‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Linedy Genao & Jordan Dobson. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

BAD CINDERELLA
Book by Emerald Fennell
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by David Zippel
Directed by Laurence Connor
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Imperial Theatre
249 West 45th Street
(212-239-6200), badcinderellabroadway.com

By David NouNou

Bad Cinderella isn’t as horrendous as you may have heard or read, but it is pretty awful. The only two musicals that are worse, since the theatres reopened in September of 2021,  are: Diana, The Musical, which was so ridiculously bad, making it amusing enough for audiences to revel in its lunacy. The second was last fall’s disastrous and totally misguided inept all-female revival of 1776, which, by the way, also had Carolee Carmello in it.

What makes Bad Cinderella such a head-scratching enigma is that there is so much pedigree in it. How can you screw up Cinderella? The creators found a way: Emerald Fennell, who won an Oscar for her brilliant screenplay of Promising Young Woman, tried to give an edgy twist to the Cinderella plot instead wrote herself into a humorless trainwreck. The lyrics by David Zippel are bland and clichéd. They both failed Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music. This is not to say that this is among Lord Lloyd Webber’s best, but they are melodic and kind of have a staying power in your head.

This Cinderella (Linedy Genoa) is bad. She is a rebel and doesn’t take sass from anyone. There is no Prince Charming here—he comes later (don’t ask), but there is his younger meek brother, Sebastian (Jordan Dobson). There is also the Queen Mother (Grace McLean), the wicked stepmother (Carolee Carmello) and two stepsisters: Adele (Sami Gayle) and Marie (Morgan Higgins) and an array of witless vapid young ladies trying to capture Sebastian’s heart, and an array of shirtless “hunks” (as Playbill dubs them) with leather harnesses on (please again, don’t ask). Because other than the initial Cinderella storyline nothing makes sense in this rendition. The trouble here is that the show takes itself too seriously, and unlike Diana, The Musical (which was a fun hot mess), there is no joy in goofing on it.

Both Ms. Genoa and Mr. Dobson lack the experience, presence and the charm to make Cinderella and Sebastian likeable characters. As for the rest of the cast— and this includes the always dependable Carolee Carmello—they are all so over the top, with exaggerated overacting, that the smell of stale ham reeks throughout the theatre.

There is also the unforgivable misguided direction of Laurence Connor who also did Lord Webber a disservice. It is so heavy-handed and aimless, that he has no real vision of what is happening on the stage. If you saw his previous revivals of Les Misérables in 2014 and Miss Saigon in 2017, you would understand. In this case not being a revival, there is no real structure, the transitioning from one scene to the next has no real continuity; they just happen. Thrown in between is JoAnn M. Hunter’s listless choreography.

What is so sad about this musical is that Andrew Lloyd Webber delivered the music, but no one and nothing else came up to his level. Let’s hope that Phantom of the Opera gets extended again, this time for the summer, and thus gives Lord Lloyd Webber a fitting send-off.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 27, 2023
Reviewed at March 26, 2023 press performance.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Carolee Carmello. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Grace McLean & Carolee Carmello. Photo: Matthey Murphy & Even Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Linedy Genao. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Linedy Genao. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Morgan Higgins & Sami Gayle. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Grace McLean. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Jordan Dobson & Grace McLean & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: Cristina Acosta Robinson. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘BAD CINDERELLA’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

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‘DISASTER!’: Roger Bart & Kerry Butler. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

DISASTER!
By Seth Rudetsky & Jack Plotnick
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Directed by Jack Plotnick
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
(877) 250-2929, http://www.disastermusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

The 1970s disaster movie genre could easily be mined for a spoof. From The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, created by the “Master of Disaster” Irwin Allen to Earthquake and the many Airport films, the movies were so over-the-top with their special effects, soapy subplots and all-star casts and cameos that they sometimes seemed like parodies themselves. So it is puzzling why Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick took such a great topic for a satire and did so little with it in Disaster!

