‘MAMMA MIA!’ (Left to right) Jalynn Steele, Christine Sherrill & Carly Sakolove. Photo: Joan Marcus.

MAMMA MIA!
Music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
Some songs with Stig Anderson
Book by Catherine Johnson
Choreography by Anthony Van Laast
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Through February 1, 2026
Winter Garden Theatre
https://mammamiabway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Mamma Mia! It’s back—and just as irresistibly corny and infectious as it was when it first opened on Broadway 24 years ago. This is the “jukebox musical” jam-packed with ABBA classics that started the trend in the early aughts. It’s a welcome return and the perfect escape from the troubled reality of 2025.

You know the “jukebox” genre—a musical with a paper-thin plot featuring the mega hits of a super pop group or iconic star woven into a narrative. It’s a formula that audiences love but is rarely praised by critics. Mamma Mia! is the best jukebox hero of all time. It was adapted into a phenomenal film adaptation in 2008 starring Meryl Streep, and a hit sequel was released in 2018. There’s now a third film in the works, so love it or hate it, the songs of ABBA and Mamma Mia! are a lucrative franchise. As long as people love ABBA songs (and who doesn’t it?) and A-listers like Meryl Streep and Cher agree to do cameos, Hollywood can make many more successful sequels.

Here we go again!

This ABBA songfest is back for just six months and if you haven’t seen the show or the film adaptation, here’s the premise in a nutshell. On a Greek island, Donna (Christine Sherrill) lives with her young daughter Sophie (Amy Weaver). Sophie is about to marry her fiancé, Sky (Grant Reynolds). Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie invites three men to the celebration. Sophie wants to find out which man is her father. Is it Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace), Bill Austin (Jim Newman) or Harry Bright (Rob Marnell).

Donna invites two old friends and bandmates, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sokolove).

What follows is Sophie’s hunt to figure out which one of three men invited is her biological father. She secretly read her mom’s diary to find out all the details.  Each potential papa learns that it was Sophie and not Donna who invited them.

Most of the musical centers on Donna, Rosie and Tanya reminiscing about their youth. In addition, the three guys disclose their associations with Donna.

From national tour back to Broadway

Some argue that this Broadway return engagement is essentially the national road tour production mounted at the Winter Garden.  They say production designer Mark Thompson’s sets (a white-washed interior and Greek taverna) are not as solid as in the original 2021 production. This is a trivial “flaw” that only hardcore Mamma Mia! aficionados (ones who have sat through umpteen performances) might notice. Go to any long-running Broadway super hit and you can easily nitpick over minutiae (from costumes to sets) and gripe about something that isn’t as glossy or polished as it was 25 or 30 years ago. By the way, the costumes in this 2025 re-engagement, by Mark Thompson and associate costume designer Lucy Gaiger, are the same type of colorful spandex jumpsuits as in the 2001 show. And what glorious costumes they are.

Mamma Mia! is more than just a musical. It’s a feel-good institution. True fans keep coming back for the simple story and the chance to sing along to ABBA standards. My dad has seen the musical on Broadway and on countless road tours across the nation. He watched the movie adaptations dozens of times.

Great cast & song delivery

Director Phyllida Lloyd gets great performances from the latest cast. Standouts include golden-voiced Christine Sherrill as Donna. and Carly Sokolove and Jalynn Steele are both spunky as sidekicks Rosie and Tanya.

Equally top-notch are Amy Weaver as Sophie and all three of the possible fathers. Grant Reynolds shines in particular as Sky.

The show’s band, directed by Will Van Dyke, delivers glorious covers of ABBA golden oldies. Waterloo,”   “Super Trouper,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and all the best tracks are here.

Fantastic finale

Warning: You may feel to urge to sing along each time a character breaks out into song. This reviewer especially loved the finale and curtain call. Donna and pals Rosie and Tanya sing medleys of all the Swedish pop group’s hits, from “Dancing Queen” to, of course, “Mamma Mia!” as the cast joins in. When Donna shouts to the audience “do you want to hear more?” and the crowd roars, you might find yourself screaming along with everyone else and singing along. That’s the true beauty behind this show—few musicals can make us forget all our troubles and just immerse ourselves in the gleeful nostalgia of singing ABBA songs amongst thousands of people.

Published August 27, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on August 21, 2025

‘MAMMA MIA!’: (Left to right) Lena Owens, Amy Weaver & Haley Wright. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MAMMA MIA’: Grant Reynolds & Amy Weaver. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MAMMA MIA!’: (Left to right) Jim Newman, Victor Wallace & Rob Marnell. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MAMMA MIA!’ (Left to right) Jalynn Steele, Carly Sakolove & Christine Sherrill. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MAMMA MIA!’ Christine Sherrill & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MAMMA MIA!’: (Collage, top & bottom). The cast. Photos: Joan Marcus.

‘MAMMA MIA!’: Amy Weaver & Christine Sherrill. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘JUST IN TIME’: Jonathan Groff. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

JUST IN TIME
Book by Warren Leight and Isaac Oliver
Based on an original concept by Ted Chapin
Music supervision & arrangements by Andrew Resnick
Choreography by Shannon Lewis
Directed by Alex Timbers
Through September 6, 2026
Circle in the Square
235 W 50th St.
https://justintimebroadway.com/

Editor’s Note: Jeremy Jordan has taken over the role of Bobby Darin. Isa Briones is now in the role of Connie Francis, and Carrie St. Louis is now playing Sandra Dee.

