‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Roe Hartrampf & Jeanna de Waal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

DIANA, THE MUSICAL
Book & lyrics by Joe DiPietro
Music & lyrics by David Bryan
Choreography by Kelly Devine
Music arrangement & supervision by Ian Eisendrath
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(866) 302-0995, https://thedianamusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

By now, many of you have read the vicious reviews this show received from the critics.  It’s as if everyone released all the pent-up venom they had stored for other shows this season (but couldn’t or wouldn’t say a bad word about) and pounced on Diana, The Musical because it was an easy target. Despite all the naysayers, Diana is not as horrific as you may have heard and the musical has at least one element that may make some actually want to see it.

As a “Second Night” critic, this reviewer doesn’t often get the chance to say anything about a Broadway show until the “major” critics who see a production in previews have already given their verdict.  This is one of the few times I must admit some went too far in panning a show.  Is it a great musical?  Of course not.  Is it the worst thing you’ll ever see on Broadway? No.  Let’s start by talking about someone nearly all the critics overlooked: Jeanna de Waal as Princess Diana.  A leading lady is supposed to anchor a show, and that’s exactly what Ms. de Wall does here so well.  She is the only one in the show who truly transcends the material she’s been given and does what any good actor must:  She gives shading and multiple dimensions to Diana, a complicated, deeply troubled woman mired in gossip, myths and misunderstandings.  We see the arc of Diana’s life, starting out as “shy Di,” as the Fleet Street Brits once called her, a 19-year-old Protestant virgin born into nobility, with the title Lady Diana who worked as a kindergarten assistant.  Young Lady Diana Spencer was considered the perfect prospective wife for Prince Charles (Roe Hartrampf), who was already in his 30s at the time and the most eligible bachelor in the world.  As the show progresses, Ms. de Waal displays the transformation from sheepish Lady Di to the adult Princess Di, her frustration as a young wife and mother as Charles carries on an extramarital affair with “the Rottweiler” Camilla Parker Bowles (Erin Davie).  Finally, she evolves (with many changes featuring William Ivey Long’s lavish costumes) as Diana, the “People’s Princess” who emerged from scandal and a very public bad marriage to win everyone’s hearts as a humanitarian. Ms. de Waal’s portrayal of Diana the media sensation is always realistic and sincere, no matter how preposterous the material gets.  Diana’s every move was tabloid fodder and front-page news, from charity work ranging from visiting and actually touching gay men in hospital AIDS wards at the apex of the crisis (something few would do back then) to raising awareness about the dangers of landmines in Africa. She was a princess with a purpose indeed and redefined what royalty should do with their fame and influence.

Remember the dreadful Broadway musical Scandalous back in 2012, written by Kathy Lee Gifford?  Scandalous was a true train wreck—and even worse than Diana because it was pointless, amateurish and dull—but it also had a leading lady that rose above the material: Carolee Carmello, portraying evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson.  Ms. Carmello got a Tony nomination for being brave enough to go onstage each night to give a great performance in a horrible musical.  Diana, The Musical may not last long but Jeanna de Waal should be remembered during next spring’s award season because, like Carolee Carmello, she prevailed.

Now, let’s address the obvious shortcomings of the show.  The story of Princess Diana is a true tragedy, and it might have been done better as an opera or even a pop opera like Evita, but it simply does not work as a musical comedy.  Joe DiPietro’s book is a hot mess of hokey, cringeworthy dialogue and head-scratching narrative choices.  Mr. DiPietro tells the story of Diana with all the basic factual elements of her life, but both his and David’s Bryan’s music and lyrics are beyond absurd.  There’s no need to quote any of the mind-numbingly bad lyrics (every critic has already done that), but one wonders why Mr. DiPietro and Mr. Bryan chose to use so much profanity, automatically giving what should have been a “PG-13” family musical an “R” rating (if Broadway shows were actually rated).  The same four-letter words are used repeatedly to rhyme in a couple songs, as if they are dirty limericks being sung by preteen boys.  Another song, “The Dress,” overuses the “F” bomb in one of the show’s many lame attempts at humor.