Back in 1980, Airplane! hilariously roasted the Airport franchise with slapstick humor that skewered everything about the movies, with visual and sight gags and raunchy jokes. The movie was a mega-hit because it was silly and clever while sending up the plots of not only Airport and Airport 1975 but also the 1957 film Zero Hour. Here, Mr. Rudetsky and Mr. Plotnick have taken plot elements from Earthquake, The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure and set the scene in 1979 on Barracuda, a floating disco/casino on the Hudson River, with characters loosely based on those in the movies it mocks, but with no quick-witted humor or anything truly ingenious. Instead, the creators insert snippets of old 1970s pop radio standards like “Knock on Wood,” “Sky High,” “I Am Woman,” “Hot Stuff,” “Torn Between Two Lovers” and more ad nauseam, for no apparent reason other than to pad out an already overlong show. The result is many strained laughs in a jukebox musical without much context, like watching one of those kitschy old K-Tel pop music compilations come to life on the stage. Instead of giving us a solid plot and exquisitely jabbing the satirical needle into the genre, Mr. Rudetsky and director Jack Plotnick give us a lazy series of lame, half-baked skits that aren’t funny and serve no purpose.

We have many of the characters from a pastiche of 1970s disaster films, but few are well-developed composites of the people from the wonderfully tacky epics of yesteryear.

There are many Tony-nominated and Tony-winning stage veterans in the show, but their talents are mostly wasted on the thin material. Roger Bart annoyingly hams it up as Tony, the sleazy owner of the casino. Faith Prince and Kevin Chamberlin portray Shirley and Maury, a wisecracking New York Jewish couple obviously modeled after Shelley Winters and Jack Albertson in The Poseidon Adventure. Kerry Butler is Marianne, a reporter and the ex-fiancee of waiter Chad (Adam Pascal). Rachel York plays Jackie, a sexy lounge singer that’s obviously a cross between Carole Lynley’s Nonnie and Stella Stevens’ Linda Rogo in Poseidon. .

Max Crumm (best known for the 2007 Grease revival with Laura Osnes) plays Scott, a waiter, a nod to Roddy McDowell’s character Acres in Poseidon. Newcomer Lacretta Nicole is Levora, the spandex-clad, African-American disco diva who hasn’t had a hit in a while, and her main purpose here seems to be to belt out disco golden oldies like “Never Can Say Goodbye.” Mr. Rudetsky himself plays Professor Ted Schneider, the “disaster expert” who is hell bent on warning everyone about the doom that awaits them because the casino’s structure was built on a fault line (a Manhattan pier).

The true standout performances in the show, however, are given by lesser-known actors. Young Baylee Littrell is outstanding in the dual role of Ben and Lisa, singer Jackie’s identical twins. Jennifer Simard is a total scene stealer as Sister Mary Downy, a nun with a gambling addiction who loves to strum her guitar and screech out an atonal version of Sister Janet Mead’s infamous 1974 rock rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer.” The first-rate Ms. Simard displays the perfect mix of piety and spunk—a glorious homage to Helen Reddy’s singing nun in Airport 1975—and she gets the show’s most sincere and well-deserved laughs.

Disaster! is disappointing because of what it could have been. It started out Off Broadway at the St. Luke’s Theatre three years ago, but the Broadway production should have been more polished. Co-author Jack Plotnick also directs the show, and that is a problem here because an objective party was desperately needed to fine-tune things. In many cases, there should be a law on Broadway that writers of shows should not be allowed to also direct their works, because a more focused director and script doctor might have been able to save this Disaster! from sinking by cutting out the many pointless song snippets, tightening the narrative, and keeping the jokes on-target.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 15, 2016
Reviewed at press performance on March 14, 2016

DISASTER!: (left to right) Faith Prince, Kevin Chamberlin & Kerry Butler. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