By Scott Harrah

Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff gives his best performance to date in Just in Time, the new Broadway musical about the iconic Bobby Darin, the velvet-voiced pop singer of the 1950s and 1960s who died at age 37.  Mr. Groff brings the man who sang such classics as “Splish Splash,” “Mack the Knife,” “Dream Lover” and “Beyond the Sea” to vivid life in the best “jukebox musical” since Jersey Boys nearly two decades ago. One doesn’t need to be a Bobby Darin fan to appreciate the nonstop energy that Mr. Groff brings to the role.

Broadway via the Copacabana & Las Vegas

Scenic designer Derek McLane has turned Circle in the Square into a glorious retro nightclub that pays homage to the venerable Copacabana in Manhattan and the glitzy Las Vegas lounge stages of yesteryear. It’s a winning tribute to a bygone era when stylish ladies and gentlemen would gather in cozy, intimate nightclubs to sip cocktails, smoke cigarettes and marvel at the latest pop crooners of the day. Shortly after the show opens, Mr. Groff reminds us that he’s not the real Bobby Darin and we’re actually watching this spectacle “in the basement of Wicked.”

What’s more, the mellifluous orchestrations by music supervisor Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber bring all the ebullient brass and jazz-hot sounds of a “big band” orchestra to the Broadway stage. This lets audiences immerse themselves in the nostalgic glory of the classic songs being performed.

As an added treat, we see performances by two of Mr. Darin’s real-life romantic partners: The inimitable, golden-throated pop queen Connie Francis (Gracie Lawrence); and “America’s sweetheart,” movie superstar Sandra Dee (Erika Henningsen), who was briefly married to Mr. Darin. Both women, like Bobby Darin himself, lived very public, volatile lives and were scandalous tabloid fodder in their heyday and beyond.

An icon & his lady loves

Bobby Darin (real name Walden Robert Cassotto) had a short but dramatic life. Growing up in East Harlem, New York, he suffered from bouts of rheumatic fever as a child and doctors said he would only live to be 16, but he proved them wrong.

He started out as a songwriter for Ms. Francis. She was already a household name with such hits as “Stupid Cupid” and “Who’s Sorry Now?” Darin immediately took a shine to the star and she was also smitten with him, but her parents did not approve.

Goody-two-shoes matinee idol Sandra Dee also won his heart. After pouring on lots of charm and giving flowers to her demanding, overprotective mother (Valeria Yamin), Mr. Darin got her blessing and was allowed to date Ms. Dee while filming Come September in Portofino, Italy in 1960. She was just 18 and he was 24 at the time. They had a brief, passionate affair and later married. Ms. Dee and Mr. Darin had one child, son Dodd, before divorcing.

Scandalous family secret

Mr. Darin was raised by Polly Walden (Michele Pawk), his nurturing mother. His older sister Nina (Emily Bergl)  looks out for him as if she is his nanny. When Mr. Darin becomes successful, he hires Nina’s husband—his brutish brother-in-law, Charlie Maffia (Joe Barbara)—as his personal valet. All three family members have been keeping a scandalous secret from Bobby all his life and his world is shattered when he learns the truth

Outstanding performances

Director Alex Timbers skillfully directs the gifted cast, all of whom give outstanding performances.

The supporting cast are certainly worth noting. Gracie Lawrence is superb as Connie Francis, singing the nostalgic star’s songs with the right mix of zest and vulnerability. Ms. Lawrence’s take on the Connie Francis standard “Who’s Sorry Now?” is one of the show’s highlights. She also captures the singer’s demure presence and powerhouse presence with aplomb. That’s no easy task considering Ms. Francis was a superstar in the 1950s and 1960s, singing both pop chart-toppers as well as ethnic standards. Songs from her two albums Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites and Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites are still played at many Italian and Jewish weddings today.

Erika Henningsen also gives a knockout portrayal of Sandra Dee, another megastar from the era. Ms. Henningsen brings all the saccharine sweetness and melodrama to the character, and does so with consistent conviction. It’s quite a departure from her most famous Broadway role, originating the lead part of Cady Heron in Mean Girls. 

Michele Pawk as Polly Walden, and Emily Bergl as Nina, both bring plausibility to their respective roles, and each has a unique and crisp voice. Valeria Yamin is magnificent as Sandra Dee’s overbearing mother.

Noteworthy supporting cast

Other noteworthy supporting performances include the always-delightful Cesar Samayoa (How to Dance in Ohio and Come From Away). Mr. Samayoa really nails the part of 1970s music maven Don Kirshner, the man who discovered many pop and rock greats, including Bobby Darin. Gen X audiences will remember his 1970s TV show “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.”  Mr. Samayoa has an amazing voice and does a fine job portraying Mr. Kirshner as well as other small parts in the show. In addition, Joe Barbara is the ultimate New York tough guy as Charlie, Bobby’s personal valet and brother-in-law.

Jonathan Groff’s best role yet

Bobby Darin is the role Jonathan Groff was born to play. He won a Tony Award for Merrily We Roll Along and was nominated for a Tony for his portrayal of Mad King George in Hamilton. However, he is at the top of his game here. Mr. Groff has the charm, acting chops and beautifully textured voice to bring Bobby Darin back to glorious life. He sweats profusely and is a manic, energized force who keeps us riveted and mesmerized from the moment the show starts and he never lets up. Don’t miss Just in Time.

