the reasons why the show holds up so well in 2016 is because it’s far more than merely a musical chronicle of a dysfunctional family and homosexuality. Everything from chess playing to Little League baseball is thrown into the mix. David Rockwell’s clever, simplistic sets frame everything wonderfully, with a cartoonish Manhattan skyline and what appears to be a giant 1980s Rubik’s Cube (remember them?) that is gradually taken apart at times to depict different settings.

Much of the narrative unfolds through song, and although Mr. Finn’s music and lyrics are repetitious at times, most songs are infectious and reveal each character’s feelings and frustrations vividly. One of the show’s best moments is Stephanie J. Block belting out the showstopper “I’m Breaking Down,”with lyrics that are humorous but also reveal her heartbreak when she sings, “He’s a queen/I’m a queen/Where is our crown?” 

Other highlights include “Marvin at the Psychiatrist (a Three Part Mini-Opera),” in which Marvin sings (along with Mendel, Jason and Whizzer) about all the reasons he needs psychotherapy.  In “March of the Falsettos,” all four male characters sing, in the titular falsetto voice to match Jason’s prepubescent tone, about the different aspects of masculinity.  Here it’s done cleverly with the guys all sporting fluorescent clothes, frolicking under black light. Pointless perhaps, but still great fun to watch.

While the first act focuses on family dysfunction, Act Two takes us to 1981. Marvin has split up with Whizzer and now lives next door to two lesbians, Dr. Charlotte (Tracie Thoms), an internist, and her lover Cordelia (Betsy Wolfe), a caterer specializing in “nouvelle” kosher cuisine.

Soon Whizzer becomes ill and enters the hospital.  At the same time, Marvin and Trina are nagging Jason about how he wishes to celebrate his bar mitzvah. To give any more detail would spoil the bittersweet twist of the tragic ending, but the final songs are some of the best, including Whizzer’s “You Gotta Die Sometime” and Marvin and Whizzer’s “What Would I Do?”

Mr. Borle makes a big departure here from his comic roles in Peter and the Starcatcher and Something Rotten as the self-absorbed, hopelessly neurotic Marvin.  Mr. Rannells, of Book of Mormon and Girls fame, is equally effective as Whizzer, and emotionally powerful in the show’s final songs.

The show’s biggest asset, however, is Stephanie J. Block.  Although she’s established herself on Broadway in a number of roles, Ms. Block gives the performance of her career as Trina, and she’ll certainly be a contender for all the awards in the spring. There is a haunting sincerity to Ms. Block’s Trina because, in every song she sings, from “I’m Breaking Down” to “Trina’s Song,” one feels her character’s helplessness in everything from her mannerisms (particularly the hilarious way she slices up a banana) to the beautiful, plaintive tone in her vocals.

Director James Lapine understands the scale of tragedy that was so rampant in AIDS-era New York, and his direction highlights the humanity, quirks and vulnerabilities of these characters’ lives and sheds humor and truth on them without coming across as heavy-handed.  Perhaps that’s why Falsettos can now be called a true classic.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 7, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on November 6, 2016

‘FALSETTOS’: (left to right) Betsy Wolfe, Andrew Rannells, Christian Borle & Tracie Thoms. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FALSETTOS’: Stephanie J. Block & Brandon Uranowitz. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FALSETTOS’: Betsy Wolfe & Tracie Thoms. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘FALSETTOS’: Anthony Rosenthal & Christian Borle. Photo: Joan Marcus

The post ‘Falsettos’: The original modern family musical appeared first on StageZine.

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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