‘DISASTER!’ Jennifer Simard as nun Sister Mary Downy. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

DISASTER!: Adam Pascal & Kerry Butler. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

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‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: (left to right) Alex Brightman, Dante Melucci & Evie Dolan. Photo: Matthew Murphy

SCHOOL OF ROCK
Book by Julian Fellowes
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Directed by Laurence Connor
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Winter Garden Theatre
1634 Broadway at 50th Street
(212-239-6200), www.schoolofrockthemusical.com/

By David NouNou

Having not seen the 2003 movie School of Rock and knowing very little about it (other than it was a huge hit for Jack Black) definitely gave me a leg up to enjoy this vastly entertaining musical. For me, it was seeing an original musical and it’s a rock-ass thrill. Adding to that thrill is the music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (longtime favorite) going back to his rock roots of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the book is by Julian Fellows of “Downton Abbey” fame. Who would have thought that these two “very proper” Englishmen would give us a most compelling rock musical of this generation?

Like Matilda, it is a child that tries to make sense of the outside world and fit in it. Dewey Finn (Alex Brightman) is not a little girl and certainly not a child; he is more akin to Peter Pan, the child that doesn’t want to grow up. Dewey is a misfit. He has been kicked out of his rock band; he’s despondent, and lives in the home of a former bandmate, Ned Schneebly (a substitute teacher) and his girlfriend Patty. Dewey owes them a lot of back rent. Patty has had enough of his slovenliness and wants him out, until one day a call comes for Ned and is intercepted by Dewey. The call is from staunch Principal Rosalie Mullins (Sierra Boggess) for a substitute teacher at the prestigious Horace Green Prep School. Needing money, Dewey goes for the job posing as Ned.

Dewey is confronted by children who come from privilege and overachieving parents who have no clue as to who their children are and what they can actually accomplish. This becomes a learning lesson for both. Dewey gets to learn about the kids and himself; the kids learn to abandon discipline and overcome their insecurities. He has to train them to fulfill his dream in competing in the “Battle of the Bands.” The two become co-dependent and both grow, learn and mature in the process.

I would probably say that the most daunting task in originating this musical was to find the proper Dewey. You couldn’t just bring a Jack Black imitator; you had to bring a Dewey that can make the character real for the stage. After all he is the loser. However, he has to have enough likability, charm and charisma to be able to win the audience over and root for him. This task has fallen into the hands of Alex Brightman.

I hate to use the term overnight star, because that term on Broadway is so ephemeral and overused. Mr. Brightman has paid his dues and has to his credits roles in Wicked, Big Fish, as well as Matilda. He is a person that should be noticed in the future, and come awards time next spring, he has to be recognized.

Earlier this spring, Sierra Boggess was in the abysmal musical It Shoulda Been You and previously was enchanting as Christine in Mr. Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom Of the Opera. Although she has the beautiful, haunting song “Where Did the Rock Go?” in Act II and learns to defrost, her Principal Mullins is a thankless role.

As for the children, they are all perfection and they actually play their musical instruments and are versatile performers in acting, singing and dancing. Laurence Connor, who directed the current version of Les Miserables has tapped into a much lighter venue (rock comedy) he keeps things constantly moving and never allows the children to be annoying or cloying. He respects them and gives each one of them a distinct personality and we get to know them as individuals.

In the end, it is Julian Fellows (book), Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Glenn Slater (lyrics) who are the real rock stars of School of Rock. Without them, we wouldn’t have had this infinitely delightful head-banger.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 18, 2015
Reviewed at performance on December 17, 2015

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: Alex Brightman & Sierra Boggess. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: Alex Brightman & the adult ensemble. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: Alex Brightman & the kid band. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: (left to right) Evie Dolan, Alex Brightman & Brando Niederauer. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: Sierra Boggess. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: The children’s ensemble & Sierra Boggess. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’: The children’s ensemble. Photo: Matthew Murphy

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