Editor’s note: Just in Time received six 2025 Tony Award nominations, including one for Jonathan Groff for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Published April 30, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on April 26, 2025

‘JUST IN TIME’: Jonathan Groff & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: Gracie Lawrence. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: Jonathan Groff & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: Gracie Lawrence (Connie Francis) & Jonathan Groff (Bobby Darin). Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: Christine Cornish, Jonathan Groff & Julia Grondin. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: Valeria Yamin, Michele Pawk & Julia Grondin. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: Erika Henningsen. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘JUST IN TIME’: (left) Emily Bergl; (right) Caesar Samayoa. Photos: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman & Caesar Samayoa is courtesy of Polk PR.

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‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: Corey Cott & McKenzie Kurtz. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL
An original stage musical inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News
Book by Jonathan A. Abrams
Story by Tyler Mitchell & Jonathan A. Abrams
Music supervised, arranged & orchestrated by Brian Usifer
Choreography by Lorin Latarro
Directed by Gordon Greenberg
The James Earl Jones Theatre
138 West 48^th Street
https://heartofrocknrollbway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Jukebox musicals are a gamble. When they actually use the songs of an artist to tell a biographical story, as in Tina or Jersey Boys, they can be amazing musicals. Using the songs of an established pop or rock artist to weave through a narrative that has nothing to do with the artist or his or her story can be risky and tricky. However, sometimes Broadway surprises us with this type of jukebox musical—one that actually works. The Heart of Rock and Roll, “inspired” by the songbook of Huey Lewis and the News, is this type of rare exception. It works in so many ways, from the seamless replication of “golden oldie” Huey Lewis songs from the 1980s to the great performances, nostalgic set and costumes to the colorful, lively choreography.

Set in a Midwest factory in 1987, the story focuses on Bobby (Corey Cott), a factory worker at a cardboard plant who has a rock band called The Loop on the side. He is trying to move up in the company. He tries to break out into corporate sales without the approval of owner Mr. Stone (John Dossett) but ends up getting fired. Mr. Stone’s daughter Cassandra (McKenzie Kurtz) likes Bobby and she tries to get his job back.

Bobby follows Cassandra and his pal and HR director Roz (Tamika Lawrence) to a big meeting in Chicago and attempts to get his job back by obtaining the account of eccentric Swedish furniture store mogul Fjord (Orville Mendoza). Meanwhile, Cassandra’s preppy ex-boyfriend Tucker (Billy Harrigan Tighe) is trying to win her back, and Bobby realizes he wants to go back to his band.

The plot is light and silly, but there is nothing wrong with that for a show that simply exists to entertain. Bobby wants his band to make it big, and Cassandra has designs on becoming the CEO of her father’s company. The real star of the show is, of course, the music, and there are plenty of great opportunities for the cast to sing such Huey Lewis classics as “Hip to Be Square,” “Workin’ for a Livin’,” “Do You Believe in Love?,” “I Want a New Drug,” and many more.

One of the show’s strongest assets is Lorin Latarro’s energetic, visually appealing and complex choreography. Ms. Latarro uses props brilliantly, from having dancers portraying employees sliding on cardboard sheets to one production number in which the cast jumps on Bubble Wrap, and this brings down the house with thunderous applause. Ms. Latarro demonstrates here that she is fast becoming one of Broadway’s most innovative choreographers, right up there in the modern Broadway pantheon with such superb contemporaries as Jerry Mitchell,  Jennifer Weber and Casey Nicholaw.

Director Gordon Greenberg gets great performances from the cast. Corey Cott is the perfect leading man and “jukebox hero” for this show, and his take on Bobby has the audience rooting for him at all times. McKenzie Kurtz is equally endearing as Cassandra, and she is in fine voice here. Also worth noting is the spunky Tamika Lawrence, and her portrayal of no-nonsense Roz is outstanding. Ms. Lawrence has great comic timing and gets many laughs from her delivery of some of the show’s best lines. The Heart of Rock and Roll beats with vivacious life and is one of the nicest surprises of the spring 2024 season.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 14, 2024
Reviewed at May 2, 2024 press  performance

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: (center, left to right) Billy Harrigan Tighe, McKenzie Kurtz & Zoe Jensen. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: Corey Cott. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: Corey Cott, Raymond J. Lee, John-Michael Lyles & F. Michael Haynie. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: John Dossett & McKenzie Kurtz. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME
Book by Jon Hartmere
Based on music performed & recorded by Britney Spears
Creative Consultant David Leveaux
Directed & choreographed by Keone & Mari Madrid
Marquis Theatre
1535 Broadway at 45th Street
(877-250-2929), www.OneMoreTimeMusical.com

By David NouNou

The hubris in  Jon Hartmere’s book for Once Upon a One More Time is both silly and ludicrous—expecting most audience members attending this insipid show to know about Betty Friedan and her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique. It seems only my middle-aged partner and I attending Friday evening’s performance found the mention of the book hilarious. When Cinderella (Briga Heelan) meets fairy Godmother, O.F.G (Brooke Dillan), our heroine is given Friedan’s feminist manifesto  to read to understand women’s lib. She’s supposed to free herself of the fairy tale chains. When Cinderella marries the prince in the end for the requisite “happily ever after,” the joke about the mention of Friedan and her book landed like a thud. However, our raucous laughter at that line had nearby audience members looking at us and wondering what was so funny. The irony of the moment escaped all the tweens and the 40-something wannabe tweens. Britney Spears is indeed a pop icon, but what does she have to do with feminism? This is one of the many confusing notions tossed into this mess of a jukebox musical.