Besides Ms. de Waal, one other noteworthy performance is by Erin Davie, who is wonderfully catty as Camilla Parker Bowles (and much prettier than the real Duchess of Cornwall).  The Diana and Camilla verbal catfight in the production number “The Main Event” is sublimely ridiculous.   As for the rest of the cast, the real Prince Charles has more charm than Roe Hartrampf, but Mr. Hartfampf is far better looking than the real-life Prince of Wales ever was.  Most of the performances seem like caricatures of the royals, especially Judy Kaye, doing a dual role of Queen Elizabeth II and pulp romance novelist Barbara Cartland (please, don’t ask).  Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley (Come from Away) directs everyone haphazardly, but even more puzzling is two-time Tony Award nominee Kelly Devine’s ludicrous choreography.  The dance routines are so spastic and over the top that they are both distracting and laughable—especially when set to such a dreadful score and silly songs.  Regardless, Diana, The Musical is never boring and no worse than the 2017 musical Anastasia. The show was filmed for posterity for Netflix during the height of the 2020 pandemic, so even when it closes on Broadway, it already has the potential to be a campy cult classic that fans can enjoy via streaming.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 21, 2021
Reviewed at November 19, 2021 press performance.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Roe Hartrampf, Judy Kaye & Jeanna de Waal & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jenna de Waal & Roe Hartrampf & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Roe Hartrampf & (on couch) Holly Ann Butler & Jeanna de Waal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Cast & (center) Roe Hartrampf & Judy Kaye. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & Erin Davie. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Jeanna de Waal & Anthony Murphy. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘DIANA, THE MUSICAL’: Publicity still from the Netflix film of the Broadway musical. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

The post ‘Diana, The Musical’: Not a total Di-saster appeared first on StageZine.

LA DIVA & HER GHOSTWRITER: Renée Fleming & Jerry O’Connell in ‘Living On Love.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

LIVING ON LOVE
Written by Joe DiPietro
Based on the play Peccadillo by Garson Kanin
Directed by Kathleen Marshall
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
(212-239-6200), www.LivingOnLoveBroadway.com

By David NouNou

As comedies are very rare on Broadway these days, one has to be grateful for Living On Love, a play that has been rebooted by Joe DiPietro and has the feel of comedies of the 1950s. A lot of those comedies had a paper-thin plotline; not very taxing on the stars that portrayed those characters. The trials and tribulations were set up, but they all sorted themselves out in the end. Their objective was to please an audience. They were usually written for married celebrity couples like Rex Harrison and his then-wife Lili Palmer, and the show would have a large advance due to the marquee star power and usually lasted between six to nine months, or the entire season if lucky. This way, the actors could display their grand living albeit via the stage, the customers were happy seeing stars playing themselves or facsimiles, though some critics may have groused over the skimpy storyline. But best of all, the producers recouped their money and everybody went home happy.

Peccadillo by Garson Kanin (on which this show is based) is such a play. Mr. Kanin wrote it in 1985 but the setting and time is New York City in 1957. The characters in Peccadillo would have been the kind of people he came in contact with; after all, he did work in the theater. He was married to Ruth Gordon and they were best friends with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

In Living On Love, Vito De Angelis, a conductor, known to his nearest and dearest as Maestro (Douglas Sills), a cross between Leonard Bernstein and Steve Martin, is married to La Diva, Raquel De Angelis (Renée Fleming) for over 30 years. Their egos precede them wherever they go. They have both fallen on hard times, meaning they are getting older and their demand is less, so now they are in the process of writing their biographies and have been assigned ghostwriters to assist them. Maestro has a spunky junior editor, Iris Peabody (Anna Chlumsky). La Diva has the fawning writer Robert Sampson (Jerry O’Connell). And the best thing any household can have is a pair of harmonious butlers who have been serving the Maestro and La Diva for over 30 years: Bruce (Blake Hammond) and Eric (Scott Robertson). Needless to say, in the quest to see who finishes the book first, flirtatious goings on take place, with a lot of preening and boasting taking place.

Renée Fleming not only entices her protégé writer, Robert, but the audience as well, with her trilling of various arias from the operas she’s appeared in and what a voice. Ms. Fleming, a multiple Grammy Award winner, is making her Broadway debut. She has the diva down pat, but her inner actress for Broadway has to find its center. Douglas Sills, with a heavy Italian accent as the Maestro, is hysterical with himself as the center of the universe. He knows how to squeeze every line and leer for all it’s worth.

Jerry O’Connell, as the spineless ghostwriter, has the perfect bumbling and cuteness to make Robert believable. Anna Chlumsky, with her perky self-doubt, is the perfect foil to give Mr. O’Connell the spine he has been lacking. Together they would be the adorable younger couple. As the two butlers, Blake Hammond and Scott Robertson are synchronistic perfection; second bananas that steal the show.

Kathleen Marshall’s direction keeps things moving at a fast pace, which keeps the audience alert when the script lags. Living On Love is a nugget from yesteryear; you don’t go to peel off its veneer, you go to enjoy it, have a few laughs and go home relishing Ms. Fleming’s voice and presence, Mr. Sills’ eccentric, over-the-top behavior of a narcissist, Mr. Hammond & Mr. Robertson’s synchronicity, as well as enjoy Mr. O’Connell and Ms. Chlumsky finding their way through the mayhem. All in all, an enjoyable, harmless old-fashioned comedy whose purpose is to be entertaining and diverting for a couple of hours.

THE MAESTRO & LA DIVA: Douglas Sills & Renée Fleming in ‘Living On Love.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

MADCAP MOMENT: (left to right) Renée Fleming, Jerry O’Connell & Douglas Sills in ‘Living On Love.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 24, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 23, 2015

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