Cinderella had a very busy year this year. In the last 12 months, she’s been featured in no less than three musicals. She was first featured in Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant City Center revival of Into the Woods where she finds out that marrying the prince doesn’t necessarily mean it ended happily ever after. Her woes just began.

In the second incarnation was the dreadful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Bad Cinderella which in comparison to this would be a masterpiece. In Webber’s version, she’s a bad girl who refuses to marry the prince because she discovers a whole new world out there.

In this third abysmal version, she is referred to as Cin. She and her sisters Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid are all dating the same Prince Charming (Justin Guarini);  Belle, Esmeralda, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood are not dating him but are thrown in for good measure to complete the fairy tale characters. Cin helps teach all these young ladies to break the chains of the characters they portray and think outside the box. Now you will ask yourself what the heck does all this have to do with “Based on the Music Performed and Recorded by Britney Spears”? Absolutely nothing. The songs—including all the Britney classics from “Baby One More Time” and “Oops…I Did It Again” to “Toxic and “Stronger”— and the dance moves are wedged in to no effective advantage or advancing the narrative in this lame storyline, other than giving the tweens and the 40-something wannabe tweens an excuse to shriek, snap, holler, and whistle every time they hear one of her songs or recognize one of the dance steps. Truth be told, Ms. Spears’ songs were put to much better use in last fall’s excellent production of & Juliet.

Adding to the confusion, one wonders how much of the music and songs were on pre-recorded tracks because we never really see the musicians—other than a screenshot of musicians projected onto the stage at the end of the show.

I will end this review on a high note. Thank God for Jennifer Simard as the Stepmother. Her mere presence—whether in the musicals Disaster or Company—always manages to breathe oxygen into any part she plays.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published July 10, 2023
Reviewed at July 7, 2023 press performance.

‘ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME’: Briga Heelan. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME’: Brooke Dillman (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME’: Justin Guarini & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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NEW YORK—In celebration of the musical’s first Broadway preview tonight, Tony Award-winning producers James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold have released a special sneak peek video clip of “Crazy” from rehearsals of Once Upon A One More Time. The new musical, powered by the music of Grammy Award-winning pop icon Britney Spears, begins performances tonight, Saturday, May 13, 2023 at the Marquis Theater in New York City.

Helmed by internally acclaimed, Drama Desk-nominated Director & Choreographers Keone & Mari Madrid (Beyond Babel, Karate Kid), Once Upon a One More Time is an electrifying and witty new musical comedy featuring an original story written by Jon Hartmere (bare, The Upside). Fully authorized and licensed by Britney Spears post-conservatorship, and inspired by an idea she proposed, the musical weaves the chart-topping hits of the undisputed Princess of Pop – including “Oops I Did It Again,” “Lucky,” “Circus,” “Toxic”, and more – into a brand-new kind of fairy tale. When Cinderella, Snow White, and other storybook heroines gather for book club, they always discuss the same book, Grimms’ Fairy Tales — because as far as they know, it’s the only book that’s ever been written. That is, until a rogue fairy godmother drops The Feminine Mystique into their corseted laps. From now on, “happily ever after” will never be the same.

Leading the Original Broadway Cast of the musical, which will celebrate its official opening night at the Marquis Theater on Thursday, June 22, 2023, are Briga Heelan (“Great News”, “Ground Floor”) will star as Cinderella, Justin Guarini (“American Idol”, Wicked) as Prince Charming, and Aisha Jackson (Frozen, Paradise Square) as Snow White, reprising the roles they originated in the world premiere production of Once Upon a One More Time, which played a sold-out, extended engagement at the Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), in Washington, D.C, from November 29, 2021-January 9, 2022. Joining the cast for the Broadway premiere are two-time Tony Award nominee Jennifer Simard (Company, Mean Girls) as Stepmother, two-time Tony Award nominee Adam Godley (The Lehman Trilogy, Hulu’s “The Great”) as The Narrator, comedienne Brooke Dillman (“The Wayne Brady Show”, “The Office”) as The O.F.G. (Original Fairy Godmother), Ryann Redmond (Frozen, Bring It On) as Stepsister Belinda, and Tess Soltau (Wicked, “The Good Fight”) as Stepsister Betany.

Gabrielle Beckford (The Prom 1st Natl. Tour, Gloria: A Life at A.R.T.) will play Rapunzel, Ashley Chiu (KPOP at Ars Nova, She Said) is Sleeping Beauty, Nathan Levy (Dear Evan Hansen) is Clumsy, Ryan Steele (Newsies, Matilda the Musical) is Prince Erudite, Morgan Whitley (American Psycho, The Greatest Showman) is Princess Pea, and Lauren Zakrin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) is Little Mermaid. Rounding out the cast are Matt Allen (Escape to Margaritaville, Something Rotten), Liv Battista (Billie Eilish Tour, Beyond Babel) as Belle, Jacob Burns (Hamilton Tour), Pauline Casiño (“Little Voice” on Apple TV+, Candace Brown’s The Soul Spot) as Esmeralda, Selene Haro (Beyond Babel) as Gretel, Joshua Daniel Johnson (Disney’s Sneakerella) as Prince Brawny, Amy Hillner Larsen (The Marvelous Wonderettes, Hairspray Tour) as Goldilocks, Justice Moore (Hamilton, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) as Red, Kevin Trinio Perdido (Almost Famous, Fire Island The Musical) as  Prince Mischievous, Mikey Ruiz (Beyond Babel) as Prince Gregarious, Salisha Thomas (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Josh Tolle (Kinky Boots 1st Natl. Tour, The Heart of Rock & Roll) as Prince Suave, Diana Vaden (Tootsie, Mack and Mabel at Encores!) as Swing, Mila Weir as Little Girl, Stephen Scott Wormley (The Lion King, “The Blacklist”) as Prince Affable, and Isabella Ye as Little Girl.

The world premiere production of Once Upon a One More Time played a sold-out, extended engagement at the Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), in Washington, D.C, from November 29, 2021-January 9, 2022, and was praised as “ingenious, and improbably funny” (Washingtonian). The musical was described as “an evening of buoyant delight” by The Washington Post critic Peter Marks, who also wrote in a feature on the production, “Once Upon A One More Time is one of the most ambitious new musicals in a theater world awakening to a creative new day – a most unlikely cultural mash-up, reframing a bevy of storybook characters in an enlightened, modern context.”  NPR said the show, “combines fairytales, Betty Friedan and Britney Spears in a large-scale, Broadway way, resulting in clever, uproarious fun. Who couldn’t use a little more fun these days?”  DC Metro Theater Arts raved the show is, “inspiring! A full-fledged, Grade A, gold star success… and exactly the party we need right now. It is as thought-provoking as it is toe-tapping, as clever as it is hilarious, as bold as it is shiny. I predict it will be an intergenerational smash.”

Joining the Madrids and Hartmere on the musical’s creative team are five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux (Nine, Romeo and Juliet on Broadway, NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE”) as Creative Consultant, Tony Award-nominated Scenic Designer Anna Fleischle (Hangmen, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Costume Designer Loren Elstein (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead), Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Kenneth Posner (Wicked, Beetlejuice), Sound Designer Andrew Keister (KPOP, On Your Feet!), Tony-nominated Projection Designer Sven Ortel (Newsies) and Drama Desk nominated Wig Designer Nikiya Mathis (Death of a Salesman, Chicken & Biscuits). Casting is by Hardt Casting (West Side Story).

TICKETS AND SCHEDULE

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Marquis Theatre Box Office (210 W 46th Street).  Groups of 10+ can call: 212-840-3890 or 800-714-8451. A limited number of $47 tickets will be available for each performance via digital lottery at https://lottery.broadwaydirect.com/show/omt-ny/. For performances through June 24, the playing schedule for Once Upon a One More Time is Monday–Saturday at 8:00PM, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00PM. Beginning June 27, the regular playing schedule is: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM, Sundays at 3:00PM. Holiday weeks may vary, and there are no matinees on May 17 or May 24. Beginning September 5, the Wednesday schedule is 7:00PM only, and the Sunday schedule is 2:00PM & 7:00PM. Visit the offical website at https://onemoretimemusical.com/

Sneak peek of  ‘Crazy’ rehearsal video for Once Upon a One More Time, new musical empowered by the hits of Britney Spears

Videos courtesy of Vivacity Media Group.

Animated logo for Once Upon a One More Time. Click below for video.

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NEW YORK— Tony Award-winning producers James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold are pleased to announce the complete cast for the Broadway premiere of Once Upon A One More Time, the new musical comedy that flips the script on famous fairytales, powered by the music of Grammy Award-winning international pop icon Britney Spears. Helmed by internationally acclaimed, Drama Desk-nominated director & choreographers Keone & Mari Madrid (Beyond Babel, Karate Kid), the musical begins previews Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the Marquis Theatre in New York City, and celebrates its opening night on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com/877-250-2929.

Briga Heelan. Photo: Courtesy of Vivacity Media.

Joining Briga Heelan (“Great News”, “Ground Floor”) as Cinderella, Justin Guarini (“American Idol”, Wicked) as Prince Charming, Aisha Jackson (Frozen, Paradise Square) as Snow White, two-time Tony Award nominee Jennifer Simard (Company, Mean Girls) as Stepmother, and two-time Tony Award nominee Adam Godley (The Lehman Trilogy, Hulu’s “The Great”) as The Narrator, are comedienne Brooke Dillman (“The Wayne Brady Show”, “The Office”) as The O.F.G. (Original Fairy Godmother), Ryann Redmond (Frozen, Bring It On) as Stepsister Belinda, and Tess Soltau (Wicked, “The Good Fight”) as Stepsister Betany.

Two-time Tony Award nominee Jennifer Simard. Photo: Sarah Jenkins.

Broadway veteran Ryann Redmond. Photo: Courtesy of Vivacity Media.

Justin Guarini as Prince Charming. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

For more information, please visit https://onemoretimemusical.com/

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‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Will Swenson & cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE
Book by Anthony McCarten
Music & lyrics by Neil Diamond
Directed by Michael Mayer
Broadhurst Theatre
235 West 44th Street, (212) 239-6200
https://abeautifulnoisethemusical.com/

By Scott Harrah

A Beautiful Noise is not exactly a Neil Diamond tribute concert or a solid jukebox musical such as MJ, Tina and Jersey Boys—all these shows had great stories to tell and also showcased the music of the artist portrayed. Instead, this show is akin to attending a Neil Diamond psychotherapy session, hearing him complaining to his therapist about his malaise and unhappiness in his old age. This therapy session takes place throughout the musical. For a man who is a world-renowned musical artist, had endless hit songs, fame and adulation, sold-out arenas, became quite wealthy, married three times and has multiple children, the show mostly focuses on the adage that fame and riches do not buy you happiness.

Neil Diamond is an American icon. He has sold more than 130 million records and had 10 #1 hits in the USA alone. Anyone who grew up in the 1970s and early 1980s knows his music was consistently played on the radio. Some say he has sold more records than Elvis. In addition, he got his break writing songs for other people, most notably “I’m a Believer” for the Monkees.

Despite the fact that all his hits are here—“America,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “Cracklin’ Rose,” “Solitary Man” and, of course “Sweet Caroline,” and tons more—there is no arc to the storyline. Neil Diamond was a multi-talented mega star who was essentially a nice Jewish boy from Flatbush, Brooklyn who made it big. Based on this show, he didn’t have any struggles with drugs or alcohol but he suffered from loneliness and had rocky marriages. A Beautiful Noise opens with a therapy session of older  Neil (Marc Jacoby) recalling his youth and start in show business through his songbook, while confessing everything to his understanding therapist (Linda Powell). Other than his three marriages, there is no insight into the man. It doesn’t leave much room for a buoyant musical. Fortunately, Will Swenson brings young rock star Neil Diamond to vivid life and gives a vibrant interpretation of Mr. Diamond in the late 1960s up to the early ’80s. When Mr. Swenson is onstage, sporting tight clothing and singing Diamond classics like “A Solitary Man” and “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show,” complete with dancing chorus members, the show is lively and almost campy and will thrill Neil Diamond fans. Unfortunately, there are not enough production numbers of Diamond’s golden oldies, and many of the songs they do perform aren’t always his best.  The narrative of older Neil talking to his therapist about his past really makes the story drag most of the time.

Michael Mayer’s direction is unfocused, and Anthony McCarten’s book has a paper-thin narrative thread. Steven Hoggett’s choreography is frenetic and energetic at times, but not that original. Some of the performances are noteworthy. Bri Suda does a nice job playing Brill Building songwriter Ellie Greenwich (the woman who gave Mr. Diamond his first break), and she doubles in the role of Neil’s mother, Rose. Mark Jacoby is emotional in the right places as older Neil. The biggest redemption to the show and its greatest asset is Will Swenson as the young Neil Diamond, singing each song in a rough, mellifluous, velvety voice without trying to mimic the star. He brings the charisma, looks, energy and the sound needed to anchor and breathe life into this otherwise inert musical. A good jukebox musical about a legend often weaves cherished classic songs into a strong story that actually gives insight and perspective while showcasing the artist’s material. A Beautiful Noise fails to do much justice to the star as it never quite captures the pop-star magic of Neil Diamond in his heyday or reveals anything remarkable about such a legendary, gifted entertainer.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published January 21, 2023
Reviewed at January 19, 2023 press performance.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: (left to right) Will Swenson, Mark Jacoby & Linda Powell. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Will Swenson & cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Robyn Hurder & Will Swenson. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Marc Jacoby. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’ (left to right): Michael McCormick, Tom Alan Robbins, Linda Powell, Marc Jacoby & Will Swenson. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Will Swenson & cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Will Swenson & cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘A BEAUTIFUL NOISE’: Robyn Hurder & cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

The post ‘A Beautiful Noise’: Neil Diamond’s jukebox jam appeared first on StageZine.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Written & directed by Conor McPherson
Music & lyrics by Bob Dylan
Belasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), www.northcountryonbroadway.com

By David NouNou

Hybrid musicals are constantly evolving. Originally started as pastiche musicals by songbooks from tunesmiths, examples being Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Lieber and Stoller’s Smokey Joe’s Cafe morphing into jukebox musicals the likes of Jersey Boys and Ain’t Too Proud—and let’s not forget the bio-musicals using an artist’s songbook: Beautiful, Donna Summer, The Cher Show and, most recently, Tina. Now we have musicals that create the story around an artist’s album and works, such as Alanis Morrisette’s angst-filled Jagged Little Pill (which opened last December). This brings us to Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country. Mr. Dylan was previously represented on Broadway in the abysmal The Times They Are a Changin’.

Girl from the North Country is set in 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota during the Great Depression, with no jobs and no money. Narrated by Dr. Walker (Robert Joy), he tells us about the characters that unfold in the story and their final Thanksgiving and Christmas in 1934 at the Laine’s rundown guesthouse and its transients. Nick Laine (Jay O. Sanders) is not only trying to save his guesthouse and home from foreclosure, he also has to take care of his dementia-riddled wife, Elizabeth (Mare Winningham) and his two children Gene (Colton Ryan), a shiftless drunken wannabe writer in his early 20s and an adopted black daughter who was left with them when she was a baby, Marianne (Kimber Elayne Sprawl), who is 19 and pregnant.

Nick is trying to arrange a marriage for Marianne with the wealthy 70-year-old shoe mender, Mr. Perry (Tom Nelis) in order to secure a home for her and her baby. Also, at the guesthouse is Mrs. Neilson (Jeannette Bayardelle) who is having an affair with Nick while awaiting her late husband’s probate to clear.

Also, at the guesthouse are Mr. Burke (Mark Kudisch) who has lost his business in the market crash, his wife Laura (Luba Mason) who takes care of their mentally challenged adult son Elias (Todd Almond), and the struggle to come to terms with their reduced plight.

Arriving late one stormy night, Nick takes in two borders, the self-proclaimed Reverend Marlowe and bible salesman (Matt McGrath) and a down-on-his-luck boxer, Joe Scott (Austin Scott), both looking for shelter. Now that all the characters are in place for the action to begin.

The book by Conor McPherson is engaging and you really get a feel for all the characters and how they are trapped in the situation of the day. They hope they can change their destinies, but the times are rough. This is where Bob Dylan’s songbook comes in and it doesn’t always mesh well with the storyline. Every time the story moves forward, a musical number is inserted randomly and slows down the proceedings, and here Mr. McPherson, in the role of director, doesn’t help the situation because every time a character has a song to sing, the rest of the characters form a back “doo-wop” singing group with microphones and finger snapping, all of which makes no sense. In Act I as you are getting to know the characters, the songs are forming the introductions in a way. In Act II, the songs become lugubrious and just halt everything with the added pointless dance movements by Lucy Hale.

The redemption of the evening consists of the hardworking acting and fine voices of the ensemble consisting of Jay O. Sanders, Mare Winningham, Mark Kudisch, Luba Mason, Robert Joy and Tom Nelis. However, the mellifluous and angelic voices are provided by the powerhouses: Jeannette Ray Ardelle, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, and Austin Scott.

At another time, this show would have been an interesting venture. What with the current state of the country and the economy, as well as the turmoil of the pandemic, I can’t say that this is exactly the antidote for the day, but Conor McPherson’s story is, regardless, still compelling.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 11, 2020
Reviewed at March 10, 2020 press performance.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Mare Winningham. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Marc Kudisch. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Caitlin Houlahan & Colton Ryan. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Austin Scott & Kimber Elayne Sprawl. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: Luba Mason. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY’: (left to right) Colton Ryan, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Mare Winningham & Jay O. Sanders. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Elizabeth Stanley. Photo: Matthew Murphy

JAGGED LITTLE PILL
Lyrics by Alanis Morissette
Music by Alanis Morissette & Glen Ballard
Book by Diablo Cody
Directed by Diane Paulus
Broadhurst Theatre
235 West 44th St.
212-239-6200
https://jaggedlittlepill.com/

By Scott Harrah

Back in 1995, Alanis Morissette became a superstar with her seminal album Jagged Little Pill. Alanis, then just 20, defined emotionally raw music for a new generation of young women with the album’s iconic smash hits, from “You Oughta Know” and “Hand in My Pocket” to “Ironic.” Alanis’s music was highly personal, neurotic, hauntingly poetic and angry—all things we’d never heard before from a female artist so young and unapologetically feminist. Her music sounded so genuine because the pain she sang about came from such an organic place. Perhaps that’s why Jagged Little Pill on Broadway is so, well, hard to swallow. With a book by Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno), this jukebox musical only uses Alanis’s songs as the soundtrack for a story about a dysfunctional suburban family in Connecticut.  The story, while told with intelligence and a multi-talented cast of actors with good voices, is all too familiar and strained at times. Alanis’s classic songs are all here, performed with panache and with new added nuances, but they often seem out of place with such heavy-handed material.

Mary Jane Healy (Elizabeth Stanley)—cleverly named, of course, after the song “Mary Jane” on the Jagged Little Pill LP—is referred to by the nickname MJ. She pretends she and husband Steve (Sean Allan Krill), a workaholic attorney, have the perfect family. Their son Nick (Derek Klena) has just received word that he’ll be attending Harvard University when he finishes high school, but he hates the pressure to succeed this puts on him. The family also has an adopted African American daughter Frankie (Celia Rose Gooding). Of course, nothing is as idealistic as it seems. MJ was in a bad car accident and has since developed an addiction to opioid painkillers and has lost interest in sex with her husband. Steve, she discovers, has a secret addiction as well—to internet pornography. Daughter Frankie is hiding a shocking secret as well: She is bisexual and has been carrying on a lesbian fling with friend Jo (Lauren Patten). Trouble arises when Frankie meets new boy in town Phoenix (Antonio Cipriano) and falls for him.

Ms. Cody spins quite a tangled yarn here, covering enough controversial topics to fill a whole season of TV’s “Movie of the Week.” In two and a half hours (with an intermission), Jagged Little Pill covers topics ranging from rape and opioid addiction to bisexuality, marriage counseling, and so on. Despite its attempts to be “woke,” Jagged isn’t exactly original. The recent teen musical Dear Evan Hansen handled similar subject matter better because its narrative was more focused and less contrived.

The setting is 2019, but some of the characters still wear 1990s-style Seattle grunge gear. Alanis fans will love the way many of her classics are presented. For example, “Ironic” is performed during a high school writing class and characters stop to say what people said back when the song first topped the charts: Many of Alanis’s examples of “ironic” things like “a black fly in your chardonnay” or “rain on your wedding day” aren’t ironic at all. Regardless, “Ironic” is a great song.  “You Oughta Know”—the scorned woman’s anthem that made Alanis a household name, with its lyrics like “would she go down on you in a theater? —takes on a whole new meaning as sung by Lauren Patten as Jo.

Some of Alanis’ later hits are also included and used in clever ways to weave their way around the narrative. “Hands Clean” from Under Rug Swept—a song about sexual abuse Alanis encountered when she was a teenage pop singer in Canada, years before Jagged Little Pill—is used to tell the story of the rape of a teen character, Bella (Kathryn Gallagher). The infamous yet catchy “Thank U” is also here—the 1998 hit in which Alanis thanks India, terror and silence.

The Alanis songbook nearly 25 years after the release of Jagged Little Pill is still influential and groundbreaking in its own right. Alanis was always “real” and truly ahead of her time. She was singing about abusive men and helping to empower women years before the “#MeToo” movement.

Diablo Cody’s turgid story is overwhelming at times and so full of “issues” that it becomes absurd.  An experienced director like Diane Paulus should have been able to fine-tune the story much better, and Sidi Larbi Cherakaoui’s choreography is literally all over the place.

There are many fine performances in Jagged Little Pill, particularly Ms. Patten as Jo. However, despite all the talent on the Broadhurst stage, it is unfortunate that Alanis’s music could not have been used for a more satisfying musical.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 12, 2019
Reviewed at December 11, 2019 press performance.

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Elizabeth Stanley & Kathryn Gallagher. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Elizabeth Stanley & Celia Rose Gooding. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Derek Klena & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Derek Klena. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Elizabeth Stanley & Heather Lang. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Lauren Patten & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘JAGGED LITTLE PILL’: Celia Rose Gooding & Antonio Cipriano. Photo: Matthew Murphy

The post ‘Jagged Little Pill’: Angst & Alanis’ songbook appeared first on StageZine.

‘TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL’: Adrienne Warren (center) & cast. Photo: Manuel Harlan

TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
Book by Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar & Kees Prins
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Choreographed by Anthony Van Laast
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
205 West 46th Street
(877-250-2929), www.tinaonbroadway.com

By David NouNou

Tina Turner is a force of nature, a hurricane. There are very few artists where you just mention their first name and you see their entire portfolio appearing in your mind. Tina is among those superstars: Aretha, Barbra, Cher, Diana, just to name a few; no need to say their last name as it would be redundant and stating the obvious.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is more than a jukebox musical about an artist and her song portfolio inserted into it to recapture nostalgia. Tina actually has a book that is logical and makes sense of the artist’s life. Of course there will be portions or parts that would be missing as, that is the nature of a musical; you have to stay on course to hold the audience’s attention.

Born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, her hometown, singing in her father’s ministry, having an abusive father, deserted by her mother, living with her grandmother, moving to St. Louis at 16 and reconnecting with her mother, marrying Ike Turner and their tumultuous and abusive relationship, attempting suicide, from stardom to the depths of poverty and depression, going out on her own and rebuilding her career in the record industry and sold-out concerts around the world, as well as her faith in Buddhism which has been her salvation. It is all here.

In addition, there are also her songs that are sung intact and not just snippets: “River Deep, Mountain High,” “Proud Mary,” “Nutbush,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “Private Dancer,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” and many more. What is unique here is that the songs come in sequence and are not randomly inserted for the sake of “keeping the musical moving” as is the case with most jukebox musicals.

I have to make a confession here. In June 2018, shortly after its opening, I saw Tina in London, and at that performance Adrienne Warren was not performing. Due to the demanding and unrelenting role, it is impossible to play eight performances a week without collapsing. Knowing Ms. Warren’s capabilities as a performer from the New York stage, I felt I was cheated not getting to see her on the West End.  As I stated earlier Tina, the singer, is bigger than life, so the performer that plays her has to capture that essence of Tina’s magnetism. It is not enough to just sing the songs well; she has to inhabit Tina.

There are very few times on the stage when an actress can overwhelm as the original artist she is portraying. Recently we had Cher and Donna Summer portrayed to less-than-diminishing returns by musicals with awkward books. Adrienne Warren has shattered the theatrical barrier and created a legendary moment in theatrical history. Over the years I have seen legends portraying Dolly Levi, Mame and Evita, but not since Barbra Streisand portraying Fanny Brice have I been as spellbound as I was witnessing Ms. Warren as Tina Turner. Ms. Warren should have her name in lights on the marquee (as they used to in the olden days). Although Ms. Warren lacks Tina’s size, she overcomes this obstacle with a fully rounded performances that will live on for the ages. Not to sound cheesy, but Hurricane Adrienne has made landfall at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and may her stay be long.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 15, 2019
Reviewed at November 14, 2019 press performance.

‘TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL’: Adrienne Warren & Steven Booth. Photo: Manuel Harlan

‘TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL’ : Adrienne Warren & Daniel J. Watts. Photo: Manuel Harlan

‘TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL’: Adrienne Warren. Photo: Manuel Harlan

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